jan 1, 180 - Irenaeus

Description:

The hugely influential proto-orthodox heresiologist and polemicist (and bishop of Lyon?), and author of Against Heresies. This five-volume work contains a great number of proto-orthodox foundational claims, as well as nuggets of historical information as to the variety of Christian sects up to this point.

> Advocates the fourfold gospel system, apparently still a novelty at the time of writing (later followed by Clement of Alexandria).
> Provides authorship attributions for all four canonical gospels:
* Mark and Matthew: Irenaeus may have transmogrified these attributions from Papias, whose work he knows.
* Luke: The famous “we” passages.
* John: Irenaeus claims that John composed his gospel to battle gnostic beliefs put forward by Cerinthus and the Nicolaitans. This seems like a complete and baffling timeline inversion when compared to Irenaeus’ other claims that proto-orthodox beliefs came well before the secondary corruption of heterodox systems such as gnosticism.
> First on record to use the phrase “New Testament”, though not in reference to any specific collection of texts (followed by Clement of Alexandria).
> Attests to Justin’s martyrdom and his “hearer” Tatian’s establishment of an Encratic sect.
> First firmly datable claim that the apostle John was resident in Ephesus until the times of Trajan, an idea that may result entirely from the errant authorship attribution of the book of Revelation, wherein John of Patmos addresses a church at Ephesus with which he appears to be familiar (similarly, see Monarchian Prologues). This claim is vital to Irenaeus’ insistence that he personally lies in a path of succession that can be traced back to an original apostle (and so back to Jesus), and yet he uses this pedigree to argue that Jesus was closer to fifty than thirty when he died, a hill that few modern Christians would presumably choose to die on. Irenaeus’ chain of succession runs through the apostle John, Polycarp, and himself. This relies on the idea that Polycarp was a disciple of John, but there is no mention of this tradition in any earlier writing, not in Ignatius’ letter to Polycarp, not in Polycarp’s writing itself, nor the profusely legendary Martyrdom of Polycarp that was keen to extol him. Irenaeus himself is later claimed to have been a disciple of Polycarp (Martyrdom of Polycarp scribal note), an inflation of his own claim to have merely heard Polycarp in his distant youth. Irenaeus also provides the epistle of Polycarp and attests his martyrdom. First citation of a letter of Ignatius (unattributed).
> Attests to Papias and his claims to what the “elders” (disciples of the apostles) had said, including confirmation of a fifty-year old Jesus, the odd miracle story about the agricultural output of the kingdom of God, and the peaceability of all animals when Jesus returns.
> First certain quotations from the pastoral epistles; quotes from Shepherd of Hermas, perhaps as scripture?
> Attests the longer ending of Mark
> Attests the incredibly elevated Christology that would become the orthodox position over time.
> Claims that there are believers within the “royal palace”, serving Caesar
> An interpretation of Revelation wherein Rome will collapse and be replaced by ten kingdoms, among whom will rise the beast/Antichrist, who will destroy three of those kingdoms. Ultimately, all these kingdoms will be destroyed by Jesus at his second coming.

Irenaeus attests to the absolutely enormous variety of early Christian sects, calling it "impractical" to try to detail the beliefs of everyone who doesn't fit his preferred (proto-orthodox) mold. This includes gnostics who apparently partook of the Christian rites of baptism and Eucharist in a very orthodox-sounding way. Irenaeus asserts authority for the proto-orthodox sect based on scripture and apostolic succession, even as he admits that the heretical sects do the exact same thing, and that they further argue their case from Paul’s writings and the Jewish prophets. He argues against all manner of heresies which he admits have something “plausible” about them and have been routinely misunderstood by writers prior to Irenaeus himself. He gives another indication that “heretical” and proto-orthodox believers may be mingled even in the Roman church, though he would have the proto-orthodox hold themselves separate and aloof. Some of the gnostic leaders and their movements “drew multitudes” or “great numbers” and operated within “the Church” itself.
> Irenaeus claims that all gnostics and heresies trace back to Simon Magus, Menander being his successor. Later offshoots of Simon include Saturninus, Basilides, Cerdo, and Marcion.
> The Marcionites as claiming that only Paul knew the truth (via revelation), and having a version of Luke that contains no genealogy and various motivated edits.
> Other gnostic teachers include Carpocrates, Marcellina, Cerinthus, Secundus, Colorbasus, and Marcus, this last a magician/ prophet/ numerologist active in Rhone in Irenaeus’ time.
> Valentinus presented as the founder of a modern and influential gnostic school, and among the docetics; his disciples Heracleon and Ptolemy, including writings of the latter (with the authorship attribution for gospel of John). Valentinian use of John and Luke to prove their doctrines. Gnostic divisions springing from Valentinus based on cosmogony (Borborians, Ophites, Sethians, Cainites)?
> The Montanists named as an exclusionary, modern-day prophetic sect.
> A few other groups: the Ebionites (adoptionist Jewish Christians who use the gospel of Matthew, follow the law, and repudiate Paul); other adoptionists who use the gospel of Mark as their proof-text; Nicolaitans (followers of Nicolas, a man ordained by the apostles, who lead lives of “unrestrained indulgence”); Marcosians.

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