Irenaeus on God

8/13/2019 Irenaeus on God

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Irenaeus

(ca. 185 A.D.)

Irenaeus was bishop at Lyons, Gaul (France). He was born in Asia an ha !et

"olycarp, a isciple o# $ohn. He was a presbyter at Lyons urin% the persecutiono# &arcus Aurelius an beca!e a bishop there about 1'8 AD. here are two !aorwor*s *nown to us by Irenaeus, A%ainst Heresies an "roo# o# the Apostolic"reachin%. he latter was !entione by +usebius an has only been recentlyiscoere in 1-/ in an Ar!enian translation. he #irst +n%lish translationappeare in 1-0.

Irenaeus Go

For the rinitarian, the #ollowin% 2uotations #ro! Irenaeus will proe to be 2uitecon#usin%. 3n one han Irenaeus repeately insists the Father alone is the one anonly true Go. In rinitarian theolo%y, this si!ply oes not wor* since the Fatheralone is not the only true Go. 4ather, the Father is true Go alon% with the on

an the Holy pirit. 3n the other han, Irenaeus oes not !in tellin% us that hison $esus can be re#erre to as eity. Howeer, Irenaeus oes not beliee that theon is 6Go6 by ientity but is eity by irtue o# his iine ori%ins in theFather. 7ein% 6o#6 the Deity, the or is eity. hile the rinitarian enisions6Go6 to be a three person bein%, Irenaeus enisions his Go to be a one personbein%, out o# who! ca!e his on, an there#ore, $esus is eity o# the upre!eDeity. In other wors, there is only one true Go an this Go is the Father alonean the iinity o# the on is si!ply a eriatie o# the Father who is the Deityan #or this reason only the Father is the one true Go. For Irenaeus, $esus canbe calle 6%o9Go6 but only in the sense that he eries his power an i!!ortaleity #ro! the 3ne an 3nly rue Go, the Father, an as such he is the or o#Go, a !ani#estation o# Go, but is not hi!sel# the 3ne an 3nly rue Go.6 Inthis, Irenaeus spea*s a co!!on oice with all his early :hristians brethren, $esus

is eity o# he Deity, an the only true Deity was the upre!e Go, the Father.Irenaeus, alon% with all the early :hristian witnesses, reeal that the earlychurch o# the #irst 05 years was !ost e#initely not a church who worshipe arinitarian 6three in one6 Go.

1. A%ainst Heresies

he #ollowin% is #ro! Irenaeus olu!inous wor*, A%ainst Heresies. It is eryi!portant to reco%ni;e that he was writin% a%ainst Gnostic


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His !ain e#ense an o##ense is two#ol> (1) he :hurch #ollows the teachin%shane own by the Apostles, which inclues their criptures, an #ollows the!without contraictions an oes not ele into wil speculations, an (0) he:hurch has this uniersally accepte belie# concernin% Go an :hrist hane own#ro! the Apostles, which he hi!sel# hols, an is e#enin%, an by which he isalso re#utin% the eceptions o# these !en who are co!petin% as a power a%ainst the:hristian church. An i#, anyone was not %ien oer to a %rowin% "latonis! in the

church, it was Irenaeus. He is no philosopher an si!ply ta*es the criptures asthey are without elin% into eeper 2uestions. An in #act, one o# Irenaeus !ainthe!es in this wor*, is to establish the ientity o# the one an only true Gowhich he repeately insists is the Father alone, throu%h reasonin% #ro! thecriptures. he !ass o# oerwhel!in% eience Irenaeus leaes us #or the earlychurchs true belie# concernin% Go is certainly ecisie.

For that which is be%otten o# Go is Go. (I, 8).

$ohn, proclai!in% 3ne Go, the Al!i%hty, an one $esus :hrist, the only


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Go besies Hi! who is the Fra!er, &a*er, an "reserer o# this unierse, as i# Hewere not enou%h #or the!, or o# another :hrist or another only be%otten.... thecatholic church possesses one an the sa!e #aith throu%hout the whole worl. (I,1).

he rule o# truth which we hol, is, that there is 3ne Go Al!i%hty, who !ae allthin%s by His or, an #ashione an #or!e, out o# that which ha no e=istence,all thin%s which e=ist. hus says the cripture, to that e##ect 67y the or o#

the Lor were the heaens establishe, an all the !i%ht o# the!, by the pirit o#His !outh.6 An a%ain, 6All thin%s were !ae by hi!, an without hi! was nothin%!ae.6 here is no e=ception or euction state, but the Father !ae all thin%sby hi!, whether isible or inisible... is He who, by His or an pirit, !a*es,an isposes, an %oerns all thin%s, an co!!ans all thin%s into e=istence, Hewho #or!e the worl (#or the worl is o# all), He who #ashione !an, He whoB isthe Go o# Abraha!, an the Go o# Isaac, an the Go o# $acob, aboe who! thereis no other Go, nor initial principle, nor power, nor plero!a, He I the Fathero# our Lor $esus :hrist, as we shall proe. (I, 00)

It is proper, then, that I shoul be%in with the #irst an !ost i!portant rule,that is, Go the :reator, who !ae the heaen an the earth, an all thin%s thatare in it, who! these !en blasphe!ously style the #ruit o# a e#ect, an to

e!onstrate that there is nothin% either aboe Hi! or a#ter Hi!, nor that,in#luence by any one, but o# His own #ree will, He create all thin%s, since Heis the 3nly Go, the 3nly Lor, the 3nly :reator, the 3nly Father, Alonecontainin% all thin%s, an Hi!sel# co!!anin% all thin%s into e=istence. (7oo* II,1).

