Irenaeus — Commentary on Scripture

John 8:44

For those who tasted of the tree died. And the serpent is proved a liar and a murderer, as the Lord said of him: “For he is a murderer from the beginning, and the truth is not in him.”

AGAINST HERESIES 5.23.2

John 8:56

Abraham also, knowing the Father through the Word who made heaven and earth, confessed that he was God. Having learned by an announcement [made to him] that the Son of God would be a man among men—by whose advent his seed should be as the stars of heaven—he desired to see that day so that he might himself also embrace Christ. Seeing it through the spirit of prophecy, he rejoiced.

AGAINST HERESIES 4.7.1

John 8:56

Existing before all, and going before all.
For when the Lord said to them, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it, and was glad "they answered Him, "Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast Thou seen Abraham? ".
And teaching this very thing, He said to the Jews: "Your father Abraham rejoiced that he should see my day; and he saw it, and was glad".
Since, therefore, Abraham was a prophet and saw in the Spirit the day of the Lord's coming, and the dispensation of His suffering, through whom both he himself and all who, following the example of his faith, trust in God, should be saved, he rejoiced exceedingly. The Lord, therefore, was not unknown to Abraham, whose day he desired to see;

Against Heresies Book II

John 8:56

Abraham was a prophet and saw in the Spirit the day of the Lord’s coming and the dispensation of his suffering through whom both he himself and all who trust in God would be saved, following the example of his faith. Since he saw this, he rejoiced exceedingly. The Lord, therefore, was not unknown to Abraham whose day he desired to see. The Lord’s Father also was not unknown. For Abraham had learned from the Word of the Lord and believed him. Therefore it was accounted to him by the Lord for righteousness.

AGAINST HERESIES 4.5.5

John 8:56

Christ himself … together with the Father is the God of the living who spoke to Moses and who was also manifested to the patriarchs. In teaching this very thing he said to the Jews, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.” What did he intend when he said this? “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.” In the first place, [Abraham believed] that he was the maker of heaven and earth, the only God. Second, he believed that God would make his seed as the stars of heaven. This is what is meant by Paul, [when he says], “as lights in the world.” Righteously, therefore, having left his earthly family, he followed the Word of God walking as a pilgrim with the Word so that he might [afterwards] make his home with the Word.

AGAINST HERESIES 4.5.2-3

John 8:58

And as He was the son of David, so was He also the Lord of David. And as He was from Abraham, so did He also exist before Abraham.

Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus

John 8:58

But the Word of God did not accept of the friendship of Abraham, as though He stood in need of it, for He was perfect from the beginning ("Before Abraham was "He says, "I am"

Against Heresies Book IV

John 8:59

And as He was capable of being handled and touched, so again did He, in a non-apprehensible form, pass through the midst of those who sought to injure Him.

Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenaeus

John 9:1

They also maintain that the Saviour exhibited an emblem of this mystery in the case of that man who was blind from his birth,

Against Heresies Book II

John 9:3

And therefore, when His disciples asked Him for what cause the man had been born blind, whether for his own or his parents' fault, He replied, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."

Against Heresies Book V

John 9:6

He healed others by a word.… But the Lord bestowed sight on the one who was blind from birth—not by a word, but by an outward action. He did this neither casually nor simply because this was how it happened. He did it this way in order to show it was the same hand of God here that had also formed man at the beginning. And therefore when his disciples asked him why he had been born blind, whether by his own fault or his parents’, Jesus said, “Neither this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God might be manifested in him.” The work of God is, after all, the forming of man. He did this by an outward action, as Scripture says, “And the Lord took clay from earth, and formed man.” Notice here too how the Lord spit on the earth, and made clay and smeared it on his eyes, showing how the ancient creation was made. He was making clear to those who can understand, that this was the [same] hand of God through which man was formed from clay. For what the creating Word had neglected to form in the womb, this he supplied openly. He did this so that the works of God might be evident…

He healed others by a word.… But the Lord bestowed sight on the one who was blind from birth—not by a word, but by an outward action. He did this neither casually nor simply because this was how it happened. He did it this way in order to show it was the same hand of God here that had also formed man at the beginning. And therefore when his disciples asked him why he had been born blind, whether by his own fault or his parents’, Jesus said, “Neither this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God might be manifested in him.” The work of God is, after all, the forming of man. He did this by an outward action, as Scripture says, “And the Lord took clay from earth, and formed man.” Notice here too how the Lord spit on the earth, and made clay and smeared it on his eyes, showing how the ancient creation was made. He was making clear to those who can understand, that this was the [same] hand of God through which man was formed from clay. For what the creating Word had neglected to form in the womb, this he supplied openly. He did this so that the works of God might be evident in him, and so that we would now seek for no other hand than that through which humanity was formed. Nor should we seek another Father, knowing that the hand of God which formed us in the beginning, and forms in the womb, has in the last times sought us lost ones out. He is gaining his own lost sheep and putting it on his shoulders and joyfully restoring it to the fold of life.

AGAINST HERESIES 5.15.2

John 9:7

As, therefore, we are formed in the womb by the Word, this very same Word also formed sight in the one who had been blind from his birth. In this way, he openly showed who it is who forms us in secret, since now the Word himself had been revealed to the world. It also made known the ancient formation of Adam and how he was made, and through what hand he was formed—indicating the whole [of Adam’s creation] by showing us a part [of it]. For the Lord who formed sight is he who has formed the entire person, and in doing so, carried out the will of the Father. But in respect to that formation in men and women that took place after Adam—when humanity fell into sin—there was a need for the washing of regeneration. This is why the Lord said to the man to whom he had given sight, “Go to Siloam and wash.” In this way, he provided both his physical reformation and his regeneration which comes through washing. And this is why, when he washed, he came back seeing. He would come to know his creator and humanity would come to know him who has given us life.

AGAINST HERESIES 5.15.3

John 9:7

And inasmuch as man, with respect to that formation which, was after Adam, having fallen into transgression, needed the layer of regeneration,

Against Heresies Book V

John 9:30

The deceased daughter of the high priest; the widow's dead son, who was being carried out to burial near the gate of the city; and Lazarus, who had lain four days in the tomb, in what bodies did they rise again? In those same, no doubt, in which they had also died. For if it were not in the very same, then certainly those same individuals who had died did not rise again.

Irenaeus Against Heresies Book 5

John 11:25

But our Lord is Himself the resurrection, as He does Himself declare, "I am the resurrection and the life."

Against Heresies Book IV

John 11:25

If he is not the God of the dead but of the living, yet was called the God of the fathers who were sleeping, they do undoubtedly live to God and have not passed out of existence, since they are children of the resurrection. But our Lord is himself the resurrection, as he himself declares, “I am the resurrection and the life.” But the fathers are his children, for it is said by the prophet: “In the place of ancestors you, O king, shall have sons.” Christ himself, therefore, together with the Father, is the God of the living who spoke to Moses and who was also made known to the fathers.

AGAINST HERESIES 4.5.2

John 11:35

Why did he come down into [Mary his mother] if he were to take nothing of her? If he had taken nothing of Mary, he … would never have wept over Lazarus.

AGAINST HERESIES 3.22.2

John 11:44

Concerning Lazarus, who had lain four days in the tomb: In what [body did he] rise again? In the same, no doubt, in which he had also died. For if it were not in the very same [body], then certainly he who had died did not rise again.… “The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth.” This was symbolic of that man who had been bound in sins. And therefore the Lord said, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Therefore, since those who were healed were made whole in those members that had in times past been afflicted, and the dead rose in the identical bodies, their limbs and bodies receiving health, so also that life that was granted by the Lord who prefigures eternal things by temporal ones shows that it is he who is himself able to extend both healing and life to his handiwork so that his words concerning its [future] resurrection may also be believed.

AGAINST HERESIES 5.13.1

John 11:54

Then, when He had raised Lazarus from the dead, and plots were formed against Him by the Pharisees, He withdrew to a city called Ephraim; and from that place, as it is written "He came to Bethany six days before the passover"

Against Heresies Book II

John 12:13

The Lord granted, by means of his advent, a greater gift of grace to those of a later period than what he had granted to those under the Old Testament dispensation. For they indeed used to hear, from his servants, about the King who would come, and they rejoiced to a certain extent, inasmuch as they hoped for his coming. But those who have actually been in his presence and have been freed and made partakers of his gifts—they possess a greater amount of grace and a higher degree of exultation in their rejoicing because the King has arrived. This is also what David says, “My soul shall rejoice in the Lord; it shall be glad in his salvation.” And for this reason, on his entrance into Jerusalem, all those who were in the way recognized David their king in the sorrow of his soul, and spread their garments for him and ornamented the way with green boughs, crying out with great joy and gladness, “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord: hosanna in the highest.” … What had been declared by David concerning the Son of God was accomplished in his own person…

The Lord granted, by means of his advent, a greater gift of grace to those of a later period than what he had granted to those under the Old Testament dispensation. For they indeed used to hear, from his servants, about the King who would come, and they rejoiced to a certain extent, inasmuch as they hoped for his coming. But those who have actually been in his presence and have been freed and made partakers of his gifts—they possess a greater amount of grace and a higher degree of exultation in their rejoicing because the King has arrived. This is also what David says, “My soul shall rejoice in the Lord; it shall be glad in his salvation.” And for this reason, on his entrance into Jerusalem, all those who were in the way recognized David their king in the sorrow of his soul, and spread their garments for him and ornamented the way with green boughs, crying out with great joy and gladness, “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord: hosanna in the highest.” … What had been declared by David concerning the Son of God was accomplished in his own person.… It was he himself who was announced by the prophets as Christ, whose name is praised in all the earth.

AGAINST HERESIES 4.11.3