Irenaeus of Lyon and the Divine Logos

An Exposition of Adversus haereses and Demonstratio apostolicae praedicationis

De: Józef Korneliusz Trzebuniak

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

The concept of the divine Logos was a central topic not only in the Church, but also among the philosophers and theologians of the first centuries of our era. Irenaeus of Lyon, the most significant apologist of that time, focused on human participation in the divine Logos, especially in his main work Adversus haereses. Based on the Holy Tradition and the Scriptures, he offered an orthodox view of the Logos as equal with God, the Creator of the universe. Irenaeus explained that the Logos is inherent in all creatures, but more so in humans and spiritual beings. Because of the divine Logos, rational beings are able to recognize the inner life of God. As a contrast, Irenaeus also outlined false Gnostic ideas about and misunderstandings of the Logos. In sum, he followed the official teaching of the Church and apostolic doctrine about the origin of the divine Logos as the Only-begotten Son of God, the intermediary and co-creator of the cosmos. In the early Christian era, the apologist Irenaeus of Lyon contemplated the meaning of participation in the divine Logos by humans and all created beings. In his main work Adversus haereses, he offers an orthodox view of the Logos, Jesus Christ, as the Word and Wisdom of God the Father. He explains that the Logos is present in human beings and is also united with all creatures. Through the divine Logos, people are renewed, animated and become partakers of immortality. Furthermore, Irenaeus teaches that participation in the Logos is linked with the presence of the Holy Spirit. The universe exists through the divine Logos, who is inseminated in everything. Thus, the divine Logos plays a major role in the process of sanctification, and of unification and communion with God. In Adversus haereses and Demonstratio apostolicae praedicationis, Irenaeus of Lyon, the most significant apologist of the second century, explains the meaning of holy communion with the divine Logos. Firstly, he characterizes the mystical union with the Logos as participation of the human person in the divine Spirit. Secondly, he explains how the Incarnate Logos leads to the unity of the human being with God. Meanwhile, he warns that some people separate themselves from community with the Logos through their disobedience. Thirdly, he writes about eternal life in the divine Logos as the mortal body is absorbed by immortality. Based on the apostolic and evangelical writings, he confirms that human beings are shaped in the likeness of the Word of God and become similar to the Logos through their cooperation with divine grace. Irenaeus offers a beautiful image of grafting the wild olive into a good olive as the best depiction of community with the Logos. In sum, the Christian apologist explains full participation in the Logos and shows how human nature can be fully restored to its original state.