Irenaeus Describes the Apostasy


Mike Willis
In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he warned of false teachers who were soon to come. Here is what he wrote:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 3:1-7).

While one might study this passages by a careful analysis of words of the text, another way to study this passage is to read of the historical circumstances that fulfilled the prophecy about which Paul wrote. The following is quoted from Irenaeus’ work Against Heresies (Book I, chapter 13). Irenaeus lived from 120-202. He faced the Gnostic heresy and wrote his book Against Heresies in response to it. His description of the false teachers about whom Paul spoke is interesting and we pass it on to our readers for their profit. Especially are we interested in seeing how these false teachers “creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts.” This description will help us to understand what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3.

Chap. XIII. — The Deceitful Arts and Nefarious Practices of Marcus
1. But there is another among these heretics, Marcus by name, who boasts himself as having improved upon his master. He is a perfect adept in magical impostures, and by this means drawing away a great number of men, and not a few women, he has induced them to join themselves to him, as to one who is possessed of the greatest knowledge and perfection, and who has received the highest power from the invisible and ineffable regions above. Thus it appears as if he really were the precursor of Antichrist.  For, joining the buffooneries of Anaxilaus to the craftiness of the magi, as they are called, he is regarded by his senseless and cracked-brain followers as working miracles by these means.

2. Pretending to consecrate cups mixed with wine, and protracting to great length the word of invocation, he contrives to give them a purple and reddish colour, so  that Charis, who is one of those that are superior to all things, should be thought to drop her own blood into that cup through means of his invocation, and that thus those who are present should be led to rejoice to taste of that cup, in order that, by so doing, the Charis, who is set forth by this magician, may also flow into them. Again, handing mixed cups to the women, he bids them consecrate these in his presence. When this has been done, he himself produces another cup of much larger size than that which the deluded woman has consecrated and pouring from the smaller one consecrated by the woman into that which has been brought forward by himself, he at the same time pronounces these words: “ May that Charis who is before all things, and who transcends all knowledge and speech, fill thine inner man, and multiply in thee her own knowledge, by sowing the grain of mustard seed in thee as in good soil.” Repeating certain other like words, and thus goading on the wretched woman (to madness), he then appears a worker of wonders when the large cup is seen to have been filled out of the small one, so as even to overflow by what has been obtained from it. By accomplishing several other similar things, he has completely deceived many, and drawn them away after him.

3. It appears probable enough that this man possesses a demon as his familiar spirit, by means of whom he seems able to prophesy and also enables as many as he counts worthy to be partakers of his Charis themselves to prophesy. He devotes himself especially to women, and those such as are well-bred, and elegantly attired, and of great wealth, whom he frequently seeks to draw after him, by addressing them in such seductive words as these: “ I am eager to make thee a partaker of my Charis, since the Father of all doth continually behold thy angel before His face. Now the place of thy angel is among us: it behoves us to become one. Receive first from me and by me [the gift of Charis]. Adorn thyself as a bride who is expecting her bridegroom, that thou mayest be what I am, and I what thou art. Es­tablish the germ of light in thy nuptial chamber. Receive from me a spouse, and become receptive of him, while thou art received by him. Behold Charis has descended upon thee; open thy mouth and prophesy.” On the woman replying, “I have never at any time prophesied, nor do I know how to prophesy;” then engaging, for the second  time, in certain invocations, so as to astound his deluded victim, he says to her, “Open thy mouth, speak whatsoever occurs to thee, and thou shalt prophesy.” She then, vainly puffed up and elated by these words, and greatly excited in soul by the expectation that it is herself who is to prophesy, her heart beating violently (from emotion), reaches the requisite pitch of audacity, and idly as well as impudently utters some nonsense as it happens to occur to her, such as might be expected from one heated by an empty spirit. (Referring to this, one superior to me has observed, that the soul is both audacious and impudent when heated with empty air.) Henceforth she reckons herself a prophetess, and expresses her thanks to Marcus for having imparted to her of his own Charis. She then makes the effort to reward him, not only by the gift of her possessions (in which way he has collected a very large fortune), but also by yielding up to him her person, desiring in every way to be united to him, that she may become altogether one with him.