hose, #urthe!ore, who say that the worl was #or!e by an%els, or by any other!a*er o# it, contrary to the will o# Hi! who is the upre!e Father, o err #irsto# all in this ery !atter, that they !aintain that an%els #or!e such an so!i%hty a creation, contrary to the will o# the &ost Hi%h Go....the upre!eGo...the upre!acy o# Go, not to stan in nee o# other !eans #or the creationo# those thin%s which are calle into e=istence. His own or is both suitable ansu##icient #or the #or!ation o# all thin%s, een as $ohn, the isciple o# the

Lor, eclares re%arin% hi!> 6All thin%s were !ae by hi!, an without hi! wasnothin% !ae.6 Cow, a!on% the 6all thin%s6 our worl !ust be e!brace. It too,there#ore, was !ae by His or, as cripture tells us in the boo* o# Genesis thatHe !ae all thin%s pertainin% to our worl by His or. Dai also coneys thesa!e truth, 6For He spo*e, an they were !ae, He co!!ane, an they werecreate.6 ho!, there#ore, shall we beliee as to the creation o# the worl heseheretics who hae been !entione that babble so #oolishly an inconsistently onthe subect, or the isciples o# the Lor, an &oses, who was both a #aith#ulserant o# Go an a prophet He at #irst writes about the #or!ation o# the worlin these wors, 6In the be%innin% Go create the heaen an the earth,6 an allother thin%s in orer, but neither %os nor an%els. Cow, that this Go I theFather o# our Lor $esus :hrist, "aul the apostle also has eclare, 6here is 3neGo, the Father, who is aboe all, an throu%h all, an in all6 +ph />EB. (7oo*

II, 0).

How, a%ain, coul either the an%els, or the creator o# the worl, hae beeni%norant o# the upre!e Go, seein% they were His property, an His creatures, anwere containe by Hi! He !i%ht inee hae been inisible to the! on account o#His uperiority, but He coul by no !eans hae been un*nown to the! on account o#His proience. For thou%h it is true, as they eclare, that they were ery #arseparate #ro! Hi! throu%h their in#eriority, yet, as His o!inion reache oerall o# the!, it is necessary #or the! to *now their 4uler, an to be aware o# thisin particular, that He who create the! is Lor o# all. For since His inisibleessence is !i%hty, it con#ers on all a pro#oun !ental intuition an perception o#


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His !ost power#ul, een, o!nipotent %reatness. here#ore, althou%h 6no one *nowsthe Father, e=cept the on, nor the on e=cept the Father, an those to who! theon will reeal Hi!,6 yet all o *now this one #act at least, because reason,i!plante in their !ins, !oes the!, an shows to the! that there is 3ne Go, theLor o# all. An because o# this, all thin%s hae been put uner the His in#luencewho is calle the &ost Hi%h, an the Al!i%hty. 7y callin% upon Hi!, een be#orethe co!in% o# our Lor, !en were sae both #ro! !ost wic*e spirits, an #ro! all*ins o# e!ons, an #ro! eery sort o# apostate power. (7oo* II, E).

7eyon the pri!ary Father, there#ore, that is, the Go who is oer all... (7oo*II, 8).

hat Go is the :reator o# the worl is accepte een by those ery persons who in!any ways spea* a%ainst Hi!, an yet ac*nowle%e Hi!, re#errin% to Hi! as the:reator, an an an%el, not to !ention that all the criptures call out, an theLor teaches us o# this Father who is in heaen, an no other, as I shall show inthe se2uel o# this wor*. (7oo* II, -).

hey o not beliee that He, who is Go aboe all, #or!e by His or....It iseasy to proe #ro! the ery wors o# the Lor $esusB, that he ac*nowle%es 3neFather an :reator o# the worl, an Fashioner o# !an, who was proclai!e by the

Law an the prophets, while he *nows no other, an that this 3ne is truly Go oerall, an that he teaches that that aoption o# sons pertainin% to the Father,which is eternal li#e, ta*es place throu%h hi!sel#, con#errin% it upon all theri%hteous. (7oo* II, 11).

In the #ollowin% state!ent, Irenaeus obects to !a*in% Go a co!poun bein%.Althou%h, he obects to it on %rouns i##erent than rinitarianis!, he obects tothe concept nonetheless

For consier, all you who inent such opinions, since the Father Hi!sel# is Alonecalle 6Go6, who has a real e=istence, but who! you style the De!iur%e, since,!oreoer, the criptures ac*nowle%e Hi! Alone as 6Go,6 an yet a%ain, since theLor con#esses Hi! Alone as his own Father, an *nows no other, as I shall show

#ro! his ery wors.... 7ut Go bein% all &in, an all Lo%os, both spea*s e=actlywhat He thin*s, an thin*s e=actly what He spea*s. For His thou%ht is Lo%os, anLo%os is &in, an &in co!prehenin% all thin%s is the Father Hi!sel#. He,there#ore, who spea*s o# the !in o# Go, an ascribes to it a special ori%in o#its own, eclares Hi! a co!poun 7ein%, as i# Go were one thin%, an the ori%inal&in another.... 7ut, beyon reason in#late, you presu!ptuously !aintain that youare ac2uainte with the unspea*able !ysteries o# Go, while een the Lor, theery on o# Go, allowe that the Father Alone *nows the ery ay an hour o#u%!ent, when he plainly eclares, 67ut o# that ay an that hour *nows no !an,neither the on, but the Father 3nly.6 I#, then, the on was not asha!e toascribe the *nowle%e o# that ay to the Father 3nly, but eclare what was truere%arin% the !atter, neither let us be asha!e to resere #or Go those %reater2uestions which !ay occur to us..... For i# any one shoul in2uire the reason why

the Father, who has #ellowship with the on in all thin%s, has been eclare bythe Lor alone to *now the hour an the ay, he will #in at present no !oresuitable, or beco!in%, or sa#e reason than this, that we !ay learn throu%h hi!that the Father is aboe all thin%s. For 6the Father,6 says He, 6is %reater thanI.6 he Father, there#ore, has been eclare by our Lor to e=cel with respect to*nowle%e, #or this reason, that we, too, as lon% as we are connecte with thesche!e o# thin%s in this worl, shoul leae per#ect *nowle%e, an such2uestions, to Go. (II, 08).

