introduction:

The purpose for which Saint Irenaeus wrote the book “The Apostolic Preaching” is explicitly clear, as Saint Irenaeus states in the first lines of the book that he intends to provide Marcian with a “summary note” in the form of basic points by which Marcian can “understand all the members of the body of truth.” . Thus, the book “The Apostolic Preaching” is the oldest summary of Christian teaching, and we find it presented in a non-controversial or defensive manner, but rather in a positive manner. For this reason, the discovery of this book at the beginning of the twentieth century generated great enthusiasm and excitement. Now we have a book written by a bishop who introduces himself to us as having lived with those who themselves knew the apostles, as we mentioned previously. Thus, Irenaeus presents in his book the content of the Apostles’ teaching. This book has been described as an “educational and preaching” article, presenting Christianity in general lines as it was explained in that era by a bishop to his parish. Therefore, the value of such a document goes beyond what we can know of its appreciation and importance.

The way in which Irenaeus presents Christianity is not the approach to which we are accustomed to presenting theological beliefs, but instead he follows the approach of the great sermons recorded in the Book of Acts that narrate all of God's saving works culminating in the glorification of His crucified Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and also the outpouring of His Holy Spirit. Giving a new heart, a heart of flesh instead of a heart of stone.

The most important thing that draws attention in his book is that in his narration of this history, he does not use the writings of the New Testament as a reference to explain it (*).

It is clear that Saint Irenaeus knows the writings of the New Testament, and considers them part of the Holy Bible, as is completely clear from his other book, “Against Heresies,” and also evident from his being in the book “The Apostolic Preaching” when he quotes a verse from the Old Testament and returns it to the place from which it was quoted in The Old Testament, this verse is often given in the form in which it is written in the New Testament (for example, the verses attributed to the prophet Jeremiah in Matthew 27:9-10, this quote in paragraph 81 of “The Apostolic Preaching”), but on the other hand, it talks about the birth of Jesus. From the Virgin and He performed miracles, as is clear from Isaiah and other prophets, while the names of Pontius Pilate and Herod are mentioned in the Gospels, which say that Christ was bound and brought before them, as Hosea shows, and that he was crucified, rose, and was glorified, as other prophets attest to this. In fact, the entire content of the “apostolic preaching” is derived, in Irenaeus’ view, from the Old Testament. This truth therefore includes recognition of the authenticity of the biblical texts, which bear the same authenticity as the apostolic preaching.

Patristic teaching in the second century before Irenaeus:

In order to gain a better understanding of the book “The Apostolic Preaching,” it is useful to briefly put before us some Christian writings prior to Irenaeus:

The oldest Christian writings that have come down to us from the post-Apostolic era, that is, the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, clearly indicate that they knew, to varying degrees, some of the writings of the Apostles, but in most cases they were not quoting from the writings of the Apostles or relying on them as reliable sources of revelation, that is, considering them to be the book. holy. The phrase “the Holy Books” for the Apostolic Fathers, and thus for the New Testament itself, refers to the writings of the Old Testament. Until that time, the evangelical message was still, in most cases, in the proclamation stage (i.e. oral preaching). The Book of the Didache (2:8, 5:9), as well as the First Epistle of Clement of Rome (13, 7:46-8) both explicitly refer to the sayings of Jesus Christ, but what they mention, especially the Epistle of Clement, is a collection of various sayings presented in an order other than the one recorded. In the Gospels. In addition, Clement of Rome urges the Corinthians to “remember” these sayings, which shows that what Clement was referring to was very likely a Muslim oral tradition that preserved the Lord’s sayings.

Saint Ignatius of Antioch:

The case of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who lived and wrote in the early years of the second century, is particularly inspiring. He refers to the letters of the Apostle Paul (Ignatius' Epistle to Ephesians 2:12), but he never quotes them. For Ignatius, Christ is the content of our faith as well as the absolute and final source of our faith, as it was handed down to us by the apostles. Saint Ignatius goes much further than all the writers of his time in his appreciation of the role of the apostles. In all the contrasting symbols that he is fond of in his writings, he places the bishop, priests, and deacon on one side and contrasts them with the Father, Christ, and the apostles (see the Epistle to the Church of Tralia 3). On the other hand, his apostles are always placed on the highest level, with Christ and his Father. This level is then reflected in the Church, in its particular existence historically and geographically, in the three ranks: bishop, presbyter, and deacon. Accordingly, Ignatius states or mentions repeatedly that he, as a bishop, is not like the apostles, because he is not in a position that allows him to give orders or He establishes new principles or teachings (doctrines), as these teachings and doctrines come only from the Lord and his apostles (see Magnesia 13, Romans 4:3, Ephesians 3:1, etc.). Ignatius was strict in his emphasis on the revelation of the apostles and prophets about Jesus Christ, as the basis for his personal understanding of the Bible (the Old Testament).

