‘Gods’ and divine
Adoption (3.6.1-3)
In 3.6.1 Irenaeus begins a new section
of Book 3, in which he defends the singular God in distinction to those who
might use biblical texts to argue for divine multiplicity. He briefly addresses
several biblical passages that contain a plurality of divine names (Ps 110.1;
Gen. 1:24; Ps. 45.6). For each, he draws a distinction between the Father and
the Son as the reason for the language. He then addresses a group of three
passages that use the term ‘gods’ (θεοι, dii): Ps. 82.1; 50.1; and 82.6. The Father
and the Son were the focus of previous exegesis, but when he explains these
texts, he expands the discussion to include believers, beginning with Ps 82.1
(81.1 LXX). With regard to the θεοι (dii), Irenaeus writes: ‘He refers [here] to
the Father and the Son, and those who have received the adoption; but these are
the church. For she is the congregation of God . . .’ (3.6.1). Irenaeus then
directly turns to Ps 50.1, 3 (49.1, 3 LXX) where he addresses the phrase ‘God
of gods’. Based on the repetition of ‘God’ in verse three, Irenaeus affirms
that ‘God’ is ‘the Son, who came manifested to men’ while identifying the ‘gods’
as believers.
Returning to Psalm 82, Irenaeus states that the gods in Ps 82.6 are ‘those,
no doubt, who have received the grace of adoption (adoptionis gratia),
through which we cry “Abba, Father” (3.6.1). Since the phrase ‘sons of the Most
High’ parallels ‘You are gods’, Irenaeus feels free to use sonship by adoption
to define further who are the gods are. Consequently, when explaining both Ps
82.1 and 82.6, he mentions adoption, and in the second reference he directly
refers to Rom 8.15 and its “Abba, father” cry (cf. Gal 4.6), which stands
within the wider context of sonship and adoption (cf. Romans 8.13-30). Wile
Irenaeus does not explicitly relate the adoption of sons to Christ as the Son,
the focus of his characterisation of Christ throughout this passage is Christ’s
sonship. The adoption imagery allows believers to parallel this filial
relationship, but it also marks these children out as distinct from the natural
son.
In 3.6.2 Irenaeus continues to explain and clarify other instances where
the plural ‘gods’ is used in Scripture, such as Ps 96.5; 81.9 and Jer 10.11. In
this context he writes: ‘When, however, the Scripture terms them [gods] which
are no gods, it does not, as I have already remarked, declare them as gods in
every sense, but with a certain addition and signification, by which they are
shown to be no gods at all’ (3.6.3). Carl Mosser understands Irenaeus as
applying this to believers, who are labelled gods but are to be distinguished
from God. (Mosses ['Psalm 82', 46] writes, 'Irenaeus acknowledges that one can in a certain sense legitimately refer to glorified human beings as gods, but he insists that these are not the same kind of being as the one God'.) Irenaeus does in fact make that distinction, but Mosser
incorrectly reads that meaning here. The gods mentioned here (i.e., Ps 96.5; 81.9
and Jer 10.11) are false gods. For these false gods, ‘he (Esaias) removes them
form [the category of] gods, but he makes use of the word alone . . .’ (3.6.3).
Thus, in distinction to these that are gods in name alone, believers are
implicitly gods in reality.
This text (.e., 3.6.1-3) does not give any direction about what Irenaeus
means by the identification of believers as gods beyond the qualifying statement
form Romans regarding adoption. This language provides a ground of similarity
between believers and God whilst preserving distinction, such that believers
and God share the same title and are familially related, but believers are only
adopted to this position. Thus, Irenaeus only identifies the status of
believers rather than teasing out the implications of that new status. In the
next passage dealing with Psalm 82 he offers a deeper treatment. (Ben C. Blackwell, Christosis: Engaging
Paul’s Soteriology with His Patristic Interpreters [Grand Rapids, Mich.:
Eerdmans, 2016], 44-45)
Further Reading:
Refuting Matthew Paulson on the use of "God of gods": Origen's Commentary on John
Listing of articles responding to "Breaking the Mormon Code"
