Editing Irenaeus (section)

====Christ's life====
Part of the process of recapitulation is for Christ to go through every stage of human life, from infancy to old age, and simply by living it, sanctify it with his divinity. Irenaeus believed Christ did not die until he was older than is conventionally portrayed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CHURCH FATHERS: Against Heresies, II.22 (St. Irenaeus) |url=https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103222.htm |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref>

In the passage of ''Adversus Haereses'' under consideration, Irenaeus claims that after receiving baptism at the age of thirty, citing Luke 3:23, Gnostics then falsely assert that "He [Jesus] preached only one year reckoning from His baptism," and also, "On completing His thirtieth year He [Jesus] suffered, being in fact still a young man, and who had by no means attained to advanced age." Irenaeus argues against the Gnostics by using scripture to add several years after his baptism by referencing 3 distinctly separate visits to Jerusalem. The first is when Jesus makes wine out of water, he goes up to the Paschal feast-day, after which he withdraws and is found in Samaria. The second is when Jesus goes up to Jerusalem for Passover and cures the paralytic, after which he withdraws over the sea of Tiberias. The third mention is when he travels to Jerusalem, eats the Passover, and suffers on the following day.{{sfn|Irenaeus|1885|loc=[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103222.htm Book II, Chapter 22, Section 5]}}

Irenaeus quotes scripture (John 8:57), to suggest that Jesus ministers while in his 40s. In this passage, Jesus's opponents want to argue that Jesus has not seen Abraham, because Jesus is too young. Jesus's opponents argue that Jesus was not yet 50 years old. Irenaeus argues that if Jesus were in his thirties, his opponents would have argued that he was not yet 40 years old, since that would make him even younger. Irenaeus's argument is that they would not weaken their own argument by adding years to Jesus's age. Irenaeus also writes: "The Elders witness to this, who in Asia conferred with John the Lord's disciple, to the effect that John had delivered these things unto them: for he abode with them until the times of Trajan. And some of them saw not only John, but others also of the Apostles, and had this same account from them, and witness to the aforesaid relation."{{sfn|Irenaeus|1885|loc=[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103222.htm Book II, Chapter 22, Section 5]}}

In Demonstration (74) Irenaeus notes "For [[Pontius Pilate]] was governor of [[Judea (Roman province)|Judæa]], and he had at that time resentful enmity against [[Herod Antipas|Herod the king of the Jews]]. But then, when Christ was brought to him bound, Pilate sent Him to Herod, giving command to enquire of him, that he might know of a certainty what he should desire concerning Him; making Christ a convenient occasion of reconciliation with the king."{{sfn|Irenaeus|1920|p= [https://www.ccel.org/ccel/irenaeus/demonstr/Page_77.html §77]}} Pilate was the [[Praefectus#Prefects as provincial governors|prefect]] of the Roman province of [[Iudaea Province|Judaea]] from AD 26–36.<ref name=EB_PP /><ref name=Lendering /> He served under Emperor [[Tiberius]]. Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, a client state of the Roman Empire. He ruled from 4 BC to 39&nbsp;AD.{{sfn|Bruce|1965|p=}} In refuting Gnostic claims that Jesus preached for only one year after his baptism, Irenaeus used the "recapitulation" approach to demonstrate that by living beyond the age of thirty Christ sanctified even old age.