Saint Ireneaus of Lyons, Doctor of the Church
In 2022, Saint Ireneaus of Lyons, martyred at the beginning of the third century (in the year 200 or 202/203), received the title of Doctor of the Church by the Holy Father. Today (28th June) is his feast day.
“At Lyons, in France, St. Irenaeus, bishop and martyr, who, as is related by St. Jerome, was the disciple of blessed Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, and lived near the time of the Apostles. After having strenuously opposed the heretics by speech and writing, he was crowned with a glorious martyrdom, with almost all the people of his city, during the persecution of Severus.“
Roman Martyrology, 28th June
Before his martyrdom, this bishop of Lyons, France, had published five books under the heading of Against heresies. In these books he exposes the various Gnostic heresies of his day and contrasts them with sound traditional and scriptural Catholic doctrine.
Ireneaus was a Greek born in Smyrna, modern-day Izmir of Turkey, in the year 130. There he became a student of Saint Polycarp, the martyred bishop of Smyrna. As Saint Ireneaus himself recalls in the third book of his compilation against the heretics, Polycarp was a man “instructed by apostles“ – he was a direct disciple of Saint John the Apostle, from whom he had received the apostolic authority as bishop – , a man who had “conversed with many who had seen Christ“ (Against heresies, Book III, ch. 3).
Ireneaus tells us that he had seen and heard Polycarp “in (his) early youth, for he (Polycarp) tarried (on earth) a very long time, and, when a very old man, gloriously and most nobly suffering martyrdom, departed this life, having always taught the things which he had learned from the apostles, and which the Church has handed down, and which alone are true“ (ibid.).
These remarks about Saint Polycarp lead us to one of the questions which Saint Ireneaus, who became bishop of Lyons in the year 177 or 178, implicitly answers throughout the course of his five books directed against the Gnostic sects who were leading Christians astray with their teachings.
Here is the question: If both Catholics and Gnostics quote verses from Sacred Scripture in the expositions of their teachings, and if both Catholics and Gnostics claim to spread the teaching of the Holy Apostles commissioned by Christ – in the case of the Gnostics: their so-called “secret knowledge“ – , then how can one discern whether either Catholics or Gnostics are the authentic custodians of the true teaching of Christ and His Apostles?
Apostolic succession
“Teach and urge these things. Anyone who teaches anything different and does not keep to the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ – the doctrine which is in accordance with religion – is puffed up and understands nothing, but has the disease of questioning everything and arguing about words. From this come rivalry, contention, abuse and evil suspicion, the wrangles of people who are corrupt in mind and starved of the truth, imagining that religion is a commodity for sale. (…) Man of God, avoid all that. Pursue righteousness, piety, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (…) Timothy, take great care of what has been entrusted to you. Turn away from empty secular talk and the contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge‘; by professing this, some have missed the goal of faith. Grace be with you.“
Saint Paul the Apostle to his student Saint Timothy, bishop of Ephesus, in: 1 Tim 6: 2-21; 2 Tim 3: 10-15
“You, though, have followed my teaching, my way of life, my aims, my faith, my patience and my love, my perseverance and the persecutions and sufferings that came to me in places like Antioch, Iconium and Lystra – all the persecutions I have endured; and the Lord rescued me from each of them. But anybody who tries to live in devotion to Christ will be persecuted; while these wicked impostors will go from bad to worse, astray themselves and leading others astray. You, however, must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were, and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures – from these you can learn wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.“
The first part of the answer to the question posed above is, that the Catholics, unlike the Gnostics of Saint Ireneaus’ day and unlike the Protestants of our day, can claim in a way that can be proven by historical records what is called “apostolic succession“, and thus authentic apostolic authority.
