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Against Heresies: Book IV

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Against Heresies: Book IV

by Irenaeus

Chapters

1. Preface.
2. Chapter 1: The Lord Recognized Only One God and Father.
3. Chapter 2:—Evidence from the clear statements of Moses, and other Prophets, whose words are the words of Christ, that there is only one God, the creator of the world, whom Our Lord proclaimed, and whom He called His Father.
4. Chapter 3: Response to the Criticisms of the Gnostics. We should not assume that the true God can be altered or cease to exist just because the heavens, which are his throne, and the earth, his footstool, will eventually disappear.
5. Chapter 4: Response to Another Argument, Demonstrating that the Destruction of Jerusalem, the City of the Great King, did not Diminish God's Supreme Majesty and Power, as this Destruction was Enacted by the Most Wise Counsel
6. Chapter 5: The author revisits his previous argument and demonstrates that only one God was proclaimed by the law and prophets, whom Christ recognizes as His Father, and who, through His word, revealed Himself to humanity as one living God with Him in both covenants.
7. Chapter 6:—Interpretation of Christ's Words, "No one knows the Father except the Son," etc.; how these words are misconstrued by heretics. Evidence that the Father has always been known through the revelation of the Son and the Son's revelation.
8. Chapter 7: Summary of the Previous Argument, Demonstrating that Abraham, Through the Revelation of the Word, Knew the Father, and the Arrival of the Son of God. For this Reason, He Was Delighted to Witness the Day of Christ, When the Promises Made to Him Would Be Fulfilled.
9. Chapter 8: Futile Efforts of Marcion and His Followers, Who Exclude Abraham from the Salvation Provided by Christ, Who Delivered Not Only Abraham, But Also Abraham's Descendants, by Upholding Rather Than Abolishing the Law When He Healed on the Sabbath-day.
10. Chapter 9: There is only one author and one purpose for both agreements.
11. Chapter 10: The Old Testament Scriptures, Especially Those Written by Moses, Frequently Refer to the Son of God and Predict His Arrival and Sacrifice. Therefore, They Must Have Been Inspired by the Same God.
12. Chapter 11:—The ancient prophets and virtuous individuals anticipated the arrival of Christ and yearned to see and hear Him. The Holy Ghost revealed Him in the Scriptures, and He continuously enriched humanity without changing Himself.
13. Chapter 12: - It is evident that the author of both the old and new law was the same, as indicated by Christ's condemnation of traditions and customs that contradicted the former, while affirming its most important rules, and expressing that He was Himself.
14. Chapter 13: — Christ did not nullify the natural laws, but rather fulfilled and expanded them. He eliminated the burden and slavery of the old law, so that humanity, now liberated, might serve God with the faithful devotion appropriate for children.
15. Chapter 14: If God requires obedience from humans, if He created them, summoned them and placed them under laws, it was purely for the benefit of humans; not because God needed humans, but because He generously bestowed upon them His blessings in every possible way.
16. Chapter 15: Initially, God thought it was enough to engrave natural law, or the Ten Commandments, in the hearts of men; however, He later found it essential to control the desires of the Jews, who were misusing their freedom, through the restrictions of the Mosaic law.
17. Chapter 16: Perfect righteousness was neither bestowed through circumcision nor by any other legal rites. The Ten Commandments, however, were not negated by Christ, but always remain in effect: individuals were never liberated from its obligations.
18. Chapter 17: Evidence that God did not establish the Levitical order for His own benefit or because He needed such service; indeed, He requires nothing from humans.
19. Chapter 18: About sacrifices and offerings, and those who genuinely give them.
20. Chapter 19: Earthly Things Can Represent Heavenly Things, But the Latter Can't Represent Higher Unknown Entities; Nor Can We, Without Being Utterly Insane, Insist That God is Only Known to Us as the Representation of an Unknown Superior Being.
21. Chapter 20: The belief that one God shaped everything in the world through the Word and the Holy Spirit: and although He is invisible and beyond understanding in our current life, He isn't unknown; His actions reveal Him, and His Word.
22. Chapter 21: Abraham's faith was the same as ours; this faith was foreshadowed by the words and actions of the ancient patriarchs.
23. Chapter 22: Christ didn't come just for the people of one era, but for everyone who, living a righteous and godly life, had faith in Him; and also for those who will believe in the future.
24. Chapter 23: The patriarchs and prophets, by predicting the arrival of Christ, strengthened the path of future generations towards faith in Christ, thereby easing the work of the apostles, who reaped the fruits of their labor.
25. Chapter 24: The Conversion of Non-Jews was More Challenging than Converting Jews; Hence, the Apostles Who Tackled the Former Task Experienced More Difficulty Than Those Who Focused on the Latter.
26. Chapter 25: Both agreements were symbolized in Abraham, and in Tamar's effort; however, there was only one and the same God for each agreement.
27. Chapter 26: The Hidden Treasure in the Scriptures is Christ; The True Interpretation of the Scriptures is Only Found in the Church.
28. Chapter 27 - The wrongdoings of men in ancient times, which angered God, were, through His foresight, written down so that we could learn from them and not become arrogant. Thus, we should not assume there was another...
29. Chapter 28:—Those people show themselves as foolish who overemphasize Christ's mercy, yet say nothing about judgement, focusing solely on the New Testament's abundant grace; but, they forget about the higher level of perfection it requires.
30. Chapter 29: - Refuting the Arguments of the Marcionites, Who Tried to Prove God as the Author of Sin, Because He Blinded Pharaoh and His Servants.
31. Chapter 30: Refuting another argument made by the Marcionites, that God instructed the Hebrews to plunder the Egyptians.
32. Chapter 31:—We shouldn't quickly judge as sins, the actions of ancient people that the Scripture has not condemned, but should instead search for the symbolic representation of future events in them: this is exemplified in the incest acted upon by Lot.
33. Chapter 32: Confirmation from an Apostle-Trained Presbyter that One God Authored Both Testaments
34. Chapter 33: Whoever acknowledges that one God is the author of both Testaments, and carefully reads the Scriptures along with the elders of the Church, is a true spiritual student; and he will properly understand and interpret all that the prophet says.
35. Chapter 34: Evidence Against the Marcionites, that the Prophets Referred to Our Christ in All Their Predictions.
36. Chapter 35: A Rebuttal of Those Who Claim That the Prophets Made Some Predictions Under the Inspiration of the Supreme Being and Others from the Creator. Conflicts Among the Valentinians About These Same Predictions.
37. Chapter 36: The Prophets and the Son Were Sent by the Same Father
38. Chapter 37: People have free will and the ability to make choices. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that some people are naturally good and others are naturally bad.
39. Chapter 38: Why Man Was Not Made Perfect From the Beginning.
40. Chapter 39: Humans are gifted with the ability to discern between good and evil; thus, without coercion, they have the freedom to obey God's commandments through their own will and actions, thereby avoiding the punishments reserved for those who rebel.
41. Chapter 40: The Same God, the Father, Punishes the Wicked and Rewards the Chosen Ones.
42. Chapter 41: Those People who Don't Believe in God and Disobey are Devil's Angels and Sons, Not by Nature, but by Imitation. End of this Book and Purpose of the Next.
🎧 Against Heresies: Book IV
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See 1885 English translation

