Irenaeus carried within his memory something precious beyond measure—the voice of a man who had known the Apostle John.
Discipleship Chain from the Apostles
Born around 120-140 AD in Smyrna (modern-day Turkey), Irenaeus grew up in a Christian household rather than converting as an adult. But his faith was profoundly shaped by an encounter that bridged the generations: as a young boy, he sat at the feet of Polycarp, the aged bishop of Smyrna who had himself been a disciple of the Apostle John.
Years later, Irenaeus wrote to a fellow student of Polycarp, describing memories that had become central to his faith: "I have a more vivid recollection of what occurred at that time than of recent events... I can even describe the place where the blessed Polycarp used to sit and discourse—his going out, too, and his coming in—his general mode of life and personal appearance, together with the discourses which he delivered to the people; also how he would speak of his familiar intercourse with John, and with the rest of those who had seen the Lord."
These memories created an unbroken chain: Jesus to John, John to Polycarp, Polycarp to Irenaeus. The young man from Smyrna had received the faith as it was "handed down from the apostles," with their "preaching still echoing in his ears, and their traditions before his eyes."
Called to Lead After Persecution
Irenaeus's path eventually led him to Lyon in Gaul (modern France), where he served as a priest. In 177 AD, while he was away in Rome, a brutal persecution swept through Lyon. When he returned, the bishop and many believers had been martyred. Irenaeus was chosen to succeed them.
Defending the Apostolic Faith
As Bishop of Lyon, Irenaeus devoted himself to defending the apostolic faith against the Gnostic heresies that threatened to corrupt it. His great work, Against Heresies, drew on those precious memories of Polycarp and the authentic tradition to refute teachers who claimed secret knowledge unknown to the apostles.
"The tradition of the apostles," Irenaeus wrote, "has been made manifest in every church to all who wish to see the truth."
The boy who had listened to Polycarp became the man who ensured that Polycarp's faith—and the apostles' faith—would be preserved for generations yet to come.