4. But already some of the most faithful women, possessed of the fear of God, and not being deceived (whom, nevertheless, he did his best to seduce like the rest by bidding them prophesy), abhorring and execrating him, have withdrawn from such a vile company of revellers. This they have done, as being well aware that the gift of prophecy is not conferred on men by  Marcus, the magician, but only those to whom God sends his grace from above possess the divinely-bestowed power of prophesying; and then they speak where and when God pleases, and not when Marcus orders them to do so. For that which commands is greater and of higher authority than that which is commanded, inasmuch as the former rules, while the latter is in a state of subjection. If, then, Marcus, or any one else, does command, — as these are accustomed continually at their feasts to play at drawing lots, and [in accordance with the lot] to command one another to prophesy, giving forth as oracles what is in harmony with their own desires, — it will follow that he who commands is greater and of higher authority than the prophetic spirit, though he is but man, which is impossible. But such spirits as are commanded by these men, and speak when they desire it, are earthly and weak, audacious and impudent, sent forth by Satan for the seduction and perdition of those who do not hold fast that well compacted faith which ye received at first through the church.

5. Moreover, that this Marcus compounds philters and love-potions, in order to insult the persons of some of these women, if not of all, those of them who have returned to the Church of God — a thing which frequently occurs — have acknowledged confession too, that they have been defiled by him, and that were filled with a burning passion towards him. A sad example of this occurred in the case of a certain Asiatic, one of our deacons, who had received him (Marcus) into his house. His wife a wo­man of remarkable beauty, fell a victim both in mind and body to this magician, and, for a long time, travelled about with him. At last, when, with no small difficulty, the brethren had converted her, she spent her whole time in the exercise of public confession, weeping over and lamenting the defilement which she had received from this magician.
6. Some of his disciples, too, addicting them­selves to the same practices, have deceived many silly women, and defiled them. They pro­claim themselves as being “perfect,” so that no one can be compared to them with respect to the immensity of their knowledge, nor even were you to mention Paul or Peter, or any other of the apostles. They assert that they themselves know more than all others, and that they alone have imbibed the greatness of the knowledge of that power which is unspeakable. They also maintain that they have attained to a height above all power, and that therefore they are free in every respect to act as they please, having no one to fear in anything. For they affirm, that because of the “Redemption”  it has come to pass that they can neither be apprehended, nor even seen by the judge. But even if he should happen to lay hold upon them, then they might simply repeat these words, while standing in his presence along with the “Redemption:” “O thou, who sittest beside God, and the mystical, eternal Sige, thou through whom the angels (mightiness), who continually behold the face of the Father, having thee as their guide and introducer, do derive their forms from above, which she in the greatness of her daring inspiring with mind on account of the goodness of the Propator, produced us as their images, having her mind then intent upon the things above, as in a dream, — behold, the judge is at hand, and the crier orders me to make my defence. But do thou, as being acquainted with the affairs of both, present the cause of both of us to the judge, inasmuch as it is in reality but one cause.” Now, as soon as the Mother hears these words, she puts the Homeric helmet of Pluto upon them, so that they may invisibly escape the judge. And then she immediately catches them up, con­ducts them into the bridal chamber, and hands them over to their consorts.

7. Such are the words and deeds by which, in our own district of the Rhone, they have de­luded many women, who have their consciences seared as with a hot iron. Some of them, in­deed, make a public confession of their sins; but others of them are ashamed to do this, and in a tacit kind of way, despairing of [attaining to] the life of God, have, some of them, aposta­tized altogether; while others hesitate between the two courses, and incur that which is implied in the proverb, “neither without nor within;” possessing this as the fruit from the seed of the children of knowledge (The Ante-Nicene Fathers I:334-36).

Conclusion Remarks
From reading Irenaeus, one notices that the early church was not characterized by the spirit of some among us today. Irenaeus was not embarrassed to name the heretics about whom he spoke. He calls the heretic by his name (Marcus) and then describes him in terms that most early twenty-first century Americans would be offended by, “Thus it appears as if he really were the precursor of Antichrist. For, joining the buffooneries or Anaxilaus to the craftiness of the magi, as they called, he is regarded by his senseless and crack-brained followers as working miracles by these means.” Although admired as a heroic defender of the faith by almost all students of church history, were Irenaeus alive today, he would be offensive and too-harsh in exposing false teachers.
Let us guard ourselves from allowing today’s tolerant spirit to shape our concept of preaching and withstanding error. Remember the words of Paul, “. . . for the fashion of this world passeth away” (1 Cor. 7:31). He was not speaking of the destruction of the world at the end of time, but of the flux and change that are always in progress in human history. This brief period of time, when the spirit of toleration occupies the stage of modern American religion, will soon pass and those who have married that spirit will be a widow when that spirit passes from the stage and dies. In contrast, those who cling to the spirit of New Testament Christianity, with its militant opposition to every unrevealed doctrine, do not change with the passing styles of each age that come and go through the years. Rather, their minds are transformed by the gospel and, therefore, escape the passing fancies of men.
6567 Kings Ct., Avon, Indiana 46123 mikewillis1@compuserve.com
Truth Magazine Vol. XLV: 10  p2  May 17, 2001