The God of this World according to Ireneus
How could Ireneus, a respected founding Father of the authoritarian Christian Church be involved in great redaction of 180 AD?
We will find a clue in looking at Ireneus interpretation of 2 Corinthians 4 vs 5 on "The God of this World"
Before the great redaction the author of 2 Peter (possibly 150 AD) asserted there were
things in Pauls letters that were "hard to be understood " that "the
unstable twist".
Ireneus firmly believed the Authoritarian Church had "the truth".
The Gnostics as far as he was concerned were the enemies of truth
and therefore were a risk to the faith. Ireneus saw himself as the
defender of the faith. The authoritarian church clearly
believed the Gnostics were gaining assistance from Paul's writings.
Ireneus and the God of this World
Gnostics were asserting that the God of this world was Yahweh, the
demiurge, a lesser entity than the infinite God of all Godness.
They claimed 2 Corinthians 4 vs 5 as support.
Interestingly, Ireneus argued that as there was only one God therefore
in 2 Corinthians 4 vs 5 Paul was indeed refering to Yahweh!
But what is more interesting is that Ireneus shows just what "twisting" means!
1. As to their
affirming that Paul said plainly in the Second [Epistle] to the
Corinthians, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of
them that believe not," and maintaining that there is indeed one god of
this world, but another who is beyond all principality, and beginning,
and power, we are not to blame if they, who give out that they do
themselves know mysteries beyond God, know not how to read Paul. For if
any one read the passage thus-according to Paul's custom, as I show
elsewhere, and by many examples, that he uses transposition of
words-"In whom God," then pointing it off, and making a slight
interval, and at the same time read also the rest [of the sentence] in
one [clause], "hath blinded the minds of them of this world that
believe not," he shall find out the true [sense]; that it is contained
in the expression, "God hath blinded the minds of the unbelievers of
this world." And this is shown by means of the little interval [between
the clause]. For Paul does not say, "the God of this world," as if
recognising any other beyond Him; but he confessed God as indeed God.
And he says, "the unbelievers of this world," because they shall not
inherit the future age of incorruption.
Ireneus Against Heresies Book 3 ch 7
Ireneus had the answer. He asserts that Paul:
"frequently uses
a transposed order in his sentences, due to the rapidity of his discourses, and
the impetus of the Spirit which is in him."
Ireneus Against Heresies Book 3 ch 7
Consequently, we need Ireneus to explain Paul to us!
And that is what appears to have happened in the great redaction of 180 AD.
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