Irenaeus of Lyons on Canon of the Old Testament

C.130 – C.202 · GREEK FATHER

READ IN A PRIMARY SOURCEQUESTION NOT FRAMED°

STANCE

Predates or straddles the settled dispute

"the Scriptures were interpreted by the inspiration of God."

Against Heresies III.21.2

THE POSITION

Doesn't discuss a list of Old Testament books — no canon-scope debate appears in his work. What he does defend at length is the inspiration of the Greek (Septuagint) translation itself, retelling the Letter-of-Aristeas legend of seventy independent translators miraculously agreeing word for word, and uses it to defend the LXX's 'virgin' rendering of Isaiah 7:14 against readings drawn from the Hebrew.

1 OTHER HOLD THIS

Chrysostom

66 books — Apocrypha useful but not ScriptureATHANASIUS · CALVIN · JONATHAN EDWARDS · THE CHURCH OF ELEVEN22 STATEMENT OF FAITH · JOSH HOWERTON · SECOND LONDON BAPTIST CONFESSION · LUTHER · JOHN MACARTHUR · GAVIN ORTLUND · JOHN OWEN · JUSTIN PETERS · R.C. SPROUL · WESTMINSTER CONFESSION · ZWINGLI

Wider canon — deuterocanonical books includedAQUINAS · AUGUSTINE

See all 21 figures on canon of the old testament →

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.

8 OF 9 POSITIONS QUOTED

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Cite this page

"Irenaeus of Lyons on Canon of the Old Testament", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/irenaeus/ot-canon (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/irenaeus/ot-canon).

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