Community and Fellowship: Irenaeus on the Church as Body

Irenaeus of Lyon (d. c. 202) developed the Pauline metaphor of the church as the body of Christ. He taught: "Where the Church is, there is the Spirit of God; and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church, and every kind of grace." Irenaeus understood that individual spirituality divorced from the community is a dangerous illusion.

Irenaeus argued that heresy typically begins when individuals set themselves above the community's wisdom: "It is within the power of all, in every church, who may wish to see the truth, to contemplate clearly the tradition of the apostles." The community guards the truth that no individual can preserve alone.

Practical application: Identify an area of your spiritual life where you have been going it alone -- perhaps a decision, a question, or a struggle. Bring it to your community: a pastor, a small group, or a trusted friend. Irenaeus teaches that the Spirit works through the gathered community in ways He does not work through isolated individuals. Lone-ranger Christianity is not Christianity at all.