Why did Irenaeus the Bishop of Lyons write - Against Heresies?
Even in heresy there is “nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV) The false teachings that spring up in and around the church remain much the same. Instead of turning to Christ ’s atoning works, many have sought to save themselves by discovering some secret knowledge. In the early church, it appeared in a group of heresies called Gnosticism (gnosis is a Greek word meaning “knowledge”). Before the founding of the church, some form of Gnosticism apparently existed. When John wrote his first epistle, he struck a blow at this false teaching. Yet it still had a following in the second century. We know little about Irenaeus , the man who opposed Gnosticism in the latter part of the second century. He was probably born in Asia Minor in about 125. Active trading between Asia Minor and Gaul had allowed Christians to bring their faith to Gaul, where they had established a vigorous church in the chief city, Lyons. While he served as an elder in Lyons, Irenaeus lived up to ...