St Irenaeus was one of the Early Church Fathers, whose work, On Heresies, upheld that Christians would benefit from studying the Old Testament, and upheld that the Old Testament is indeed part of the Christian Holy Scriptures, that it forms the basis of Christian teaching. St Irenaeus and St Justin Martyr develop the terminology and early theology of how we relate to and discuss Christianity and Christ who was sent into this world so we could be adopted sons of the Father. We will review the many allegories St Irenaeus finds in Scripture in Biblical stories, including: • Adam and Christ • Adam and Eve • Road to Emmaus • Sarah and Hagar • Cain and Abel • Jacob and Esau • Esau and Jacob • Moses and his staff • Parable of Rich Man • Hosea and his prostitute wife • Elisha recovering the ax-head • Raising of Lazarus • Temptations of Christ This video draws from this blog: http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/st-irenaeus-blog-3-allegorical-interpretations-of-scripture/ YouTube video: https://youtu.be/L5KLUjK7SCQ © Copyright 2021 You can purchase Volume 1 of the Nicene Fathers from: www.christianbook.com Please support our channel by purchasing the books we discuss from Amazon, we receive a small associate’s commission: Scandal of the Incarnation: Irenaeus Against the Heresies, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Editor https://amzn.to/3CBQdYV The History of the Church: From Christ to Constantine, by Eusebius (263-339), Penguin Classic, introduction by Andrew Louth https://amzn.to/3eRbZgK Kindle: The Complete Ante-Nicene, Nicene and Post-Nicene Collection of Early Church Fathers https://amzn.to/3kMFdBa History of Early Christian Literature (Midway Reprint Series), by Edgar Johnson Goodspeed https://amzn.to/36S0UHV The Path of Christianity: The First Thousand Years Hardcover, by John Anthony McGuckin https://amzn.to/2UHXMeW The Early Church, by Henry Chadwick: https://amzn.to/36W9OUB The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Vol. 1: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600) (Volume 1) Paperback – August 15, 1975, by Jaroslav Pelikan: https://amzn.to/2UB183E

2. Today we will learn and reflect on the scriptural
allegories observed by St Irenaeus in his work, On
Heresies.
St Irenaeus was not the first Church Father to see
Christ foreshadowed in the Old Testament by
means of allegory, Christians were reading the Bible
stories from the time of St Paul in Galatians:

3. Hagar & Ishmael Banished by Abraham, by Pieter Jozef Verhaghen, 1781
"Abraham had two sons, one by a slave
woman and the other by a free woman.
One, the child of the slave, was born
according to the flesh; the other, the child
of the free woman, was born through the
promise. Now this is an allegory: these
women are two covenants. One woman, in
fact, is Hagar, from Mount Sinai, bearing
children for slavery." "But the other
woman corresponds to the Jerusalem
above; she is free, and she is our mother.”
"What does the scripture say? 'Drive out
the slave and her child; for the child of the
slave will not share the inheritance with
the child of the free woman.' So then,
friends, we are children, not of the slave
but of the free woman.“ Galatians 4

4. In a passage in Luke, Jesus specifically exhorted us to search for Him in
the stories of the Old Testatement.
Some days after His crucifixion, Jesus appeared in cognito to some of His
disciples on the road to Emmaus, but they did not immediately recognize
Him. Appearing as fellow traveller, he walked with them, engaging in
conversation with them when they expressed dismay at the crucifixion
of Jesus, their Lord, for they were not yet aware of His Resurrection.

5. Road to Emmaus, by Robert Zund, circa 1877
“Then Jesus said to
them, ‘Oh, how foolish
you are, and how slow
of heart to believe all
that the prophets have
declared! Was it not
necessary that the
Messiah should suffer
these things and then
enter into his glory’”
Then beginning with
Moses and all the
prophets, He
interpreted to them
the things about
Himself in all the
scriptures.”
(Luke 24:25-27)

6. At the end of our talk, we will discuss the sources
used for this video, and the history behind this
ancient work, like how many manuscripts have
survived.
Please, we welcome interesting questions in the
comments. Let us learn and reflect together!

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9. In his books, On Hereies, St Irenaeus includes a retelling of many
of the parables of the New Testament as well as many stories of
the Patriarchs and Moses in the Old Testament.
For example, St Irenaeus sees Jonah as a type of Christ. God
called Jonah to preach to the Ninevites so they would confess for
their wicked ways, so Jonah boarded a boat going the opposite
direction, he did not want for the mortal enemies of the Jews to
repent and escape God’s wrath. The boat set sail, the winds and
the waves grew angry, the crew drew lots to reveal who was the
cause of the divine wrath, and the lot fell on Jonah. Over the
railings they threw Jonah, to be swallowed by the whale.

