Brother Bob said:
I didn't even talk about another one you had on there that you used before Irenaeus who believe that Jesus lived to be an old man.
Sometimes we talk too much and get tripped up!!
And I posted this in reply, and debunked, along with the tektonics site, this caricature of Irenaeus, presented by an athiest, as well. And I quote, so as to try and not 'mess up' the fonts, but am editing a couple of words for spelling.
You first quoted this:
Originally Posted by
Brother Bob
Ed; I went to your site! You should be careful calling what I post as hogwash.
So, I went to your site and they too stated that Irenaeus taught that Jesus lived to be in His fifties and got it directly from
direct apostolic succession.
Irenaeus is one of the main sources of how the early church thought, isn't it scary? Jesus lived to be fifty? This early witness to gospel authorship clearly wasn't talking about any gospel that YOU have ever read. It makes you wonder whether anything else the church fathers said was similarly way out in left field.Irenaeus insisted his doctrine that Jesus lived into his fifties, not dying in his thirties, came by direct apostolic succession. That's an example of how the early Fathers "carefully preserved" their oral traditions, unfortunately for Holding.
I never searched for the first statement I made but will later. Being that the last statement seems to be true, makes it more likely the first statement I posted is true.
Quote by Irenaeus, Against
Heresies, 2:22:4-6)"So, likewise, he was an old man for old men … Now, that the first stage of early life embraces thirty years, and that this extends
onwards to the fortieth year, every one will admit; but from the fortieth and
fiftieth year a man begins to decline
towards old age, which our Lord possessed while he still fulfilled the office of a teacher … those who were
conversant in Asia with John, the disciple of the Lord [affirming] that John conveyed to them that information. …
Some of them [i.e., those who teach this, PS], moreover, saw not only John, but the other apostles also, and heard
the very same account from them, and bear testimony as to the [validity of] the statement. (Irenaeus, Against
Heresies, 2:22:4-6)
As I stated, before, this is only a partial quote from an athiest, who was wanting to cast a "bad light" on Irenaeus. Here is the tektonics site, that has some good information on this, and goes a long way to debunking the claims of the skeptic, who goes by the handle of " skepticbud".
http://www.tektonics.org/guest/irey50.html
And here is more of the actual quote of Irenaeus, from which "skepticbud" only took a part, for the purpose of casting a "bad light" on Irenaeus, as I mentioned, as well.
This is the actual quote of Irenaeus that is being spoken of: [(BTW, it is still somewhat out of context, as there is an ellipses in the cited quote; and as I did not hunt up what immediately precedes and follows, not wanting to stay up another hour just to find it.) my emphases are underlined] Quote:
Being a master, therefore, he also possessed the age of a master, not despising or evading any condition of humanity, nor setting aside in himself that law which he had appointed for the human race, but sanctifying every age, by that period corresponding to it which belonged to himself. For he came to save all through means of himself-all, I say, who through him are born again to God-infants, and children, and boys, and youths, and old men. He therefore passed through every age, becoming an infant for infants, thus sanctifying infants; a child for children, thus sanctifying those who are of this age … So likewise he was an old man for old men, that he might be a perfect master for all, not merely as regards the setting forth of the truth, but also as regards age, sanctifying at the same time the aged also, and becoming an example to them likewise. Then, at last, he came on to death itself, that he might be 'the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence,' the Prince of life, existing before all, and going before all.
He (i Irenaeus) did argue against setting an exact age for the death of the Lord Jesus. I agree. 33 is an arbitrary figure, and is derived from a Scriptural statement that Jesus was "about thirty years of age", when he began His public ministry. My own idea would be when one is generalizing, as the Gospel writer here was, as he used a 'round number', in the exact same way that we do, I add, is that, generally speaking, Jesus could have been anywhere from His middle twenties to middle thirties, at that time. He could just as well have been 28 or 32, as 30, and have been "around thirty years", and the writer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit did not choose to give us an exact age, here.
"Why?", you may ask. Here's why, IMO.
Jesus' exact birthday is inconsequential to His life and work. His being offered on Passover (Nisan or Abib 14) is precisely and specifically consequential (although the exact year of that is not, and is still debated vigorously in some areas), as He is "Christ, our Passover", and "the Lamb slain", "according to the Scriptures".
My (substantive) posts on this subject are on this thread (I'm starting to sound like Lou M., here

), and don't really intend to, but have to defend my position, IMO.
http://www.baptistboard.com/showthread.php?t=40981&page=8
They are posts # 10, 29. 46, 47, 57, 67, 70, 72, 74, 75, and 78.
And as a matter of a few corrections, it was you and not I, who was the first one to bring both Augustine (post # 42) and Origen (post # 45) onto that thread. Last time I checked, #45 came before #72, numerically.
And I mentioned Origen in post # 46, which commented on the lineage of a-millennialism, as in this thread, from Origen to Augustine.
I will take the credit or blame for bringing Marcion, the Heretic, into the discussion.
Oh yeah, One final bit. Since I've had to, once again {Sigh!} , correct your history lesson (
X), what was that you were saying about -
Sometimes we talk too much and get tripped up!!
????? Maybe you would like to repeat that (I know I loved hearing it!

), since it really does sound so good, and also sounded a bit like someone making a self-admission.
Ed