Biography
Irenaeus of Lyons (Ancient Greek: Εἰρηναῖος Λουγδούνου; Latin: Irenaeus Lugdunensis)
Commemoration Day: August 23 (September 5)
Path to Pastorship
Little is known about the details of the life and pastoral ministry of Saint Irenaeus of Lyons. Even the place and date of birth of this great saint remain veiled in history. It is believed that Irenaeus’ parents were Christians.
With a high degree of certainty, it can be asserted that he was born in the second quarter of the 2nd century. Based on a number of indirect facts, this event is dated approximately to the year 130.
According to the surviving recollections of Irenaeus himself, in his youth he had contact with Saint Polycarp of Smyrna, a friend of the eminent pastor of the Church, Ignatius the God-Bearer, and a disciple of the Evangelist John the Theologian. Among Irenaeus’ acquaintances were also other men who had witnessed apostolic preaching and apostolic miracles.
The community of Polycarp, in its epistle concerning the martyrdom of Polycarp, writes that Irenaeus was his disciple:
"This was transcribed from the copy of Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp, by Gaius, who knew Irenaeus. And I, Socrates, wrote this in Corinth from the copy of Gaius."
(The Encyclical Epistle of the Church of Smyrna Concerning Polycarp. 95)
His Greek name, close connection with the Bishop of Smyrna, thorough knowledge of Greek literature, philosophy, and poetry, as well as familiarity with the methods of dialectic, suggest that Irenaeus was of Greek origin (though some scholars of his life and work allow for the possibility that he had Syrian roots).
It is most likely that Irenaeus’ homeland was Smyrna or one of the adjacent regions.
The spiritual atmosphere in which Irenaeus was raised influenced his upbringing in the most beneficial way.
The Church of Smyrna, despite its poverty (Rev. 2:9), was distinguished by its strong organization. Its preaching and missionary work were marked by strict adherence to the spirit of the Gospel and apostolic Tradition. The fervent zeal of Saint Polycarp of Smyrna to preserve and spread the faith in its unblemished purity was, in time, passed on to his disciple, Irenaeus.
Priestly Ministry in Gaul
The exact year or specific circumstances under which Irenaeus left his homeland and journeyed to Gaul (the territory of modern-day France) are not recorded in history. However, one thing is certain: his purpose was to spread the Gospel and strengthen the faith among the local population. It is believed that he was blessed for this mission by Polycarp of Smyrna himself—and this is hardly surprising, for there had long been friendly relations between the Christians of Smyrna and Gaul.
At that time, the head of the Church in Lyons was Bishop Pothinus. Irenaeus, ordained as a priest, zealously shared with him the burden of pastoral ministry, proving to be a diligent defender of the purity of the faith and a faithful assistant to the ruling bishop.
Irenaeus' ministry coincided with an era of severe persecutions against the Church—persecutions that would wane only to flare up anew with even greater force. Christians were plundered, punished for fabricated crimes, stripped of their possessions, beaten, tortured, violated, and killed. To these external dangers were added internal ones, stemming from the spread of heresies and schismatic sentiments.
All this demanded from the clergy exceptional love, zeal, and accountability before God and their flock. The Christians of Lyons, including Bishop Pothinus, saw precisely these qualities in Irenaeus as their presbyter.
During this period, the Montanist sect gained considerable influence. Followers of this group claimed primacy in possessing spiritual gifts. When Montanus' adherents reached Rome and began sowing their errors among the Roman Christians, Bishop Eleutherus of Rome, fully aware of the danger, declared that he was severing all pious religious ties with the followers of this heresy.
The martyrs of Lyons, taking a keen interest in these events, sent a letter to Eleutherus and entrusted its delivery to Presbyter Irenaeus—a fact mentioned in the letter itself with a few lines. In these lines, the martyrs expressed their complete trust in Irenaeus, calling him their brother and fellow laborer. They also noted that if the office of presbyter were determined solely by righteousness, Irenaeus would be the first among them.
The letter played a positive role. The Bishop of Rome heeded the wishes of the faithful in Lyons and granted peace to those who had gone astray.
Episcopal Ministry
After the death of the ninety-year-old Bishop Pothinus, who perished in confinement in 177 or 178 AD, Saint Irenaeus, with the support of the people, was deemed worthy to ascend to the episcopal throne of Lyons.
One of his immediate tasks was the restoration of the Church of Lyons following the recent persecution. This was no easy undertaking: many members of the Church had been tortured or killed, and the hostility of the pagans still lingered.
Bishop Irenaeus ceaselessly did all in his power to strengthen the faith. He preached extensively himself and sent priests to proclaim the Gospel in remote regions of Gaul, particularly to Valence and Besançon.
Another crucial field of labor for the new bishop was the struggle against Gnosticism. In this regard, Saint Irenaeus is recognized as the most outstanding figure of his time.