11. St Irenaeus sees Adam as prefiguring Jonah.
“From the beginning God permitted man to
be to be swallowed up the great whale, who
was the author of transgression, not that he
should perish altogether” in the depths of
the sea, but he would be saved by the plan
of salvation, which was accomplished by
Christ, the Word of God, “by the sign of
Jonah.” “This was done that man, receiving
an unhoped-for salvation from God, might
rise from the dead and glorify God, and
repeat the words that Jonah prophesied in
the belly of the whale, ‘I cried by reason of
mine affliction to the Lord my God, and He
heard me from the belly of hell.’” Jonah and the Whale, by Pieter Lastman, circ 1621
Jonah sung a psalm to the Lord, and “the Lord spoke to the fish, and it spewed Jonah
out upon the dry land.”

12. After Adam and Eve had eaten of the apple, they were
ashamed and hid, weaving coverings of fig leaves, a rather
itchy leaf. St Irenaeus tells us, “Adam adopted a dress suited
for his disobedience, awed by the fear of God,” which is the
beginning of wisdom, “waiting for God’s coming.” By his dress
he admits to himself, “I by disobedience lost that robe of
sanctity which I had from the Spirit, I do now acknowledge
that I am deserving” of such uncomfortable dress, which
tortures the body. God, who is merciful, clothes them instead
in a more comfortable tunics of skins of fur. They were then
driven out of Paradise and the Tree of Life because “God pitied
them and did not desire that he should continue a sinner
forever, nor that his sins become immortal.” God set a limit to
his sin by imposing death, “so that man, ceasing at length to
live to sin, and dying to it, might begin to live in God.” There
would be life in Christ, as St Paul exhorts, “O death, where is
thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?”
Expulsion of Adam and Eve from
Paradise, by Eugène Delacroix, 1800's

13. St Irenaeus sees in the original
disobedience an allegory of
heresy. “The Church has been
planted as a garden in this
world, and the Spirit of God
says, ‘You may freely eat from
every tree of the garden,’ that
is, you can partake of every
word of Scripture of the Lord,
but you shall not partake with
any heretical discord,’ warning
man from harmful speculation
and realizing the danger of
forming “opinions beyond the
limits of understanding.” Adam and Eve, by Gustave Courtois

14. St Irenaeus saw many of the stories of
the patriarchs as allegorical. When
Rachel gave birth to Esau and Jacob, the
infant Jacob grabbed the heel of Esau,
and later Jacob would receive the
blessing of the firstborn, though he was
not the eldest brother, for Esau would
sell his birthright for a bowl of porridge.
The allegory was that the younger nation,
the Gentiles, received Christ while the
elder nation, the Jews, “rejected Him,
saying, ‘We no king but Caesar.’”
Reconciliation of Jacob with Esau, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1624

15. Jacob worked for
the sake of the
younger sister
Rachel, “who had
the handsome
eyes,” so “Rachel
prefigured the
Church, for whom
Christ endured
patiently.”
Jacob and Rachel, by Jacopo Amigoni, early 1700’s

16. St Irenaeus sees that “the
whole exodus of the people
out of Egypt, which took
place under divine guidance,
was a type and image of the
exodus of the Church from
among the Gentiles.” Also, St
Irenaeus sees the rod of
Moses as a type of Christ.
When Moses “cast his rod
upon the earth, it became
flesh,” and swallowed up the
opposing serpents that were
the rods cast down by the
Egyptian magicians.
Moses and the Brazen Serpent, by Adriaen van Nieulandt, circa 1640

17. St Irenaeus
reminds us that
the writings of
Moses are the
words of Christ,
for Jesus exhorts
us, “If you
believed Moses,
you would
believe me, for
he wrote about
me. But if you
do not believe
what he wrote,
how will you
believe what I
say?”
Moses Showing the Tablets of the Law to the Israelites, by Maerten de Vos, circa 1575

18. Likewise, in the story
of the rich man and
the poor man, Jesus
teaches us “that no
one should lead a
luxurious life, nor,
living in worldly
pleasures and
perpetual feastings,
lest he should be the
slave of his lusts, and
forget God.”
The Parable of the Rich Fool by Rembrandt, 1627.

19. St Irenaeus interpreted many stories
of women in the Old Testament
allegorically. Hosea was ordered by
the Lord to take a ‘wife of harlotry,’ to
illustrate to the people of Israel that
they were “committing great harlotry
by forsaking the Lord.” The woman,
the Church, is sanctified by her
marriage to her husband, the Son of
God. The Ethiopian wife of Moses
was also seen as “the Church taken
from among the Gentiles.