According to Ignatius, we should pay great attention to the prophets, because they also lived according to Jesus Christ and he inspired them with his grace (Magnesia 8:2). In an important passage in his letter to the Philadelphia church, chapters 8 and 9, Ignatius records a discussion he may have had with some members of that church. After urging his listeners not to do anything far from what is “according to the teaching of Christ,” he describes how he heard some say: “If I do not find (this word) in the Holy Books, then I will not believe that it is found in the Gospel,” meaning that they will accept it. The Christian message is only to the extent that it agrees with the “sacred documents,” that is, with what was written before that, that is, the book of the Old Testament. Ignatius’s answer was that it was “written.” He does not refer to the texts of the New Testament, but rather refers to his firm certainty that the Old Testament actually contains the revelation of Christ. But his opponents were not convinced by this Christ-centered interpretation of the Old Testament. Later, when he realized the reason for the difference in understanding, he explained his position more clearly in his letter: [The documents for me are Jesus Christ, the second sacred documents are his cross, his death, his resurrection, and the faith through him. By this I want to be justified by your prayers... Priests are honored, but the High Priest is greater because he is entrusted with the Holy of Holies, and he alone is also entrusted with the mysteries of God. Because it is the door leading to the Father, through which Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the prophets, the apostles, and the church entered... All of these lead to unity with God. But the Gospel contains something unique: it contains the coming of the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, and his suffering and resurrection. The beloved prophets prophesied, pointing to him, but the Gospel is the completion of incorruption] (Philadelphia 2:8-1:9).

For Ignatius, Jesus Christ, his passion and resurrection are the only and complete divine revelation; Only this declaration saves. Thus, through this door alone, Jesus Christ gained entry to the Father for the prophets, for the apostles, and for the entire church. When Ignatius says, “For me, the documents are Christ,” he does not mean that Jesus Christ is a different authority above the Bible; Rather, for Ignatius, the Old Testament is simply Jesus Christ - the Word made flesh. Every book of the Old Testament that concerns the revelation of God is identical to the revelation of God given in Christ as preached by the apostles. On the contrary, everything that the Gospel calls for was previously written in the Bible. But this does not diminish the value of Christ’s self-proclamation, as Ignatius mentions this by saying: The Gospel has something “unique,” because it mentions the coming of Christ, his suffering, and his resurrection, while the prophets only referred to him. For Ignatius and the other Apostolic Fathers, they considered the Christian Gospel, which is the revelation of Jesus Christ, essentially a Christ-centered reading of the Bible as delivered by the Apostles, although the writings of these Apostles were never quoted to prove this teaching, nor were they cited. As a holy book.

Justin, the philosopher and martyr:

The most important figure who preceded Irenaeus, and who had a particularly profound influence on him, was Saint Justin, the philosopher and martyr who defended the faith. Justin, who wrote in the middle of the second century, was the first patristic writer to cite the writings of the New Testament, and he refers to them as the “memoirs” of the apostles, which he says About them they are called “the Gospels” (First Defense 3:66).

Justin’s use of the term “Memoirs of the Apostles” to describe the Gospels indicates that these writings had primarily historical value for him, perhaps more than being inspired revelation, which in this case required him to call these writings “the Bible.” However, this use of the term by Justin shows that the written memoirs of the apostles were beginning to assume, for Justin, the credibility of the apostles themselves, and it is this credibility through which the Christian revelation or revelation becomes delivered in a unique way.

What is most important from the point of view of our understanding of Irenaeus’s book “The Apostolic Preaching” is that although Justin certainly began to use some apostolic writings, he follows in the footsteps of the apostolic fathers in their view of the Christian proclamation as having been previously predicted in the books of the Old Testament. For Justin, this point has a certain defensive value - what Christians believe is not just modern claims, but rather ancient prophecies that anyone can read and which have now been fulfilled. This speech includes a circular interpretation of the Christian proclamation: that is, Justin says that the prophecies were fulfilled in Christ, and thus also the Christian proclamation given by the apostles is the key to understanding the message that the prophets had previously preached:

[We find in these books of the prophets, then Jesus our Christ is told that he comes born of a virgin and grows to the stature of a man, and heals every disease and every weakness and raises the dead, and that they hate him and do not acknowledge him, and he is crucified and dies, and rises again and ascends to heaven, and while he is in his being The Son of God, and He is called the Son of God, and He sends certain persons to every race of mankind preaching these things, and the people from the Gentiles are the ones who believe in Him (more than the Jews)] (1st Apology 7:31).

