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Popular Patristics Series #17
Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching - Enhanced Version
Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching is a second century guide for Christian converts. After disappearing for nearly two millennia, an Armenian copy of St. Irenaeus' guidebook was discovered in 1904. Current versions of this ancient text have been translated from the Armenian, a language which greatly resembles the Greek in which it was originally transcribed. St. Irenaeus wanted to set out the main points of the Apostolic message, which was handed down to the Church from Old Testament Scriptures. St. Irenaeus explains the doctrine of Christianity as it was understood by the educated believers of his day. He defends the grounds of belief and aims to demonstrate the truth of the ancient Biblical prophecy. As a result, his project is both theological and historical. Even today, St. Irenaeus' book of guidelines serves to help Christians find salvation and refute heretics.Emmalon DavisCCEL Staff WriterThis edition features an artistic cover, a new promotional introduction, an index of scripture references, links for scripture references to the appropriate passages, and a hierarchical table of contents which makes it possible to navigate to any part of the book with a minimum of page turns.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
119 people are currently reading
2841 people want to read
About the author
Irenaeus of Lyons
117 books97 followersSt. Irenaeus (2nd cenutry C.E. – c. 202) was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, then a part of the Roman Empire (now Lyon, France). He was an early church father and apologist, and his writings were formative in the early development of Christian theology. Irenaeus' best-known book, Adversus Haereses or Against Heresies (c. 180) is a detailed attack on Gnosticism, which was then a serious threat to the Church, and especially on the system of the Gnostic Valentinus.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
January 25, 2021
There are very few theological books I have ever read 3 times (in fact, maybe only two), but this is now one of them (I skipped the intro this time, though it is so good). I thoroughly enjoy Irenaeus. And I added a star.
Second review: Finished for the second time. I cannot think of anything else I have read that so nearly imitates the preaching of the apostles in Acts and the christological interpretation of the OT found throughout the NT.
Also, it is amazing that until about a hundred years ago we had no manuscripts of this important work. So grateful we have it now.
I added a star this time around.
Original review: The full title of Irenaeus's work is The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching. His focus is not commenting on what the apostles themselves said in the NT but on demonstrating from the OT what the apostles preached about Christ. This would be a good read for a Biblical Theology class, especially on the NT use of the OT. Students would also benefit from reading it alongside the Gospels and Acts. Irenaeus appears to have learned his hermeneutic from the apostles' interpretation of the OT and is not afraid to apply that hermeneutic to texts the NT never interprets directly. A worthy read.
Second review: Finished for the second time. I cannot think of anything else I have read that so nearly imitates the preaching of the apostles in Acts and the christological interpretation of the OT found throughout the NT.
Also, it is amazing that until about a hundred years ago we had no manuscripts of this important work. So grateful we have it now.
I added a star this time around.
Original review: The full title of Irenaeus's work is The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching. His focus is not commenting on what the apostles themselves said in the NT but on demonstrating from the OT what the apostles preached about Christ. This would be a good read for a Biblical Theology class, especially on the NT use of the OT. Students would also benefit from reading it alongside the Gospels and Acts. Irenaeus appears to have learned his hermeneutic from the apostles' interpretation of the OT and is not afraid to apply that hermeneutic to texts the NT never interprets directly. A worthy read.
August 2, 2025
Second Reading: "...firm is our faith in Him and true is the tradition of preaching, that is, the witness of the apostles..."
First Reading: Irenaeus 🤝 Biblical Theology
First Reading: Irenaeus 🤝 Biblical Theology
October 25, 2024
Can’t recommend it enough for those who are interested in early church, biblical theology, and interpretation of the OT. I always get something new from re-reading. The fact that he’s mostly summarizing the Bible in the first half is a bug for many. I see it as a feature. Yes most of it isn’t original, but the gold is found in his side comments or the way he summarizes a story. Love his stuff on the Psalms especially, of course
February 17, 2021
A true classic. Irenaeus shows us the supremacy of Christ, giving a thorough defense of how he surely was the Messiah. Irenaeus gives us a survey of Scripture, biblical theology, Christology, typology, and more.
I'll certainly have to return to this one.
I'll certainly have to return to this one.
December 20, 2017
I'm not a seminary student or scholar, but have recently become curious about early church fathers and the earliest known extra-biblical writings. Part of this comes from my curiosity about the writings we include in the Bible (and ones which we do not, and why), and also about the history of early Christianity, which was never taught to me in my "modern" and "non-denominational" church growing up. I am still saddened that so many Christians - especially the thinkers like me - do not learn these things or get encouraged to study them honestly. Many Protestants, I think, get the feeling that their faith began in the 1500s. Not so!
This relatively short treatise from Irenaeus of Lyons, written in the later half of the second century, is one of only a handful of early church fathers (after the apostles) that we have writings from. Irenaeus knew Polycarp, who himself was a disciple of the Apostle John. The manuscript itself is reconstructed from an 11th-century Armenian copy. More important to me than that relationship or the documentation is the content of what he is trying to preach in this writing. Many people critical of the biblical canon or the core dogmas of Christianity attempt to say that the canon we recognized was not viewed as authoritative until the late 3rd or even mid 4th century, and that it was selected from thousands of competing and conflicting texts and viewpoints, including but not limited to the prolific Gnostic writings. Irenaeus, here and in his larger work "Against Heresies" (his seminal apologetic and polemic against all of Gnosticism), affirms the writings and arguments made in what we now call the New Testament, with very little variation or use of extra texts, relying like the apostles on Septuagint OT quotes, epistles, gospels (including John, his spiritual grandfather), etc, and showing how different the Gnostics and other heretics see Christ. Most importantly, he categorizes these major departures as blaspheming either the core ideas about Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, and leaves more minor disagreements alone.
