Irenaeus is one very important figure from the early Church to which Roman Catholic theologians and apologists often appeal. They try to show that ideas such as apostolic succession, ecclesial infallibility, and even Roman primacy were known and wholeheartedly affirmed even as early as the second century after Christ. But does Irenaeus actually say the things that he is interpreted as saying? In this video, I provide a careful reading of Irenaeus's words in Against Heresies and put forth a Protestant response to the Roman Catholic theological and apologetic use of his ideas. I will try to show that, for Irenaeus, the true apostolic succession is doctrinal, there is no promise of infallible divine guidance applying to the teaching office of the Church, and the church of Rome has no special authority in theology simply as such. I will terminate with a consideration of the question: What would Irenaeus say about the Reformation?
“Ad hanc enim ecclesiam propter potiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire ecclesiam, hoc est, eos qui sunt undique fideles, in qua semper ab his, qui sunt undique, conservata est ea quae est ab apostolis traditio.” (AH 3.3.2)
Dr. Steven Nemes received his PhD in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. His dissertation, titled “A constructive-theological phenomenology of Scripture,” was passed with distinction by Profs. Oliver Crisp, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, and Fr. John Behr. He has published a number of articles on a diversity of subjects in peer reviewed academic journals such as Journal of Analytic Theology, Journal for Continental Philosophy of Religion, Heythrop Journal, and Neue Zeitschrift für Systematische Theologie und Religionsphilosophie.