Irenaeus speaks on numerous occasions about Mosaic law, but only in two about divine law. In Adv. Haer. V, 24, 4, he refers to Plato for the concept of divine lex which is not biblical, but refers to Laws 716
a. He appeals to the Platonic text in the context of his case about the
angel’s apostasy on the law because of his jealousy towards man. In
the parallel passage of Adv. Haer. III, 25, 5, he will only take
into account Timaeus 29 e, but his emphasis on the angel’s envy seems to
be inspired in Phaedrus 247 a.: “because envy is separated from the
divine choir.” The explicit use of quotations from Plato is surprising
in so reticent an author to classical philosophy. To explain the
problem, it is necessary to consider two aspects. On the one hand,
Irenaeus collects a tradition that comes from other Asian Patristic
authors such as Tatian, Athenagoras and Theophilus of Antioch. On the
other hand, Irenaeus argues on this topic in a polemic against Marcion
and the Valentinian Gnostics who referred to the Demiurge’s envy.
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