Irenaeus was a peacemaker - he argued to Pope Clement that there should be room for disagreement regarding when to celebrate Easter (a disagreement that threatened to split Christianity early, and which to me is just as silly as many things we have split about since), and while he affirms the core tenets of what later become the Creeds, he mostly reiterates what is already preached by the apostles in what we now read as the New Testament. Like Paul says, "If anyone preaches a gospel other than what I delivered to you..." This is essentially what Irenaeus is affirming - stick to these core things! Don't get confused or led astray by all the new crazy ideas that are undermining and contradicting these original gospel truths. He is not breaking new ground, he is holding it.
There are a handful of great quotes or interesting insights that I haven't pulled from New Testament writings, and it is refreshing to see that for the most part, the gospel that he is preaching is essentially the same one that is preached to me and that I have accepted. This alone is incredible, considering how much time and space separates us; reading the early church fathers has so far been an experience of "standing on the shoulders of giants," and has strengthened my confidence in the content of my New Testament, even as it also broadens and grounds its context and purpose.
Read this if, like me, you are an armchair student of the Bible or early Christianity, and/or you would like to know more about the roots of the faith and the early fights against competing ideas (which we now call heresies). Don't read it if you're looking for a page-turner.
This relatively short treatise from Irenaeus of Lyons, written in the later half of the second century, is one of only a handful of early church fathers (after the apostles) that we have writings from. Irenaeus knew Polycarp, who himself was a disciple of the Apostle John. The manuscript itself is reconstructed from an 11th-century Armenian copy. More important to me than that relationship or the documentation is the content of what he is trying to preach in this writing. Many people critical of the biblical canon or the core dogmas of Christianity attempt to say that the canon we recognized was not viewed as authoritative until the late 3rd or even mid 4th century, and that it was selected from thousands of competing and conflicting texts and viewpoints, including but not limited to the prolific Gnostic writings. Irenaeus, here and in his larger work "Against Heresies" (his seminal apologetic and polemic against all of Gnosticism), affirms the writings and arguments made in what we now call the New Testament, with very little variation or use of extra texts, relying like the apostles on Septuagint OT quotes, epistles, gospels (including John, his spiritual grandfather), etc, and showing how different the Gnostics and other heretics see Christ. Most importantly, he categorizes these major departures as blaspheming either the core ideas about Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, and leaves more minor disagreements alone.
Irenaeus was a peacemaker - he argued to Pope Clement that there should be room for disagreement regarding when to celebrate Easter (a disagreement that threatened to split Christianity early, and which to me is just as silly as many things we have split about since), and while he affirms the core tenets of what later become the Creeds, he mostly reiterates what is already preached by the apostles in what we now read as the New Testament. Like Paul says, "If anyone preaches a gospel other than what I delivered to you..." This is essentially what Irenaeus is affirming - stick to these core things! Don't get confused or led astray by all the new crazy ideas that are undermining and contradicting these original gospel truths. He is not breaking new ground, he is holding it.
There are a handful of great quotes or interesting insights that I haven't pulled from New Testament writings, and it is refreshing to see that for the most part, the gospel that he is preaching is essentially the same one that is preached to me and that I have accepted. This alone is incredible, considering how much time and space separates us; reading the early church fathers has so far been an experience of "standing on the shoulders of giants," and has strengthened my confidence in the content of my New Testament, even as it also broadens and grounds its context and purpose.
Read this if, like me, you are an armchair student of the Bible or early Christianity, and/or you would like to know more about the roots of the faith and the early fights against competing ideas (which we now call heresies). Don't read it if you're looking for a page-turner.
January 30, 2025
Short read but so so good. I went into this expecting St. Irenaeus to explain how the apostles preached and the tradition that had been handed down, as he was only 2 generations away from the apostles. But my western ways of thinking failed me and I’m glad it did! Irenaeus essentially went through the entire arch of Scripture, making note of how to see Christ in each moment. The preaching of the apostles was not concerned with explaining the authorial intent of each passage in Scripture, but was christologically and trinitarian focused. Interesting to see how far we can be from preaching like this today.
Read
August 29, 2023Some of his statements on the Trinity are fire
June 15, 2023
This book is an interesting study in second-century Christian thought. Obviously, I'm going to have a certain amount of bias in my interpretation, but it's surprising just how much of what he says fits comfortably into Reformed, as well as broader Protestant theology.
For one thing, Irenaeus makes use of covenantal ideas. The Recapitulation Theory of the atonement is very much like the Reformed idea of Christ fulfilling the Covenant of Works, for example. And then he argues that Jesus fulfills the covenant promises to Abraham and David, and that He fulfills the sacrificial system of the Mosaic Law. Not every detail of this is held exclusively by Covenantalists, but it does all fit within that framework.
Irenaeus also makes reference to what we would call the Rule of Scripture (52), the method of using plain passages to interpret more obscure passages. This was something the Reformers of the 16th century pushed for, when their theological opponents (e.g., Desidarius Erasmus) insisted that Scripture is too obscure for laymen.
The book is also valuable for exposure to ideas that were uniquely stressed in the early church, such as the Recapitulation Theory, according to which Jesus is made to reverse Adam's sin by being made like him, being placed in similar situations, and succeeding where he failed. Irenaeus's perspective on the Law is also interesting, being similar to some Protestant positions today (though certainly not the Reformed). Essentially, he sees the Law as totally unnecessary for Christians because the Spirit will lead them to obey it anyway. He says, for example, that a believer doesn't need the command not to commit adultery because the Spirit has made him so that he won't desire anyone but his own wife.
Finally, Irenaeus's use of Scripture provides a fascinating contrast to our own 21st-century tendencies. For one thing, he quotes almost exclusively from the Old Testament, demonstrating the Gospel message, down to details about Jesus's life. That's a necessary corrective to us, and our habit of focusing almost exclusively on the New Testament!
Moreover, we tend to obsess over historico-grammatical hermeneutics, attempting to discern exactly what the human authors had in mind, which frequently leads us to miss places where the Divine Author intended for us to see Jesus prefigured, especially in the Old Testament. Irenaeus, however, leans in the opposite direction, at times completely ignoring the context to find an allusion to some New Testament truth. Despite these occasional extremes, it would be good for us to learn from the way the second-century bishop reads Scripture.
---
I've read this a third time now in preparation for leading a group discussion. After a third readthrough, it's amazing to me how much there still is to find here -- both good and bad. This remains for me one of the most interesting and rewarding theological works.
For one thing, Irenaeus makes use of covenantal ideas. The Recapitulation Theory of the atonement is very much like the Reformed idea of Christ fulfilling the Covenant of Works, for example. And then he argues that Jesus fulfills the covenant promises to Abraham and David, and that He fulfills the sacrificial system of the Mosaic Law. Not every detail of this is held exclusively by Covenantalists, but it does all fit within that framework.
Irenaeus also makes reference to what we would call the Rule of Scripture (52), the method of using plain passages to interpret more obscure passages. This was something the Reformers of the 16th century pushed for, when their theological opponents (e.g., Desidarius Erasmus) insisted that Scripture is too obscure for laymen.
The book is also valuable for exposure to ideas that were uniquely stressed in the early church, such as the Recapitulation Theory, according to which Jesus is made to reverse Adam's sin by being made like him, being placed in similar situations, and succeeding where he failed. Irenaeus's perspective on the Law is also interesting, being similar to some Protestant positions today (though certainly not the Reformed). Essentially, he sees the Law as totally unnecessary for Christians because the Spirit will lead them to obey it anyway. He says, for example, that a believer doesn't need the command not to commit adultery because the Spirit has made him so that he won't desire anyone but his own wife.
Finally, Irenaeus's use of Scripture provides a fascinating contrast to our own 21st-century tendencies. For one thing, he quotes almost exclusively from the Old Testament, demonstrating the Gospel message, down to details about Jesus's life. That's a necessary corrective to us, and our habit of focusing almost exclusively on the New Testament!
Moreover, we tend to obsess over historico-grammatical hermeneutics, attempting to discern exactly what the human authors had in mind, which frequently leads us to miss places where the Divine Author intended for us to see Jesus prefigured, especially in the Old Testament. Irenaeus, however, leans in the opposite direction, at times completely ignoring the context to find an allusion to some New Testament truth. Despite these occasional extremes, it would be good for us to learn from the way the second-century bishop reads Scripture.
---
I've read this a third time now in preparation for leading a group discussion. After a third readthrough, it's amazing to me how much there still is to find here -- both good and bad. This remains for me one of the most interesting and rewarding theological works.
March 12, 2023
This was a very worthwhile book to read! It was so fascinating to see such early theological summaries of the history of redemption, Christ, and God’s plan for the Gentiles. This is an early Christian work of biblical theology, from which I profited.
Summary of the Book:
Irenaeus begins this book by stating his desire to be with a friend in order that they may have daily spiritual conversation. They are separated and so Irenaeus states his purpose in writing this book as “to demonstrate, by means of a summary, the preaching of the truth, so as to strengthen your faith.” (1) Following a brief introduction (1-3a), Irenaeus goes on to describe the apostolic preaching, part one of his book (3b-42a). “Apostolic preaching” turns out to mean summarizing the history of redemption.
The first big topic Irenaeus looks at is the apostolic teaching concerning God and created beings, including man (3b-16). He mentions a “rule of faith” that is ordered around the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each of whom is integral to the salvation of the Christian.
The second big topic Irenaeus explores in part one of this book concerns the road to salvation from Cain to Jesus (17-30). Comparatively, a lot of words are given to the story from Cain to entering the Promised Land, with very few words regarding the rest of the Old Testament. This section ends with an examination of Jesus' first coming and how He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises.
Part two of this book (42b-97) is called “The Demonstration from the Prophets,” which first entails an extended look at Jesus: His eternal existence, human birth, miracles, passion, and glorification (43-85). Each of these aspects is examined theologically with lots of biblical references. Virtually all that Christ was to be and do was prophesied beforehand by the prophets.
In the second major chunk of part two (86-97), Irenaeus examines how the preaching he just surveyed about Jesus is for the whole world (i.e., the Gentiles). As he has done all along, this section is filled with scriptural references and analysis, particularly as it relates to how God revealed the inclusion of the Gentiles (a theme he already mentioned several times earlier in the book).
Lastly, Irenaeus concludes his work (98-100) by noting a warning not to go the way of the heretics who believe in a higher God than the real God the Father, the Creator. He also sums up the main idea he sought to get across in this book: “the advent of the Son of God and the economy of His Incarnation, which the apostles handed over and the prophets foretold would be the recapitulation of mankind, as we have briefly demonstrated to you.” (99) Then Irenaeus ends his book by ascribing glory to the Triune God.
Reflections:
Irenaeus’ take on a lot of matters do not simply accord with popular evangelicalism. On various occasions, Irenaeus alludes to ideas contained in the Apocryphal (e.g., Wisdom of Solomon), Pseudepigraphal (e.g., 1 Enoch), and Greek philosophical (e.g., Plato) writings. This is fascinating and raises for me the question of the reception of such extrabiblical writings among the early church fathers, and what implications we should learn from this. Whatever Irenaeus’ precise view concerning the authority of extrabiblical texts, in this book he clearly quotes from them far less than he does the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments. I have to think that is significant.
Drawing from such writings, and perhaps advancing tradition from such a source as Justin Martyr or his own thought, Irenaeus includes a lot of ideas of which I was unaware prior to reading this book. There are too many to list, so the following two paragraphs explain just three of them.