That is, the apostles' preaching is nothing other than the prophecies spoken by the prophets, and the apostles preached them because they were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This means that apostolic preaching is, on the one hand, the key to understanding the Old Testament and ensuring its fulfillment, while on the other hand, it is the Old Testament that constitutes the entire Christian proclamation.

The danger of Gnosticism in the second century:

What helps us to appreciate the value of Irenaeus’ book “The Apostolic Preaching” is to examine the teaching of those Gnostic heretics whom Irenaeus exposed in his writings, which led to their gradual exclusion from the body of the universal Church. The most prominent of these Gnostics is Marcion. These Gnostics used parts of the Old Testament and parts of the Apostolic writings, along with many other elements taken from various sources. From all these elements, they composed complex myths and wrote many books, some of which they claimed were authentic in the teachings of the apostles. Because the Gnostics could not deny recognized apostolic writings that had no clear basis for their myths, they claimed that the Lord did not teach these teachings in their books openly, but instead taught a few more trustworthy disciples, and gave them this knowledge secretly in The period between the Resurrection and the Ascension or in the period after the Transfiguration; This secret knowledge was transmitted from one person to another through oral traditions without appearing clearly in the apostolic writings recognized by the Church. While this secret knowledge is very clear in their Gnostic writings. It is worth noting that the Gnostics were interpreting the writings of the Apostle Paul and the Gospel of Saint John in a wrong way to support their ideas. St. Irenaeus tells us that a person named Ptolemy was a student of Philandinus the Gnostic, who always claimed that the Fourth Gospel was written by “John, the disciple of the Lord,” in order to give credibility to his Gnostic teachings that were based on the wrong interpretation of this Gospel (AH1:8:5).

Also, there is another student of Philandinus called Heracleion, who wrote an interpretation of the Gospel of John between the years approximately 170-180 AD. This interpretation, in its Gnostic form, is - as far as we know - the first written interpretation of any book of the New Testament.

If the danger represented by Gnosticism was extreme totalitarianism and the fabricated combination of conflicting religious beliefs, then the challenge raised by Marcion was the exact opposite in its extremism, which was the abbreviation and deletion of some books from the Holy Books. Marcion denied the entire Old Testament, as well as most of the apostolic writings, claiming that most of the apostles had misunderstood the true, original revelation of Jesus Christ. It was based on Paul's assertion in Galatians (1:6-10) that there was only one Gospel, but that the false brothers changed it. Marcion believed that the other apostles had misunderstood Jesus Christ as the expected Messiah sent by the Creator God of the Old Testament, and thus distorted the message of salvation. That gives true freedom. This salvation is from the true God. Marcion was convinced that Paul was the only apostle who fully understood Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ who is the revelation of the one true God - but despite this, Marcion rewrote Paul's letters, deleted them, and made changes to them, for example with regard to Abraham and his descendants when the Apostle Paul speaks in (Galatians 3:16-4:6) Regarding the promises that were given to Abraham and how they were fulfilled in his descendants, namely Christ, we find that Marcion deleted this part from Galatians because it conflicts with his belief that the Old Testament was not inspired by God. Marcion also trusted only one Gospel, which was the Gospel of Saint Luke, Paul's disciple. But this did not prevent Marcion from deleting some parts even from this Gospel.

Irenaeus’ approach in the book “The Apostolic Preaching”:

Saint Irenaeus builds his book on the works of Christian writers before him, and he takes a decisive and considered stance against both Marcion and the Gnostics. Irenaeus was the first father of the Church to use the Apostolic writings and say that they are from the Holy Bible. He knows all the New Testament texts that we now recognize and actually uses them in his writings. He insists that the Gospels cannot be more or less than four, or rather one Gospel with four aspects. In his great book, “Against Heresies,” he describes the systems of the Gnostics in the first part of the book “Against Heresies,” then clarifies their contradictions in them in the second part, and then moves in the third, fourth, and fifth parts to the explanation from the Holy Bible, and also the explanation from the apostles who They wrote the Gospel, and in it they recorded the teaching about God, showing in it that our Lord Jesus Christ is the truth and there is no deception in it (Against Heresies AH3:5:1). Then he skillfully interweaves passages from the Old Testament with passages from the New Testament, in order to make clear that there is only one God who revealed himself to the one human race in his only Son, Jesus Christ, by the one Holy Spirit, through the divine plan that prevails over all throughout history.

As we previously indicated, Irenaeus, in his book “The Apostolic Preaching,” does not use the apostolic writings often and explicitly. He refers to the apostles in chapters 3, 41, 46, 47, 86, 98, and 99. He quotes the Apostle Paul three times, and once refers to him as an apostle of Christ in chapters 5, 8, and 87, and he quotes Christ’s disciple John twice in chapters 43 and 94. With the exception of these few references, Irenaeus explains “apostolic preaching” simply within the framework of the Christ-centered reading of the Old Testament that characterized Christian teachings in the second century.

