ABSTRACT
Irenaeus now turns to the making of humanity in the context of the service of God by all creation according to the dispensation of its various orders. He makes it abundantly clear from the outset that God does not require such service because of any divine necessity. For the will of God ought to govern and rule in all things, while all other things give way to Him, are in subjection, and devoted to His service. For this reason, the whole of the created order, in all its diversity, is the theatre of the praise and service of God, for it is the trysting place of the Word of God with humanity, which presence and particular activity all entities within creation serve. This is qualified by the statement 'and in the world are the angels', and followed by bounds of being and service which God has established throughout creation.