One of Irenaeus' interesting contributions is his idea that for Adam and Eve, they were but infants at their creation and needed to "reach full-development" by growing up. They were deceived easily by Satan because they were very young. (12-14) Irenaeus borrows from an Apocryphal writing that suggests Satan became jealous and envious of the many gifts of God given to man, so that is why he tempted Adam and Eve to fall. Irenaeus also seems to imply that this was the first time Satan sinned. (16)
One additional idea that Irenaeus brings out of which I had not noticed before: Moses renamed one of the twelve spies, Hosea, to Joshua: from something like "he saves" to "Yahweh saves" (27). Joshua's Hebrew name is the same as Jesus' name in Hebrew. Surely, there is something profound going on here!
So that the reader of this review does not deem Irenaeus too far out there to be of value for evangelicals, I am happy to share from my reading that I found Irenaeus in a number of places to be clear on the essential gospel message. Irenaeus has a clear understanding that Christians are made righteous by faith in Christ and not by the Law (35). According to Irenaeus, here is a summary of the gospel preached by the apostles to the whole world: "the Son of God come unto [His] Passion, endured for the destruction of death and the vivification of the flesh, so that, by putting aside enmity towards God, which is iniquity, we may receive peace with Him, doing that which is pleasing to Him." (86) Additionally, this is beautiful: "And the transgression which occurred through the tree [Adam's sin] was undone by the obedience of [Jesus upon] the tree" (33). And: "So, by means of the obedience by which He obeyed unto death, hanging upon the tree, He undid the old disobedience occasioned by the tree." (34) With respect to the life of faith, Irenaeus stresses the essentiality of the Christian living in holiness in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. Key to this is believing and loving the Lord and being indwelt by the Spirit (given at baptism), who will raise believers from the dead (41-42).
Irenaeus also writes a number of things that, to my mind, clearly speak to belief in an incipient form of the doctrine of the Trinity. For example, near the very end of this book Irenaeus says that those who commit error (by which he means heresy) either despise the Father, or do not accept the Son (particularly His incarnation), or do not accept the Holy Spirit (particularly His gift of prophecy). (100) Then he ends the book by ascribing glory to the Triune God.
Moving on to more specifically biblical-theological concepts, Irenaeus sees a number of things in the Old Testament as pointing forward to New Testament realities. The tabernacle is seen by Irenaeus as “the figure of the form of the Church” (26). Here you have an early church father who is employing a kind of typology that sees the tabernacle, a physical reality, pointing ahead to the church, a spiritual reality. Irenaeus also sees within the book of Deuteronomy many prophecies about Christ, the Gentiles, and the Kingdom (28). He sees clear evidence of the inclusion of the Gentiles in Old Testament prophecy, particularly in texts like Isaiah 17:6-8; 54:1; and 65:1. Furthermore, Irenaeus sees a connection between the twelve springs of water in Exodus 15:27 and the twelve apostles (46). In quoting Isaiah 9:6, Irenaeus interprets the phrase “whose government is upon his shoulder” as referring “allegorically” to the cross (56).
Irenaeus believes in a number of Christophanies in the Old Testament. He believes that the Son of God spoke with Abraham in Genesis 18. In fact, from what happened in Genesis 18, Irenaeus sees Abraham as a prophet who "saw things of the future": Christ as a human who would speak and eat with other humans and also bring judgment from the Father to the earth (44). Irenaeus held that Jacob foresaw Christ in his dream (45) and that Christ spoke with Moses at the bush (46). In fact, Irenaeus says that Christ "was always with mankind" I think meaning that the theophanies of the Old Testament are Christophanies.
Being at present in the middle of teaching a course in Biblical Theology as I write this review and trying to discern the best way to think through matters of typology and continuity/discontinuity within the Scripture, I find Irenaeus’ hermeneutics quite fascinating given how soon after the apostles he lived (i.e., he was a disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of the apostle John).
Finally, I am struck by Irenaeus’ vision of just how central Christ is to the Bible and to its teaching. To put it simply, Christ recapitulates the Bible's main people, events, institutions, and doctrines. These point to and are fulfilled in God the Son. It is a great gift when through detailed biblical exposition a work from a very different time and place leads me to worship the Son!
Summary of the Book:
Irenaeus begins this book by stating his desire to be with a friend in order that they may have daily spiritual conversation. They are separated and so Irenaeus states his purpose in writing this book as “to demonstrate, by means of a summary, the preaching of the truth, so as to strengthen your faith.” (1) Following a brief introduction (1-3a), Irenaeus goes on to describe the apostolic preaching, part one of his book (3b-42a). “Apostolic preaching” turns out to mean summarizing the history of redemption.
The first big topic Irenaeus looks at is the apostolic teaching concerning God and created beings, including man (3b-16). He mentions a “rule of faith” that is ordered around the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each of whom is integral to the salvation of the Christian.
The second big topic Irenaeus explores in part one of this book concerns the road to salvation from Cain to Jesus (17-30). Comparatively, a lot of words are given to the story from Cain to entering the Promised Land, with very few words regarding the rest of the Old Testament. This section ends with an examination of Jesus' first coming and how He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises.
Part two of this book (42b-97) is called “The Demonstration from the Prophets,” which first entails an extended look at Jesus: His eternal existence, human birth, miracles, passion, and glorification (43-85). Each of these aspects is examined theologically with lots of biblical references. Virtually all that Christ was to be and do was prophesied beforehand by the prophets.
In the second major chunk of part two (86-97), Irenaeus examines how the preaching he just surveyed about Jesus is for the whole world (i.e., the Gentiles). As he has done all along, this section is filled with scriptural references and analysis, particularly as it relates to how God revealed the inclusion of the Gentiles (a theme he already mentioned several times earlier in the book).
Lastly, Irenaeus concludes his work (98-100) by noting a warning not to go the way of the heretics who believe in a higher God than the real God the Father, the Creator. He also sums up the main idea he sought to get across in this book: “the advent of the Son of God and the economy of His Incarnation, which the apostles handed over and the prophets foretold would be the recapitulation of mankind, as we have briefly demonstrated to you.” (99) Then Irenaeus ends his book by ascribing glory to the Triune God.
