He argued that the four Gospels were one gospel, “fourfold in form but held together in one Spirit.” Early on, the writings of the Apostle Paul had fallen in the esteem of the Christian communities because of the use of his letters by the gnostics. These suspicions were removed by the end of the second century.5 While Justin Martyr avoided using Paul’s letters without rejecting them, Irenaeus did not hesitate to rely on Paul’s authority. To repudiate the gnostic