Abraham’s promise fulfilled: faith, stars, Gentiles
It is Jesus who has filled the promise God made to Abraham — to make his seed as many as the stars of heaven. (Gen 15:5; Gen 22:17) Christ fulfilled it, born of that Virgin who descends from Abraham, forming those who believe in him to be lights in the world, (Phil 2:15) and by that faith justifying the Gentiles as well as Abraham.
For ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.’ (Gen 15:6; Gal 3:6) So with us: it is by faith in God that we are justified, since ‘the righteous shall live by faith.’ (Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17)
And ‘the promise was made to Abraham not through the Law but through faith.’ (Rom 4:13) Abraham was justified by faith, and the law was not laid down for the righteous. (1 Tim 1:9) Likewise for us, it is not the Law that justifies us, but the faith that has received the witness of the Law and the prophets; and that faith is what the Word of God gives us.
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About this text
Irenaeus’s short handbook of the apostolic preaching (Epideixis), preserved in Armenian. English here is a densified reading translation for study. Prior English exists (Robinson / Wilson) — this is not an Original English Translation.
English follows the Armenian of Patrologia Orientalis XII.5. Barthoulot’s French was used as a sense-check only. Robinson (1920) and Wilson’s prior English exist and were checked for independence — this page is densified English, not Original English Translation / no-previous-English.
Witnesses
- Copy-text PO XII.5 Epideixis (Armenian, Matenadaran M3710) (Armenian · §§1–10)
- Checked print Barthoulot French (PD) (French · §§1–10)
- Prior English Check Robinson 1920 / Wilson English (English · full work (prior complete English exists))
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.