One time, I had a fellow teacher ask me to pray over a family situation. It seemed strange to me considering she was a Hindu. Upon further discussions, I learned her situation was so dire that she was reaching out to ALL the gods in hopes of a miracle. That was when I knew our world was rapidly changing. Greek Bishop Irenaeus lived in such a world, too. Irenaeus….what a name! I recently heard an IPHC Bishop sharing his doctoral work about this Bishop, Irenaeus. I was quite intrigued. A bishop sharing about a bishop! Upon further research, I found that Bishop Irenaeus was known for his role in guiding and expanding Christian communities in the southern regions of Greece on the subject of gnostic interpretations of Scripture as heresy and defining proto-orthodoxy. Originating from Smyrna, he had seen and heard the preaching of Polycarp (who was said to have been tutored by John the Apostle). Thus, Polycarp was the last known living connection with the Apostles.

I found the comparisons between Bishop Irenaeus’ challenges to our current day challenges to be quite the same, given the 130 AD to 2025 AD time difference. Family battles and issues, pagan areas, and heretics all seem to be surrounding our 2025 culture just as in Irenaeus’ time.

Now, I’m no expert Bible scholar so, I did have to look up a few things to get their exact meaning. What is a heretic? A person whose opinion is contrary to religious doctrine, especially Christian doctrine. What is a pagan? A person who holds religious beliefs other than those of the main or recognized religions. Doesn’t this sound like our world every day? Even in our workplaces today, we can’t just assume we are surrounded by people of the Christian Faith. I’m pretty sure those days are over. So, how do we defend our faith?

Redemption Ministries IPHC Bishop Hans Hess shared these Guiding Forces in defending our faith and dealing with heretics: 1. Recognize Apostolic Authority; 2. Use the Apostles’ Creed as a Guide; 3. Be confident the Bible is the Holy Word of God; 4. Look for Miracles (true miracles last).

2 Peter 1:16 states, “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” The Apostle Paul shares this encouragement to the chosen pilgrims in Asia Minor suffering religious persecution. Just as Peter was an eyewitness, we too are eyewitnesses. We use what we know and have seen to make a difference in our ever-changing world. You, too, can be a Peter, Paul, or an Irenaeus!

So, here is what I want you to do, God helping you, take your everyday, ordinary life, your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, walking around life, and place it before God as an offering. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out in you, and develops well-formed maturity in you. Message Bible, Romans 12:1-2