¥Irenaeus was bishop of Lyons in southern France, but he grew up in
Asia Minor, an early stronghold of
Christianity.
¥He had studied under two students of the apostle John Ñ Papias and Polycarp.
¥He wrote an extensive book Against
Heresies, responding to the Gnostics,
quoting from all the NT but a few of the shorter
letters.