Christians are led by the Spirit "to know what is the unity and division of these three great ones thus united--
Spirit, Son, and Father" (12.2). Besides this statement, Athenagoras's references to the relationships between
Father, Son, and Spirit are consistent with the other fathers of the second century.
suggested that God actually reveals himself, almost as if unmediated (8:5). It is from God the Father that
the plan of redemption originates (8:9; 9:1). By the Father's will he gave up his own Son (9:2).
However, the mediation of the Son is reciprocal, for the Father is also glorified through the Son (12:9).
This reciprocal relationship of mutual revelation is consistent with the second century idea that God
approaches the world from the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit, while the world
approaches God by the Spirit, through the Son, and to the Father.
Dem. 5), the "first of all things" (prw'to" tw'n ajpavntwn) (A.H. 4.38.3), who has nothing above or after
him (A.H. 2.Pref.1; Dem. 5). He is perfect (A.H. 4.38.3), being himself all mind, all word, all spirit, all
light (2.28.2). He is infinite (4.6.3), invisible spirit,
unknown to his creation except by his own voluntary self-revelation (4.6.3, 4).
emanations and mediating powers, Irenaeus argued that God has no need for other, lesser instruments of
creation;
them (4.38.1).
Contre les hérésies, Livre 3, vol. 2: Texte et traduction, Sources chrétiennes 211 (Paris: Cerf, 1974), Adelin Rousseau and L.
Doutreleau, eds., Irénée de Lyon: Contre les hérésies, Livre 1, vol. 2: Texte et traduction, Sources chrétiennes 264 (Paris: Cerf,
1979), Adelin Rousseau and L. Doutreleau, eds., Irénée de Lyon: Contre les hérésies, Livre 2, vol. 2: Texte et traduction, Sources
chrétiennes 294 (Paris: Cerf, 1982), Adelin Rousseau et al., eds., Irénée de Lyon: Contre les hérésies, Livre 4, vol. 2: Texte et
traduction, Sources chrétiennes 100 (Paris: Cerf, 1965), Adelin Rousseau, C. Mercier, and L. Doutreleau, eds., Irénée de Lyon:
Contre les hérésies, Livre 5, vol. 2: Texte et traduction, Sources chrétiennes 153 (Paris: Cerf, 1969). The English translation for
Against Heresies, Book 1, is Dominic J. Unger and John J. Dillon, eds., St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Adversus haeresis 1/1, Ancient
Christian Writers 53 (New York: Newman, 1992) For Books 25 the translation is from Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson,
eds., The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1: The Apostolic Fathers, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus (Edinburgh: Christian Literature Publishing
Company, 1885; reprint, New York: Scribner's, 1899), with the occasional use of Robert M. Grant, Irenaeus of Lyons, The Early
Church Fathers (London: Routledge, 1997) For Demonstration the English translation is from Iain M. MacKenzie, Irenaeus's
Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching: A Theological Commentary and Translation, trans. J. Armitage Robinson (Burlington,
VT: Ashgate, 2002). Since a text-critical study of the Irenaean corpus is far beyond the scope of this paper, Greek citations rely
upon either the recension of the text based on manuscript evidence, or upon the reconstruction of the Greek text based on the
evidence from the Latin and other ancient versions, trusting the general reliability of the editors' scholarship. Where there are
discrepancies between paragraph numbering between the critical editions and English translations, I have cited the passages
according to the editions. Although the authenticity of several fragments is disputed, I have included them here, and advise the
reader to use caution in handling the evidence they provide.