“It is within the power of all, therefore, in every Church, who may wish to see the truth, to contemplate clearly the tradition of the apostles manifested throughout the whole world; and we are in a position to reckon up those who were by the apostles instituted bishops in the Churches, and [to demonstrate] the succession of these men to our own times; those who neither taught nor knew of anything like what these [heretics] rave about. For if the apostles had known hidden mysteries, which they were in the habit of imparting to the perfect apart and privily from the rest, they would have delivered them especially to those to whom they were also committing the Churches themselves. For they were desirous that these men should be very perfect and blameless in all things, whom also they were leaving behind as their successors, delivering up their own place of government to these men; which men, if they discharged their functions honestly, would be a great boon [to the Church], but if they should fall away, the direst calamity.“
Saint Ireneaus of Lyons: Against heresies, Book III, ch. 3
“(Polycarp) it was who, coming to Rome in the time of Anicetus caused many to turn away from the aforesaid heretics to the Church of God, proclaiming that he had received this one and sole truth from the apostles—that, namely, which is handed down by the Church. (…)
There is also a very powerful Epistle of Polycarp written to the Philippians, from which those who choose to do so, and are anxious about their salvation, can learn the character of his faith, and the preaching of the truth. Then, again, the Church in Ephesus, founded by Paul, and having John remaining among them permanently until the times of Trajan, is a true witness of the tradition of the apostles.“
From the very beginning up to this day, Catholics can name the whole unbroken line of successors to the Holy Apostles in the various churches personally established by them. There is a verifiable succession of bishops – of shepherds leading the local sheepfold of the universal Church – who were entrusted with the full treasury of apostolic teaching and tradition by their very predecessors.
And recalling the words of Saint Paul to Saint Timothy we should be aware that it was not only the orthodox doctrine, not mere “head knowledge“ of the true and right kind that was handed down, rather: a way of life – walking the way of the cross, of following Christ who is the Truth, as incarnated, as fleshed out by the teacher, therefore the whole package of true piety and religion – both spiritual doctrine and concrete bodily practice – was passed on to the student. You, Timothy, have followed my teaching, my way of life, my aims, my faith, my patience and my love… And you must remember who your teachers were… and that true devotion to Christ will gain for you persecutions…
“In keeping with the Lord’s command, the Gospel was handed on in two ways: – orally ‘by the apostles who handed on, by the spoken word of their preaching, by the example they gave, by the institutions they established, what they themselves had received – whether from the lips of Christ, from his way of life and his works, or whether they had learned it at the prompting of the Holy Spirit‘; – in writing ‘by those apostles and other men associated with the apostles who, under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit, committed the message of salvation to writing.‘“
Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 76-77.
“‘In order that the full and living Gospel might always be preserved in the Church the apostles left bishops as their successors. They gave them their own position of teaching authority.‘ Indeed, ‘the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved in a continuous line of succession until the end of time.‘“
Here the Catechism quotes the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum, promulgated by His Holiness Pope Paul VI in 1965, and it also references Saint Ireneaus of Lyons in the footnote.
The “pre-eminent authority“ of the Church of Rome established by “the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul“, i.e. the “pre-eminent authority“ of the bishop of Rome, successor of Saint Peter, i.e. the Holy Father / Pope
“‘Simon, Simon! Look, Satan has been granted to sift you all like wheat;
Luke 22: 31-32
but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail; and sometime you must turn back and strengthen your brothers.‘“
“A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?‘ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.‘ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.‘“
John 21: 16
“But certain members of the party of the Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said that gentiles should be circumcised and instructed to keep the Law of Moses. The apostles and elders met to look into the matter, and after a long discussion, Peter stood up and addressed them.“
Acts 15: 5-6
The second part of the answer given by Saint Ireneaus is, that all those churches who are in agreement with the Church of Rome, in union with it, under its overseeing authority, are the ones guarding and keeping the true apostolic teaching – for the Church of Rome guarantees it. And concerning this “very great“ and “very ancient“ Church of Rome, once again an exact record of apostolic succession can be given which ensures that one man handed down the deposit of faith to the next one who succeeded him in the episcopate of Saint Peter, the prince of the apostles.
“Since, however, it would be very tedious, in such a volume as this, to reckon up the successions of all the Churches, we do put to confusion all those who, in whatever manner, whether by an evil self-pleasing, by vainglory, or by blindness and perverse opinion, assemble in unauthorized meetings; [we do this, I say,] by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also [by pointing out] the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its preeminent authority, that is, the faithful everywhere, inasmuch as the tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful men] who exist everywhere.
