Saint Ignatius of Antioch: (Ignatius Theophorus, “the God-bearer”). He was a contemporary of Ignatius Evodius, and they may have shared the leadership of the Church of Antioch (Christians of Jewish origin, Christians of Gentile origin) at the same time. (1) Then, after the martyrdom of Evotheus, he continued to head the two churches alone.
There is a tradition that says that the child who came in the Gospel of Matthew 18 is Saint Ignatius, but Chrysostom does not support this tradition and confirms that Ignatius did not see the Lord. Church scholars place his birth in the year 35 and that he was safe in Antioch at the hands of the apostles and disciples, and he took the title of Theophorus - the God-bearer - for himself.
Church of Antioch and Saint Ignatius: During the reign of Ignatius, the Roman Empire began to persecute and persecute Christians, as the Christian faith began to spread in Rome itself. This was considered by the Romans to be treason against the state, as the religion of the fathers was, for them, a covenant that should not be broken. Another factor that incited the Romans to persecute Christians was Jewish complaints, as they made them aware of the rapid spread of the Christian message in the empire. As for the internal conditions during the reign of Ignatius, they were not much better, as the differences between the Jewish and Gentile believers still existed.
His sponsorship policy: The saint was not interested in explaining Christian doctrines (the Holy Trinity and the union of the two natures in Christ), but rather most of his interest was in teaching the Christian faith, preserving it pure, and unifying the ranks of the people of his church - Antioch - and he was the first to use the word “university” (Catholic) to refer to the church and considered it collegial and not presidential. . He also organized the church. In his letter to the Ephesians, he clarifies the priestly ranks, and makes the bishop the head of the local church, saying that he is Christ, and where Christ is, there is the church, and then the elders and making them role models for the believers, just as the apostles are role models for the believers, then the deacons and respecting them as respecting the commandments of God. It makes any work presented to the church without the approval of the bishop unpopular, so it should not be done alone, and it makes the divine sacrifice a sacrament practiced only by the bishop and those authorized by the bishop.
Judgment on the saint: Nero had established a law deeming everyone who professed Christianity an outlaw. This was followed by Vespasianus, Titus, and Domitianus. In the year 99, Emperor Traianus approved the Law of Nero and ordered its implementation. The law was explained to Pliny, the ruler of Bithynia, that anyone declared to be a Christian would be executed unless he renounced his faith. Among those who were martyred as a result of this law was Saint Clement, the third bishop of Rome after the Apostle Peter in the year 100, and Simon, bishop of Jerusalem in the year 107. This law may be what led to the martyrdom of Ignatius Theophorus.
According to tradition, the Roman ruler accused Ignatius of disobeying his orders as a devil, and tempting people to destroy their souls (preaching Christ). The saint answered him that the Roman gods were demons and feared the children of God, and that there was only one God. The governor said to him, “Do you mean Christ whom Pilate hung on the cross?” The saint answered him: It must be said that Jesus, who hung sin and its maker on the cross, gave those who carry him in their hearts authority to crush hell and its power. The ruler said to him: So, are you carrying Jesus in your womb? Ignatius said: There is no doubt about that, because it was said, “I will come among them and walk with them.” The ruler had no choice but to issue his order on January 6, 107, to handcuff Ignatius and send him to Rome to be thrown to the beasts in front of the people. Here the saint exclaimed, saying: Thank you, Lord, because you gave me your complete love and honored me with the restrictions you honored Paul with. Then he prayed for the church, entrusted it, and surrendered himself to the police.