Saint Irenaeus’s own approach in his book “The Apostolic Preaching” was previously clearly indicated by both Ignatius of Antioch and Justin, and here we mean the Christ-centered reading of the Old Testament. This approach is actually attributed to Jesus Christ himself after the resurrection, who “beginning with Moses and all the prophets interpreted to them his own matters in all the scriptures” (Luke 24:27). Moreover, a large number of the written texts used by Irenaeus had previously been used by Justin for the same purpose. In most cases, with the same grouping of verses together and the same way they are arranged, either Irenaeus drew heavily from Justinus in his writing, or both of them drew from a common source.

However, the uniqueness of Irenaeus in the book “The Apostolic Preaching” lies not in the theoretical analysis of the subject, but in the comprehensive and clear presentation that he presented. While Justin wandered from topic to topic without clear coordination, Irenaeus easily addressed or provided an explanation of the apostolic preaching, regarding the work of God from the beginning of creation until it reaches the glorification of the Son of God through His ascension to glory.

From what we have previously said regarding the presentation of the “Christian revelation” in the writings of the second century, it is clear that there were two projects linked together: the first was to clarify or reveal the content of the Bible, the Old Testament, with regard to the revelation of Jesus Christ as preached by the apostles; The second is to acknowledge the biblical authenticity of that apostolic preaching by showing that the preaching of the apostles, whose center was Jesus Christ, as formulated in the Bible, was predicted in advance as such.

These two tasks were expressed by Saint Irenaeus in one word: επίδειξις Any explanation or proof of the apostolic preaching.

Contents of the book “The Apostolic Evangelism”:

{jb_iconic_info}[We will follow these divisions, in dividing the pages of the book on the site... knowing that the book is one part, but the compiler divided it into parts as he explained in the introduction (the network)]{/jb_iconic_info}

• First: a short introduction (Chapters 1-3a).
• Second: Two large sections:
  1. The first section (Chapters 3b-42a).
  2. Section Two (Chapters 42B-97)
• Third: Conclusion (Chapters 98-100).

First: a short introduction:

Saint Irenaeus begins the book “The Apostolic Preaching” with a short introduction in chapters (1-3a), and in this introduction he states that with this book he hopes to strengthen the faith of Marcionus, the person to whom this book was sent. This is done through a brief presentation of “preaching the truth.” Irenaeus Marcianus reminds us that if we want to pass the only path to God’s presence, we must holiness the body, that is, refraining from violating God’s commandments, as well as holiness of the soul, that is, preserving faith in God. We should avoid the three types of people mentioned in (Psalm 1:1):

The wicked, that is, those who do not know God; And sinners, that is, those who know Him but do not obey His commandments; Mockers are those who mislead themselves and others with their poisonous teachings. In order to be saved, it is necessary to keep the rule of faith, and also to obey God's commandments, because faith is achieved in action, and faith itself is based on what is true.

section One:

After this short introduction comes the first section, which contains, as we mentioned, chapters (3b-42a). In this section, Irenaeus gives an explanation of the apostolic preaching. This section is divided into three parts.

part One: Its topic is “God and Man,” and it contains chapters (3b-16). As Irenaeus previously emphasized at the end of the introduction, faith is founded and built on what is truly true, and thus, we must “believe in what is true as it actually is,” so that “we believe in what truly exists as it actually is.”(1)We keep our belief firm” (Chapter 3). The biblical truth regarding the one God, the Father, is that He is the Creator of all. He saves all things With his word He decorates it with His Spirit (Chapter 5). This threefold recognition of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit is the foundation of our faith and the basis of our behavior (Chapter 6); Our baptism is accomplished by confessing these three, and baptism renews us to God through His Son through the Spirit (Chapter 7). If this is the truth about God, then the truth regarding man is that he is a “created,” “God creates, but man is a creature” (see AH4:11:2). After describing the seven heavens with the innumerable host of angelic forces (Chapters 9 and 10), Irenaeus describes the truth concerning man by explaining (Genesis 1:3). God made a creature out of clay that carried his image in his body and in his soul the breath of life. He also made a helper for him and placed them together in Paradise (Chapters 11-14). The truth of the relationship between the Creator and his creation is clear from the commandment that God gave to man, which was intended to teach him that “his master and Lord is the Lord of all” (Chapter 15). The fact that man did not keep this commandment is, of course, the other fact concerning man and which determines the reality of his status outside Paradise (Chapter 16).