Saint Ireneaus of Lyons: Against heresies, Book III, ch. 3
The blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the Church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate. Of this Linus, Paul makes mention in the Epistles to Timothy. To him succeeded Anacletus; and after him, in the third place from the apostles, Clement was allotted the bishopric. This man, as he had seen the blessed apostles, and had been conversant with them, might be said to have the preaching of the apostles still echoing [in his ears], and their traditions before his eyes. Nor was he alone [in this], for there were many still remaining who had received instructions from the apostles. In the time of this Clement, no small dissension having occurred among the brethren at Corinth, the Church in Rome dispatched a most powerful letter to the Corinthians, exhorting them to peace, renewing their faith, and declaring the tradition which it had lately received from the apostles, proclaiming the one God, omnipotent, the Maker of heaven and earth, the Creator of man, who brought on the deluge, and called Abraham, who led the people from the land of Egypt, spoke with Moses, set forth the law, sent the prophets, and who has prepared fire for the devil and his angels. From this document, whosoever chooses to do so, may learn that He, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, was preached by the Churches, and may also understand the tradition of the Church, since this Epistle is of older date than these men who are now propagating falsehood, and who conjure into existence another god beyond the Creator and the Maker of all existing things. To this Clement there succeeded Evaristus. Alexander followed Evaristus; then, sixth from the apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after him, Telephorus, who was gloriously martyred; then Hyginus; after him, Pius; then after him, Anicetus. Soter having succeeded Anicetus, Eleutherius does now, in the twelfth place from the apostles, hold the inheritance of the episcopate. In this order, and by this succession, the ecclesiastical tradition from the apostles, and the preaching of the truth, have come down to us. And this is most abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which has been preserved in the Church from the apostles until now, and handed down in truth.“
Digression no. 1: What Saint Clement of Rome taught concerning the structure and the unity of the Church
Saint Ireneaus of Lyons mentions Saint Clement, the third bishop of Rome after Saint Peter, and his Epistle to the Church of Corinth.
Saint Clement of Rome, personally consecrated by Saint Peter and martyred in the year 99, was addressing a situation of schism which had occurred among the Corinthians. The Church of Corinth had consulted him – as the “pre-eminent authority“ – on this matter, as can be concluded from the opening paragraph of Saint Clement‘s letter:
“The church of God which sojourns at Rome, to the church of God sojourning at Corinth, to them that are called and sanctified by the will of God, through our Lord Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, from Almighty God through Jesus Christ, be multiplied.
Saint Clement of Rome: First Epistle to the Corinthians, ch. 1
Owing, dear brethren, to the sudden and successive calamitous events which have happened to ourselves, we feel that we have been somewhat tardy in turning our attention to the points respecting which you consulted us; and especially to that shameful and detestable sedition, utterly abhorrent to the elect of God, which a few rash and self-confident persons have kindled to such a pitch of frenzy, that your venerable and illustrious name, worthy to be universally loved, has suffered grievous injury. For who ever dwelt even for a short time among you, and did not find your faith to be as fruitful of virtue as it was firmly established?“
Throughout the letter, a document from the late 1st century, Saint Clement of Rome repeatedly brings to mind the “abhorrent“ evil of schism, of destroying the unity of the one universal Church by following one‘s own inclinations instead of remaining in love and obedience under the established clerical authorities in a bond of peace.
The hierarchical structure of the Church with bishops and priests (presbyters), deacons, and laymen in different roles is clearly taught in this Epistle. The household of God is supposed to be an household of peace and order in the exact manner prescribed by Christ Himself and by His authorized Apostles. But here you may read for yourself the teaching of Saint Clement, who personally knew the Apostles, in respect to these topics:
“It is right and holy therefore, men and brethren, rather to obey God than to follow those who, through pride and sedition, have become the leaders of a detestable emulation. For we shall incur no slight injury, but rather great danger, if we rashly yield ourselves to the inclinations of men who aim at exciting strife and tumults, so as to draw us away from what is good. Let us be kind one to another after the pattern of the tender mercy and benignity of our Creator. (…)
Saint Clement of Rome: First Epistle to the Corinthians, ch. 14-15; 40-42; 44
Let us cleave, therefore, to those who cultivate peace with godliness, and not to those who hypocritically profess to desire it. (…)“
“He has enjoined offerings [to be presented] and service to be performed [to Him], and that not thoughtlessly or irregularly, but at the appointed times and hours. Where and by whom He desires these things to be done, He Himself has fixed by His own supreme will, in order that all things, being piously done according to His good pleasure, may be acceptable unto Him. Those, therefore, who present their offerings at the appointed times, are accepted and blessed; for inasmuch as they follow the laws of the Lord, they sin not. For his own peculiar services are assigned to the high priest, and their own proper place is prescribed to the priests, and their own special ministrations devolve on the Levites. The layman is bound by the laws that pertain to laymen.
