Irenaeus
● Irenaeus – against heresies, book three, 12:8 (written in greek, extant in latin). The third book of Irenaeus’ composition against heresies was written, according to Irenaeus’ own statement near the beginning of the book (book three, 3:3), when Eleutherius was bishop of Rome from about 174 to 193 (or, according to the introduction to irenaeus’ works in ante-nicene fathers, vol. 1, page 312, Eleutherius’ bishopric began around 177, and ended in 188). So the production-date for irenaeus’ third book of against heresies may fairly be given as “c. 184” or “180’s.”) in this composition, preserved in a latin translation, irenaeus writes:
Philippus autem rursus spadoni reginae aethiopium revertenti a hierosolymis, et legenti esaiam prophetam, solus soli, quem annuntiavit? Nonne eum de quo dixit propheta: “tanquam ovis ad occisionem ductus est, quemadmodum agnus ante tondentem se sine voce, sic non aperuit os? Nativitatem autem ejus quis enarrabit? Quoniam tolletur a terra vita ejus.” hunc esse jesum, et impletam esse in eo scripturam; quemadmodum ipse eunuchus credens, et statim postulans baptisari dicebat: “credo filium dei esse jesus.” qui et missus est in regions aethiopiae, praedicaturus hoc quod ipse crediderat . . . .”7
“whom did philip preach to the eunuch of the queen of the ethiopians, returning from jerusalem, and reading isaiah the prophet, when he and this man were alone together? Was it not he of whom the prophet spoke: “he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb dumb before the shearer, so he opened not the mouth? But who shall declare his nativity? For his life shall be taken away from the earth.” he declared that this was jesus, and that the scripture was fulfilled in him; as did also the believing eunuch himself, and immediately requesting to be baptized, he said, ‘i believe jesus to be the son of god.’ this man was also sent into the regions of ethiopia, to preach what he had himself believed . . . .”8
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7 – the latin text is in w. Wigan harvey’s sancti irenaei episcopi lugdunensis libros quinque adversus haereses, vol. 2 (cambridge, 1862), page 62. The relevant paragraph is numbered 10, not 8.
8 – based on ante-nicene fathers, vol. 1, 1913, roberts & donaldson, page 433.
A greek scholium attributed to irenaeus9 is also extant:
The scholium conveys the sense of a comment that irenaeus made in against heresies, book 4 (23:2):
“Philip, when he had discovered the eunuch of the ethiopians’ queen reading these words which had been written: “he was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb is silent before the shearer, so he opened not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken
away;” and all the rest which the prophet proceeded to relate in regard to his passion and his coming in the flesh, and how he was dishonored by those who did not believe him; easily persuaded him to believe on him, that he was Christ Jesus, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and suffered whatsoever the prophet had predicted, and that he was the son of god, who gives eternal life to men. And immediately when he had baptized him, he departed from him. For nothing else was lacking to him who had been already instructed by the prophets: He was not ignorant of god the father, nor of the rules regarding how to live, but was merely ignorant of the coming of the son of god, and shortly after becoming acquainted with this, he went on his way rejoicing, to be the herald in Ethiopia of Christ’s advent.” 10