Irenaeus 1

Lecture 6: Irenaeus

22 September 2015

Irenaeus 2

Outline

Controversies over canon Issues with OT Issues with NT

Gnosticism Irenaeus

Irenaeus 3

Issues with the Old Testament First, which Old Testament are we talking about

Hebrew Scriptures Aramaic Versions Septuagint Other Greek Versions

Portrayal of God in OT, when read only literally, God seems anthropomorphic God seems to be the author of evil God seems to be capricious

Other issues Contradictions among some of the OT Books

NB: These are all exactly the issues that will cause Augustine to abandon Catholicism as a young man

Irenaeus 4

What is the Septuagint? Septuagint Mean 70, sometimes referred to as LXX

Legend (1st C BC) 72 Jewish Scholars invited to Alexandria in c 200 BC to

translate Scriptures into Greek Legend says that 72 scholars translated exactly the same

way independently of each other Septuagint becomes canonical for Greek speaking

Jews Includes works of special importance to Jewish

community in Alexandria: 1, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach

Used by Paul and the Evangelists when quoting Scripture

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Formation of Jewish Hebrew Canon of Scripture Early Rabbinic Judaism; only form of Judaism to

survive Jewish-Roman Wars of 65-73 and 133-135. Compilation of TANAKH

Pentateuch (Torah) Prophets (Nevtim) Writings (Kethuvim)

Some Books not included in Hebrew Canon Not written in Hebrew: Sirach, Wisdom of Solomon Not recognized by Babylonian Jews: I Maccabees But many of these books are honored in Judaism as

important (I Maccabees) but not Scriptural

Irenaeus 6

Early Ways to Refer to ‘New Testament’ ‘Scripture’ in New Testament = Old

Testament The Way = Jesus, following Jesus Rule of Faith: canon

From Greek meaning ruler or standard; measurer See 1 Clement 7:2

‘New Testament’ used in late 2nd C (Tertullian)

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Issues with the New Testament By the Second Century there was a significant number of

Christian and pseudo-Christian works in circulation Some books in the canon were contested

Some groups wanted John’s Gospel as most important, some only wanted Luke’s Gospel

Primacy of Paul or Gospels Uncertain about Book of Revelation

Other literature which we recognize as having great value, but not canonical may have been canonical for some groups Shepherd of Hermas Clement’s Letters to Corinthians

Some books that had a Christian flavor to them; these groups had much in common with mystery religions: gnosticism Gospel of Truth Apocryphon of John

Irenaeus 8

Marcion

Wealthy sea captain from Asia Minor Contemporary of Justin Martyr Settled in Rome, originally part of Catholic community; generous

donor Falling out over Scripture;

Rejected the Old Testament; creator God is evil Rejected All of New Testament except Paul’s Letters and parts of

Luke’s Gospel Took a very literal approach to reading Scripture

He sponsored his own version of Christianity Had the resources to spread his version of Christianity around

Empire

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Gnostics Unlike Marcion, many different contributors to gnosticism (knowledge);

what follows is a composite For Irenaeus, primary gnostic was Valentinus; Valentinus had a competing Christian school in Rome

Large following in Rome and Asia Minor; Other prominent gnostics are associated with Alexandria

Rejected the OT, because of philosophical (Platonic) considerations OT gives a false picture of God; Material world is inferior, or even evil Two gods, one good, one evil creator

Accept fanciful ‘gospels’ that contain secret truths available only to the initiates (common with mystery religions);

Knowledge comes from divine illumination of the gnostic believer into special, hidden mysteries

Much recent knowledge of gnosticism comes from discoveries at Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945

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Gnostic Cosmology (composite) Because they rejected OT, needed a different

cosmology Alternate explanation to creation

Relied on “Platonism” World eternal But goes through cycles of material destruction

and renewal Reincarnation

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Gnostic Theology (composite)

Two gods Good spiritual god Evil creator god

Good god as a trinity with spirit and Sophia Jesus as a demi-god born of Sophia Jesus only appears to be human (docetist)

Gnostics pray to God and Sophia, Jesus their son Stories of heavenly relationships become quite

fantastic

Irenaeus 12

Gnostic Anthropology (composite) Heavenly realm filled with souls looking at God When souls look away (or cool) fall to earth and take on human

bodily form Body belongs to evil god

Some few humans have divine insight into heavenly realm Gnostics – true believers Psyches – learners Somatist – majority trapped in their bodies