Reflections:
Irenaeus’ take on a lot of matters do not simply accord with popular evangelicalism. On various occasions, Irenaeus alludes to ideas contained in the Apocryphal (e.g., Wisdom of Solomon), Pseudepigraphal (e.g., 1 Enoch), and Greek philosophical (e.g., Plato) writings. This is fascinating and raises for me the question of the reception of such extrabiblical writings among the early church fathers, and what implications we should learn from this. Whatever Irenaeus’ precise view concerning the authority of extrabiblical texts, in this book he clearly quotes from them far less than he does the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments. I have to think that is significant.
Drawing from such writings, and perhaps advancing tradition from such a source as Justin Martyr or his own thought, Irenaeus includes a lot of ideas of which I was unaware prior to reading this book. There are too many to list, so the following two paragraphs explain just three of them.
One of Irenaeus' interesting contributions is his idea that for Adam and Eve, they were but infants at their creation and needed to "reach full-development" by growing up. They were deceived easily by Satan because they were very young. (12-14) Irenaeus borrows from an Apocryphal writing that suggests Satan became jealous and envious of the many gifts of God given to man, so that is why he tempted Adam and Eve to fall. Irenaeus also seems to imply that this was the first time Satan sinned. (16)
One additional idea that Irenaeus brings out of which I had not noticed before: Moses renamed one of the twelve spies, Hosea, to Joshua: from something like "he saves" to "Yahweh saves" (27). Joshua's Hebrew name is the same as Jesus' name in Hebrew. Surely, there is something profound going on here!
So that the reader of this review does not deem Irenaeus too far out there to be of value for evangelicals, I am happy to share from my reading that I found Irenaeus in a number of places to be clear on the essential gospel message. Irenaeus has a clear understanding that Christians are made righteous by faith in Christ and not by the Law (35). According to Irenaeus, here is a summary of the gospel preached by the apostles to the whole world: "the Son of God come unto [His] Passion, endured for the destruction of death and the vivification of the flesh, so that, by putting aside enmity towards God, which is iniquity, we may receive peace with Him, doing that which is pleasing to Him." (86) Additionally, this is beautiful: "And the transgression which occurred through the tree [Adam's sin] was undone by the obedience of [Jesus upon] the tree" (33). And: "So, by means of the obedience by which He obeyed unto death, hanging upon the tree, He undid the old disobedience occasioned by the tree." (34) With respect to the life of faith, Irenaeus stresses the essentiality of the Christian living in holiness in order to inherit the Kingdom of God. Key to this is believing and loving the Lord and being indwelt by the Spirit (given at baptism), who will raise believers from the dead (41-42).
Irenaeus also writes a number of things that, to my mind, clearly speak to belief in an incipient form of the doctrine of the Trinity. For example, near the very end of this book Irenaeus says that those who commit error (by which he means heresy) either despise the Father, or do not accept the Son (particularly His incarnation), or do not accept the Holy Spirit (particularly His gift of prophecy). (100) Then he ends the book by ascribing glory to the Triune God.
Moving on to more specifically biblical-theological concepts, Irenaeus sees a number of things in the Old Testament as pointing forward to New Testament realities. The tabernacle is seen by Irenaeus as “the figure of the form of the Church” (26). Here you have an early church father who is employing a kind of typology that sees the tabernacle, a physical reality, pointing ahead to the church, a spiritual reality. Irenaeus also sees within the book of Deuteronomy many prophecies about Christ, the Gentiles, and the Kingdom (28). He sees clear evidence of the inclusion of the Gentiles in Old Testament prophecy, particularly in texts like Isaiah 17:6-8; 54:1; and 65:1. Furthermore, Irenaeus sees a connection between the twelve springs of water in Exodus 15:27 and the twelve apostles (46). In quoting Isaiah 9:6, Irenaeus interprets the phrase “whose government is upon his shoulder” as referring “allegorically” to the cross (56).
Irenaeus believes in a number of Christophanies in the Old Testament. He believes that the Son of God spoke with Abraham in Genesis 18. In fact, from what happened in Genesis 18, Irenaeus sees Abraham as a prophet who "saw things of the future": Christ as a human who would speak and eat with other humans and also bring judgment from the Father to the earth (44). Irenaeus held that Jacob foresaw Christ in his dream (45) and that Christ spoke with Moses at the bush (46). In fact, Irenaeus says that Christ "was always with mankind" I think meaning that the theophanies of the Old Testament are Christophanies.
Being at present in the middle of teaching a course in Biblical Theology as I write this review and trying to discern the best way to think through matters of typology and continuity/discontinuity within the Scripture, I find Irenaeus’ hermeneutics quite fascinating given how soon after the apostles he lived (i.e., he was a disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of the apostle John).
Finally, I am struck by Irenaeus’ vision of just how central Christ is to the Bible and to its teaching. To put it simply, Christ recapitulates the Bible's main people, events, institutions, and doctrines. These point to and are fulfilled in God the Son. It is a great gift when through detailed biblical exposition a work from a very different time and place leads me to worship the Son!
September 8, 2023
This was my first time reading the Patristics and I was pleasantly surprised that it was so foundational and full of wisdom.
One drawback is the writing style was not concise (understandable given the translation) and sometimes dull.
There were several main points that I really enjoyed:
- Irenaeus, at such an early point in Church History, seems to already have a good understanding of the Trinity and the relationship between the different persons. For example, he rightly associates Jesus with the Word, and the Spirit with the Wisdom of God.
- While not as in-depth as his other works, Irenaeus talks about the idea of recapitulation, the restoration and elevation of mankind to what he calls 'participation in incorruptibility'.
- Irenaeus then weaves these two ideas as he progresses chronologically through the Bible. For Irenaeus, everything in history is part of the preparation for salvation and the recapitulation of mankind. An example of this is how Irenaeus believes that it was the Word (Jesus pre-incarnate), who was interacting with Abraham, Jacob, Moses and others.
