Early Church Father: Ignatius of Antioch

Michal W. Holmes in "The Apostolic Fathers" has translated many writings of the early church fathers.

Holmes, M. (2007). The Apostolic Fathers. 3rd Ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Early Church Father: Clement
Early Church Father: Ignatius of Antioch (this page)
... and others ... (omitted)

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Ignatius of Antioch was an early Church Father who was martyred in Rome. On the way, he was allowed to greet and meet fellow Christians and wrote a number of letters to churches.

Ephesians
Magnesians
Trallians
Romans
Philadelphians
Smyrnaeans
Polycarp (bishop of Smyrna)

The ancient Greek name "Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας" ≈ "Ignatios of Antioch". A holiday (Catholic Church, Anglican Church, and some others) in his honor is usually on October 17 of each year.

Analogy Bishop is to congregation as Jesus is to the catholic church

Early church father Ignatius of Antioch first uses the phrase "catholic" "church" in his letter to the Smyrnaians in about 175 AD.

English: Wherever the bishop appears, there let the congregation be; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic church. (Holmes, 2007, p. 255)

Greek: Ὅπου ἂν φανῇ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, ἐκεῖ τὸ πλῆθος ἤτω, ὥσπερ ὅπου ἂν ῇ Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ἐκεῖ ἡ καθολικὴ ἐκκλησία. (Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, 8.2)

In the historical interpretation, Ignatius writes this during the time of the "wheat" and the "tares". Some things are good. Some things are not good.

More: Matthew 13: Fourth kingdom parable: measures three

The ancient Greek word "μαργαρίτης" ≈ "pearl" is rarely used outside the GNT (Greek New Testament). Early church father Ignatius uses the word once.

English: Let nothing appeal to you apart from him, in whom I carry around these chains (my spiritual pearls!), by which I hope, through your prayers, to rise again. (Holmes, 2007, p. 193)

Greek: χωρὶς τούτου μηδὲν ὑμῖν πρεπέτω, ἐν ᾧ τὰ δεσμὰ περιφέρω, τοὺς πνευματικοὺς μαργαρίτας, ἐν οἷς γένοιτό μοι ἀνατῆναι τῇ προσευχῇ ὑμῶν… Ignatius to the Ephesians [11.2]

Ignatius uses the ancient Greek word "δεσμός" ≈ "bond, fetter" which is translated as "chains" since it was known from context that Ignatius was in "chains". The ancient Greek word "ἅλυσις" ≈ "chain, link in chain mail".

The meaning of "pearl" in the GNT appears to be that of an enabling access mechanism and not a restricting mechanism. Perhaps Ignatius meant that the physical restraining mechanism was a spiritual enabling mechanism.

More: Waltzing out of chains

More: Matthew 13: Sixth kingdom parable: pearl of great price

James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: [kjv]

Ignatius to the Ephesians says that one should "fear" the "bishop" the more he is "slow" to "speak". How should one reconcile what Ignatius said compared to what James said?

English: Furthermore, the more anyone observes that the bishop is silent, the more one should fear him. (Holmes, 2007, p. 187)

Greek: Καὶ ὅσον βλέπει τις σιγῶντα ἐπίσκοπον, πλειόνως αὐτὸν φοβείσθω· Ignatius to the Ephesians [6.1]

More: James 1:19-20 Fast and slow to hear, to speak, to be angry

English: ... do not so much as listen to anyone unless he speaks truthfully about Jesus Christ (Holmes, 2007, p. 189)

Greek: … ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ ἀκούετέ τινος πλέον, ἢ περὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ λαλοῦντος ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. Ignatius to the Ephesians [6.2]

How do you know this unless you "listen" to the person?

More: James 1:19-20 Fast and slow to hear, to speak, to be angry

James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: [kjv]

Ignatius to the Ephesians says that one should "fear" the "bishop" the more he is "slow" to "speak". How should one reconcile what Ignatius said compared to what James said?

English: Furthermore, the more anyone observes that the bishop is silent, the more one should fear him. (Holmes, 2007, p. 187)

Greek: Καὶ ὅσον βλέπει τις σιγῶντα ἐπίσκοπον, πλειόνως αὐτὸν φοβείσθω· Ignatius to the Ephesians [6.1]

More: James 1:19-20 Fast and slow to hear, to speak, to be angry

Talking about false teachers, early church father Ignatius writes the following to the Trallians (part 6.2, underlining added).

The Greek for "unsuspecting" is "ignorant". One needs to study the truth to not be "ignorant".

English: ... these people, while pretending to be trustworthy, mix Jesus Christ with themselves - like those who administer a deadly drug with honeyed wine, which the unsuspecting victim accepts without fear and so with final pleasure drinks down death. Holmes, M. (2007). The Apostolic Fathers. 3rd Ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, p. 219.

What is the functional difference between the following?

Someone who says "I am Christ. Do this." (false Christ).
Someone who says "I represent Christ. Christ says to do this.".

More: The taste of false teaching

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After warning about the poison of false teachers, Ignatius tells the Trallians in the very next line that being puffed up with pride makes one susceptible to such false teachers (part 7.1).

English: Therefore be on your guard against such people. And you will be provided that you are not puffed up with pride ...

Holmes, M. (2007). The Apostolic Fathers. 3rd Ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, p. 208.

Such prideful people think (know) that they know the answers without even checking to verify them. They will proclaim "I am" followed by assertions or oaths of their self-exalted position.

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. [kjv]

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Ignatius, in his letter to the Ephesians (part 16), warns not to be misled by bad (or evil) teachers (underlining added).

The Greek for "unquenchable" is that of "quick lime" and was later mistranslated by Pliny into Latin as "asbestos".

English: ... Such a person, having polluted himself, will go to the unquenchable fire, as will also the one who listens to him.

Greek: ... ὁ τοιοῦτος ῥυπαρὸς γενόμενος, εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἄσβεστον χωρήσει, ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ ἀκούων αὐτου.

Holmes, M. (2007). The Apostolic Fathers. 3rd Ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, p. 197.

More: Unquenchable fire

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An "antidote" is what one takes "in place of" the "dose" or what is given as poison.

More: The prefix anti in place of against

The "antidote" for sin in general is mentioned by Ignatius in his letter to the Ephesians (part 20.2)

English: ... breaking one bread, which is the medicine of immortality, the antidote we take in order not to die but to live forever in Jesus Christ.

Greek: … ἕνα ἄρτον κλῶντες, ὅς ἐστιν φάρμακον ἀθανασιας, ἀντίδοτος τοῦ μὴ ἀποθανεῖν, ἀλλὰ ζῆν ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ διὰ παντός. Ignatius to the Ephesians [20]

Holmes, M. (2007). The Apostolic Fathers. 3rd Ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, p. 199.

More: Book: Apostolic Fathers