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Against Heresies: Book V

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Against Heresies: Book V

by Irenaeus

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1. Preface.
2. Chapter 1: Only Christ can teach divine matters and redeem us: He, the same, took actual flesh from the Virgin Mary, not just in appearance, but truly, through the workings of the Holy Ghost, to renew us. Criticisms on the notions of Vale.
3. Chapter 2:—When Christ Came to Us Through Grace, He Visited What Was Already His: Furthermore, By Sacrificing His Real Blood for Us and Showing Us His Real Flesh in the Eucharist, He Granted Our Flesh the Possibility of Salvation.
4. Chapter 3: The power and glory of God is revealed in human frailty, as He promises our bodies participation in resurrection and everlasting life, even though He has created us from the earth's dust; He will also provide us the pleasure of eternity.
5. Chapter 4: Those people are mistaken who pretend there is another God the Father apart from the Creator of the world; for he must have been weak and pointless, or else spiteful and full of jealousy, if he is either incapable or unwilling to grant eternal life to our bodies.
6. Chapter 5: The Extended Lifespans of the Ancients, the Physical Transitions of Elijah and Enoch, as well as the Preservation of Jonah, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Extreme Danger, are Clear Proofs that God Can Resurrect.
7. Chapter 6: God Will Grant Salvation to Every Aspect of Humanity, Composed of Body and Soul, Since the Word Has Assumed This Responsibility and Decorated It with the Holy Spirit's Gifts, of whom our Bodies are Seen as, and Referred to as, the Temples.
8. Chapter 7: Given that Christ rose in our physical form, it implies that we too will be resurrected in the same way; because the promised resurrection applies not to naturally immortal spirits, but to naturally mortal bodies.
9. Chapter 8: The gifts we receive from the Holy Spirit ready us for immortality, make us more spiritually minded, and set us apart from worldly men. These two groups are symbolized by the clean and unclean animals in religious laws.
10. Chapter 9: Explaining the Correct Interpretation of the Apostle's Statement, Often Misinterpreted by Heretics, "Flesh and Blood Cannot Inherit the Kingdom of God"
11. Chapter 10: Using an analogy of the wild olive-tree, whose characteristics but not essence is altered by grafting, he proves more significant points; he also indicates that man without the Spirit is unable to produce fruit or inherit.
12. Chapter 11: Discusses the Actions of Physical and Spiritual Individuals; Also, that Spiritual Cleansing Doesn't Refer to the Substance of Our Bodies but to Our Past Lifestyles.
13. Chapter 12: On the Difference between Life and Death; On the Breath of Life and the Enlivening Spirit: Also, How the Substance of Flesh, Once Dead, Can Be Revived.
14. Chapter 13: - The dead, who were raised by Christ, provide the greatest evidence of resurrection; our hearts are demonstrated to be capable of eternal life, because they can now accept God’s Spirit.
15. Chapter 14: If the flesh wasn't meant to be saved, the Word wouldn't have assumed our fleshly form: from this it follows that we wouldn't have been reconciled through Him.
16. Chapter 15: Evidence of Resurrection from Isaiah and Ezekiel; The Same God Who Created Us Will Also Resurrect Us.
17. Chapter 16:—Since our bodies return to the earth, it implies that they are made from it; furthermore, with the arrival of the Word, God's image within us became more apparent.
18. Chapter 17:—There is Only One Lord and God, the Father and Creator of Everything, Who Loved Us Through Christ, Gave Us Commandments, and Forgave Our Sins; Christ, His Son and Word, Demonstrated Himself When He Forgave Our Sins.
19. Chapter 18: God the Father and His Word have created all things using Their own power and wisdom, not out of any deficiency or lack of knowledge. The Son of God, having been given all power by the Father, would never have become human otherwise.
20. Chapter 19: A Comparison is Made Between the Disobedient, Sinful Eve and Her Patroness, the Virgin Mary. Various Contradicting Heresies are Discussed.
21. Chapter 20: We should listen to those religious leaders to whom the apostles entrusted the Churches, who all share the same doctrine of salvation; meanwhile, we should stay away from heretics. We must consider the mysteries of faith with a clear and sober mind.
22. Chapter 21: Christ is the Leader of All Previously Mentioned Things. It was Appropriate for Him to be Sent by God, the Creator of Everything, to Take on Human Form, and to be Tempted by Satan, So He Could Fulfill the Promises, and Achieve a Great Victory
23. Chapter 22: — The law declares the true Lord and the singular God, and Christ His Son reveals Him in the Gospel; He is the only one we should worship, and we should seek all good things from Him, not from Satan.
24. Chapter 23: The devil is highly skilled in lies, through which Adam was misled and sinned on the sixth day of creation, the same day he was also redeemed by Christ.
25. Chapter 24: On the Ever-Present Deceit of the Devil, and the Authorities and Governments of the World, which we should obey as they are God's appointments, not the devil's.
26. Chapter 25: The Deceit, Arrogance, and Despotic Rule of the Antichrist, as Described by Daniel and Paul.
27. Chapter 26: John and Daniel Have Predicted the Fall and Destruction of the Roman Empire, Which Will Lead to the End of the World and the Eternal Reign of Christ. The Gnostics, Satan's Instruments, Who Propose a Different Father, Are Disproved.
28. Chapter 27: The Future Judgment by Christ. Relationship with and Separation from God. The Eternal Punishment of Non-believers.
29. Chapter 28: The Difference Between the Righteous and the Wicked. The Future Defection during the Time of Antichrist, and the End of the World.
30. Chapter 29: Everything was created for the benefit of humanity. The lies, evil, and corrupt power of the Antichrist. This was symbolized in the flood, and later by the persecution of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
31. Chapter 30: Despite certainty regarding the number that represents the Antichrist, we should not hastily decipher the name, because this number can correspond to many names. Explanation for this uncertainty being intentionally left vague by the Holy Spirit.
32. Chapter 31: The preservation of our bodies is assured through Christ's resurrection and ascension: during the intervening time, the souls of the saints wait in anticipation for the moment they will attain their ultimate glorification.
33. Chapter 32: The saints will reap the rewards of their hardships in the very flesh they suffered in, as all of creation awaits this and God promised it to Abraham and his descendants.
34. Chapter 33: Additional Evidence for the Same Statement, Derived from Christ's Promises, When He Said He Would Share the Fruit of the Vine with His Disciples in His Father's Kingdom, and Simultaneously Promised to Reward Them Abundantly
35. Chapter 34: He Supports His Views on The Temporary and Earthly Kingdom of the Saints After Their Resurrection, Using Evidence from Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Daniel; As Well as the Parable of the Servants Who Watch, Waiting for The Lord.
36. Chapter 35: He argues that the proofs already presented cannot be interpreted symbolically as heavenly blessings, but they will be fulfilled after the arrival of Antichrist and the resurrection, in earthly Jerusalem. To the
37. Chapter 36: People will truly be resurrected; the world will not be destroyed, but there will be different levels of dwelling places for the saints, based on the status each person is given. Everything will be subject to God the Father, and thus, He will be everything to all.
🎧 Against Heresies: Book V
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See 1885 English translation