Personally, this book helped me to employ a Christological reading of the Old Testament, which I now believe is crucial. As well, recapitulation is now my atonement theory of choice.
Some final quotes:
"the transgression which occurred through the tree was undone by the obedience of the tree"
"so He united man with God and wrought a communion of God and man, we being unable to have any participation in incorruptibility ... So he became visible, that we might, in all ways, obtain a participation in incorruptibility. .... Our Lord received the same embodiment as the first-formed, that He might fight for the fathers and vanquish in Adam that which had struck us in Adam."
"[It is] the Word of God, who was always with mankind ... and taught men things of God."
One drawback is the writing style was not concise (understandable given the translation) and sometimes dull.
There were several main points that I really enjoyed:
- Irenaeus, at such an early point in Church History, seems to already have a good understanding of the Trinity and the relationship between the different persons. For example, he rightly associates Jesus with the Word, and the Spirit with the Wisdom of God.
- While not as in-depth as his other works, Irenaeus talks about the idea of recapitulation, the restoration and elevation of mankind to what he calls 'participation in incorruptibility'.
- Irenaeus then weaves these two ideas as he progresses chronologically through the Bible. For Irenaeus, everything in history is part of the preparation for salvation and the recapitulation of mankind. An example of this is how Irenaeus believes that it was the Word (Jesus pre-incarnate), who was interacting with Abraham, Jacob, Moses and others.
Personally, this book helped me to employ a Christological reading of the Old Testament, which I now believe is crucial. As well, recapitulation is now my atonement theory of choice.
Some final quotes:
"the transgression which occurred through the tree was undone by the obedience of the tree"
"so He united man with God and wrought a communion of God and man, we being unable to have any participation in incorruptibility ... So he became visible, that we might, in all ways, obtain a participation in incorruptibility. .... Our Lord received the same embodiment as the first-formed, that He might fight for the fathers and vanquish in Adam that which had struck us in Adam."
"[It is] the Word of God, who was always with mankind ... and taught men things of God."
January 24, 2021
Ah, Irenaeus, the OG post-apostolic biblical theologian. Other than Acts 7, if someone asked me, "What is biblical theology?" I would direct them to this work. As John Behr says in the introduction, this reads more like St. Stephen's sermon in Acts 7 than it does a doctrinal treatise. It feel like it is along the same grain as the biblical narrative. There are some strong statements of an early high Christology and the germ of Trinitarian affirmation which read in line with the Nicene Creed (325 A.D.).
John Behr says in the introduction that this work has largely been absent for much of church history and wasn't rediscovered until close to 1900. That's pretty crazy!
I have a few quibbles with Irenaeus's sketch, but on the whole it is very sound. Those quibbles though include:
-A large absence of OT wisdom literature (which plagues much biblical theology and OT theology today)
-Some statements about the Virgin Mary which are strong, but specious.
-A not-very detailed anti-Jewishness as in implication of the New Covenant which eliminates the nuance in topography across the canon. I.e. the Jews made mistakes from worshipping Baal to crucifying Jesus and thus God opened the door the Gentiles. While I believe in the exclusivity of Christ for salvation, I think that he seems to make a brief off-handed comments which could have led to a more much potent anti-Jewishness in the church throughout church history which metastasizes from time to time as anti-semitism. I think more precious in our language is require when dealingwith this subject, given it's history.
John Behr says in the introduction that this work has largely been absent for much of church history and wasn't rediscovered until close to 1900. That's pretty crazy!
I have a few quibbles with Irenaeus's sketch, but on the whole it is very sound. Those quibbles though include:
-A large absence of OT wisdom literature (which plagues much biblical theology and OT theology today)
-Some statements about the Virgin Mary which are strong, but specious.
-A not-very detailed anti-Jewishness as in implication of the New Covenant which eliminates the nuance in topography across the canon. I.e. the Jews made mistakes from worshipping Baal to crucifying Jesus and thus God opened the door the Gentiles. While I believe in the exclusivity of Christ for salvation, I think that he seems to make a brief off-handed comments which could have led to a more much potent anti-Jewishness in the church throughout church history which metastasizes from time to time as anti-semitism. I think more precious in our language is require when dealingwith this subject, given it's history.
April 18, 2025
So good!
If anyone is interested in only 100 pages what the early church believed about the story of the Bible, the unity of Old and New testaments, Jesus in all of scripture, and how doctrine arises from biblical revelation…look no further
Irenaeus undoubtedly laid the foundation for the disciplines of biblical theology & covenant theology through his work of providing an overview of “the apostolic teaching” concerning what the Bible’s all about
Highly recommended. Both very devotional and doctrinally deep
If anyone is interested in only 100 pages what the early church believed about the story of the Bible, the unity of Old and New testaments, Jesus in all of scripture, and how doctrine arises from biblical revelation…look no further
Irenaeus undoubtedly laid the foundation for the disciplines of biblical theology & covenant theology through his work of providing an overview of “the apostolic teaching” concerning what the Bible’s all about
Highly recommended. Both very devotional and doctrinally deep
July 8, 2025
do i ??? like the patristics ??? very good! defense of the trinity (classic), great Christology, also a fantastic walk through of the Bible. and, as a fun bonus, a very easy translation with some good greek
January 29, 2014
This book's brevity is part of its appeal yet ultimately what makes it a frustrating read. While Irenaus wrote in Greek, it's doubtful that this book is from the Greek. As far as we can tell, it is an English translation of an Armenian translation of a probably Greek text.
It does a nice retelling the story of salvation. Unlike later Fathers, Irenaeus keeps the Gospel narrative of what God-has-done-in-Christ-for-us in the foreground. Metaphysical speculation is kept at a distance.
Further, it lacks the anti-Gnostic polemic that you find in Against Heresies. I'm all for bashing and trashing Gnosticism, but you have to admit that made for a very painful reading. This book is wonderfully more focused.
Yet...