here is 3ne Go Alone, the :reator, He who is aboe eery principality, anpower, an o!inion, an irtue> He I the Father, He is Go, He the Founer, He


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the &a*er, He the :reator, who !ae those thin%s by Hi!sel#, that is, throu%h Hisor an His iso!, heaen an earth, an the seas, an all thin%s that are inthe!. He is ust, He is %oo. He it is who #or!e !an, who plante paraise, who!ae the worl, who %ae rise to the #loo, who sae Coah. He is the Go o#Abraha!, an the Go o# Isaac, an the Go o# $acob, the Go o# the liin%. He itis who! the law proclai!s, who! the prophets preach, who! :hrist reeals, who! theapostles !a*e *nown to us, an in who! the :hurch beliees. He I the Father o#our Lor $esus :hrist, throu%h His or, who is His on, throu%h hi! He is

reeale an !ani#este to all to who! He is reeale. For those *now Hi! to who!the on has reeale Hi!. 7ut the on, eternally co


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ince, then, the traition #ro! the apostles is in the :hurch, an continues a!on%us, let us %o bac* to the criprural proo# #urnishe by those apostles who ialso write the Gospel, in which they recore the teachin% re%arin% Go, pointin%out that our Lor $esus :hrist is the truth, an that no lie is in Hi!. As alsoDai says, prophesyin% his birth #ro! a ir%in, an the resurrection #ro! theea, 6ruth has spran% up out o# the earth.6 he apostles, li*ewise, bein%isciples o# the truth, are aboe all eception, #or a lie has no co!!union with

the truth, ust as ar*ness has none with li%ht, but the presence o# the one shutsout that o# the other. 3ur Lor, there#ore, bein% the truth, i not spea* lies,an who! He *new to hae ta*en ori%in #ro! a e#eat, woul neer hae ac*nowle%eas Go, een the Go o# all, the upre!e @in%, too, an his own Father, ani!per#ect bein% as a per#ect one, an ani!al one as a spiritual, Hi! who waswithout the "lero!a as Hi! who was within it. Ceither i His isciples !a*e!ention o# any other Go, or ter! any other Lor, e=cept Hi!, who was truly theGo an Lor o# all, as these !ost ain sophists attest that the apostles i withhypocrisy #ra!e their teachin% accorin% to the capacity o# their hearers, an%ae answers a#ter the opinions o# their 2uestioners, storytellin% blin thin%s#or the blin, accorin% to their blinness, #or the ull accorin% to theirullness, #or those in error accorin% to their error. An to those who i!a%inethat the De!iur%e alone was Go, they preache hi!? but to those who are capable

o# co!prehenin% the unna!eable Father, they i eclare the unspea*able !ysterythrou%h parables an eni%!as so that the Lor an the apostles e=ercise theo##ice o# teacher not to #urther the cause o# truth, but een in hypocrisy, an aseach iniiual was able to receie it.... the apostles tau%ht the Gentiles thatthey shoul leae ain woo an stones, which they i!a%ine to be %os, anworship the rue Go, who ha create an !ae all the hu!anity, an, by !eans o#His creation, i nourish, increase, stren%then, an presere the! in bein%, anthat they !i%ht loo* #or His on $esus :hrist, who reee!e us #ro! apostasy withHis own bloo, so that we shoul also be a sancti#ie people, who shall alsoescen #ro! heaen in his Fathers power, an pass u%!ent upon all, an whoshall #reely %ie the %oo thin%s o# Go to those who shall hae *ept Hisco!!an!ents. he, appearin% in these last ti!es, the chie# cornerstone, has%athere into one, an unite those that were #ar o## an those that were near,

that is, the circu!cision an the uncircu!cision, enlar%in% $apheth, an placin%hi! in the wellin% o# he! (7oo* III, 5).

here#ore neither woul the Lor, nor the Holy pirit, nor the apostles, hae eerna!e as 6Go6, e#initely an absolutely, hi! who was not Go, unless he weretruly Go, nor woul they hae na!e any one in his own person 6Lor,6 e=cept Gothe Father rulin% oer all, an His on who has receie o!inion #ro! His Fatheroer all creation.... here#ore I o also call upon ou, L34D Go o# Abraha!, anGo o# Isaac, an Go o# $acob an Israel, who I the Father o# our Lor $esus:hrist, the Go who, throu%h the abunance o# our !ercy, hae #aore us, that weshoul *now ou, who has !ae heaen an earth, who rules oer all, who is the anthe , aboe who! there is no other Go, o %rant, by our Lor $esus :hrist, the%oernin% power o# the Holy pirit, to eery reaer o# this boo* to *now ou, that

ou Alone are Go, to be stren%thene in ou, an to aoi eery heretical, an%oless, an i!pious teachin%. An the Apostle "aul also, sayin%, 6For thou%h youhae sere the! which are no %os, you now *now Go, or rather, are *nown o#Go,6 has !ae a separation between those that were not an Hi! who is Go. Ana%ain, spea*in% o# Antichrist, he says, 6who opposes an e=alt hi!sel# aboe allthat is calle , or that is worshippe.6 He points out here those who are calle%os, by such as *now not Go, that is, iols. For the Father o# all is calle6Go6, an is so, an Antichrist shall be li#te up, not aboe Hi!, but aboethose which are inee calle %os, but are not. An "aul hi!sel# says that thisis true, 6e *now that an iol is nothin%, an that there is no other Go but 3ne.For thou%h there be that are calle %os, whether in heaen or in earth, yet to us


