Irenaeus set this forth, first of all, by expounding Old Testament Scripture, the Gospels, and the apostles’ writings: he does this extensively.39 This was his first line of attack against Gnostic teaching. But recognizing that they claimed apostolic tradition for their views, he also deftly handled the question of apostolic tradition. This tradition taught that there was only one God, who created all things, formed humankind, and promised them deliverance after they fell into sin.40 The creation