St. Irenaeus, Scripture & the Church
St. Irenaeus was the Bishop of Lyons, France and died as a holy martyr for Christ. He was discipled by another Bishop named Polycarp, who himself was martyred for Christ at the age of 86 and was personally trained by Apostles such as John.
Here is what this second century apologist wrote in respect to the proclamation of the faith by the Apostles of our Lord:
Chapter 1 The apostles did not commence to preach the Gospel, or to place anything on record, until they were endowed with the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. They preached one God alone, maker of heaven and earth.
1. We have learned from none others the plan of our salvation, than from those through whom the Gospel has come down to us, which they did at one time proclaim in public, and, at a later period, by the will of God, handed down to us in the Scriptures, to be the ground and pillar of our faith.
For it is unlawful to assert that they preached before they possessed perfect knowledge, as some do even venture to say, boasting themselves as improvers of the apostles.
For, after our Lord rose from the dead, [the apostles] were invested with power from on high when the Holy Spirit came down [upon them], were filled from all [His gifts], and had perfect knowledge: they departed to the ends of the earth, preaching the glad tidings of the good things [sent] from God to us, and proclaiming the peace of heaven to men, who indeed do all equally and individually possess the Gospel of God.
Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church.
After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter. Luke also, the companion of Paul, recorded in a book the Gospel preached by him. Afterwards, John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon His breast, did himself publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia.
2. These have all declared to us that there is one God, Creator of heaven and earth, announced by the law and the prophets; and one Christ, the Son of God. If any one do not agree to these truths, he despises the companions of the Lord; nay more, he despises Christ Himself the Lord; yea, he despises the Father also, and stands self-condemned, resisting and opposing his own salvation, as is the case with all heretics.
(Adversus haereses, Book 3; emphasis mine)
St. Irenaeus is clear that the Apostles first preached the Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit, who had given them perfect knowledge of all things pertaining to faith. The Apostolic proclamation was then recorded in the holy Scriptures, and committed to the Church. This beloved saint also lists the authors of the four Gospels, and in so doing confirms what the Church has always taught in regards to Gospel authorship. Irenaeus’ testimony affirms the views of conservative Christian scholarship, and debunks liberal critical theories on the origins of the Gospels.
The most interesting aspect of Irenaeus’s statements comes from the way he describes the holy writings, which is virtually identical to how the blessed Apostle Paul speaks of the Church:
“but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” 1 Timothy 3:15 New King James Version (NKJV)
Hence, the Church like the sacred writings is the pillar and ground of the truth. What this indicates is that the believer must have the same view of the Church that s/he does of the holy scriptures.
Hence, if St. Irenaeus’ description means that the inspired writings are infallible and will be preserved from corruption, then this must also apply to Christ’s Church. Being the household of the living God, the Church will be preserved by Christ from being corrupted since the risen Lord will empower the Church to remain infallible in its understanding and articulation of the truth.
Further Reading
Why the Church is Called Catholic
Irenaeus, Apostolic Succession & the Roman See
APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION & TRADITION
Tertullian: Trinity is the Faith of the Ancient Church
JEROME, TRADTION & APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION