EARLY CHURCH WRITINGS  

                                                                        

                     III. APOSTOLIC AGE AND SECOND CENTURY WRITINGS

                                                           February 22, 2006

                                                         Charles P. Poole, Jr.

 

  1.  Introduction                                                            

  2.  Apostles’ Creed                                                      

  3.  Didache or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles   100  

  4.  Epistles of Ignatius of Antioch                         110   

  5.  First Epistle of Clement                                   100   

  6.  Second Epistle of Clement                              150

  7.  Epistle of Barnabas                                         125   

  8.  Fragments of Papias                                       135   

  9.  Shepherd of Hermas                                       140   

10.  Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians               150   

11.  Martyrdom of Polycarp                                   150   

12.  Epistle to Diogentus                                        150   

13.  Apologies against the Gentiles by Justin Martyr          160 

14.  Dialogue with the Jew Trypho by  Justin Martyr         165   

15.  Muratorian Fragment                                                 170   

16.  Against Heresies by Irenaeus of Lyons                      180   

17.  Presentation of Apostolic Teaching by Irenaeus of Lyons    180   

18.  Diatessaron of Tatian                                                180   

 

                                                            1.  Introduction

 

          The previous Lecture treated the apocrypha of the New Testament era, the early writings that resembled books of the scriptures, but never made it into the official canon of the inspired scriptures.  Some of them were relatively orthodox, and others were Gnostic in viewpoint, some replete with heresies.  The present Lecture discusses other apostolic age writings which were orthodox in orientation, and constitute the earliest documents of the Tradition of the Church. Several of them appear in the early codices of the scriptures: The Shepherd of Hermas and the Epistle of Barnabas were included with the fourth century Codex Sinaiticus (!) now preserved at the British Library in London, and the first and second Epistles of Clement are found in the fifth century Codex Alexandrinus (A) which is also at the British Library.  The inclusion of these four early writings in such important codices made many in the early Church conclude that they belonged in the official canon of the scriptures.  They were certainly held in high esteem by the Fathers of the Church, and they provide us with important information about the beliefs, organization, and liturgical practices of the Apostolic Church.  The approximate date of appearance is indicated for each work in the Table of Contents.  

 

                                                                        2.  Apostles’ Creed

 

          In teaching first and second century catechumens the truths of our faith, it was found convenient to have brief summaries of the important beliefs available.  Such creedal formulas were used during baptismal rites, and were included in the liturgy. A creed used at the end of the fourth century was attributed to the apostles themselves.  An opinion expressed in the sixth century attributed each of its twelve articles to an individual apostle.  The present text of the Symbolum Apostolicum or Apostles’ Creed dates from the sixth century.  The first half of the longer so-called Nicene Creed was formulated at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and the second half was added at the first Council of Constantinople in 381 AD.  The even longer Athanasian Creed, also referred to by its first word in Latin Quicumque, has been (probably erroneously) ascribed to Athanasius (d. 373 AD) since the seventh century. 

 

                                  3.  Didache or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles

         

          The Didache ()4*"P0, Greek for teaching) is a relatively short treatise which served the ancients as a model for later writings such as Didascalia and the Apostolic Constitutions.  It is the oldest patristic document, dating from perhaps 90-120 AD, depending on the assignee.  It was lost during the Middle Ages until a 1056 AD manuscript was discovered in Constantinople in 1873. The text begins with a moral catechesis on the Two Ways, followed by a liturgical instruction of baptism, fasting and prayer, then sections on the Eucharist and Sunday Worship, correcting one another, Bishops and Deacons, and finally Eschatology or last things. 

 

          The Way of Life is loving God and each other, and the Way of Death is disobeying The ten Commandments.  The text explicitly states “Do not kill a fetus by abortion,” so the Church’s position on abortion dates back to the first patristic document in existence. The section on the Eucharist includes a short Eucharistic Prayer with similarities to the Eucharistic prayers that we now hear at Mass.  For example:

 

                   We give thee thanks, Our Father, for the life and knowledge

                   which Thou hast made known to us through Jesus Thy Servant. 

                   To thee be the glory forevermore.

 

and again: 

 

                   Remember, O Lord, Thy Church, deliver her from all evil. 

                   Perfect her in Thy love, and from the four winds assemble her,

                   the sanctified, in Thy kingdom, which Thou hast prepared for her.   

                   For Thine is the power and the glory forevermore. 

 

It is surprising that the cup is mentioned before the bread. The presence of this relatively long section on the Eucharist shows that the Mass was an important worship service of first century Christians.   Concerning the Lord’s Day the Didache says: “On the Lord’s day assemble in common to break bread and offer thanks, but first confess your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure.”  Thus the Mass of antiquity had a penitential rite. The Didache then mentions that worthy men should be elected bishops and deacons, without distinguishing their respective ministries.  Presbyters are not mentioned.  The final section on eschatology cautions all to be ready because we do not know when the Lord is coming. 

 

                                              4.  Epistles of Ignatius of Antioch

 

          St. Ignatius, one of the Apostolic Fathers, was the third bishop of Antioch in Syria.  In 107 AD he was arrested by the Roman authorities and brought to Rome where he was martyred.  On the way to Rome he visited several Christian communities.  When he came to Smyrna he saw his friend Polycarp, bishop of the city, and while there he wrote letters to the Christian communities in Ephesus,  Magnesia, Tralles,  and Rome.  He began his letters with the phrase “Ignatius, also called Theophorus,” which means God bearer.  At his next stop in Troas he wrote to the Philadelphians, to the Smyrnaeans, and to their bishop Polycarp.  These were all letters of a condemned man who included the following observation in several of the letters “I am in chains for the sake of the Lord” on his way to martyrdom in the Colosseum.  Some of the letters emphasize the importance of the Eucharist in the early Christian communities. Several of them  also mention the three ordained orders of bishop, presbyter or priest, and deacon.  We will comment on some of the letters. 

                                     

            To the Ephesians he wrote ‘Pray constantly.” and “Make an effort, then, to meet more frequently to celebrate God’s Eucharist and to offer praise.”  He sent greetings to the bishop, to the presbyters, and to the deacon of Magnesia.  He warned the Trallians against listening to heresies.  He mentioned in the letter to the Romans: “Bread of God is what I desire; that is, the Flesh of Jesus Christ, who was of the seed of David; and for my drink I desire His Blood, that is incorruptible life.”   He made several interesting comments to the Philadelphians. a) They should be “one with the bishop and his assistants, the presbyters and deacons, that have been appointed in accordance with the wish of Jesus Christ,” b)  “Where the shepherd is you, being sheep, must follow,” c) “Take care, then, to partake of one Eucharist, for one is the flesh of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and one the cup to unite us to His Blood,” and d) “If a man runs after a schismatic, he shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.”  To the Smyrnaeans he wrote “The Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ,” “Follow he lead of the bishop, as Jesus Christ followed that of the Father; follow the presbytery as you would the apostles; reverence the deacons as you would God’s commandment,” and “Where the bishop appears there let the people of God be, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.”  This is the first  appearance of the expression “Catholic Church” in Christian literature.  Finally let me mention one short comment from the last letter to Polycarp “Read the signs of the times.” 

 

                                                   5.  First Epistle of Clement                   

         

          St. Clement of Rome, one of the Apostolic Fathers and the fourth Pope (88 to 97 AD), wrote a letter to the Corinthians which begins “The Church of God which resides as a stranger at Rome to the Church of God which is a stranger at Corinth.”  Thus this may be looked upon as the second papal encyclical letter if the NT book 1 Peter is considered the first (Peter did not write 2 Peter).   1 Clement was included in the fifth century Codex Alexandrinus, and was judged by some Church Fathers as worthy for addition to the official canon of the scriptures.   Its proper title should be the Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians since the second letter to be discussed next was not written by Clement. 

 

          Clement begins by apologizing for his tardiness “in giving our attention to the subjects of dispute in your community.”  Notice that he uses the plural form “our attention” as subsequent popes became accustomed to using.  He calls the dispute “that execrable and godless schism so utterly foreign to the elect of God.  And it is only a few rash and headstrong individuals that have inflamed it to such a degree of madness that your venerable, widely renowned, and universally and deservedly cherished name has been greatly defamed.”  He went on to praise the Corinthians for their charity and their virtuous lives until jealousy and envy, strife and sedition entered the picture.  He gave examples of jealousy and sedition from the scriptures, such as the cases of Cain and Abel, Aaron and Miriam, and David persecuted by Saul.  He then gave examples of faithful behavior, such as the obedience of Abraham, Lot’s delivery from Sodom, and the hospitality of Rahab.  The Lord himself suffered and died for our sins. 

 

            He urges the Corinthians to “Turn away from evil and do what is good,” to bring the schism to an end.  He talked about how the Apostles had “from among their earliest converts appointed men whom they had tested by the Spirit to act as bishops and deacons for the future believers.”  He acknowledged that the Corinthians are “well acquainted with the sacred scriptures,” so “we write these things merely to serve as a reminder.”  Then toward the end of the letter, after much polite verbiage, Clement comes to the point “You, therefore, the prime movers of the schism, submit to the presbyters and, bending the knees of your hearts, accept correction and change your minds.  Learn submissiveness, and rid yourselves of your boastful and proud incorrigibility of tongue.”  The letter ends on a hopeful note, with a request that the Corinthians send back “our representatives . . . at an early convenience, full of peace and joy, that they may without delay bring tidings of peace and concord, the subject of our ardent desire, and that we in turn may without delay rejoice in your tranquility.”  

 

                                                 6.  Second Epistle of Clement

 

          The so-called Second Epistle of Clement was not written by Clement, and it is really a sermon rather than a letter.  It contains a series of exhortations supported by quotations from sayings of Jesus, the scriptures, and various apostolic writings.  For example, there is the paraphrase of Matt. 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will be saved, but only the one who does righteousness.” 

 

                                                      7.  Epistle of Barnabas                       

 

          The Greek manuscript of the Epistle of Barnabas is found in the fourth century Codex Sinaiticus which also contains the Shepherd of Hermas, along with the entire New Testament.   Some Fathers of the Church attribute the authorship of this letter, to Barnabas, the disciple of Paul, but most scholars doubt this, and consider it as having an unknown author.  The name Barnabas appears nowhere in the document. 

 

            This epistle has two parts to it.  The first 85% is a dogmatic part concerning the Old Law and the covenant interspersed with exhortations, and the final 15% discuses Christian morality.  The epistle was written in a climate in which there was a very strong influence from the Judaizers who wanted the Church to based directly on, or to be a direct offshoot of, Judaism.  To counteract this influence the author explains that Moses had the covenant but he lost it, and it has been passed on to Christians.  The Christians have become heirs to the covenant that was rejected by the Jewish people.  For example, concerning the covenant the author says that “The Lord in person gave it to us (Christians) in order to make us the people of inheritance by suffering for our sake.”  These ideas are developed in a very leisurely manner, supported by a large number of quotations and examples from the Old Testament.   All of this resembles the theme of the New Testament book Hebrews which emphasizes that the Old Testament was a preparation for the New.  Hebrews proclaims the exalted dignity of Jesus Christ as the High Priest of the New Covenant.  The letter of Barnabas argues that since the OT foreshadows the New it is wrong for Christians to cling to the Old, as the Judaizers do.

 

          The final part of this document examines the two ways of instruction, the two powers, those of Light and that of Darkness.  This is a theme that dominates the Didache.  The Way of Light entails loving and glorifying our creator, and obeying his commandments; the Way of Darkness or Death involves every form of hypocrisy,  and the neglect of the commandments of the Lord.  The author sums up “When one has learned the just demands of the Lord, as contained in the scriptures, the proper thing is to make them the rule of one’s life.” 

 

                                                     8.  Fragments of Papias             

 

          Papias (c. 60 to c. 135) was the bishop of Hierapolis in Phrygia, Asia Minor (present day Turkey).  He was a pupil of the apostle John and a companion of Polycarp, who himself was a disciple of John.  He wrote five books entitled “Expositions of the Oracles of the Lord” (or Exegesis of the Lord’s Gospel) which discuss, among other things, the origins of the Gospels of Matthew and Mark.  Only small fragments remain, some of which are quotations from his works, while others are comments on his writings from Church Fathers such as Irenaeus and  Eusebius. 

 

          Fragment 2 mentions Mark being the interpreter of Peter who wrote down what Peter told him the Lord had said.  This probably refers to the Gospel of Mark.  Papias also mentions that “Matthew, at any rate, used the Hebrew language in his exposition of the Gospel.”  Fragment 4 says “Judas did not die by the halter, but after being taken down, lived on before choking to death.”  Concerning the apostle and evangelist John, Fragments 11 and 13 say, respectively: “Some have erroneously believed the Apocalypse (i.e. Revelation) to be this man’s work”, and “John’s Gospel was made public and given to the Churches by John while he was still in the flesh.”  

 

                                                                   9.  Shepherd of Hermas             

 

          The Shepherd of Hermas, sometimes referred to simply as the Shepherd, is part of the fourth century manuscript Codex Sinaiticus.  St. Irenaeus and Tertullian considered “The Shepherd”  as Scripture, Clement of Alexandria and Origen cite it with respect, and the latter claimed that the person Hermas mentioned by Paul in Romans 26:14 was the author.  Hermas himself was a freed slave who became a rich merchant, lost his possessions, then did penance for his past sins.  He may have been the brother of the 11th Pope Pius I (140-155AD). 

 

          The book consists of five visions, twelve mandates or commandments, and ten similitudes or parables, in that order.  In the second vision an elderly woman who represents the Church says to Hermas “You will write two little books, sending one to Clement and the other to Grapte.  Clement will send his to the foreign cities, for this is his commission.  But Grapte will admonish the widows and orphans.  And you will read yours in this city, with the presbyters who lead the Church.”    Clement 1 of Rome was probably the pope at the time (88-97 AD).  Thus the important messages of the book would be reported locally by the presbyters or priests, they would be transmitted to the poor and the oppressed by the Church official Grapte, and they would be promulgated worldwide by the Pope.  It is clear that in the second century the Magisterium is promulgating Church teachings the way it does at the present time, through the hierarchy.  In vision 3 Hermas refers to bishops, teachers, and deacons as the chosen ones of God. 

 

          After the visions the messenger from God said to Hermas “Write the commandments and parables that you may read them regularly and so be able to keep them.”  The commandments are to believe in one God, to avoid slander, to be truthful, to be chaste in thought and deed, to be long-suffering, to have faith and fear of the Lord, to observe continence, to be cheerful and humble, and to avoid evil desires.  The parables are presented as visions explained by an angel. 

The overall tone of the book is the importance of the exercise of Christian virtues.  Thus the tone is ethical rather than theological, urging all to repent for their sins. 

 

                                                 10.  Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians        

 

          The salutation is “Polycarp and his assistants the presbyters to the Church of God, which resides as a stranger at Philippi.”  We see here acknowledgment of the hierarchy: Bishop Polycarp and his presbyters or priests.  He later says that deacons “are God’s and Christ’s servants.”  He characterizes the letter as a “written instruction on the practice of holy living.”  The letter includes some admonitions, such as: “The beginning of all evils is the love of money,”  the Philippians should be “well trained in the scriptures,” “Practice patient endurance to the limit,” “Pray for all the saints.  Pray also for kings and magistrates and rulers.”  Polycarp says, paraphrasing scripture (Gal 5:17, 1 Cor 6:9, 1 Pet 2:11) “Lust of any kind makes war on the spirit, and neither fornicators nor the effeminate nor sodomites will inherit the kingdom of God;”  “Do not treat such persons as enemies, but reclaim them as diseased and straying members.”  

 

                                                  11.  Martyrdom of Polycarp                   

 

          The document begins “The Church of God which resides as a stranger at Smyrna to the Church of God residing at Philomelium, and to all the communities of the Holy and Catholic Church residing in any place, may mercy, peace, and the love of God the Father and Our Lord Jesus Christ be yours in abundance.  We are sending you, brethren, a written account of the martyrs, and in particular, of blessed Polycarp, whose witness to the faith, as it were, sealed the persecution and put an end to it.”  Polycarp suffered martyrdom at Smyrna with eleven others from Philadelphia.  He was burned to death on a funeral pyre, and after his death so much blood came forth that it quenched the fire.  The account is remarkably factual, free of legendary hyperbole. 

 

                                                     12.  Epistle to Diogentus            

         

          The tone of the Epistle to Diogentus is clear from its opening sentence,  “I see, Diogentus, that you are very much in earnest about investigating the religion of the Christians, and you make very exact and careful inquiries concerning them.”  The author is unknown, and the recipient is also unknown, but he seems to be an upper class pagan.  Because of this, scripture is rarely cited, and current heresies are not mentioned. Diogentus is asking three questions: a) why do Christians reject both pagan gods and the practices of the Jews?, b) what motivates their love for each other?, and c) why did Christianity arrive so late in world history?   In reply to the first question the Jews are praised for “claiming to honor one God, the Lord of the Universe,” then they are ridiculed for “that fussiness of theirs in the matter of foods, their superstition about the Sabbath, their bragging about their circumcision, and the show they make of fast days and new moons.”   Both the Jews and the pagans are in the wrong for offering burnt animal sacrifices to their respective gods.   Christians rightly reject the worship of man-made idols.  

 

            In response to the second question “Christians reside in their respective countries, but only as aliens  . . . They spend their days on earth, but hold citizenship in heaven . . . They love all men, but are persecuted by all . . . They are poor, and enrich many . . .  They are reviled, and they bless . . .  What the soul is to the body, that the Christians are to the world.”  With respect to the third question, until now God had been observing a world dominated by “unruly passions - victims of unbridled desires.”  It was God’s “intention that we, after our own conduct in the past had proved us unworthy of life, should now be rendered worthy by the goodness of God, and that, after we had demonstrated our inability, as much as we could, to enter the kingdom of God, we should be enabled to do so by the power of God.” 

 

                              13.  Apologies Against the Gentiles by Justin Martyr

 

          The Apologists were second century Christian writers who defended the Church, and often verbally attacked its enemies.  Their aim was to refute slanders against the Church, to petition  for the repeal of unjust laws against Christians, and to demonstrate the truth of Christianity.  The main charges against Christianity were a) sexual immorality and cannibalism, b) atheism (refusal to adore idols), and c) being bad citizens and enemies of progress. 

 

          Justin Martyr wrote two Apologies, the second shorter one serving as a summary of, and a conclusion, to the first.   The first Apology is addressed to Emperor Antonius Pius, to his philosopher son Verissimus, and to the philosopher Lucius. The first part of Apology I refutes charges that had been made against Christians, and the second part is an explanation of the truth of Christianity. 

 

          Apology I says at the beginning “It is our task to offer you an opportunity of inspecting our life and teachings . . .  If, having learned the truth you fail to do what is righteous, you have no defense before God.”  Justin makes a remarkable assertion “You are able to kill us, but not to harm us.”   He complains that individuals are convicted of being criminals when they admit that they are Christians, and they are exonerated by simply affirming that they are not Christians, irrespective of their deeds.  He quotes scripture to refute the charge of immorality “Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart before God” (Matt 5:28).  To refute the charges of atheism and bad citizenship he writes “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s (Matt 22:21). So we worship God only, but in other things we gladly serve you emperors and rulers of men and women, and praying that with your imperial power you may also be found to possess sound judgment.”  The entire apology is written in a very moderate, systematic manner, without expressions of anger or outrage.   The second apology contains the rather astonishing statement concerning the end of the world “God delays causing the confusion and destruction of the whole world, by which the wicked angels, demons, and people will no longer exist, because of the seed of the Christians, who know that they are the cause of preservation in nature.”  

