French People I Like #1: Irenaeus

Having done some intense soul-searching, I have decided that I have been, at times, somewhat harsh on the French. To rectify that, I've decided to honor some of the famous French people I like. I shall begin with...

IRENAEUS (2nd Century AD)

Irenaeus was Bishop of Lyons, which was at that time the capital of Roman Gaul. In origin, however, Irenaeus was from Smyrna in Asia Minor. Born to a Christian family, the young Irenaeus studied under Smyrna's bishop, Polycarp (AD 69-155), who had been a disciple of the Apostle John. (For this reason Polycarp is called an "Apostolic Father" -- a Church Father of the generation after the Apostles, who knew the Apostles first hand, and so heard second-hand accounts of Christ.)

Little is known of Irenaeus's life: we know he served in Lyons as a priest during the persecution under Marcus Aurelius (ca. AD 170s). Eusebius describes this persecution in Book 5, Chapter 1 of his Church History:

4. [...] The greatness of the tribulation in this region [southern Gaul], and the fury of the heathen against the saints, and the sufferings of the blessed witnesses, we cannot recount accurately, nor indeed could they possibly be recorded.
5. For with all his might the adversary fell upon us, giving us a foretaste of his unbridled activity at his future coming. He endeavored in every manner to practice and exercise his servants against the servants of God, not only shutting us out from houses and baths and markets, but forbidding any of us to be seen in any place whatever.
6. But the grace of God led the conflict against him, and delivered the weak, and set them as firm pillars, able through patience to endure all the wrath of the Evil One. And they joined battle with him, undergoing all kinds of shame and injury; and regarding their great sufferings as little, they hastened to Christ, manifesting truly that 'the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward'.

After this vicious persecution quieted down, Irenaeus was made bishop of Lyons, to replace the former bishop, who'd been martyred. (Bishoping was hazardous to one's health in those days.)

During his time as bishop, Irenaeus became concerned about the Gnostic teachers in his region, and so wrote Adversus Haereses -- Against Heresies. This massive work is a monument of early Christian apologetics, as well as one of the most important period records of the Gnostics, many of whom left little trace outside of Irenaeus's writings. It's also entertaining reading, particularly in his descriptions of Gnostic cosmology: think classical Greek Trekkie technobabble, and you'll approximate what this stuff sounds like.

Juicy Irenaeus Quotations!

For it was for this end that the Word of God was made man, and He who was the Son of God became the Son of man, that man, having been taken into the Word, and receiving the adoption, might become the son of God. For by no other means could we have attained to incorruptibility and immortality, unless we had been united to incorruptibility and immortality. (AH III.19.1)

If any one, therefore, reads the Scriptures with attention, he will find in them an account of Christ, and a foreshadowing of the new calling. For Christ is the treasure which was hid in the field, that is, in this world (for "the field is the world"); but the treasure hid in the Scriptures is Christ, since He was pointed out by means of types and parables. (AH IV.26.1)

For the law, since it was laid down for those in bondage, used to instruct the soul by means of those corporeal objects which were of an external nature, drawing it, as by a bond, to obey its commandments, that man might learn to serve God. But the Word set free the soul, and taught that through it the body should be willingly purified. Which having been accomplished, it followed as of course, that the bonds of slavery should be removed, to which man had now become accustomed, and that he should follow God without fetters: moreover, that the laws of liberty should be extended, and subjection to the king increased, so that no one who is converted should appear unworthy to Him who set him free, but that the piety and obedience due to the Master of the household should be equally rendered both by servants and children; while the children possess greater confidence [than the servants], inasmuch as the working of liberty is greater and more glorious than that obedience which is rendered in [a state of] slavery.(AH IV.13.2)