Trinity and Humanity

This is one of my favorite quotes from the writings of the Church Fathers.

It comes from Irenaeus of Lyon’s discussion of the question of whether Adam is saved:

. . . inasmuch as humanity is saved, it is fitting that he who was created the original human should be saved. For it is too absurd to maintain that he who was so deeply injured by the enemy, and was the first to suffer captivity, was not rescued by Him who conquered the enemy, but that his children were — those whom he had begotten in the same captivity. Neither would the enemy appear to be as yet conquered, if the old spoils remained with him. ~ Against All Heresies, Book 3, Chap. 23, Para. 2 .

This is one of my favorite quotes because it is radically different from what you usually hear modern, American, evangelical preachers of the gospel say.

I think most of us, if asked, wouldn’t know how to answer the question “is Adam saved?” But to Irenaeus it is a no-brainer. He says “it’s absurd to think that Jesus would save the human race and not save the father of the human race!”

How many contemporary preachers do you know who begin their gospel thinking on the premise that the human race has been saved in Jesus? No too many, I think.

Is Irenaeus, then, a universalist? No – he understands that all humanity has been adopted into the life of the Trinity and saved from the devil, but that doesn’t mean that all humanity believes this truth about themselves. In our distinction we can still choose to believe the enemy’s lie that we are his captives, even when the truth is that Jesus has rescued us all.

But the starting point of the gospel – in the Bible and in this quote from Irenaeus – is not what we believe about ourselves but rather what is actually true about us. And what is actually true is this: we have all been adopted and rescued in the humanity of Jesus.

Thank you Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit!

~ Jonathan Stepp