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there is but 3ne Go, the Father, o# who! are all thin%s, an we throu%h Hi!, anone Lor $esus :hrist, by who! are all thin%s, an we by hi!.6 For he has !ae aistinction, an separate those which are inee calle %os, but which are none,#ro! the 3ne Go the Father, #ro! who! are all thin%s, an, he has con#esse inthe !ost ecie !anner in his own person, one Lor $esus :hrist. 7ut in this,6whether in heaen or in earth,6 he oes not spea* o# the #or!ers o# the worl, asthese othersB e=poun it, but his !eanin% is si!ilar to that o# &oses, when it issai, 6ou shall not !a*e #ro! yoursel# any i!a%e o# Go, o# whatsoeer thin%s are

in heaen aboe, whatsoeer in the earth beneath, an whatsoeer in the watersuner the earth.6 An he oes then e=plain what is !eant by the thin%s in heaen,6+lse when,6 he says, 6loo*in% towars heaen, an obserin% the sun, an the!oon, an the stars, an all the orna!ent o# heaen, #allin% into error, thou!i%ht worship an sere the!.6 An &oses hi!sel#, bein% a !an o# Go, was inee%ien as a %o be#ore "haraoh? but he is not properly ter!e Lor, nor is calle6Go6 by the prophets, but is spo*en o# by the pirit as 6&oses, the #aith#ul!inister an serant o# Go,6 which also he was. (7oo* III, E? see +=ous '>1).

He inee who !ae all thin%s can alone, to%ether with His or, properly beter!e Go an Lor> but the thin%s which hae been !ae cannot hae this ter!applie to the!, neither shoul they ustly assu!e that appellation which belon%sto the :reator. (7oo* III, 8).

his, there#ore, hain% been clearly e!onstrate here, an it shall yet be sostill !ore clearly, that neither the prophets, nor the apostles, nor the Lor:hrist in His own person, i ac*nowle%e any other Lor or Go, but the Go anLor upre!e, the prophets an the apostles con#essin% the Father an the on, butna!in% no other as 6Go6, an con#essin% no other as 6Lor,6 an the Lor hi!sel#hanin% own to His isciples, that He, the Father, is the 3nly Go an Lor, whoAlone is 6Go6 an ruler o# all. It is incu!bent on us to #ollow, i# we are theirisciples inee, their witness to this e##ect. For &atthew the apostle, *nowin%,as 3ne an the sa!e Go, Hi! who ha %ien pro!ise to Abraha!, that He woul !a*ehis see as the stars o# heaen, an Hi! who, by His on :hrist $esus, has calleus to the *nowle%e o# Hi!sel#, #ro! the worship o# stones, so that those who werenot a people were !ae a people, an beloe who was not beloe, eclares that

$ohn, when preparin% the way #or :hrist, sai to those who were boastin% o# theirrelationship accorin% to the #lesh, but who ha their !in seare an pac*e withall sorts o# eil, preachin% that repentance which shoul call the! bac* #ro!their eiloin%s, sai, 63 %eneration o# ipers, who hath shown you to #lee #ro!the wrath to co!e 7ear #ruit then that is !eet #or repentance. An o not thin*to say to yourseles, e hae Abraha! as #ather, #or I say unto you, that Go isable o# these stones to raise up chilren unto Abraha!.6 He preache to the!,there#ore, the repentance #ro! wic*eness, but he i not eclare to the! anotherGo, besies Hi! who !ae the pro!ise to Abraha!, he, the #orerunner o# :hrist, o#who! &atthew a%ain says, an Lu*e li*ewise, 6For this is the one that was spo*eno# #ro! the Lor by the prophet, he oice o# one cryin% in the wilerness,"repare the way o# the Lor, !a*e strai%ht the way o# our Go. +ery alley shallbe #ille, an eery !ountain an hill brou%ht own, an the croo*e shall be

strai%htene, an the rou%h into s!ooth, an all #lesh shall see the salation o#Go.6 here is there#ore 3ne an the sa!e Go, the Father o# our Lor. (7oo* III,-).

he isciple o# the Lor there#ore esirin% to put an en to all such octrines,an to establish the rule o# truth in the :hurch, that there is 3ne Al!i%hty Go,who !ae all thin%s by His or, both isible an inisible, showin% at the sa!eti!e, that by the or, throu%h who! Go !ae the creation, He also bestowesalation on the !en inclue in the creation, thus be%an his teachin% in theGospel> 6Irenaeus 2uotes $ohn 1>1


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inco!prehensible the FatherB by !eans o# the co!prehensible the onB, an theinisible the FatherB by the isible the onB, since there is no one beyon Hi!,but he e=ists in the boso! o# the Father. For 6no !an,6 he says, 6has seen Go atany ti!e,6 e=cept that, 6the only that there is

3ne Go, the &a*er o# this unierse, He who was also announce by the prophets,an who by &oses set #orth the ispensation o# the law which proclai! the Fathero# our Lor $esus :hrist, an i%nore any other Go or Father e=cept Hi!.(Irenaeus, A%ainst Heresies, 7oo* III, 11).

he apostles i not preach another Go, or another #ullness Gnostic "lero!aB,nor, that the :hrist who su##ere an rose a%ain was one, while he who #lew o## onhi%h was another, an re!aine i!passible,5 but that there was 3ne an the sa!eGo the Father, an :hrist $esus who rose #ro! the ea, an they preache #aithin hi!, to those who i not beliee on the on o# Go, an e=horte the! out o#the prophets, that the :hrist who! Go pro!ise to sen, He sent in $esus, who!they cruci#ie an Go raise up. A%ain, when "eter, alon% with by $ohn, haloo*e upon the !an la!e #ro! his birth, be#ore that %ate o# the te!ple which is

calle 7eauti#ul, sittin% an see*in% al!s, he sai to hi!, 6....he Go o#Abraha!, the Go o# Isaac, an the Go o# $acob, the Go o# our #athers AH+HB,has %lori#ie His on, who! you eliere up #or cone!nation, an enie in thepresence o# "ilate, when he wishe to let hi! %o. 7ut you were bitterly seta%ainst the Holy an 4i%hteous 3ne, an esire a !urerer to be %rante unto you,an you *ille the "rince o# li#e, who! Go has raise #ro! the ea, o# which weare witnesses....7ut those thin%s which Go be#ore ha shown by the !outh o# allthe prophets, that His :hrist shoul su##er He has now #ul#ille.... For &osestruly sai to our #ore#athers, your Lor Go AH+HB shall raise up to you aprophet #ro! your brethren, li*e !e, to hi! you shall listen in all thin%swhateer he shall say to you. An it will co!e to pass, that eery soul, that willnot listen to that "rophet, shall be estroye #ro! a!on% the people. An all #ro!a!uel, an hence#orth, as !any as hae spo*en, hae li*ewise #oretol o# these

ays. ou are the chilren o# the prophets, an o# the coenant which Go !aewith our #athers, sayin% unto Abraha!, An in your see shall all the peoples o#the earth be blesse. o you #irst, Go hain% raise up His on, sent Hi!blessin% you, that each !ay turn hi!sel# #ro! his sins. "eter, alon% with $ohn,preache to the! this plain !essa%e o# %oo news, that the pro!ise which Go !aeto the #athers ha been #ul#ille by $esus, not certainly proclai!in% another %o,but the on o# Go, who also was !ae !an, an su##ere, then leain% Israel into*nowle%e, an throu%h $esus preachin% the resurrection o# the ea, an showin%,that whateer the prophets ha proclai!e as to the su##erin% o# :hrist, these haGo #ul#ille. For this reason, too, when the chie# priests were %athere, "eter,#ull o# bolness, sai to the!, 6ou rulers o# the people, an elers o# Israel,i# we this ay are e=a!ine by you o# the %oo wor* one to the la!e !an, by what!eans he has been !ae whole, be it *nown to you all, an to all the people o#

Israel, that by the na!e o# $esus :hrist o# Ca;areth, who! you cruci#ie, who! Goraise #ro! the ea, een by Hi!, oes this !an stan here be#ore you whole. hisis the stone which was reecte by you builers, which is beco!e the hea


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An we are witnesses o# these wors, as also is the Holy pirit, who! Go has%ien to the! that obey Hi!.6 6An aily,6 it is sai, 6in the te!ple, an #ro!house to house, they cease not to teach an preach :hrist $esus,6 the on o# Go.For this was the *nowle%e o# salation, which reners those who ac*nowle%e Hisons aent per#ect towars Go.... "eterB thus clearly inicates, that He who!:ornelius ha preiously #eare as Go, o# who! he ha hear throu%h the Law anthe prophets, #or whose sa*e also he use to %ie al!s, is, in truth, Go. he*nowle%e o# the on was, howeer, wantin% to hi!, there#ore "eterB ae, 6he

wor, you *now, which was herale throu%hout all $uea, be%innin% #ro! Galilee,a#ter the baptis! which $ohn preache, $esus o# Ca;areth, how Go anointe hi!with the Holy pirt, an with power, who went about oin% %oo, an healin% allthat were oppresse o# the eil, #or Go was with hi!. An we are witnesses o#all those thin%s which he i both in the lan o# the $ews an in $erusale!, who!they *ille, han%in% hi! on a bea! o# woo. Go raise hi! up the thir ay, anshowe hi! openly, not to all the people, but to us, witnesses chosen be#ore o#Go, who i eat an rin* with hi! a#ter the resurrection #ro! the ea. An heco!!ane us to preach unto the people, an to testi#y that it is he which wasappointe o# Go to be the u%e o# the liin% an ea. o hi! %ie all theprophets witness, that, throu%h his na!e, eery one that beliees in hi! receiesre!ission o# sins.6 he apostles, then, preache the on o# Go, o# who! !en werei%norant, an his aent, to those who ha been alreay instructe as to Go, but

they i not brin% in another Go. For i# "eter ha *nown any such thin%, he woulhae preache #reely to the Gentiles, that the Go o# the $ews was inee one, butthe Go o# the :hristians another,E an all o# the!, oubtless, bein% a!a;ebecause o# the ision o# the an%el, woul hae beliee whateer he tol the!. 7utit is eient #ro! "eters wors that he i inee still retain the Go who wasalreay *nown to the!, but he also testi#ie to the! that $esus :hrist was the ono# Go, the u%e o# the liin% an ea, into who! he i also co!!an the! to bebapti;e #or the re!ission o# sins, an not this alone, but he witnesse that$esus was hi!sel# the on o# Go, who also, hain% been anointe with the Holypirit, is calle $esus :hrist. An He is the sa!e bein% that was born o# &ary, asthe testi!ony o# "eter i!plies. :an it really be, that "eter was not at that ti!eas yet in possession o# the per#ect *nowle%e which these !en iscoerea#terwars' Accorin% to the!, there#ore, "eter was i!per#ect, an the rest o#

the apostles were i!per#ect, an so it woul be #ittin% that they, co!in% to li#ea%ain, shoul beco!e isciples o# these !en, in orer that they too !i%ht be !aeper#ect. 7ut this is truly riiculous. hese !en, in #act, are proe to be notisciples o# the apostles, but o# their own wic*e notions. o this cause also areue the arious opinions which e=ist a!on% the!, inas!uch as each one accepteerror ust as he was capable. 7ut the :hurch throu%hout all the worl, hain% itsori%in #ro! the apostles, perseeres in one an the sa!e opinion with re%ar toGo an His on....