The second part: Chapters (17-30), in which Saint Irenaeus describes the history of God’s preparation of humanity for the salvation that was accomplished by His Son. After the death of Cain, evil spread throughout the earth, and in the days of Noah there was no other righteous person except him (Chapters 17-18). Then, after the land was cleansed by the flood, Noah’s youngest son, “Ham,” was cursed for his lack of piety, and the curse extended to all his descendants, while Noah’s other two sons, Shem and Japheth, received a blessing that their descendants inherited (Chapters 19-23). The blessing of Shem was inherited by Abraham, who sought God and was justified by faith. After that, Isaac inherited this blessing, and after him, Jacob inherited it (Chapter 24). God then rescued Abraham's descendants from Egypt through Moses, thus revealing the secret of the Passover to them, and giving the Ten Commandments to Moses (chapters 25-26). Before entering the Promised Land, Moses prepared the people by reminding them of the great works of God, and established for them a new law, which is Deuteronomy (Chapter 28). Finally, God brought His people from the wilderness to the Promised Land through Joshua, son of Nun, who was called “Jesus,” “the only name that can save” (Chapters 27-29). In that land, King David lived in Jerusalem. In it, the temple was built in the name of God, and the prophets were urging the people to return to the God of their fathers, announcing to them also the coming revelation regarding the Lord Jesus Christ, the son of David and Abraham according to the flesh, and the Son of God according to the Spirit (Chapters 29-30).

the third part Chapters (31-40a) continue to talk about the salvation accomplished by the Son of God. Thanks to his birth from a virgin, the Lord had the same body as our first father, Adam, from a virgin land. But while the Lord was obedient, Adam was disobedient, and thus the Lord came. It brings us salvation and leads man to communion with God (Chapters 31-32). It also refers to the encounter between Eve and Mary, and between the tree and the cross (Chapters 33-34).

Through this work of salvation, the promises given to Abraham and David were fulfilled (Chapters 35-36), and Irenaeus confirms that Christ was truly born, died, and rose again, showing his progress in all things (Chapters 37-40a).

Then Irenaeus concludes the first section in chapters (40b - 42a) in order to summarize how the one who was announced through the law and the prophets, that is, the Son of the Father, was born of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit. This is a virgin who is a descendant of Abraham and David, and that Jesus, who is God’s anointed, is in fact the one whom the prophets had previously foretold (Chapter 40b). Just as John the Baptist, his predecessor, prepared the people to receive the Word of Life. Christ sent his disciples, apostles, and those who witnessed him to all the world to “call the nations to dwell in the dwellings of Shem” - this is the fruit of the blessing of Japheth that was announced in the church, that is, calling the nations according to God’s promise (Chapters 41-42a).

Second section:

After Saint Irenaeus reviewed the history of God’s saving work, he moves to the second section of the book, which, as we mentioned, includes chapters (42b-97). This second section is concerned with explaining the “apostolic preaching” by proving it from the Holy Bible. This is completely clear in the opening chapter (42b), in which Irenaeus describes how all the things that were accomplished in Jesus Christ were previously predicted by the prophets, and that they were fulfilled in the end exactly as they were previously predicted. This makes us certain that it is God who announced our salvation to us.

This second section can be divided into four distinct parts:

part One Chapters (43-52) in which Irenaeus is concerned with clarifying the eternal existence of Jesus Christ. Here he relies on Ignatius's insistence that the Old Testament is Jesus Christ. If the apostolic preaching of Jesus Christ is the decisive revelation of God, i.e word God, to whom all the patriarchs and prophets looked up, we can see the matter in reverse, and affirm that the Lord Jesus Christ is the same one who appeared and spoke to Abraham and Moses (see Against Heresies AH4:9:1). For Irenaeus, there is a reciprocal relationship between the patriarchs, to whom the promises were given, and their descendants, who saw this promise fulfilled.(2).

Accordingly, in this part of “The Apostolic Preaching,” Irenaeus explains from the texts of the Bible how the Son, whom we know now - as a historical reality - is Jesus Christ, and that he was in the beginning with the Father (Chapter 43), and how he appeared to Abraham (Chapter 44) and Jacob (Chapter 45). ), and he spoke to Moses from the bush (Chapter 46), and how David and Isaiah speak about the Father and the Son (Chapters 47-51). But while for God the Son existed from the beginning, before creation, he became known to us only now, when he was revealed to us in the name of Jesus Christ (Chapter 43). Thus, all ancient visions are prophetic events that foretell things that will happen (Chapters 44-45). Irenaeus concludes by reiterating that the Bible clearly says that Christ is the Son of God from before the world existed, and that he exists with the Father and with people. And He saves all who believe in Him (Chapter 52).

