On Apostolic Preaching chapter 6

Chapter six begins with another summary of the regula fidei, such as we noticed in AP 3. We must note that this summary comes on the heels of the Trintarian discussion at the end of AP 5. Thischapter presents one of the most clear expressions of the formulation of the Trinity in Irenaeus and indeed one of the earliest of such statements in the history of the church. 

But before we cite the statement, we must note the qualifiaction Irenaeus gives the regula fidei, he writes:

This then is the order of the rule of our faith, and the foundation of the building, and the stability of our conversation

The rule of faith has an inherent order. As we saw in AP 5 it is an order related to the persons of the Godhead. But he adds that it is also the foundation of the building (Eph 2:20), the building in this sense being both doctrinal and ecclesiastical. God as trinity is also the “Stability of our conversation.” In other words, any discourse about God is oriented by and through the three persons of God. 

But then he goes on to explain the order of the rule of faith, Irenaeus writes:

God, the Father, not made, not material, invisible; one God, the creator of all things: this is the first point of our faith. The second point is: The Word of God, Son of God, Christ Jesus our Lord, who was manifested to the prophets according to the form of their prophesying and according to the method of the dispensation of the Father: through whom all things were made; who also at the end of the times, to complete and gather up all things, was made man among men, visible and tangible, in order to abolish death and show forth life and produce a community of union between God and man. And the third point is: The Holy Spirit, through whom the prophets prophesied, and the fathers learned the things of God, and the righteous were led forth into the way of righteousness; and who in the end of the times was poured out in a new way upon mankind in all the earth, renewing man unto God.

The richness of this statement can not be reflected in one short blog post, so i will try to make some more general observations. The three points of the rule are devoted to the three persons of the Trinity. For obivous reasons Irenaeus is not thinking in terms of an economic and immanent Trinity. He might be accused of subverting the immanent for the economic, given his consistent emphasis on the divine economy and the Trinitarian relationship to the unfolding of the economy. But Irenaeus does present a view of their personal relationship that is allows for mystery. He speaks of the unknowability of the divine activity prior to creation and even suggests that one should not speculate about such matters (as the Gnostics do). 

The understanding of prophecy is also interesting. The prophets prophecy through the Spirit, but the form of their prophecy (in relation to the dispensations of God) is the Son. So when he turns to the OT he finds the inspired words of the Spirit shaping the form or image of Christ who would come. The prophecies flesh-out the picture of the coming messiah and now that the messiah has come the picture is even sharper. 

A final note on Irenaeus assessemnt of the Trinitarian activity in the rule of faith is the union of God and man. This is cited both in the case of the Son and the Spirit. The incarnation establishes the union between God and man and now through the Spirit, humankind has union with God. This relationship allows the believer to be conformed into the image of God and at long last be raised to new life in Christ.

~ by irenology on June 14, 2009.