Post-apostolic bishops of importance include Polycarp of Smyrna, Clement of Rome, and Irenaeus of Lyons.

Notable early Fathers include Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyons, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen of Alexandria.

St. Irenaeus (; Greek: ), ( 2nd century AD – c. 202 ) was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, then a part of the Roman Empire ( now Lyons, France ).

During the persecution of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor from 161-180, Irenaeus was a priest of the Church of Lyons.

While Irenaeus was in Rome, a massacre took place in Lyons.

Returning to Gaul, Irenaeus succeeded the martyr Saint Pothinus and became the second Bishop of Lyons.

He was buried under the Church of Saint John in Lyons, which was later renamed St Irenaeus in his honour.

Although it is sometimes claimed that Irenaeus believed Christ did not die until he was older than is conventionally portrayed, the bishop of Lyons simply pointed out that because Jesus turned the permissible age for becoming a rabbi ( 30 years old and above ), he recapitulated and sanctified the period between 30 and 50 years old, as per the Jewish custom of periodization of human life, and so touches the beginning of old age when one becomes 50 years old.

Irenaeus of Lyons is perhaps the earliest of the Church Fathers to develop a thorough mariology.

The concept of original sin was first alluded to in the 2nd century by Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons in his controversy ( written in Greek ) with the dualist Gnostics.

The sole surviving work attributed to his authorship is his Letter to the Philippians ; it is first recorded by Irenaeus of Lyons.

This theodicy was developed by the second-century Christian theologian, Irenaeus of Lyons, and its most recent and outspoken advocate has been the influential philosopher of religion, John Hick.

Irenaeus of Lyons wrote in the late 2nd century that since there are four quarters of the earth ... it is fitting that the church should have four pillars ... the four Gospels ( Against Heresies, 3. 11. 8 ), and then shortly thereafter made the first known quotation from a fourth gospel — the canonical version of the Gospel of John.

Others reject this interpretation, because Thomas lacks the full-blown mythology of Gnosticism as described by Irenaeus of Lyons ( ca.

* Irenaeus of Lyons (" Recapitulation ")

* Irenaeus of Lyons: Irenaeus is best known for his writings arguing for the unity of God, and against Gnosticism.

As with many Gnostic sects, we know of the Carpocratians only through the writings of the Church Fathers, principally Irenaeus of Lyons and Clement of Alexandria.

* In the second century, Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons ( about 130 — 200 ), arguably the most important Christian theologian of his time, said that God " became what we are in order to make us what he is himself.

* In the second century, Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons ( about 130 — 200 ), arguably the most important Christian theologian of his time, said that God " became what we are in order to make us what he is himself.

In the 2nd century, Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, may have referred to it.

Post-apostolic bishops of importance include Polycarp of Smyrna, Clement of Rome, and Irenaeus of Lyons.

Patron saints: Immaculate Conception, Irenaeus of Lyons, Michael the Archangel

This work is lost but survives in fragments quoted by Irenaeus of Lyons ( d. 202 ) and Eusebius of Caesarea ( d. 339 ).

( c. 4 ), who likewise follows Hippolytus's Compendium, adds some further particulars ; that ' Abraxas ' gave birth to Mind ( nous ), the first in the series of primary powers enumerated likewise by Irenaeus and Epiphanius ; that the world, as well as the 365 heavens, was created in honour of ' Abraxas ;' and that Christ was sent not by the Maker of the world but by ' Abraxas.

Irenaeus ( c. 115 – 202 ) assumes it as a conceded point.

Those who favour the later date appeal to the earliest external testimony, that of the Christian father Irenaeus ( c. 150-202 ), who wrote that he received his information from people who knew John personally.

( Irenaeus, c. 180 )

The English term " Gnosticism " derives from the use of the Greek adjective gnostikos (" learned ", " intellectual ", Greek γνωστικός ) by St. Irenaeus ( c. 185 AD ) to describe the school of Valentinus as he legomene gnostike haeresis " the heresy called Learned ( gnostic )".

The Church Fathers, witnessed by the Muratorian Canon, Irenaeus ( c. 170 ), Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Tertullian, held that the Gospel of Luke was written by Luke.

A four gospel canon ( the Tetramorph ) was in place by the time of Irenaeus, c. 160, who refers to it directly.

Irenaeus, ( c. 130 – 202 ) in his Against Heresies ( 1: 25 ; 6 ) says scornfully of the Gnostic Carpocratians, " They also possess images, some of them painted, and others formed from different kinds of material ; while they maintain that a likeness of Christ was made by Pilate at that time when Jesus lived among them.

Irenaeus ' best-known book, Adversus Haereses or Against Heresies ( c. 180 ) is a detailed attack on Gnosticism, which was then a serious threat to the Church, and especially on the system of the Gnostic Valentinus.

Even earlier than this collection, it is referred to by Procopius of Gaza ( c. 465-528 ), and Methodius appeals to Justin in support of his interpretation of 1 Corinthians 15: 50 in a way which makes it natural to assume the existence of a treatise on the subject, to say nothing of other traces of a connection in thought both here, in Irenaeus ( V., ii .- xiii.

For between Nero and Domitian there is no mention of any persecution of the Roman Church ; and Irenaeus ( 1. c., III, iv, 3 ) from among the early Roman bishops designates only Telesphorus as a glorious martyr.

Irenaeus ( c. 130 – 202 ) speaks not only of children but even of infants being " born again to God " and three passages of Origen ( 185 – c.

Irenaean theodicy, posited by Irenaeus ( 2nd century AD – c. 202 ), has been reformulated by John Hick.

Clement is put after Linus and Cletus / Anacletus in the earliest ( c. 180 ) account, that of Irenaeus, who is followed by Eusebius of Caesarea.

Before the 18th century, the belief of many, including the Church Fathers Papias ( c. 60-130 ), Irenaeus ( c. 130-200 ), Origen ( c. 185-254 ), Eusebius ( c. 260-340 ) Jerome ( c. 340-420 ), and Augustine of Hippo ( c. 354-430 ), had been that Matthew was the first gospel to be written.

Their names are differently given ; Irenaeus ( c. 30 ) giving them, Ialdabaoth, the chief, Iao, Sabaoth, Adonaeus, Eloaeus, Oreus, and Astaphaeus.

A four gospel canon ( the Tetramorph ) was first asserted by Irenaeus, c. 180.

Irenaeus ( d. c. 202 ), Clement of Alexandria ( d. 215 ), Lactantius ( ca.