Preface.

IN THE FOUR PRECEDING BOOKS: my very dear friend, which I presented to you, I have exposed all the heretics and brought their doctrines to light, refuting those who have devised irreligious opinions. I have accomplished this by citing something unique from each of these men's doctrines as they expressed in their writings, as well as using arguments of a more general nature applicable to them all. I have pointed out the truth and shown the teachings of the Church, which the prophets proclaimed (as I have already demonstrated), but which Christ brought to perfection, and the apostles have handed down.

The Church, having received these truths and preserving them in their integrity throughout the world, has passed them on to her children.

Moreover, having addressed all the questions the heretics propose to us, and having explained the doctrine of the apostles and clearly presented many of the things that were said and done by the Lord in parables, I will endeavor, in this fifth book of the entire work on the exposure and refutation of falsely called knowledge, to provide proofs from the rest of the Lord's doctrine and the apostolic letters.

I do this in compliance with your request, as you asked of me (since I have indeed been given a place in the ministry of the word), and labor using every means in my power to assist you against the contradictions of the heretics. I also aim to reclaim the wanderers and convert them to the Church of God, strengthening the minds of the new believers so that they may steadfastly preserve the faith they have received, safeguarded by the Church in its integrity, ensuring they are not led astray by those who seek to teach them false doctrines and lead them away from the truth.

It is essential for you, however, and all who may read this writing, to carefully review what I have already said, so you may gain an understanding of the subjects I am challenging. This way, you will be able to refute them legitimately and be prepared to receive the proofs brought against them, discarding their doctrines as filth through celestial faith; but following the only true and steadfast Teacher, the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who, through His immense love, became what we are, so that He might bring us to be what He Himself is.

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Against Heresies: Book V

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