Friday, December 15, 2023

Ben C. Blackwell on Irenaeus's use of the phrase "God of Gods" in Against Heresies 3.6.1-3

 

‘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"