 

                              14.  Dialogue with the Jew Trypho by  Justin Martyr

 

          The long Dialogue with the learned Jew Trypho probably lasted for two days.  Chapters 2 to 8 are autobiographical, and provide good background.  Part I (Chap. 9 to 47) presents a Christian perspective on the Old Testament, emphasizing that Jewish rituals lacked a permanent significance.  Part II (Chap. 48 to 108) shows that worshiping Jesus is not in opposition to monotheism, and Part III affirms that Gentiles are called to Christianity which represents the new People of God, since “An eternal and final Law, namely Christ, has been given to us   (Chap. 11).” In Chap. 16 and 17 he accuses the Jewish community of persecuting the Christians.  The virgin birth of Jesus was mentioned in several chapters, and the Eucharist is referred to a few times.  There are repeated quotations from the scriptures, mainly from the Old Testament.  When Jusin referred to the “scriptures as the Seventy have interpreted them” (Chap. 137) he probably meant the Greek Septuagint version which had been translated by 72 scholars, six from each tribe of Israel.

 

                                                   15.  Muratorian Fragment

 

          The Muratorian Fragment, often referred to as the Muratorian Canon, is a proposed list of books that an unknown author claims should be included in the official canon of the scriptures.  It probably dated back to the second half of the second century, although it did not come to light until its discovery by L. A. Muratori in the Ambrosian Library in Milan about 1780.  It includes in the canon 22 of the 27 New Testament books, plus the Wisdom of Solomon and the Apocalypse of Peter (see Sect. 4a of Lecture II).  This proposed canon omits Hebrews, James, 1, 2 Peter,  and 3 John.   Origen also proposed an alternate canon, as did Eusebius in his Church History.  The canon of Athanasius, which was listed in his 367 AD Festal letter,  was the one officially accepted by the North African Synod of Hippo in 393 AD, and then by Magisterium.  We no longer have the proceedings of this council, but the Proceedings of the third Synod of Carthage, held a year later,  does list the names of the 27 books in this final, officially established, canon that all Christians of the world agree on today.  

 

                                      16.  Against Heresies by Irenaeus of Lyons       

 

          Irenaeus, sometimes called the Father of dogmatic theology, was the most important second century theologian.  He was a third generation Christian leader since he had been a disciple of Polycarp, who himself had listened in person to the Apostle John in his youth.

 

          The work Against Heresies (Adversus Haereses) consists of five volumes.  The first book explains the Gnostic heresies, the second, third and fourth books refute the errors of these heresies with arguments drawn from reason, from the teachings of the apostles and tradition, and from the Lord’s own words, respectively.  The fifth book treats the salvation and resurrection of the body, a belief denied by the Gnostics. 

 

            Chapter 1 of Book I is entitled “The Valentinians’ Absurd Explanation of the Origin of the Aeons.”  To me this chapter was both totally confusing and totally absurd, but I will do my best to paraphrase  some of it.  Many will probably prefer to skip the next two paragraphs!  I do not blame them for this. 

 

          This chapter is about divine beings called Aeons, and an obscure system of numerology involving the numbers 1 (monad), 4 (tetrad), 8 (ogdoad), 10 (decad), and 12 (dodecad), with a total of thirty Aeons in all (8+10+12=30).  At the start there was a First Being  or Monad, i.e. a first male divine being or Aeon called Profundity, and along with him there existed a second female Aeon called Thought.  These two together produced by emission two more Aeons called Mind and Truth, to form a Pythagorean Tetrad (group of four) Aeons.  The Tetrad is considered the root of all things.  By conjugal unions two more pairs of Aeons were emitted, namely Word to Life, then finally Man to Church.  The result was an Ogdoad or group of eight Aeons.  Word and Life then emitted five more pairs of Aeons that form a Decad (group of ten), namely Profound and Mingling, Ageless and Union, Self-Producing and Pleasure, Immobile and Blending, and Only-Begotten and Happiness.  Next Man and Church emitted six more pairs of Aeons, with the names: Advocate and Faith, Paternal and Hope, Maternal and Love, Praise and Understanding, Ecclesiastic and Blessedness, and finally Desired and Wisdom.  Thus there are a total of thirty Aeons in this Valentinian system.  This thirty-fold  “invisible and spiritual fullness” is tripartite, being divided into an Ogdoad (8), a decad (10) and a dodecad (12).  

