Here is the proposal that ETS rejected. Do you think I should turn this into a journal article?
The Same God Who Judges All Things: Holiness in Irenaeus’ Defense Against Marcionism
In his defense against the Marcionite heresy, Irenaeus highlights that God does not adjudicate lesser consequences for the sins of New Testament believers over against those of the Old Testament saints. Instead, he stresses that the OT saints’ sins are recorded for the benefit of the NT saints as a means for them to live holy lives. Irenaeus thus composes an argument of continuity between the OT and NT God based on His holiness as reflected in both testaments. For Irenaeus, this truth is part and parcel of believers being partakers in the divine which is reflected in how they live their lives currently.
In this essay, I will present Irenaeus’ view of holiness through the lens of his defense of one God who judges the same in both testaments, giving special attention to how this view comports with his doctrine of theosis and what consequence that has in the life of the believer who has yet to be glorified. To that end, I will construct the essay as follows. In section 1, the essay will briefly address the foundations of Irenaeus’ view of judgment and holiness in light of the general arguments of his writings. In section 2, the essay will outline Irenaeus’ argument against the Marcionite heresy, focusing on judgment in epochal continuity. In section 3, the essay will give application for the modern-day believer via Irenaeus’ doctrine of holiness as it relates to his view of divine participation.