Against Heresies

Against Heresies is a work of Christian theology written in 180 A.D. by Saint Irenaeus, the bishop of Lyon. Irenaeus argued that Christianity was passed down to him from the apostles who knew Jesus personally, while the Gnostics and Marcionites were distorting the faith. While the Gnostics offered salvation through secret knowledge available only to a few, Irenaeus contended that the true doctrines of the Christian faith are the same taught by bishops in different areas. While many of the Gnostics viewed the material world as flawed and from which believers sought to escape to an eternal realm of spirit, Irenaeus saw creation as good and ultimately destined for glorification. "I have spared no pains, not only to make these doctrines known to you, but also to furnish the means of showing their falsity; so shall you, according to the grace given to you by the Lord, prove an earnest and efficient minister to others, that men may no longer be drawn away by the plausible system of these heretics, which I now proceed to describe." -St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon