9. "The Orthodox Gospel": The Reception Of John In The Great Church Prior To Irenaeus

This chapter highlights the use of the Fourth Gospel among Irenaeus' predecessors in the mainstream of orthodox Christianity, summarizing, reworking, and updating portions of a 2004 book, The Johannine Corpus in the Early Church . The author catalogued twenty-two pre-Irenaean Christian sources which may be regarded as within the orbit of "orthodox Christianity" and which, either certainly or very probably knew the Fourth Gospel and used it in a positive way. These are: Epistle of Vienne and Lyons; Hegesippus; Athenagoras; the Christian interpolator of the Sibylline Oracles; Theophilus of Antioch; Claudius Apollinarius of Hierapolis; Melito of Sardis; the Christians opposed by Celsus; Tatian; the Gospel of Peter; Justin Martyr; the Martyrdom of Polycarp; the Ad Diognetum; Epistula Apostolorum; The Shepherd of Hermas; the Long Ending of Mark; the Odes of Solomon; Aristides; Papias of Hierapolis; Polycarp; Ignatius; Papias's Asian elders; and the elder John. Keywords: Church; Fourth Gospel; Irenaeus; John; orthodox Christianity