The "book," such that it is, really isn't that deep or profound. It is more a running commentary on the main story of the Bible. That's a good thing. That is something that would be slowly eclipsed over the centuries. On the flip side, though, he isn't telling you anything you don't already know.
It does a nice retelling the story of salvation. Unlike later Fathers, Irenaeus keeps the Gospel narrative of what God-has-done-in-Christ-for-us in the foreground. Metaphysical speculation is kept at a distance.
Further, it lacks the anti-Gnostic polemic that you find in Against Heresies. I'm all for bashing and trashing Gnosticism, but you have to admit that made for a very painful reading. This book is wonderfully more focused.
Yet...
The "book," such that it is, really isn't that deep or profound. It is more a running commentary on the main story of the Bible. That's a good thing. That is something that would be slowly eclipsed over the centuries. On the flip side, though, he isn't telling you anything you don't already know.
February 1, 2021
A simple and incredible summary of the faith. Various gems to be noted, not the least of which is the high christology employed throughout.
I only regret not being exposed to this work sooner!
I only regret not being exposed to this work sooner!
February 20, 2024
Thrilling book by one of the most important church fathers of the second century, on “the preaching of the truth… the character of our salvation…[and] the way of life, which the prophets announced and Christ confirmed, and the apostles handed over… and the Church hands down to her children.” (p. 100).
John Behr, the translator and editor, has broken Irenaeus’ treatise into several subsections, covering in Part One: 1. God and Man, 2. The Preparation for Salvation, 3. The Salvation Wrought by the Son of God; and in Part Two: 1 . The Eternal Existence of Jesus Christ, 2. The Human Birth of Jesus Christ, 3. The Miracles, Passion, and Glorification of Jesus Christ, and 4. The Calling of the Gentiles: The New People of God.
Irenaeus quotes and alludes to dozens of texts from both Old and New Testaments, which are carefully footnoted by the editor. Reading through this book gives one a good sense of how an early church father interpreted the Old Testament in relationship to Christ.
Of particular interest is Irenaeus’ exceptionally high Christology— over 125 years before the council of Nicaea! Here is one example: “Therefore, the Father is Lord and the Son is Lord, and the Father is God and the Son is God, since He who is born of God is God, and in this way, according to His being and power and essence, one God is demonstrated…” (p. 71)
Irenaeus’ doctrine of “ recapitulation,” which is expanded more fully in Against Heresies, is also seen here.
Finally, the editor did great work in the end notes in tracing references, not only to Against Heresies, but also to the earlier church fathers, especially Justin Martyr, whom Irenaeus follows in many respects.
John Behr, the translator and editor, has broken Irenaeus’ treatise into several subsections, covering in Part One: 1. God and Man, 2. The Preparation for Salvation, 3. The Salvation Wrought by the Son of God; and in Part Two: 1 . The Eternal Existence of Jesus Christ, 2. The Human Birth of Jesus Christ, 3. The Miracles, Passion, and Glorification of Jesus Christ, and 4. The Calling of the Gentiles: The New People of God.
Irenaeus quotes and alludes to dozens of texts from both Old and New Testaments, which are carefully footnoted by the editor. Reading through this book gives one a good sense of how an early church father interpreted the Old Testament in relationship to Christ.
Of particular interest is Irenaeus’ exceptionally high Christology— over 125 years before the council of Nicaea! Here is one example: “Therefore, the Father is Lord and the Son is Lord, and the Father is God and the Son is God, since He who is born of God is God, and in this way, according to His being and power and essence, one God is demonstrated…” (p. 71)
Irenaeus’ doctrine of “ recapitulation,” which is expanded more fully in Against Heresies, is also seen here.
Finally, the editor did great work in the end notes in tracing references, not only to Against Heresies, but also to the earlier church fathers, especially Justin Martyr, whom Irenaeus follows in many respects.
September 23, 2023
I’ve been heavily influenced by Irenaeus, but now just finally got to this book!
This is “the earliest summary of Christian teaching…that we now have” (7). It’s grounding to see the agreement between the modern Christian perspective and the perspective of the 2nd century church and, at the same time, helpful to be exposed to the differences.
Irenaeus demonstrates how “the apostolic preaching is both the key to understanding the Old Testament and the confirmation of its fulfillment, while…it is the Old Testament which shapes the whole of the Christian revelation itself” (13).
This statement captures the whole message of the book: “The Word of God, the Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord, who was revealed by the prophets…by whom all things were made, and who, in the last times, to recapitulate all things, became a man…in order to abolish death, to demonstrate life, and to effect communion between God and man” (43-44).
___
My ⭐️ rating criteria
- ⭐️: I absolutely did not like or totally disagreed with the book and would recommend that no one else read it
- ⭐️⭐️: the book was below average style or content, wouldn’t read it again, but wouldn’t beg people not to read it necessarily
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️: a fine book, some helpful information (or a decent story, for the handful of novels I read), didn’t disagree with too much, enjoyed it decently well
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: a very good book, information was very helpful, mostly agreed with everything or it was a strong argument even if I disagree, was above-average enjoyable to read
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: life-changing book, I enjoyed it more than most other books, I want to read it again in the future, I will be telling everyone to read it for the next few weeks
This is “the earliest summary of Christian teaching…that we now have” (7). It’s grounding to see the agreement between the modern Christian perspective and the perspective of the 2nd century church and, at the same time, helpful to be exposed to the differences.
Irenaeus demonstrates how “the apostolic preaching is both the key to understanding the Old Testament and the confirmation of its fulfillment, while…it is the Old Testament which shapes the whole of the Christian revelation itself” (13).
This statement captures the whole message of the book: “The Word of God, the Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord, who was revealed by the prophets…by whom all things were made, and who, in the last times, to recapitulate all things, became a man…in order to abolish death, to demonstrate life, and to effect communion between God and man” (43-44).