Chapter 15: Initially, God thought it was enough to engrave natural law, or the Ten Commandments, in the hearts of men; however, He later found it essential to control the desires of the Jews, who were misusing their freedom, through the restrictions of the Mosaic law.

They (the Jews) therefore had a law, a system of discipline, and a prophecy of future things. For God, at first, warned them through natural precepts, which He had implanted in mankind from the beginning, that is, through the Decalogue (which, if anyone does not follow, he has no salvation), and demanded nothing more from them. As Moses says in Deuteronomy, "These are all the words which the Lord spoke to the whole assembly of the sons of Israel on the mountain, and He added no more; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me." He did this so that those willing to follow Him might keep these commandments.

BUT WHEN THEY TURNED TO MAKING A CALF: and in their minds reverted to Egypt, wanting to be slaves instead of free people, they were placed in a future state of servitude suitable to their desire—a slavery that did not disconnect them from God but subjected them to the yoke of bondage. As Ezekiel the prophet, when explaining the reasons for giving such a law, declares: "And their eyes followed the desire of their heart; and I gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they shall not live." Luke also records that Stephen, who was the first chosen into the diaconate by the apostles, and who was the first to be killed for the testimony of Christ, spoke about Moses as follows: "This man did indeed receive the commandments of the living God to give to us, whom your ancestors would not obey, but pushed [Him away], and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, Make us gods to go before us; for we do not know what happened to [this] Moses, who led us from the land of Egypt.

And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifices to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their own hands.

But God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets: O house of Israel, have you offered to Me sacrifices and offerings for forty years in the wilderness? And you took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of the god Remphan, figures which you made to worship them;" clearly indicating that this law, being such, was not given to them by another God, but that, adapted to their condition of servitude, it originated from the same God we worship.

Therefore, He also says to Moses in Exodus: "I will send My angel before you; for I will not go up with you, because you are a stiff-necked people."

ADDITIONALLY: the Lord also showed that certain rules were enacted for them by Moses due to their stubbornness and unwillingness to obey. When they asked Him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of divorce and send a wife away?” He replied, “Because of the hardness of your hearts, he permitted these things to you; but from the beginning it was not so.” By saying this, He was clearing Moses as a faithful servant while acknowledging one God, who from the beginning made male and female, and criticizing them for being hard-hearted and disobedient. This is why they received from Moses this law of divorce, tailored to their hard nature. But why do I mention these things concerning the Old Testament? For in the New Testament, the apostles were also found doing the same thing for the reasons mentioned. Paul clearly stated, “But these things I say, not the Lord.” And again: “But this I speak by permission, not by commandment.” And further: “Now, concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give my opinion, as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be faithful.” Additionally, in another passage he says: “That Satan may not tempt you for your lack of self-control.” If, therefore, even in the New Testament, the apostles are found granting certain teachings in consideration of human weakness, due to the lack of self-control of some, lest such persons, having grown obstinate and despairing of their salvation, should leave God,—it should not be surprising that in the Old Testament, the same God allowed similar concessions for the benefit of His people, guiding them through the laws mentioned, so that they might gain the gift of salvation through them, while they followed the Ten Commandments, and being restrained by Him, would not return to idolatry or turn away from God, but learn to love Him wholeheartedly. And if some people, due to the disobedient and lost Israelites, claim that the giver of the law was limited in power, they will find in our teaching, that “many are called, but few chosen;” and that there are those who are wolves inwardly, yet wear sheep’s clothing outwardly; and that God has always preserved freedom and self-governance in humans while issuing His own exhortations so that those who do not obey Him would be justly judged because they have not obeyed Him; and that those who have obeyed and believed in Him should be honored with immortality.

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Against Heresies: Book IV

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