On the Apostolic Preaching (Demonstration)
St. Irenaeus of Lyon
Summary
A concise summary of the apostolic faith — from creation through the Old Testament prophecies to their fulfillment in Christ — intended as a catechetical handbook.
Who Should Read This
Catechumens, Bible study groups, anyone wanting a concise overview of how the early Church understood the whole arc of Scripture.
Key Excerpts
"The glory of God is a living man; and the life of man consists in beholding God."
— Chapter 34
"God became what we are in order to make us what He is."
— Chapter 97
Editorial Commentary
This is one of the oldest surviving catechetical texts and reads like a guided tour of salvation history. Irenaeus walks the reader from Adam to Christ, showing how the entire Old Testament points to the Incarnation. Shorter and more accessible than his better-known Against Heresies, it is an ideal text for catechumens wanting to see how the early Church understood Scripture.