On Apostolic Preaching – Chapter 1

Irenaeus of Lyons

On The Apostolic Preaching
Chapter 1

Knowing, my beloved Macrianus, your desire to walk in godliness, which alone leads man to life eternal, i rejoice with you and make my prayer that you may preserve your faith entire and so be pleasing to God who made you. Would that it were possible for us to be always together, to help each other and to lighten the labour of our earthly life by continual discourse together on the things that profit. But, since at this present time we are parted from one another in the body, and yet according to our power we will not fail to speak with you a little by writing, and to show fourth in brief the preaching of the truth for the confirmation of you faith. We send you as it were a manual of essentials, that by little you may attain to much, learning in short space all the members of the body of truth, and receiving in brief demonstration of the things of God. So shall it be fruitful to your own salvation, and you shall put to shame all who inculcate falsehood, and bring with all confidence our sounds and pure teaching to everyone who desires to understand it. For one is the way leading upwards for all who see, lightened with heavenly light: but many and dark and contrary are the ways of them that see not. This way leads to the kingdom of heaven, uniting man to God: but those ways bring down to death, separating man from God. Wherefore it is needful for you and for all who care for their salvation to make your course unswerving, firm and sure by means of faith, that you falter not, nor be retarded and detained in material desires, for turn aside and wander from the right.

The bishop of Lyon puts forth his purpose in a clear and straightforward manner. He’s writing his friend Marcianus to provide him a “manuel of essentials.” This brief book describes what he calls the “demonstration of the things of God.” That is, what the Father has accomplished in the Son for the sake of the salvation of his creation. Thus, in this short work we find the elements of the central focus (or scope) of the Christian faith. The work of Christ for the salvation of God’s people. 

To emphasize this path to salvation, Irenaeus uses the language of Mt 7:13-15:

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Now he doesn’t explicitly cite v. 15, but you can detect its presence. It is evident in his warning against those who “inculcate falsehood.” These must be the wolves in sheep’s clothing who are on the “many and dark and contrary ways” that deter one away from God. For Irenaeus, the image of the broad road in Matt 7:14 is expanded into a multiplicity of roads (likely alluding to the multiplicity of early Christian heresies).

It is a network of intertwining highways and byways, leading downward and away from the kingdom of God. These ways lead to death; “separating man from God.”

But for Irenaeus, there is another way. Contrary to the many ways, there is the one way. The one path that leads to God. This is the way that leads “to the kingdom of heaven, uniting man to God.”

This is the salvation that come from walking the straight and narrow. The path toward God is marked by faith. Devotion to Christ. It is faith in Christ and the continual adherence to that faith that sets the course and marks the path toward God. Faith in Christ is the true north and the means by which the path toward God is “unswerving, firm and sure.”

~ by irenology on May 16, 2009.