"aul hi!sel# also, a#ter that the Lor spo*e to hi! out o# heaen, an showe hi!that, in persecutin% His isciples, he persecute his own Lor, an sent Ananiasto hi! that he !i%ht recoer his si%ht, an be bapti;e, 6preache,6 it is sai,6$esus in the syna%o%ues at Da!ascus, with all #reeo! o# speech, that this is the

on o# Go, the :hrist.6 his is the !ystery which he says was !ae *nown to hi!by reelation, that he who su##ere uner "ontius "ilate, the sa!e is Lor o# all,an @in%, an Go, an $u%e, receiin% power #ro! Hi! who is the Go o# all,because he beca!e 6obeient unto eath, een the eath o# the cross.6 An sincethis is true, when "aul also saiB, 6Go, who !ae the worl, an eerythin% init, He, bein% Lor o# heaen an earth, oes not well in te!ples !ae with hans,neither is He touche by !ens hans, as thou%h He neee anythin%, seein% He%ies to all li#e, an breath, an all thin%s, who has !ae #ro! one bloo, thewhole race o# !en to well upon the #ace o# the whole earth, preeter!inin% theti!es accorin% to the bounary o# their habitation, to see* the Deity, i# by any!eans they !i%ht be able to see* Hi! out, or #in Hi!, althou%h He is not #ar #ro!


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any o# us. For in Hi! we lie, an !oe, an hae our bein%, as certain !en o#your own hae sai, For we are also His o##sprin%. Inas!uch, then, as we are theo##sprin% o# Go, we ou%ht not to thin* that the Deity is li*e unto %ol orsiler, or stone %raen by art or !ans eice. here#ore Go, oerloo*in% theseti!es o# i%norance, now co!!ans all !en eerywhere to turn to Hi! with repentancebecause He has appointe a ay, on which the worl shall be u%e inri%hteousness by the !an $esus whereas He has %ien us assurance by raisin%, hi!#ro! the ea.6 Cow in this passa%e he oes not only eclare to the! 6Go6 as the

:reator o# the worl, no $ews bein% present, but that He i also !a*e one race o#!en to well upon all the earth? as also &oses eclare, 6hen the &ost Hi%hiie the nations, as He scattere the sons o# Aa!, He set the bouns o# thenations a#ter the nu!ber o# the an%els o# Go,6 but that people which beliee inGo is not now uner the power o# an%els, but uner the Lors $esusB. 6For Hispeople $acob was !ae the portion o# the Lor, Israel the cor o# Hisinheritance....6

An that the whole spectru! o# the teachin% o# the Apostles proclai!e the 3ne anthe sa!e Go, who !oe Abraha!, who !ae to hi! the pro!ise o# inheritance, whoin ue season %ae to hi! the coenant o# circu!cision, who calle his escenantsout o# +%ypt, presere outwarly by circu!cision, #or he %ae it as a si%n, thatthey !i%ht not be li*e the +%yptians, that He was the &a*er o# all thin%s, that He

was the Father o# our Lor $esus :hrist, that He was the Go o# %lory. hose whoesire so !ay learn #ro! the ery wors an Acts o# the Apostles, an !ayconte!plate the #act that this Go is 3ne, aboe who! is no other. 7ut een i#there were another %o aboe Hi!, we shoul say, upon a co!parison o# the2uantity, that the latter is superior to the #or!er. For by ees the better !anappears, as I hae alreay re!ar*e? an, inas!uch as these !en hae no wor*s o#their #ather to auce, the latter is shown to be Go Alone. 7ut i# any one,6toyin% about 2uestions,6 o i!a%ine that what the Apostles hae eclare aboutGo shoul be alle%ori;e, let hi! consier !y preious state!ents, in which I set#orth, 3ne Go as the +stablisher an &a*er o# all thin%s, an estroye an laibare their alle%ations? an he shall #in the! in a%ree!ent with the teachin% o#the Apostles, an so to !aintain what they use to teach, an were persuae o#,that there is 3ne Go, the &a*er o# all thin%s. An when he shall hae re!oe

#ro! his !in o# such error, an o# that blasphe!y a%ainst Go which it i!plies,he will o# hi!sel# #in reason to ac*nowle%e that both the &osaic law an the%race o# the new coenant, as both #itte #or the ti!es, were %ien by 3ne an thesa!e Go #or the bene#it o# hu!anity.

hat both the apostles an their isciples thus tau%ht as the :hurch preaches, anthus teachin% were per#ecte, where#ore also they were calle away to that whichis per#ect, tephen teachin% these truths, when he was yet on earth, saw the %loryo# Go, an $esus on His ri%ht han, an e=clai!e, 67ehol, I see the heaensopene, an the on o# !an stanin% on the ri%ht han o# Go.6 hese wors hesai, an was stone, an thus i he #ul#il the per#ect octrine, i!itatin% ineery respect the leaer o# !artyro!, an prayin% #or those who were slayin% hi!,in these wors, 6Lor, lay not this sin to their char%e.6 hus were they per#ecte

who *new the 3ne an the sa!e Go, who #ro! be%innin% to en was present with!an*in in the arious a!inistrations... It is eient, there#ore, that they inot relin2uish the truth, but with all bolness preache to the $ews an Gree*s.o the $ews, inee, that the $esus who was cruci#ie by the! was the on o# Go,the u%e o# the liin% an ea, an that he has receie #ro! his Father aneternal *in%o! in Israel, as I hae pointe out, but to the Gree*s they preache3ne Go, who !ae all thin%s, an His on $esus :hrist. (7oo* III, 10).