And loyal The second part From the second section (chapters 53-66), Irenaeus talks about the physical birth of Christ, based on testimonies from Isaiah (chapters 53-57, 59-61, 65), and on testimonies from Moses (chapters 57-58), Amos (chapter 62), and Micah (chapters 53-66). Chapter 63), and David (Chapter 64), these testimonies confirm that the Son of God will be born, and they also describe how he will be born, and that he is the Messiah, and he is the only eternal king (Chapter 66).

And loyal the third part From the second section, Irenaeus explains how it had been predicted (about Christ) that he would perform miracles and heal (Chapter 67 of passages from the Book of Isaiah), that he would be flogged (Chapters 68-69a, of Isaiah and David), that he would suffer, that he would be judged, and that His generation that no one can tell about (Chapters 69b-70, from Isaiah), that they will bring him in chains to the king (Chapter 77, from Hosea), that his clothes will be divided (Chapter 80, from Psalms), and that he will be sold for thirty pieces of silver (Chapter 81, from Jeremiah) And that he will be given myrrh to drink (Chapter 82, of the Psalms of David), and that he will die on the cross (Chapters 71-76, 79, of Jeremiah, Isaiah, David, and Zechariah), and finally that he will be resurrected, glorified, and exalted to the right hand of the Father (Chapters 72b, 83-85, of Psalms of David).

Irenaeus concludes the second section of the “Apostolic Evangelism” In the fourth part (Chapters 86-97) explaining how the calling of nations through the messengers had previously been predicted by the prophets (Chapter 86). This call was fulfilled not by the obligations of the law, but by the simple word of faith (Chapter 87). Those who were saved were called by a new name (Chapter 88), so no one should go back again to the law that had been fulfilled by Christ (Chapter 89). The law of God the Father is written on their new hearts of flesh so that man can now trust in his Creator (chapters 90-93). It is through this invitation and the change of heart that takes place By the word Who became flesh and lives among us, the one who was previously barren has given birth to a greater number of children than the old council (Chapter 94). Those who were not a people are now the people of God who know the Lord of the Law. They have no need for the previous teacher (the Law) (Chapters 95-96). Christ, who had appeared on earth and spoken to mankind, had integrated the Spirit of God with God’s creation (the work of God’s hands) who were made. With wisdom from the dust, so that man may ultimately become according to the image and likeness of God (Chapter 97).

Conclusion:

Irenaeus concludes his book “The Apostolic Preaching” by repeating the advice he gave in the introduction: that we must adhere to the preaching of truth proclaimed by the prophets, confirmed by Christ, and delivered by the apostles, and avoid all dealings with those who think of other gods for themselves, despising God who “is.” “Truly, denying the coming of His Son and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Saint Irenaeus’ approach to interpreting the Bible:

Saint Irenaeus’ approach to interpreting the book is that it should be explained on the basis of the book itself, and he explicitly states this principle in his book “Against Heresies” when he says: [Interpretations of the texts of the Holy Books cannot be explained except from the Holy Books themselves] (Against Heresies AH3:12: 9), and in another place in the same book he says: [If some passages of the book seem ambiguous, then we must try to understand them by means of what is clear and apparent in the book itself and not by any external way of thinking] (Against Heresies AH2:27-28). For this exact reason, Irenaeus criticized the Gnostics because they based their interpretation of the books on non-biblical principles. After Saint Irenaeus refutes some of their myths, he says:

[This is their way, which the prophets did not predict, nor did the Lord teach, nor did the apostles deliver to us. They boast loudly that they know more than others. They rely on sources outside the Bible, and as the popular saying goes, they are trying to braid ropes of sand. They try to make the parables of the Lord, or the sayings of the prophets, or the words of the apostles agree with their own sayings in such a way that people will believe them, so that their fabrication does not appear to be without authority. They ignore the system of the Holy Books and their interrelation with each other. By ignoring this connection in the book in which the foundation of truth lies, they dismantle the members of truth] (Against Heresies AH1:8:1).

Irenaeus explains the way of using the book, by comparing it to what he does with a person or human being when he takes a beautiful mosaic picture of a king made by a skilled artist from precious stones, then rearranges these precious stones in it to make an image of a dog or a fox, and then claims that this picture is the original picture. Made by the first artist, he explains that the stones are authentic. The truth is that the design was destroyed and “the established model of man was lost.” This is exactly what heretics do to the Bible and “cut off the truth.” Their words, expressions, and proverbs are authentic, but their analogy (or design) is capricious and wrong. He says: “In the same way, these people patch together the superstitions of old women, uprooting words, sayings, and proverbs from here and there, and they want to make the words of God adapt to their superstitions” (Against Heresies AH1:9: 1).

In another example, Irenaeus describes how some people take various lines from two books of Homer and then rearrange them. These lines may deceive those who have only a passing knowledge of Homer, but they do not deceive those who are well versed in his poetry. These people can fully recognize the quoted lines, know their location, and then return them to their correct context (Against Heresies AH1:9:4).

