Steve,
St. Ignatius lived from 30-107A.D. He was a disciple of St. John and was possibly among the early dsiciples who saw Jesus. He was ordained by St. John the Apostle. His teachings were learned from John of the Gospels and possbily also from Christ's own lips. We we here the words of St. Ignatius, we are hearing the teachings of the Apostles. He was killed by the Romans because he refused to renounce Jesus. He gave his blood as a holy martyr for Christ.
His words are not equal to the Word of God, but the next best thing.
The words of these early Apostles, because of their proximity to the first Apostles and disciples, help us understand the true meaning of the Gospels from an apostolic perspective.
May will of God be done.
In the love of Christ,
Emile
The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians
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Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the [Church] blessed in the grace of God the
Father, in Jesus Christ our Saviour, in whom I salute the Church which is at Magnesia,
near the Moeander, and wish it abundance of happiness in God the Father, and in Jesus
Christ, our Lord, in whom may you have abundance of happiness.
Chapter I.-Reason of Writing the Epistle.
Having been informed of your godly3 love, so well-ordered, I rejoiced greatly, and determined to
commune with you in the faith of Jesus Christ. For as one who has been thought worthy of a divine
and desirable name, in those bonds which I bear about, I commend the Churches, in which I pray for
a union both of the flesh and spirit of Jesus Christ, "who is the Saviour of all men, but specially of
them that believe; "4 by whose blood ye were redeemed; by whom ye have known God, or rather
have been known by Him;5 in whom enduring, ye shall escape all the assaults of this world: for "He is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which ye are able."6
Chapter X.-Beware of Judaizing.
Let us not, therefore, be insensible to His kindness. For were He to reward us according to our
works, we should cease to be. For "if Thou, Lord, shalt mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? "67
Let us therefore prove ourselves worthy of that name which we have received. For whosoever is
called by any other name besides this, he is not of God; for he has not received the prophecy which
speaks thus concerning us: "The people shall be called by a new name, which the Lord shall name
them, and shall be a holy people."68 This was first fulfilled in Syria; for "the disciples were called
Christians at Antioch,"69 when Paul and Peter were laying the foundations of the Church. Lay aside,
therefore, the evil, the old, the corrupt leaven,70 and be ye changed into the new leaven of grace.
Abide in Christ, that the stranger71 may not have dominion over you. It is absurd to speak of Jesus
Christ with the tongue, and to cherish in the mind a Judaism which has now come to an end. For
where there is Christianity there cannot be Judaism. For Christ is one, in whom every nation that
believes, and every tongue that confesses, is gathered unto God. And those that were of a stony
heart have become the children of Abraham, the friend of God;72 and in his seed all those have been
blessed73 who were ordained to eternal life74 in Christ. |