Generally, the Gnostic heresies represented a volatile mixture of distorted Christian ideas, pagan myths, philosophical doctrines, and private fantasies. As a result, they were all marked by obscurity and confusion in their content. This inherent incomprehensibility was presented as mystical profundity. In some sects, to heighten the aura of mystery and mysticism, false miracles were practiced. Followers of each Gnostic sect believed that their particular "faith" was the perfect one. This often attracted the religiously ignorant and the vainglorious into their ranks.
All this deeply troubled Irenaeus of Lyons. At every opportunity, he explained to his flock the dangers of straying from the faith of Christ and obedience to the Church, exposing the absurdity of Gnostic teachings.
Championing the purity of the faith, he did not confine his efforts to his own diocese. For instance, he sent a letter to the priest Florinus, rebuking him for his heretical deviations. When Florinus refused to heed this sound counsel, Irenaeus wrote to the Bishop of Rome, urging him to intervene, take immediate disciplinary action, and quench the spreading heresy.
Over the years of his pastoral ministry, he meticulously studied, described, and refuted a whole array of Gnostic movements. His writings were later compiled into a single work that became a treasure of the Universal Church. The depth of his understanding of Gnostic ideas, as demonstrated by Irenaeus of Lyons, continues to inspire awe. Today, this work is known to readers under the title: The Refutation and Overthrow of the Knowledge Falsely So-Called (Against Heresies).
Involvement in the Paschal Controversy
In addition to the aforementioned works, Saint Irenaeus is remembered by the faithful as an advocate for resolving disputes concerning the date of Pascha (Easter).
The question of when to celebrate Pascha was first raised in 154 AD. At that time, it became a subject of discussion between Polycarp of Smyrna and Bishop Anicetus of Rome. Though the parties retained their differing views after this discussion, it did not lead to conflict between them.
The divergence in practice stemmed from the fact that the churches of Asia Minor, appealing to the authority of John the Theologian and the Apostle Philip, followed the tradition of celebrating Pascha on the 14th day of the month of Nisan (according to the lunar calendar)—that is, on the same day in the annual cycle when Israel observed the Old Testament Passover (which also coincided with the day of Christ’s death on the Cross). The Roman Church, while acknowledging the connection to the 14th of Nisan, insisted on celebrating Pascha not on any day of the week, but strictly on Sunday.
During Irenaeus’ time, around 190 AD, another dispute flared up—this time between Bishop Victor of Rome and Polycrates of Ephesus. The situation created tension between the hierarchs and threatened to rupture relations between their respective churches. Intervening, Irenaeus persuaded the Bishop of Rome to reconcile with Polycrates, and peace was restored.
In 202 AD, Irenaeus of Lyons received the crown of martyrdom.
Literary Legacy
Only a few works by Saint Irenaeus have survived to our day: The Refutation and Overthrow of the Knowledge Falsely So-Called (Against Heresies), Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, and On the Tyrannical Kingdom of the Antichrist. Yet the theological knowledge imparted in these works is of immeasurable value.
First and foremost, they present a positive exposition of Christian doctrine. In these writings, Irenaeus addresses such crucial aspects of dogmatics as the teachings about God, Redemption, the creation of the world, the Fall, the Church, the Sacraments, Tradition, and more.
On the other hand, he provides a systematic and precise analysis of the most dangerous heresies of his time. Each refutation is supported by irrefutable arguments and remains a relevant guide in the struggle for the purity of the faith even to this day.
Annotation to the Works of Irenaeus of Lyons
This edition presents all surviving works of St. Irenaeus of Lyons: The Refutation and Overthrow of the Knowledge Falsely So-Called in five books (commonly abbreviated as Against Heresies, following the example of Eusebius, the "father of church history," and Blessed Jerome) and Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching. St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, was a spiritual disciple of St. Polycarp of Smyrna, who was himself a disciple of the Apostle John the Theologian. Thus, he preserved in his words the living voice of the apostles and the spirit of apostolic teaching and Tradition. He was widely known and deeply respected throughout the Universal Church, serving as a peacemaker in the dispute between Rome and the Churches of Asia Minor over liturgical differences. Yet he is most renowned for his battle against the most dangerous heretics of his time—the Gnostics. While zealously refuting all the Gnostic false teachings of his era, St. Irenaeus expounds with remarkable clarity and depth the apostolic doctrine concerning God, salvation, the redemption and resurrection of man, the Eucharist, and the final destiny of creation. In him, we see the most ardent defender of the idea of the Church—its significance and the necessity of belonging to it. The exegetical aspect of St. Irenaeus’ writings is particularly valuable, and this edition pays special attention to it: scriptural references have been clarified and expanded, and an index of biblical quotations in his works has been compiled. The previous Russian translation by Archpriest P. Preobrazhensky has been revised and supplemented, where necessary, with textual notes.
For all who seek a firm foundation in the Lord’s faith—apostolic, ecclesial—and who desire to drink the water of salvation from living springs.
