Martyred
Originally from Asia Minor, Irenaeus was a disciple of Polycarp who served as the pastor for the church in Lyons (modern-day France). There he wrote a massive, five-volume work, Against All Heresies, in which he demonstrated the true Christian faith and refuted the errors of the heretical groups of his day, especially the Gnostics.
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Irenaeus (c. 130 – c. 202 AD) was a Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the development of Christian theology. Originating from Smyrna, he had seen and heard the preaching of Polycarp, who in turn was said to have heard John the Evangelist, and thus was the last-known living connection with the Apostles.
His best-known work is Against Heresies, often cited as Adversus Haereses, a refutation of gnosticism, in particular that of Valentinus. To counter the doctrines of the gnostic sects claiming secret wisdom, he offered three pillars of orthodoxy: the scriptures, the tradition handed down from the apostles, and the teaching of the apostles' successors. He is the earliest surviving witness to regard all four of the now-canonical gospels as essential.
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