Because body belongs to evil god, gnostics either think body and its functions unimportant (licentious) or body to be severely disciplined (encratite) In either case, martyrdom is of no value

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Tatian: Mentioned by Irenaeus From Syria A student of Justin Martyr in Rome Compiled (as did Justin) a Gospel synopsis,

or harmony Diatesseron Very influential in Syriac Christianity; used

liturgically into the 5th C Apostasized, joining an encratite sect

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Comparison of Early Heresies Docetists

Reject OT Accept a few ‘pseudo-Christian’ works (Gospel of Peter) Very high Christology: Jesus God, not man Key philosophical issue: impassibility of God

Marcion Rejects OT Rejects most NT; only allows Paul, some of Luke Literal interpretation of canon

Gnostics Reject OT Accept many ‘pseudo-Christian’ works Jesus son of God and Sophia Allegorical interpretation of New Testament Key philosophical issues: theodicy Two gods: evil creator god, good spiritual god

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Irenaeus (d. c 180)

Knew Justin Martyr’s works, may have know Justin Martyr; also knew Polycarp (student of Ignatius and perhaps John the Apostle)

Born in Asia Minor; sent to Lyons in Gaul to be bishop after a brutal persecution

Like Justin Martyr, wrote in Greek Some key issues for Irenaeus:

What constitutes Canon Apostles as guarantors of Truth How to think about Jesus Christ and Mary

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Map of Roman Empire and Spread of Christianity, Second Century

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The Genius of Irenaeus

God as Creator and Ruler implies the unity of Scripture (OT and NT)

Mary and Jesus as the restoration of humanity; ‘undoing’ the sin of Eve and Adam Key theological concept of recapitulation

‘Proper’ Scripture is determined by the Truth of its teaching

‘Proper’ interpretation of Scripture is determined by wisdom of Apostles But this is not a hidden wisdom available only to a few

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Works by Irenaeus

On the Detection and Refutation of the Knowledge, Falsely so Called (Against the Heresies) Only portions of original Greek are extant Complete Third Century Latin is extant Complete Books IV and V available extant in Armenian Version you will read is based primarily on Greek portions

Proof of the Apostolic Teaching Discovered in 1907, Armenian version

Other works treatises, letters, sermons are now lost Works by Irenaeus were well known in Christian

community of his time: Tertullian refers to them

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Structure of Against Heresies Arranged in 5 books; books written as

installments and sent individually Book I

An analysis of the false teachings Describes how the false teachers use Scripture Gives a ‘genealogy’ of heresies (relies on Justin

Martyr for this) Book II

Attack on specific points of gnosticism Based as much on philosophy as Scripture

Irenaeus 20

Structure (cont.) Book III

Proofs of true teaching drawn from Scripture Genealogy of true Scripture: Evangelists, Paul, Apostles Apostolic Succession; Roman bishops Importance of teaching publicly Focus on New Testament

Book IV Proofs from Jesus that God of OT is his Father Jesus reveals the Father Importance of preaching of presbyters and bishops who are in line of

apostolic succession Interpret the OT in the light of the NT

Book V Eucharist Importance of body and resurrection of the dead

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The Importance of the Imago Dei Human dignity, man’s special place in creation; a creation that is

good Dignity of all persons who live and strive for the truth Importance of the resurrection of the body and, therefore the

importance of what you do with your body Jesus restores man’s place in the goodness of creation Read Weinandy “St. Irenaeus and the Imago Dei”

How Irenaeus supports the goodness of God’s creation, and of human beings in particular

The importance of Jesus; humans created in likeness to Son; our bodies manifest Son’s image

How to grow as imago Dei

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How Irenaeus Will Be Used (Misused?) by Some Modern Philosophers Irenaeus describes Adam and Eve as

children; need for humanity to grow in God’s grace

Used by modern process theologians as an alternative to original sin

Also used as an alternative to neoPlatonic definition of evil as an absence of good John Hick, Evil and the God of Love

But then why is recapitulation so important to Irenaeus?

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Assignment

Read Carefully Against Heresies Especially Books III, IV, V Prepare for class discussion

Read CCC 51-53, 279-324, 516-518 to see how some of Irenaeus teaching about the Truth have been handed down

Write a 1-2 page paper on Against Heresies Don’t forget clearly marked thesis sentence