What the Church Fathers say? ( Irenaeus )

Irenaeus was a student of Polycarp who was a student of John the writer of Revelation. It is to be noted that Irenaeus wrote about the identity of Jesus Christ as our federal/vicarious representative. What was true to Adam happened to all humanity, even if we are not in the Garden of Eden. Likewise Jesus is the second Adam. What was true to Him is true to all humanity.

Here is an exceprt to what was posted in www.theopedia.com about the teachings of Irenaeus...

Recapitulation Irenaeus followed Pauline theology in utilizing the first and second Adam theme found within the Apostle Paul’s writing to the Corinthians and Romans.^[1] Irenaeus believed that humanity was represented federally and covenantally in Adam, and that the Garden of Eden was eschatologically alluding to the reality of the second Adam. Irenaeus explains, “that as in Adam we do all die, as being of an animal nature, in Christ we may all live, as being spiritual, not laying aside God's handiwork, but the lusts of the flesh, and receiving the Holy Spirit.”^[2] When Adam fell in the Garden, humanity fell with him, and the only redemption is based upon the work of the eschatological Adam, that being Jesus Christ. Therefore, for Irenaeus the protological Adam was indicative of the eschatological Adam. The eschatological focus within redemptive history displays Irenaeus’ understanding of the nature of revelation and the culmination of it in Christ Jesus.

Irenaeus’ understanding of salvation is revealed in light of his biblical theology, especially within his doctrine of recapitulation. He believed that as the culmination of redemptive history, the incarnate Son of God recovered what was lost in the first Adam. Some theologians erroneously declare that Irenaeus is articulating a view of universalism in his doctrine of recapitulation.^[3] However, Irenaeus held recapitulation to be the “summing up” of all history and humanity in Christ Jesus as the conclusion of the drama of redemption.^[4] Furthermore, his belief is that in Christ, the saved are justified through his eschatological work as he is “both waging war against our enemy, and crushing him who had at the beginning led us captives in Adam, and trampled upon his head.” ^[5] Thus he draws a parallel with Christ and the promised seed of Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis. Therefore, the summing up of all things is the fulfilling victory of Christ, the reverse of the curse, and the salvation for those who are covenantally in Christ as opposed to Adam. This understanding of the soteriological and eschatological elements within redemptive history was Irenaeus’ evangelical, apologetical, and theological emphasis. Irenaeus used this doctrinal understanding within his ministry to spread the gospel and to edify and defend the early church.

1. ↑ Cf. 1 Corinthians 15, Romans 5.
2. ↑ Adversus Haereses, 5. 12 (ANF p. 943)
3. ↑ See D. Jeffrey Bingham and L. van Rompay's Irenaeus' Use of Matthew's Gospel in Adversus Haereses: In Adversus Haereses (Peeters Publishers: 1998) p. 182.
4. ↑ Adversus Haereses, 5. 20 (ANF p. 561)
5. ↑ Ibid, 5. 21 (ANF p. 561)