20. St Irenaeus sees an allegory in the
miracle involved Elisha and the ax-
head. This is the account: “As [the
servant] was felling a log, his ax
head fell into the water; he cried
out, “Alas, master! It was
borrowed.” Then [Elisha], the man
of God said, “Where did it fall?”
When he showed him the place,
[Elisha] cut off a stick, and threw it
in there, and made the iron float.”
The allegory is that the original
word of God was lost when the
apple was eaten from a tree, but
now we receive the Word anew “by
the dispensation of a tree,” the
cross of Christ.
….
Elisha Raising the Shunammite’s Son by Benjamin West, circa 1766

21. St Irenaeus sees a spiritual meaning behind the Old
Testament dietary law that those animals that have a
double hoof and ruminate, or chew the cud, are clean
animals that can be eaten, but that animals lacking one
or both of these are unclean.

22. The Nativity,
by William
Bell Scott,
circa 1872

23. The animals with the double hoof are
steady on their feet, which are an
allegory for those people “who make
their way by faith steadily towards the
Father and the Son,” and those animals
who chew the cud are an allegory for
those “who mediate day and night upon
the words of God” and do good works of
righteousness. Those who are unclean
“have neither faith in God nor do they
meditate on His words.”
Nativity of Jesus, by Martin Schongauer, circa 1480

24. St Irenaeus sees the miracle of Jesus
calling Lazarus out of the tomb
“bound with bandages on his feet
and hands, as symbolic of man
being bound in his sins.” As Lazarus
was called out of his tomb after
being dead four days, as Jesus was
resurrected on the third day with his
resurrection body, so we will all be
raised on the last day in our
resurrection bodies. St Irenaeus
repeats St Paul, observing that “if
Christ has not risen, our preaching is
in vain, and your faith is in vain.”
The Raising of Lazarus, by Duccio, circa 1310–11

25. St Irenaeus interprets the Temptations
of Christ as an allegory of redemption
and salvation. After Jesus had fasted in
the desert for forty days and forty
nights, Satan tempted Jesus for the first
time, “If you are the Son of God,
command that these stones be made
bread,” to which Jesus replied, “It is
written, Man does not live by bread
alone.” St Irenaeus teaches us that as
the eating of the apple in the garden
caused the corruption of man, so this
corruption was healed by the Lord’s
fasting in this world.
The Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness, Sebastiano Ricci

26. For his next temptation, Satan brought Jesus to
the pinnacle of the temple, saying, “If you are
the Son of God, cast yourself down. For it is
written, ‘God shall give His angels charge over
you and they will bear you up, lest you dash
your foot against a stone.’” Here Satan was
“concealing a falsehood under the guise of
Scripture, as is done by the heretics,” for the
Scriptures do not mention casting down. Thus,
Jesus answered, “It is written, You shall not
tempt the Lord your God.” The pride of reason
by Satan and the heretics was defeated by the
humility shown by Christ.
….
The Temptation of Christ, by Ary Scheffer, circa 1854

27. Being defeated, Satan tempted Jesus
for the last time. Satan showed Jesus
all the kingdoms of the world in their
glory, saying “All these I will give you, if
you will fall down and worship me.”
Jesus commanded him, “Depart, Satan,
for it is written, ‘You shall worship the
Lord your God, and Him only shall you
serve.’” Jesus revealed who Satan was
by his name, “for the Hebrew word
SATAN means apostate. As Adam was
originally disobedient, so Jesus
defeated Satan through his obedience.” Christ's temptation - mosaic in Monreale Cathedral

28. (REPEAT) We also found this painting of an Allegory of the Old and
New Testaments, by Protestant painter Hans Holbein the Younger from
the early 1530s.
The images and inscriptions provide a painted sermon. The central
theme is the contrast between the unforgiving Old Testament Law on
the left, and the forgiving Grace of the New Testament at the right.
Man's failure to obey the commandments God gave to Moses, led to
sin and death, illustrated by the skeleton). However, man is forgiven
and achieves salvationthrough Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection.
Man sits between the Old Testament prophet Isaiah and St John the
Baptist, who points the way forward to Christ 'the Lamb of God.'

29. An Allegory of the Old and New
Testaments, Hans Holbein the
Younger Early 1530s
The images and inscriptions provide
a painted sermon. The central theme,
encouraged by the Reformation, is
the contrast between the unforgiving
Old Testament Law (LEX) on the left,
and the forgiving Grace of the New
Testament (GRATIA) at the right. Man
(HOMO)'s failure to obey the
commandments God gave to Moses,
led to sin (PECCATUM) and death
(MORS - the skeleton). However, man
is forgiven and achieves salvation
(VICTORIA NOSTRA) through Christ's
Crucifixion and Resurrection. Man sits
between the Old Testament prophet
Isaiah and St John the Baptist, who
points the way forward to Christ 'the
Lamb of God' (AGNUS DEI).

30. SOURCES: Most of St Irenaeus’ main work “Against Heresies,”
which he titled “The Detection and Refutation of False
Knowledge,” survives in a few Latin translations, the Greek
original survives only in fragments, and there are surviving
sections in Syriac and Armenian. We discuss the manuscript
tradition more thoroughly in our main video on St Irenaeus.

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