(130-202 A.D.)
The bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, now Lyon, best known for Against Heresies. He was the last-known living connection with the Apostles.
A Greek bishop who originated from Smyrna. He was noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the development of Christian theology by combating heterodox or Gnostic interpretations of Scripture as heresy and defining the Catholic and Orthodox doctrines of the Apostolic Churches.
He had heard and seen the preaching of Polycarp, who in turn, was said to have heard John the Evangelist. He is the last-known connection to the Apostles!
As a presbyter in Lyons, he had association with Bishop Pothinus, whose own background also included contact with first-generation Christians.
(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Pages 38; The Canon of the New Testament by Milton C. Fisher, 72.)
Work
Intrinsic to his writing is that the surest source of Christian guidance is the Church of Rome, and he is the earliest surviving witness to regard all four of the now-canonical gospels as essential.
(Origin of the Bible handout by my small group leader, February 8, 2023. Summarized from Wikipedia. Page 5.)
He wrote the earliest discussion of the authorship of Luke and Acts, attributing them to Luke, Paul's coworker, and notes the occurrence of the first-person narrative "we" throughout the later chapters of Acts indicates the author was Paul's companion and was present. The "we" passages are key to the authorship of both Acts and Luke.
(The ESV Study BibleTM, English Standard Version (ESV) by Crossway Bibles, 2007. Page 2073)
He quoted from almost all the New Testament on the basis of its authority and asserts that the apostles were endowed with power from on high, "fully informed concerning all things, and had a perfect knowledge...having indeed all in equal measure and each one singly the Gospel of God." (Allegedly in Against All Heresies 3.3, but I can't find it ;-;)
"The Word...gave us the Gospel in a fourfold shape, but held together by one Spirit." In addition to the Gospels, he makes reference also to Acts, 1 Peter, 1 John, all the letters of Paul except Philemon, and the book of Revelation.
(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. The Canon of the New Testament by Milton C. Fisher, Page 72.)
He stated the doctrine of plenary inspiration in Against All Heresies.
(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Page 38.)