In the same way, Irenaeus continues his words and says: [..Any person who preserves in himself the rule of the unchanging truth that he received through baptism will know the names, sayings and proverbs taken from the Holy Books... because if he knows the essences, he will not accept the image of the fox as the image of the king, but rather he He will return each of the passages to their correct place, as they are consistent within the body of truth, and thus he exposes their fabrication and shows that they are without support] (Against Heresies AH1:9:4).

Irenaeus then gives a comprehensive description of “the law of truth delivered in baptism,” which has three basic items, namely: the faith delivered by the apostles in one God, God the Father, the one Lord crucified and resurrected Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit” (see AH 1:10:1 ).

The law of truth given in the book “The Apostolic Preaching” (Chapters 6 and 7), although it is brief from what was stated in the book “Against Heresies,” is based on the three pivotal items: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in whose name our baptism takes place.

However, these three clauses are the core of the law of truth, not merely separate elements of theological beliefs. Therefore, according to Irenaeus, it is inseparably linked with the arrangement and interconnection of the Holy Books (see AH1:8:1). This arrangement and connection is of course what Irenaeus briefly describes in the book “The Apostolic Evangelism” so that: “With this little book you can understand all the members of the body of truth” (Chapter 1 of the Apostolic Evangelism), which is the Holy Bible itself. By writing the book “The Apostolic Evangelism,” Irenaeus - more than any other writer before him - defined and defined the Bible as we know it now and established it in its correct and fundamental place. Thus, Saint Irenaeus has given us an unparalleled model on how to approach the truths revealed in the book and how to understand them. In this lies the great importance of this short book.

The original text of the book “The Apostolic Evangelization” and its translations:

Manuscripts, editions and translations:

The book “The Apostolic Preaching” is an essay in the form of a letter sent to a person named Marcian. This article was known since ancient times, as the historian Eusebius referred to it in his book “History of the Church” (Book 36:5). But after this reference, since the fourth century, it seems that this book has completely disappeared, and no traces of it have been found. But in December 1904 AD, the Armenian Archimandrite Karapet Ter-Mekerttschian found a manuscript in the library of the Church of the Mother of God in Erevan, Armenia. It was later proven that it contained an ancient Armenian translation of the fourth and fifth books of the book “Against Heresies” by Saint Irenaeus. And also his book, “The Apostolic Evangelism.” This manuscript is now preserved in Matina Daran in Erevan (Manuscript No. 3710). According to what was found recorded at the end of the manuscript, the manuscript belonged to Archbishop Ter Johannes, “brother of the Holy King.” This king was likely to be Haïtoun I, Haïtoun I (1226-1269 AD), whose younger brother was famous for being a great scholar and bishop (1259 AD). ) until he died in the year 1289 AD, so the date of the manuscript could be around the middle of the second half of the thirteenth century, although the translation - as we will see later - was completed several centuries before this date. The text of this manuscript was published for the first time in 1907 AD, with a German translation, an introduction, and brief notes by the famous theologian Adolf Harnack, who divided the text into one hundred chapters.

After that, the Armenian text was translated into Latin by S. Weber, and when the Armenian text was reprinted in 1919 AD, an English and a French translation were issued with it. This edition, which was issued in 1919 AD, included a description of the manuscript, and also included some notes about the presence of revisions in the Armenian manuscript. Other translations were subsequently issued, including a second English translation by J. Armitage Robinson(3).

After a period of stagnation for several decades, two other translations appeared, both of which contributed to an increase in our understanding of the text. The first translation into English was made by JP Smith and contained, in addition to the Armenian text, so many notes that it filled more pages than the text itself.(4)Which made Professor John Bher, Professor of Patriarchy at Saint Vladimir Orthodox Theological Institute in the United States of America, say that the scholar Smith made a great effort in researching the Armenian manuscript, evaluated all previous translations, and suggested revisions to the manuscript.

The second translation, which was completed a few years after the first, is a new French translation prepared by L.M. Froidevaux and published in the Christian Sources in French Series SC. 62 years 1959 AD. This translation added many notes to what Smith presented, but its most important contribution is the appendix to it, which contains a comparison between the translations, prepared by Charles Mercier. This comparison is originally found in manuscript PO 12:5 (with microfilm of Irvan manuscript 3710).

Two manuscripts containing small quotations from the book “The Apostolic Preaching” were later discovered. The first manuscript is called “The Seal of Faith.” It was discovered by the same discoverer of the first manuscript, Bishop Karapet Ter-Mekerttschian, but in the year 1911 AD in the Monastery of St. Stephen in Darachamb, and this manuscript dates back to the thirteenth century. The second manuscript dates back to the fourteenth century and is known as “Galata 54.” It was found in the Armenian Monastery of Saint James in Jerusalem, and is now preserved in the library of the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul.