___
My ⭐️ rating criteria
- ⭐️: I absolutely did not like or totally disagreed with the book and would recommend that no one else read it
- ⭐️⭐️: the book was below average style or content, wouldn’t read it again, but wouldn’t beg people not to read it necessarily
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️: a fine book, some helpful information (or a decent story, for the handful of novels I read), didn’t disagree with too much, enjoyed it decently well
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: a very good book, information was very helpful, mostly agreed with everything or it was a strong argument even if I disagree, was above-average enjoyable to read
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: life-changing book, I enjoyed it more than most other books, I want to read it again in the future, I will be telling everyone to read it for the next few weeks
May 22, 2025
I mean, this wasn’t my idea of a good time exactly, but I have to take the win and log the books as I read em. Giving it a solid 2.5 because it seems wrong to rate it poorly, but I’m just not at the point in my career where the Church fathers are fun to read.
January 24, 2022
Loved this handbook on theology. His approach is a narratival walkthrough of Salvation history. Highly recommend reading Behr’s intro. Great insights on patristics.
September 12, 2024
Irenaeus masterfully walks through the entirety of the Scriptures and shows how Jesus Christ is the true Son of God who reveals the Father, and is worthy of our belief and worship. It is amazing to me that Irenaeus was doing his theology at such an early point in the history of Christianity that he had little to no shoulders to stand on outside of the writings of the apostles. This book is a rich exposition of foundational Christian teaching.
May 17, 2023
Richer the second time around. While I wouldn’t follow him at every point exegetically, I love his theological program. Irenaeus’ Demonstration offers a full-throated christocentric reading of the OT from the 2nd century.
March 2, 2025
Awesome biblical, covenant theology here without all the modern centered-isms.
February 23, 2025
In this work, St. Irenaeus set out to give a brief summary and defense of the “faith once delivered.” This is, perhaps, one of the most Christocentric works I’ve read so far (besides Scripture), and that’s likely due to the fact that this text is littered with references to Scripture. Irenaeus seems to have two general sections. In the first, he gives a summary of salvation history, emphasizing how history truly culminated in a historical God-man, Jesus Christ. The way in which He accomplished our salvation was to recapitulate that which had brought us death with an opposite effect — as the liturgical hymn goes, “by death he conquered death.” In the second section, Irenaeus shows how practically everything about Christ, from his pre-existence with the Father all the way to His ascension into heaven, where He now sits, was foretold by the prophets.
Interesting notes:
1. Despite being a bishop, Irenaeus hardly mentions the Church, sacraments, or structure in this work. This doesn’t make me think it was unimportant in his mind (he was a bishop), but it is interesting that his primary care is Jesus Christ and what the Scripture says of Him.
2. Irenaeus basically assumes Christians will be moral and righteous, which is really convicting. I can’t imagine how much you had to give up to be a Christian in his day, and how that would completely change your life. It’s unfortunate how comfortable we are as Christians today, because it’s way too easy to treat sin lightly. God help me!
3. Irenaeus is definitely no stranger to allegorical interpretations of the Scripture, especially the OT, yet his interpretations aren’t careless. This is definitely a hallmark of the fathers.
Interesting notes:
1. Despite being a bishop, Irenaeus hardly mentions the Church, sacraments, or structure in this work. This doesn’t make me think it was unimportant in his mind (he was a bishop), but it is interesting that his primary care is Jesus Christ and what the Scripture says of Him.
2. Irenaeus basically assumes Christians will be moral and righteous, which is really convicting. I can’t imagine how much you had to give up to be a Christian in his day, and how that would completely change your life. It’s unfortunate how comfortable we are as Christians today, because it’s way too easy to treat sin lightly. God help me!
3. Irenaeus is definitely no stranger to allegorical interpretations of the Scripture, especially the OT, yet his interpretations aren’t careless. This is definitely a hallmark of the fathers.
February 28, 2021
Loved his opening focus on the importance of preserving holiness in soul and body, doctrine and practice. Even if this isn’t quite on the same level for me as something like “On the Incarnation” that comes two centuries after it in terms of writing structure, I just feel incredibly privileged to have this portrait of the rule of faith from such an early point in the history of the church.
December 17, 2023
This is an excellent example of early Covenant Theology
October 28, 2022
Why would someone not want to read a book written by a man that is one person removed from John the Apostle? I apparently only choose to read great books.
July 25, 2023
Wonderful read. Fascinating that a work written in the 2nd century so closely outlines the essence of the faith that the Christian church proclaims today. Glory to God.
May 17, 2014
I absolutely love the Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching by Irenaeus; so the 3-star rating has nothing to do with the primary source in question. Rather, Robinson's translation and introduction are dated; go with Behr's "On the Apostolic Preaching" for a more recent translation into English with an updated introduction. The material on Pneumatology within Robinson's introduction is incorporated into and updated by Briggman's monograph on the Theology of the Holy Spirit in Irenaeus of Lyons. If, for some reason, you want an alternative to Behr that is at least less dated than Robinson (though still dated), check out Smith's Proof of the Apostolic Preaching (Ancient Christian Writers vol. 16).
December 11, 2018
A relatively short read of only 60 pages if you elect to skip the introduction written by the editor.
Regardless, this classic work by Iranaeus is a must read.
Some say covenant theology and federal headship are modern systemizations applied to the Bible, yet here we have a second century Church Father writing about Christ’s relation to the covenants and his status as the Second Adam accomplishing our redemption.
A very encouraging, yet brief read.
Regardless, this classic work by Iranaeus is a must read.
Some say covenant theology and federal headship are modern systemizations applied to the Bible, yet here we have a second century Church Father writing about Christ’s relation to the covenants and his status as the Second Adam accomplishing our redemption.
A very encouraging, yet brief read.
April 22, 2017
My third time reading this (this year). Once I read it with a guy I am discipling. The second time is for a meeting of the Early Christian Society (I think that's the name of it). It was good to read it a second time and grow deeper in my understanding of Iraenaeus.
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