Iranaeus
Born in Greece and receiving a Christian education, Iranaeus' education was especially liberal with knowledge of the scriptures, Greek philosophy, and literature. His deepest impression was made by St. Polycarp and had the
privilege of sitting at the feet of those who knew the apostles. It is generally supposed that
the account of the persecutions at Lyons was written by him.
In 177 Iranaeus was chosen for a mission to Rome bearing a letter to Pope Eleutherius urging him
to deal firmly with the Montanist faction in faraway Phrygia, for this so called heresy was now rampant in the East. Because of this trip he was spared from the persecution in Lyons from Marcus
Aurelius. When Irenaeus returned from Rome it was to fill the empty Bishopric and he
succeeded the martyr Pothinus as Bishop of Lyons and ruled his diocese with great
propriety. Iranaeus extended the sphere of Christian influence by sending missionaries to other
parts of Gaul. Speaking in the vernacular, he encouraged other priests to do the same.
Iranaeus produced the first systematic exposition of the Church's belief. A zealous opposer
of heresies in general, Iranaeus wrote the book Against Heresies about 187.
For some do certainly, and truly drive out devils, so that those who have thus been
cleanses from evil spirits frequently both believe in Christ, and join themselves to the
church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come: they see visions, and utter prophetic
expressions. Others still, heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are
made whole... the dead even have been raised up.
He was, Tertullian tells us "a curious explorer of all kinds of learning". His
book, written in Greek and translated into Latin, was widely circulated, and from this
time on, Gnosticism presented no serious threat. According to tradition
he suffered martyrdom under Septimus Severus and was beheaded in 202.
Iranaeus was the Bishop of Lyons in Gaul and lived about 125-202. As bishop of Lyons and a
distinguished theologian he probably did more than any one to establish chiliasm in the
West. His treatise Against Heresies form a comprehensive anthology of
messianic and millennial prophecies from the Old and New Testaments. Iranaeus laid the
foundations of Christian theology and by refuting the errors of the Gnostics kept the
youthful Catholic Church from corruption.
[18, 19, 58, 116]
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