 

          Of especial significance to the Gnostics is the numerology associated with the Aeon tripartite division into 8 + 10 + 12 = 30 divine beings.  This is why the Savior did no work in public for 30 years.  In the Parable of the Vineyard the laborers were sent in to the vineyard at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th and 11th hours, for a total 1 + 3 + 6 + 9 + 11 = 30.  They claim that the Aeons have been indicated by these hours.  The emission of the dodecad (group of twelve) is evidenced by the Lord’s dispute with the teachers in Jerusalem at age 12, and by the selection of 12 apostles.  The remaining 18 Aeons are indicated by the 18 months that Jesus spent with his disciples after the Resurrection. The exposition of the Gnostic beliefs that I have just given demonstrates that  Irenaeus is correct in his belief that a clear exposition of error can by itself refute the error.  Since the esoteric beliefs of the Gnostics do not have much impact on modern society a further discussion of this work Against Heresies does not seem worth while.  I wish to thank those who were patient enough to actually read these two paragraphs. 

 

          In Book III Irenaeus indicates that for him the Septuagint constitutes the genuine Greek Old Testament which he usually quotes. 

 

                             17.  Presentation of Apostolic Teaching by Irenaeus of Lyons  

 

          This work is variously called the Presentation, the Demonstration, and the Proof (¦B4*,4>4H) of the Apostolic Teaching.   It is addressed to Marcianus with the stated catechetical aim to give him “in brief the exposition of the things of God” (#1).  A more subtle aim is to confirm his faith so he will be able to refute heretics.  He is admonished that “We must keep strictly, without deviation, the rule of faith, and carry out the commands of God” (#3). 

 

          This Presentation begins with an initial section on God and Creatures which discusses God and the Trinity, angels, the creation of man and his fall.  The next section reviews the  various events of the Old Testament, explaining how they predict and relate to the life, passion, death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ.  The final section discusses Christ in the New Law.  There is an emphasis on the old dispensation of Judaism as a preparation for the New Christian dispensation, and on the fulfilment of OT Prophecies constituting proof of the genuineness of the Gospel message.  The book ends with an admonition against heretics who “Either they despise the Father, or they do not accept the Son, they speak against the dispensation of His Incarnation, or they do not accept the Spirit, that is, they reject prophecy.  And we must beware of all such men, and flee their ways” (#100).  

 

          Irenaeus dedicated much of his energy to refuting Gnostic heresies.  His main work on this subject is Against Heresies, or Adversus Haereses, which consists of five books.  He recounts the history of Gnosticism, describes its beliefs, and explains why they are wrong.  He discusses Simon Magnus, Menander, and other leaders of various gnostic sects.  In the second, third and fourth books he refutes Gnosticism successively from reason, from the doctrine of the Church, and from the sayings of the Lord.  Book five treats the resurrection of the flesh, which the Gnostics deny, and ends with a discussion of the millenium. 

 

                                                                18.  Diatessaron of Tatian                               

 

          Tatian was a Syrian convert who began his Christian life as a disciple of Justin.  Later he left the Church and founded the Gnostic-Encratite Church which rejected marriage, and replaced wine with water in Holy Communion.  Tatian’s Discourse or Oration to the Greeks calumniates everything in Greek culture.  His other surviving work is the Diatesseron which is a harmony of the four Gospels presented as a continuous narrative using the chronology of John.  Material from the other three gospel accounts was fitted into the Johannine narrative.  This is a three year long public life of Jesus since, in contrast to the synoptics, the Gospel of John includes three Passovers.  The Diatesseron was read in Syriac speaking churches well into the fifth century instead of the four traditional gospels.  It also had an influence on the standard gospel text prior to Jerome’s Latin Vulgate version. 

 

                                                     ACKNOWLEDGMENT

         

          I wish to thank Mr. L. A. Marsha for a grant which helped to purchase the books needed to prepare these lecture notes.

          I would like to thank Doris Christley for her critical reading of, and her thoughtful comments and recommendations concerning, the first draft of this work.