Irenaeus of Lyons on Original sin & the human will
Free will substantially intact; God and man cooperate
"man could not receive this [perfection], being as yet an infant."
THE POSITION
Adam's sin brought death, but Irenaeus's actual argument in Against Heresies IV.37-38 is that man was newly created and therefore necessarily immature, like an infant needing milk before solid food — not created finished-and-perfect then fallen from that perfection. Real free will throughout, given to both angels and men so that the good they attain is earned rather than automatic. Christ's recapitulation — reversing Adam's course point by point, obedient where Adam was disobedient — is the engine of the whole scheme, argued repeatedly across Book III and IV.
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned. 13 For sin was in the world before the law was given; but sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who did not sin in the way that Adam transgressed. He is a pattern of the One to come. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many! 16 Again, the gift is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment that followed one sin brought condemnation, but the gift that followed many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! 18 So then, just as one trespass brought condemnation for all men, so also one act of righteousness brought justification and life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. 20 The law came in so that the trespass would increase; but where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Bishop of Lyons, author of Against Heresies. Argued against Gnosticism from the apostolic rule of faith, and framed salvation as Christ recapitulating human life.
Cite this page
"Irenaeus of Lyons on Original sin & the human will", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/irenaeus/original-sin (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/irenaeus/original-sin).