But, in addition to this, Irenaeus developed a second train of thought.
This was the outcome of his Gnostic and realistic doctrine of
recapitulation, and evinces clear traces of the influence of Pauline
theology. It is, however, inconsistent with the moralistic teachings
unfolded above, and could only be united with them at a few points. To
the Apologists the proposition: "it is impossible to learn to know God
without the help of God" ("impossibile est sine deo discere deum") was a
conviction which, with the exception of Justin, they subordinated to
their moralism and to which they did not give a specifically
Christological signification. Irenaeus understood this proposition in a
Christological sense,[568] and at the same time conceived the blessing
of salvation imparted by Christ not only as the incorruptibility
consisting in the beholding of God bestowed on obedience IV. 20. 5-7:
IV. 38, but also as the divine sonship which has been won for us by
Christ and which is realised in constant fellowship with God and
dependence on him.[569] No doubt he also viewed this divine sonship as
consisting in the transformation of human nature; but the point of
immediate importance here is that it is no longer human freedom but
Christ that he contemplated in this connection. Corresponding to this he
has now also a different idea of the original destination of man, of
Adam, and of the results of the fall. Here comes in the mystical
Adam-Christ speculation, in accordance with the Epistles to the
Ephesians and Corinthians. Everything, that is, the "longa hominum
expositio," was recapitulated by Christ in himself; in other words he
restored humanity _to what it originally was_ and again included under
one head what was divided.[570] If humanity is restored, then it must
have lost something before and been originally in good condition. In
complete contradiction to the other teachings quoted above, Irenaeus now
says: "What we had lost in Adam, namely, our possession of the image and
likeness of God, we recover in Christ."[571] Adam, however, is humanity;
in other words, as all humanity is united and renewed through Christ so
also it was already summarised in Adam. Accordingly "the sin of
disobedience and the loss of salvation which Adam consequently suffered
may now be viewed as belonging to all mankind summed up in him, in like
manner as Christ's obedience and possession of salvation are the
property of all mankind united under him as their head."[572] In the
first Adam we offended God by not fulfilling his commandments; in Adam
humanity became disobedient, wounded, sinful, bereft of life; through
Eve mankind became forfeit to death; through its victory over the first
man death descended upon us all, and the devil carried us all away
captive etc.[573] Here Irenaeus always means that in Adam, who represents
all mankind as their head, the latter became doomed to death. In this
instance he did not think of a hereditary transmission, but of a mystic
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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