Let every one of you, brethren, give thanks to God in his own order, living in all good conscience, with becoming gravity, and not going beyond the rule of the ministry prescribed to him. Not in every place, brethren, are the daily sacrifices offered, or the peace-offerings, or the sin-offerings and the trespass-offerings, but in Jerusalem only. And even there they are not offered in any place, but only at the altar before the temple, that which is offered being first carefully examined by the high priest and the ministers already mentioned. Those, therefore, who do anything beyond that which is agreeable to His will, are punished with death. You see, brethren, that the greater the knowledge that has been vouchsafed to us, the greater also is the danger to which we are exposed.
The apostles have preached the gospel to us from the Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ [has done so] from God. Christ therefore was sent forth by God, and the apostles by Christ. Both these appointments, then, were made in an orderly way, according to the will of God. Having therefore received their orders, and being fully assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and established in the word of God, with full assurance of the Holy Ghost, they went forth proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand. And thus preaching through countries and cities, they appointed the first fruits [of their labours], having first proved them by the Spirit, to be bishops and deacons of those who should afterwards believe. (…)“
“Our apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that there would be strife on account of the office of the episcopate. For this reason, therefore, inasmuch as they had obtained a perfect fore-knowledge of this, they appointed those [ministers] already mentioned, and afterwards gave instructions, that when these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed them in their ministry. We are of opinion, therefore, that those appointed by them, or afterwards by other eminent men, with the consent of the whole church, and who have blamelessly served the flock of Christ, in a humble, peaceable, and disinterested spirit, and have for a long time possessed the good opinion of all, cannot be justly dismissed from the ministry. For our sin will not be small, if we eject from the episcopate those who have blamelessly and holily fulfilled its duties. Blessed are those presbyters who, having finished their course before now, have obtained a fruitful and perfect departure [from this world]; for they have no fear lest any one deprive them of the place now appointed them. But we see that you have removed some men of excellent behaviour from the ministry, which they fulfilled blamelessly and with honour.“
Teaching in unison – with one voice
“I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you therefore to lead a life worthy of the vocation to which you were called. With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing one another in love. Take every care to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called in the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all and in all.“
Ephesians 4: 1-6
Returning to Saint Ireneaus of Lyons and the problematic issue posed in the beginning, there is even a third answer to the question of how to distinguish the true and authentic tradition from the falsifications: Truth is but one, yet lies, myths, fabrications, fancies of all kind are many.
All the Catholic churches “dispersed throughout the whole world“ agree in their teaching of the Gospel of Christ, speaking with one voice; while the Gnostic sects of Saint Ireneaus‘ day were speaking with a thousand different voices, arguing and rivaling with one other, each sect following the notions of a different “genius“, one group misguided by Marcion, the other by Valentinus, the next by Menander – to name just a few of those Saint Ireneaus mentions in his compendium of notable false Gnostic teachers.
In a similar fashion to the Gnostic cacophony, Protestantism has spoken with a thousand and yet another thousand split tongues ever since it has sprung up as a rebellious movement of secession from Rome in the 16th century. To phrase the problem of Protestantism in a slightly humorous way: For every two Protestants one will meet at least three different opinions and renderings of what faith in Christ is, and means, and looks like in practice. One of the two Protestants will most likely hold opinion no. 2 in the morning and opinion no. 3 in the evening of the very same day.
But truth is constancy, it is firmly established, it is a rock – while “the fool is as changeable as the moon“ (Eccl. 27: 11). Now, surely, by default we are all “fools“ – unless we are taught correctly. So where is truth, where is wisdom to be found? Who teaches us fools truth and wisdom? If God alone is truth and if God alone is wise, then only a Church that can claim to have been established by the Son of God Himself and to have for Her precious foundation stones the twelve Holy Apostles, rather than being an assembly conjured up by Luther’s or Calvin’s or someone else’s personal interpretation of Sacred Scripture, can also claim to guard and share the treasury of truth and wisdom entrusted to Her.
