Irenaeus (born ca. A.D. 120 or 140) served as bishop of Lyons from ca.177 until his death in ca. 202. He spent much of his life dealing with the gnostic heresy. Of his two writings that still exist, the best known is Against Heresies (A Refutation and Subversion of Knowledge Falsely So Called), consisting of five books dealing with Gnosticism. Irenaeus contributed greatly in opposing heresy. But in his concern for unity and doctrinal purity Irenaeus introduced other doctrines and trends that proved to be as unscriptural as the heresies he opposed.
Apostolic Authority of Scripture
In responding to the Gnostics, Irenaeus emphasized that the New Testament should be accepted because it rests on apostolic authority. “For the Lord of all gave to His apostles the power of the Gospel, through whom also we have known the truth. . . .” (Against Heresies 3). “We have learned from none others the plan of our salvation, than from those through whom the Gospel has come down to us, which they . . . handed down to us in the Scriptures. . . .” (Against Heresies 3.1.1). He believed the Bible taken as a whole is self-evident and that we should interpret scripture in the light of scripture.
The Doctrine of Apostolic Succession
Irenaeus went beyond scripture, however, teaching that orthodoxy is also based on the teachings of the bishops as successors to the apostles – apostolic succession. He taught that “the tradition of the apostles” was to be ascertained by appealing to “those who were by the apostles instituted bishops in the Churches. . . ; those who neither taught nor knew of anything like what these [heretics] rave about” (Against Heresies 3.3.1). Since the teachings of the Gnostics were of recent origin and were not taught by the successors to the apostles, Irenaeus concluded, they must not be orthodox. Irenaeus even tried to list all the bishops in Rome since Peter, as “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” (Against Heresies 3.3.3).
Authority of Church Tradition
It followed that the tradition of the church, passed down from the apostles to their successors, is equally authoritative with scripture. Irenaeus argued, “the apostolic tradition has been preserved continuously by those [faithful men] who exist everywhere” (Against Heresies 3.3.2). The tradition of the church as a whole thus becomes the test of orthodoxy. This paved the way for the Roman Catholic doctrine that “Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence” (Catechism of the Catholic Church [1995 ed.], 31).
Early Development of Creeds
Irenaeus’ theory of apostolic succession also contributed to the development of creeds. These “summaries of Christian faith, known as Rules of Faith, became common in the second half of the second century. . . . They also provided theological material for defense against the heretics” (John Leith, ed., Creeds of the Churches 20). Irenaeus believed heresy and division could be avoided by retaining what he called the “rule of the truth” acknowledged by the churches (Against Heresies 1.9.4). He was one of the first to outline such a “rule of faith” (1.10.1), and taught that “. . . the Church, having received this preaching and this faith . . . carefully preserves it” (1.10.2).
Growth of Church Hierarchy
It was only natural, given Irenaeus’ emphasis on the inherent authority of bishops, that efforts would soon be given to organizing the church on the universal level. Churches that were believed to be “apostolic churches,” whose bishops were direct apostolic successors, enjoyed greater status than others. Irenaeus emphasized the authority of the “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 the faith preached to men, which comes down to our time by means of the succession of the bishops” (Against Heresies 3.3.2). Soon large city churches began to influence or take oversight of the smaller churches.
The New Testament Pattern
But local churches in the New Testament were autonomous, each governed by a plurality of elders (Acts 14:23; Tit. 1:5). History’s lessons about efforts to centralize the church should not go unheeded. Missionary societies, human institutions or sponsoring churches violate the pattern as much as does a church hierarchy. So do papers, schools, elderships or preachers that wield undue pressure or influence upon the affairs of other churches.
Apostolic authority is found in the New Testament, not in any man. The apostles were uniquely called, appointed and sent out by the Lord (Mark 3:13f) and were eyewitnesses of His resurrection (Acts 1:15-26; 1 Cor. 9:1). Their powers were never passed down to others. But their teachings helped form the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20) and have been passed down in the New Testament as an all-sufficient guide in spiritual matters (Gal. 1:6-9; Eph. 3:3-5; 1 Thess. 2:13).
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