Faith
The Afterlife of the Soul
Here also is a denial of the transmigration of souls (arguing against Platonism):
"That souls not only continue to exist without passing from body to body but also retain the same bodily character they had while united with it, and remember the deeds they performed here (though they no longer perform them now—this the Lord explained most fully in the account of the rich man and Lazarus, who rested in Abraham’s bosom. Here, He says that the rich man recognized Lazarus after death, as well as Abraham, and that each was in his own place. The rich man begged that Lazarus might finally be sent to him—the same Lazarus to whom he had denied even the crumbs from his table. (He speaks) also of Abraham’s reply, who knew not only his own state but also that of the rich man, commanding those who did not wish to enter the place of torment to listen to Moses and the prophets and to receive the preaching of Him who was to rise from the dead. By this, it is made abundantly clear that souls continue to exist and do not pass from body to body, that they retain the form of a human being so as to be recognizable, and that they remember what occurred here (in this world). It shows that Abraham possessed the gift of prophecy and that each class of souls receives a dwelling befitting its merits even before the Judgment."
(Against Heresies, Book 2, Chapter 34, Section 1)
The Souls of the Righteous Dwell with God After Death
"The Church in every place, by her love for God, sends forth to the Father at all times a multitude of martyrs."
(Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapter 33, Section 9)
Freedom from the Bonds of the Mosaic Law
2. For the Law, having been given to slaves, trained the soul through external bodily observances, binding it as with fetters to obedience to the commandments, so that man might learn to serve God. But the Word set the soul free and taught it to purify the body as well. After this, the bonds of slavery—to which man had grown accustomed—had necessarily to be broken, and man had to follow God without fetters. The decrees of freedom had to expand, and submission to the King had to increase, so that the convert might not prove unworthy of his Deliverer. The obedience and love toward the Master should be the same for both slaves and freemen, but the freemen ought to have greater confidence, because the working of freedom is greater and more glorious than obedience in slavery.
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Our Lord the Word first drew slaves to God and then freed those who submitted to Him, as He says to His disciples: "No longer do I call you slaves, for a slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:15). By saying, "No longer do I call you slaves," He clearly showed that He first established slavery in men toward God through the Law and afterward granted them freedom. And by saying, "A slave does not know what his master is doing," He expresses the ignorance of the enslaved people concerning His coming. But by calling His disciples friends, He plainly reveals that He is the Word of God, whom Abraham also willingly followed—without fetters, by the nobility of his faith—and so became "the friend of God" (James 2:23).
(Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapter 13)
Sabbath (Righteousness) Every Day
Moreover, from Scripture itself we learn that God gave circumcision not as a work of righteousness but as a sign by which the race of Abraham might be recognized. For it says: "God said to Abraham: Every male among you shall be circumcised, and you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between Me and you" (Gen. 17:10–11). The prophet Ezekiel also speaks of the Sabbaths: "I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them" (Ezek. 20:12). And in Exodus, God says to Moses: "Keep My Sabbaths, for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations" (Ex. 31:13). Thus, these ordinances were given as signs—yet signs were not without meaning, nor empty, for they were given by the all-wise Artificer. Rather, physical circumcision prefigured spiritual circumcision. As the Apostle says: "You were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands" (Col. 2:11). And the prophet declares: "Circumcise the foreskin of your heart" (Deut. 10:16). Likewise, the Sabbaths taught us to abide every day in the service of God. For the Apostle Paul says: "We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter every day" (Rom. 8:36)—that is, we are consecrated to God and at all times serve our faith, persevering in it, refraining from all covetousness, neither acquiring nor possessing earthly treasures. Furthermore, the Sabbath also pointed to God’s rest after creation—that is, to the Kingdom (of God), where man, having abided in God’s service, will find rest and partake of the divine banquet.
That man was not justified by these ordinances, but that they were given to the people as a sign, is shown by the fact that Abraham himself, without circumcision or Sabbath observance, "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God" (James 2:23). Lot, too, was delivered from Sodom without circumcision, receiving salvation from God. Likewise, Noah pleased God though uncircumcised and received the dimensions of the world for the second generation of men.
(Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapter 16, Sections 1–2)
Eternal Punishment
For just as in the New Covenant, man’s faith in God has increased by the addition of the Son of God, that man might become a partaker of divinity, so too have the demands concerning conduct increased. We are commanded to abstain not only from evil deeds but even from evil thoughts, idle talk, empty speech, and frivolous words. Likewise, the punishment for those who do not believe the Word of God, who despise His coming and turn back, has increased—no longer temporal but eternal.
(Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapter 28, Section 2)
A сontrast:
The heretics I mentioned above deceive themselves by accusing the Lord in whom they claim to believe. For what they observe in God—who in times past punished the unbelieving temporarily, striking the Egyptians but saving those who obeyed Him—this very same principle applies no less to the Lord, who eternally condemns the condemned and forever pardons the pardoned.
(Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapter 28, Section 3)