For when it has been !ani#estly eclare, that they who were the preachers o# thetruth an the apostles o# #reeo! calle no one else 6Go,6 or na!e hi! 6Lor,6e=cept the 3nly true Go, the Father, an His or, who has the pre


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all thin%s, it shall then be clearly proe, that they the apostlesB con#esse asthe Lor. (III, 15).

An a%ain, the an%el sai, when the %oo news to &ary, 6He shall he %reat, anshall be calle the on o# he Hi%hest, an the Lor shall %ie unto hi! thethrone o# his #ather Dai,6 ac*nowle%in% that he who is the on o# he Hi%hest,the sa!e is hi!sel# also the on o# Dai. An Dai, *nowin% by the pirit thea!inistration o# the aent o# this person, by which He is supre!e oer all the

liin% an ea, con#esse hi! as Lor, sittin% on the ri%ht han o# he &ost Hi%hFather. (7oo* III, 1E).

For I hae shown #ro! the criptures, that no one o# the sons o# Aa! is toeerythin%, an absolutely, calle 6Go6, or na!e Lor. 7ut that he $esusB ishi!sel# in his own ri%ht, beyon all !en who eer lie, Go, an Lor, an @in%+ternal, an the Incarnate or, proclai!e by all the prophets, the apostles, anby the pirit Hi!sel#, !ay be seen by all who hae attaine to een a s!allportion o# the truth. Cow, the criptures woul not hae testi#ie these thin%s o#Hi!, i#, li*e others, He ha been a !ere !an. 7ut that He ha, beyon all others,in Hi!sel# that pre


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criptures prophesy o# Hi!. (III, 0-).

ince, there#ore, this is sure an establishe, that no other Go or Lor wasannounce by the pirit, e=cept Hi! who, as Go, rules oer all, to%ether with Hisor, an those who receie the pirit o# sonship, that is, those who beliee inthe 3ne an true Go, an in $esus :hrist the on o# Go, an li*ewise that theapostles i the!seles ter! no one else as 6Go6, or na!e as Lor, an what is!uch !ore si%ni#icant, that our Lor, who i also co!!an us to con#ess no one as

Father, e=cept Hi! who is in the heaens, who is the 3ne Go an the 3neFather....Cow to who! is it not clear, that i# the Lor ha *nown !any #athers an%os, he woul not hae tau%ht His isciples to *now 3ne Go, an to call Hi!Alone Father. 7ut he i the rather istin%uish those who by wor !erely areter!e %os, #ro! Hi! who is truly Go, that they shoul not err as to hisoctrine, nor unerstan one #or another. An i# he i inee teach us to call3ne 7ein% Father an Go, while he oes #ro! ti!e to ti!e hi!sel# con#ess other#athers an %os in the sa!e sense, then he will appear to enoin a i##erentcourse upon His isciples #ro! what He #ollows Hi!sel#. uch conuct, howeer,oes not be#it the %oo teacher, but a !isleain% an eious one. he apostles,too, accorin% to these !ens showin%, are proe to be trans%ressors o# theco!!an!ent, since they con#ess the :reator as Go, an Lor, an Father, as Ihae shown, i# He is not Alone Go an Father, $esus, there#ore, will be to the!

the author an teacher o# such trans%ression, inas!uch as He co!!ane that 3ne7ein% shoul be calle Father, thus i!posin% upon the! the necessity o# con#essin%the :reator as their Father, as has been pointe out. (7oo* I, 1).

For they o not receie #ro! the Father the *nowle%e o# the on nor o they learnwho the Father is #ro! the on, who teaches clearly an without parables Hi! whotruly is Go. He says, 6wear not at all, neither by heaen, #or it is Gosthrone, nor by the earth, #or it is His #ootstool, neither by $erusale!, #or it isthe city o# the %reat @in%.6 For these wors are eiently spo*en with re#erenceto the :reator, as also Isaiah says> 6Heaen is !y throne, the earth is !y#ootstool.6 An besies this 7ein% there is no other Go, otherwise He woul notbe ter!e by the Lor either 6Go6 or 6the %reat @in%,6 #or a 7ein% who can be soescribe oes not allow neither o# any other bein% co!pare with nor set aboe

Hi!. For he who has any superior oer hi!, an is uner the power o# another, thisbein% neer can be calle either 6Go6 or 6the %reat @in%.6 (7oo* I, 0).

Go, then, is one an the sa!e, who rolls up the heaen as a scroll, an renewsthe #ace o# the earth, who !ae the thin%s o# ti!e. For !an, so that co!in% to!aturity in the!, he !ay prouce the #ruit o# i!!ortality, an who, throu%h His*inness, also %i#ts the! eternal thin%s, 6that in the a%es to co!e He !ay showthe surpassin% riches o# His %race,6 who was announce by the law an theprophets, who! :hrist con#esse as His Father. Cow He is the :reator, an He it iswho is Go oer all, as Isaiah says, 6I a! witness, says the L34D Go AH+HB,an !y serant who! I hae chosen, that ye !ay *now, an beliee, an unerstanthat I a!. 7e#ore !e there was no other Go, neither shall be a#ter !e. I a! Go,an besies !e there is no aiour. I hae proclai!e, an I hae sae.6 An

a%ain, 6I !ysel# a! the #irst Go, an I a! aboe thin%s to co!e.6 For neither inan a!bi%uous, nor arro%ant, nor boast#ul !anner, oes He say these thin%s, butsince it was i!possible, without Go, to co!e to a *nowle%e o# Go, He instructs!en, throu%h his or, to *now Go. o those, there#ore, who are i%norant o# these!atters, an on this account i!a%ine that they hae iscoere another Father,ustly oes one say, 6ou err, not *nowin% the criptures, nor the power o#Go.6.... :hrist Hi!sel#, there#ore, to%ether with the Father, is the Go o# theliin%, who spa*e to &oses, an who was also !ani#este to the #athers. (7oo* I,5).

