The history of early Christianity, then, is as much a complex story
of the spread of competing opinions on the nature of the truth as
it is of a pristine orthodoxy conquering the world while swatting
away the periodic challenges of heresy.
Truth, tradition, textThe success of certain Christian groups deemed to be heretical
and the tendency of certain individual Christians to deviate into
what was called heresy suggest that the definition of orthodoxy
was a difficult task. How it came to be defined involved attitudes
not only to doctrine, but also to Christian tradition and scripture.
This is apparent in Irenaeus’ refutation of the groups he associ-
ated with false gno ̄ sis. In his writings, he sought to demonstrate
that Gnostic beliefs constituted error; he was also concerned to
demonstrate how the truth of orthodoxy could be established. The
substance of Irenaeus’ argument drew together ideas about
doctrinal truth, ecclesiastical tradition, and the authority of canon-
ical biblical texts. Irenaeus asserted that the doctrinal line of the
orthodox church was the same as that preached by Jesus and his
immediate followers. By contrast, he regarded the proponents of
gno ̄ sisas being guilty of introducing novelties into those original
Christian teachings. That the teachings of the orthodox church
were true to the primordial principles of Christianity could be
proved by tracing its history. This link had already been drawn
by the author of the First Letter of Clementto the Corinthians,
who argued that the apostles had been appointed by God’s will,
and in turn bishops had been appointed by the apostles (First
Letter of Clement42). In Irenaeus, this connection to the earliest
days of Christianity was emphasized by tracing the succession of
bishops at Rome (Against Heresies3.3.3).
This emphasis on what is called the apostolic tradition,
through which the teachings of Jesus and the apostles were handed
down intact through an unbroken line to subsequent generations,
manifested itself in others areas of Christian life. Particular litur-
gical practices were justified by appealing to traditions stretching
ORTHODOXY AND ORGANIZATION IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY1
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