Second-century readers: relating the new to the old -- Irenaeus' fourfold gospel -- The virgin birth: confessing Christ (AH iii, 16) -- The virgin birth: a new generation (AH iii, 19) -- The virgin birth: an ancient sign (AH iii, 21-22) -- 6 The new fulfilling the old (AH iv) -- Irenaeus' reading of the Old Testament: introducing AH iv -- The patriarchs: Abraham's joy (AH iv, 5-7) -- Love's fulfilling of the law (AH iv, 9-13) -- 7 Power made perfect in weakness (AH v) -- The battle for the apostle Paul -- The man born blind: weakness and the formation of humanity (AH v, 15) -- Jesus' temptation: weakness and the economy of the tree (AH v, 16-21) -- 8 Conclusion: "Joining the end to the beginning"--Irenaeus and his opponents: what have we learned? -- Tradition: the truth that is handed over -- Ontology: a new ground of being -- Irenaeus' reading of scripture: what have we learned? -- The scriptures and the cosmological narrative -- The scriptures and the preaching of the church -- Characteristics of Irenaeus' exegesis -- Preaching the text -- Ontological meaning -- Joining the end to the beginning -- Index