Ignatius was the Bishop of Antioch martyred in Rome some time around 108. Almost everyone of those statements has been disputed.

Ignatius is intriguing because he left seven letters that he wrote as he was being taken to Rome for execution. These letters give us a glimpse of church life at the beginning of the second century.

You’d think the major concern would have been the persecution of Christians, yet the letters reveal a bunch of disputes. It’s certain that Ignatius was a Gentile, but Antioch in Syria was an area where there were still quite a few Christians of Jewish background yet Ignatius seems to have been at odds with them. He clearly prefers that churches be led by a bishop assisted by elders and deacons, whereas it was common for Jewish background churches to be led by elders alone. He also insists on The Lord’s Day (Sunday) rather than the Sabbath (Saturday) as the day of worship.

Ignatius is the first writer to refer to the Christian church as catholic (universal.) He quotes from the letters of Paul and seems to know the Gospels of Matthew and John. He emphasizes the divinity of Christ yet also insists Christ was really flesh and blood.

I wish people knew about some of the early Christians like Ignatius to have a better understanding of how Christianity developed. It is a complex story revealing that Christians never have been in complete agreement about things. That  sounds a lot like modern times. Ah, yes. The  more things change, the more they stay the same.

Read Ignatius to the Ephesians 13 (below) and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne

Ignatius to the Ephesians, chapter 13.  “Be sure to come together often to give thanks and praise to God. When you gather in the same place the powers of Satan are destroyed, and his destructive goals are prevented by the unity of your faith. Nothing is more precious than peace, which brings all war, both in heaven and earth, to an end.”