'Against Heresies'

From the 2nd through the 4th centuries, many different Christian movements, or denominations, emerged throughout the Roman Empire. These included the Gnostics, Marcionists, Modalists, Arians, and many others. Most of these groups were considered heretical by the broader Christian community, but some began to attract increasing numbers of converts and grew in influence. As these movements spread, there arose a need to distinguish their teachings from the doctrine handed down by the Apostles. This concern motivated Irenaeus, Bishop of Lugdunum, when he wrote ‘Against Heresies’ around AD 180. How did Irenaeus develop the concept of apostolic succession, and how did he use it to argue for the authority of the Christian Church to be in Rome? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #412.