Finally, after a second period of stagnation, A. Rousseau, after completing the publication of the book “Against Heresies” in the SC series, published what must be considered a standard edition of the book “The Apostolic Preaching,” in French, of course. In this edition, Rousseau published, in addition to the Armenian text itself, two translations, one Latin and the other French. Rousseau, the author of the French translation, believes that the Armenian text was originally translated from the Greek language with an adaptation. It also contains Rousseau's edition published in SC. In 1995, he published extensive notes that amounted to more pages than the text itself. He also concluded this edition with six appendices on the theological teachings of Saint Irenaeus, and comparisons between the various translations of the Armenian text. Thus, according to John Behr, Rousseau's work is a notable achievement in the field of patristic research.

References used in preparing the introduction to the life of Saint Irenaeus and his theological teaching

1- JOHANNES Quasten: PATROLOGY, published 1950, reprinted by Christian Classic, INC., 1983, Westminster, Maryland USA Vol. I, ps. 287-315.

2- ANTE- NICENE FATHERS, 1884, reprinted by Hendrickson Publishers, INC., 1994, PO Box 3473, Peabody, Massachusettes 01961-3473. USA Vol. I, ps. 309-313.

3 - History of the Church - by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea,

Book Four: Chapter 21, p. 190

Book Five: Chapter 4, p. 217

Book Five: Chapter 8, p. 222.

Arabization of the hegumen Markus Daoud, published by the Library of Love, second edition, Cairo 1970.

The references we consulted to translate the book “Explanation of the Apostolic Preaching”

1- ΙΩΑΝΟΥΔ. ΚΑΡΑΒΙΔΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ Δ. Θ.,
    ΕΙΡΗΝΑΙΟΥ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΛΟΥΓΔΟΥΝΟΥ.
    ΕΠΙΔΕΙΞΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΙΚΟΥ ΚΗΡΥΓΜγ
    ΕΙΣΑΓΩΓΗ- ΜΕΤΑΦΡΑΣΙΣ- ΣΧΟΛΙΑ ΕΝ
     ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ, 1965

2-St. Irenaeus of Lyons

ON THE APOSTOLIC PREACHING

Translated and Introduction by John Beher

St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, Crestwood, NY 1997.

3- ANCIENT CHRISTIAN WRITERS,

St. Irenaeus Proof of The Apostolic Preaching.

Translated and Annotated by Joseph P. Smith, SJ

Professor in The Pontifical Biblical Institute,

Rome, Newman Press. No. 16.

Abbreviations

(*) We must note that Saint Irenaeus was not using the expressions “Old Testament” and “New Testament” as two separate Testaments. Rather, unlike those who made a sharp difference between the new revelation (i.e. the revelation of another God and the old revelation) - the model of these heretic Marcionists in the second century - unlike them, Saint Irenaeus was the first of the fathers to write affirming the unity of God’s dealings with the human race throughout history. That is, he says that there is only one divine plan. When Irenaeus writes about different stages or eras, he prefers to talk about four covenants: a covenant with Adam, a covenant with Noah, a covenant through Moses, and finally the covenant of the Gospel (AH3:11:8), and when he refers to the Holy Bible, he often distinguishes between three. Sections are: the prophetic books (which means the entire Old Testament), the evangelical writings (i.e. the Gospels) and the apostolic writings (i.e. the epistles). Look

YM Blanchard, Aux Sources du canon: Le Témoignage d'Irénée (Paris: Cerf, 1993) p. 132-145.

(1) This insistence that we should see and accept what exists as it is, is repeated frequently in his book “Against Heresies,” where he states that this last book concerns the truth about God and man. Irenaeus explains that we should “know what God can do? What are the benefits that man can obtain? This is so that we do not stray at all from the correct understanding of things as they really are with regard to God and man.” Against Heresies AH5:2:3.

(2) [The rejoicing of Abraham descended upon his descendants who came from him... On the other hand, there is a mutual rejoicing that was transmitted from the children to Abraham, who longed to see the day of the Messiah come. Therefore, our Lord testified correctly to Abraham, saying: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and rejoiced”] (Against Heresies AH4:7:1 and see John 8:56).

(3) J. Armitage Robinson, St. Irenaeus: The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching (London & NY: SPCK, 1920).

(4) JP Smith, St. Irenaeus: Proof of the Apostolic Preaching (ACW16; London & Maryland: Westminster, 1952). A Further English version was prepared by J. Sparks (Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1987), on the basis of the earlier translation.