At the time of his death St. Ignatius was “at least thirty years a bishop,
probably trained by the Apostle John, and was apparently at this time the
most venerated living member of the whole Church” (W. Carroll, The
Founding of Christendom, Christendom Press, 1993, Vol. 1, p. 455). His
death was the work of one moment and afterwards his bones were collected
by his friends and returned to Antioch.
Due to St. Ignatius’ direct association with the Apostles themselves his
writings are an invaluable testimony to the faith and practice of the
Apostolic and immediate post-Apostolic Church. Up until the fifteenth
century, fifteen epistles were attributed to St. Ignatius, including ones
addressed to the Virgin Mary and St. John. However, later eight of these
were recognized as spurious. The authenticity of the remaining Ignatian
epistles was also long challenged by Protestants due to their clear
presentation of a hierarchical and monarchical Church. Three versions of
Ignatian epistles have circulated, known respectively as the longer, middle
and shorter recensions. The authenticity of the middle recension of seven
epistles has now been acknowledged by both Catholic and Protestant
scholars including Lightfoot, Harnack, Zahn and Funk.
Extracts
Letter to the Ephesians (C. 110 AD):
Address
“Ignatius, also called Theophorus, to the Church at Ephesus in Asia...united and
chosen through true suffering by the will of the Father in Jesus Christ our
God...There is one Physician, who is both flesh and spirit, born and not born, who
is God in man, true life in death, born both of Mary and from God, first able to
suffer and then unable to suffer, Jesus Christ our Lord...For our God, Jesus Christ,
was conceived by Mary in accord with God’s plan: of the seed of David, it is true,
but also of the Holy Spirit...”
18, 2
“For our God, Jesus Christ, was conceived by Mary in accord with God’s plan: of
the seed of David, it is true, but also of the Holy Spirit. He was born and baptized
so that by His submission He might purify the water. The virginity of Mary, her
giving birth, and also the death of the Lord, were hidden from the prince of this
world: - three mysteries loudly proclaimed, but wrought in the silence of God.”
Letter to the Magnesians (C.110 AD):
 |
 |
 |