“The Church, though dispersed throughout the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His [future] manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father to gather all things in one, (Ephesians 1:10) and to raise up anew all flesh of the whole human race, in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess (Philippians 2:10-11) to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all; that He may send spiritual wickednesses, (Ephesians 6:12) and the angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, into everlasting fire; but may, in the exercise of His grace, confer immortality on the righteous, and holy, and those who have kept His commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning [of their Christian course], and others from [the date of] their repentance, and may surround them with everlasting glory.
Saint Ireneaus of Lyons: Against heresies, Book I, ch. 10
As I have already observed, the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although scattered throughout the whole world, yet, as if occupying but one house, carefully preserves it. She also believes these points [of doctrine] just as if she had but one soul, and one and the same heart, and she proclaims them, and teaches them, and hands them down, with perfect harmony, as if she possessed only one mouth. For, although the languages of the world are dissimilar, yet the import of the tradition is one and the same. For the Churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe or hand down anything different, nor do those in Spain, nor those in Gaul, nor those in the East, nor those in Egypt, nor those in Libya, nor those which have been established in the central regions of the world. But as the sun, that creature of God, is one and the same throughout the whole world, so also the preaching of the truth shines everywhere, and enlightens all men that are willing to come to a knowledge of the truth. Nor will any one of the rulers in the Churches, however highly gifted he may be in point of eloquence, teach doctrines different from these (for no one is greater than the Master); nor, on the other hand, will he who is deficient in power of expression inflict injury on the tradition. For the faith being ever one and the same, neither does one who is able at great length to discourse regarding it, make any addition to it, nor does one, who can say but little diminish it.“
That “the preaching of the truth shines everywhere, and enlightens all men that are willing to come to a knowledge of the truth“ – from Germany to Spain, from Egypt to Libya, from the rising of the sun to its going down – without any corruption of the original authentic message and faith, proclaimed by one Universal Church, the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, as if speaking with “one mouth“, is, of course, not something that could ever be obtained and preserved merely by human effort and will. It is a miracle by God‘s grace, performed by the Holy Spirit living and breathing and working in God‘s Church, for the sake of the salvation of all men.
Human weakness and sinfulness in the form of pride and disobedience, betraying the deposit of faith, can always cloud the bright sky of truth a bit, or even quite a bit, yet only as far as God permits it, and therefore never to the extent that would make finding the way of salvation impossible for men, and never to the extent that could prevent the Church from ultimately being victorious over Satan – “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it“…
“I desire therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men: For kings, and for all that are in high station: that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all piety and chastity. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus: who gave himself a redemption for all, a testimony in due times. Whereunto I am appointed a preacher and an apostle, (I say the truth, I lie not,) a doctor of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I will therefore that men pray in every place, lifting up pure hands, without anger and contention.“
1 Timothy 2: 1-8
“Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.“
Matthew 16: 15-19
Conclusion: To find truth, go and seek out the original authentic Church, tracing its historical record back to the Holy Apostles of Christ
“Since therefore we have such proofs, it is not necessary to seek the truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the Church; since the apostles, like a rich man [depositing his money] in a bank, lodged in her hands most copiously all things pertaining to the truth: so that every man, whosoever will, can draw from her the water of life (Revelation 22:17). For she is the entrance to life; all others are thieves and robbers. On this account are we bound to avoid them, but to make choice of the thing pertaining to the Church with the utmost diligence, and to lay hold of the tradition of the truth. For how stands the case? Suppose there arise a dispute relative to some important question among us, should we not have recourse to the most ancient Churches with which the apostles held constant intercourse, and learn from them what is certain and clear in regard to the present question? For how should it be if the apostles themselves had not left us writings? Would it not be necessary, [in that case,] to follow the course of the tradition which they handed down to those to whom they did commit the Churches?“
Saint Ireneaus of Lyons: Against heresies, Book III, ch. 4
Saint Ireneaus of Lyons, pray for us! Saint Clement of Rome, pray for us!