I woul not hae beliee the Lor hi!sel#, i# he ha eclare any other than He


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who is our #ra!er, !a*er, an nourisher. 7ut because the only


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o# the Father an the on, in irtue o# which he wells with eery %eneration o#!en, accorin% to the will o# the Father. (I, ).

It is there#ore the Father who has prepare %oo thin%s with Hi!sel# #or those whoesire His #ellowship, an who re!ain in subection to Hi!. (7oo* I, /).

An there#ore 3ne Go, the Father is eclare, who is aboe all, an throu%h all,an in all. he Father is inee aboe all, an He is the Hea o# :hrist. 7ut the

or is throu%h all thin%s, an is hi!sel# the hea o# the church, an the piritis in us all, an he is the liin% water, that the Lor %rants to those whori%htly beliee in hi!, an loe hi!, an who *now that 6there is one Father, whois aboe all, an throu%h all, an in us all.6 (7oo* , 18).

here#ore then oes the Lor plainly show that it was the true Lor an the 3neGo who ha been set #orth by the Law #or Hi! who! the law proclai!e as 6Go6,the sa!e i :hrist point out as the Father, who! also it co!pels the isciples o#:hrist, alone to sere. (7oo* , 00).

0. "roo# o# the Apostolic "reachin%

he #ollowin% e=cerpts are #ro! the translation by $. Ar!ita%e 4obinson.

For it is necessary that thin%s that are !ae shoul hae the be%innin% o# their!a*in% #ro! so!e %reat cause? an the be%innin% o# all thin%s is Go. For HeHi!sel# was not !ae by any, an by Hi! all thin%s were !ae. An there#ore it isri%ht #irst o# all to beliee that there is 3ne Go, the Father, who !ae an#ashione all thin%s, an !ae what was not that it shoul be, an who, containin%all thin%s, alone is uncontaine. (/).

hus then there is shown #orth 3ne Go, the Father, not !ae, inisible, creatoro# all thin%s? aboe who! there is no other Go, an a#ter who! there is no otherGo. An, since Go is rational, there#ore by theB or He create the thin%s

that were !ae, an Go is pirit, an by theB pirit He aorne all thin%s> asalso the prophet says> 7y the wor o# the Lor were the heaens establishe, anby his spirit all their power. ince then the or establishes, that is to say,%ies boy an %rants the reality o# bein%, an the pirit %ies orer an #or! tothe iersity o# the powers? ri%htly an #ittin%ly is the or calle the on, anthe pirit the iso! o# Go. ell also oes "aul His apostle say> 3ne Go, theFather, who is oer all an throu%h all an in us all. For oer all is the Father?an throu%h all is the on, #or throu%h Hi! all thin%s were !ae by the Father?an in us all is the pirit, who cries Abba Father, an #ashions !an into theli*eness o# Go. Cow the pirit shows #orth the or, an there#ore the prophetsannounce the on o# Go? an the or utters the pirit, an there#ore is Hi!sel#the announcer o# the prophets, an leas an raws !an to the Father. (5)

his then is the orer o# the rule o# our #aith, an the #ounation o# thebuilin%, an the stability o# our conersation> Go, the Father, not !ae, not!aterial, inisible? one Go, the creator o# all thin%s> this is the #irst pointo# our #aith. he secon point is> he or o# Go, on o# Go, :hrist $esus ourLor, who was !ani#este to the prophets accorin% to the #or! o# theirprophesyin% an accorin% to the !etho o# the ispensation o# the Father> throu%hwho! all thin%s were !ae? who also at the en o# the ti!es, to co!plete an%ather up all thin%s, was !ae !an a!on% !en, isible an tan%ible, in orer toabolish eath an show #orth li#e an prouce a co!!unity o# union between Go an!an. An the thir point is> he Holy pirit, throu%h who! the prophetsprophesie, an the #athers learne the thin%s o# Go, an the ri%hteous were le


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#orth into the way o# ri%hteousness? an who in the en o# the ti!es was poureout in a new way upon !an*in in all the earth, renewin% !an unto Go. (E).

An by the pirit the Father is calle &ost Hi%h an Al!i%hty an Lor o# hosts?that we !ay learn concernin% Go that He it is who is creator o# heaen an earthan all the worl, an !a*er o# an%els an !en, an Lor o# all, throu%h who! allthin%s e=ist an by who! all thin%s are sustaine? !erci#ul, co!passionate anery tener, %oo, ust, the Go o# all, both o# $ews an o# Gentiles, an o# the!

that beliee. o the! that beliee He is as Father.... his is He who is calle inthe Law the Go o# Abraha! an the Go o# Isaac an the Go o# $acob, the Go o#the liin%. (8).

he prophetsB instructe the people an turne the! to the Go o# their #athers,the Al!i%hty? an they beca!e herals o# the reelation o# our Lor $esus :hristthe on o# Go, eclarin% that #ro! the posterity o# Dai His #lesh shoulblosso! #orth? that a#ter the #lesh He !i%ht be the son o# Dai, who was the sono# Abraha! by a lon% succession? but accorin% to the spirit on o# Go, pre

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Irenaeus on God