His messages: He set out in chains, accompanied by the two martyrs Rufus and Zorosimos, who were sentenced. During his journey from Antioch to Rome, he wrote seven letters to the churches he passed through, which encouraged people to endure the trials and tribulations of time. They have come down to us in three groups: the short, the long, and the abridged. The short is the original, and a Greek manuscript (second century) has preserved these letters for us, but it does not include the letter to the Romans. The oldest text that preserves this letter dates back to the tenth century. In the fourth century, someone took care of them and altered them, adding to them and making them groups that included thirteen letters instead of seven. In addition to the letters to the churches of Ephesus, Magnesia, Tyrrell, Rome, Philadelphia, Smyrna, and Polycarp, he wrote letters to Antioch, Tarsus, Philippi, Heron, Mary the Capsul, and the letter of the latter to Ignatius. These letters remained a subject of controversy among biblical scholars and evangelists. Some said that they were forged, while others said that they were authentic. Then came Lightfool, Haranck, Zahn, and Funk, who succeeded in proving its authenticity with internal and external evidence, and silenced all those who said that it was forged. These letters became among the best remaining works of the early fathers.
They cited him: The saint arrived in the capital of the empire. It was the date of the Roman closing feasts. The Romans went down to the Flavianus Coliseum to celebrate Trianus' victories and to witness the bloody wrestling between families, criminals, and ferocious beasts. The saint's two companions were martyred in this amphitheater on the eighteenth of December. On the twentieth, the God-bearing saint was stripped of his clothes and thrown to the beasts, which tore his pure body and devoured him. All that remained of his body were the bones, so the believers collected them and sent them to Antioch. So she was buried outside the wall. Then it was transferred in the days of Theodosius the Younger to the remains of the church that was the Temple of Fortuna in the heart of Antioch, and the church was named after him in memory of him. His feast: It was reported that the believers of Rome, after they witnessed his glorious death, stayed up all night praying to the Lord to strengthen their weakness. Then the martyr appeared to them in the form of a fighter who emerged victorious from the battle, and their hearts were filled with joy. The brothers in Antioch designated the day of his martyrdom as a feast for which the church celebrates him. The Orthodox Church still celebrates him on this day. As for the Catholic Church, it moved the feast to the first of February. Perhaps to combine the day of his martyrdom with the day his remains were transferred.
From the sayings of Saint Ignatius:
The provision of salvation through Jesus Christ
St. Ignatius focuses on salvation through Jesus Christ, the perfect God and perfect man. “… God incarnate and in death true life, born of the Virgin and of God…” (Ephesians 7:2). At the beginning of his letter to the Smyrnaeans, he says: “I glorify Jesus Christ who made you wise. I perceive that you have been built up with unshakable faith, as if nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ in body and spirit, and firmly established in love by the blood of Christ, who is truly “of the seed of David in the flesh,” truly born of the Virgin and baptized by John “that all justice might be fulfilled in him,” and was nailed for our sake under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch, and by the fruit of his cross and holy sufferings we have found life, and by his resurrection he “raised his banner” over the ages to gather his saints and faithful in Judea and the Gentiles into one body in his Church.” He also said: “He endured all this for our sake and for our salvation. He truly suffered and truly rose by his power. “He did not suffer outwardly, as some deniers say” (Izmir 2).
And he confirms in the same letter: “I believe and believe that Christ after the resurrection was in the flesh. Did he not address Peter and those with him, saying, ‘Handle me and touch me and see that I am not a spirit without a body’? They touched him and immediately believed and were united with his body and spirit, so they despised death and conquered it” (Smyrna 3:1-2).
The sacrament of thanksgiving and the church
“Beware of partaking of anything other than one sacrament of thanksgiving, for there is but one body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to unite us with his blood, and one altar; just as there is one bishop with the presbyters, and deacons with me in the ministry, so whatever you do, you do according to God” (Philadelphia 4). “If you all come together as one… you break the one loaf of bread, which is a medicine for immortality, an offering prepared to preserve us from death and to provide us with eternal life in Christ” (Ephesians 2:20).
“Whoever is far from the altar will be deprived of the bread of God” (Ephesians 5:2). “Whoever refrains from attending church is arrogant and cuts himself off from fellowship. It is written, ‘God opposes the proud’ (Matthew 18:20). Let us therefore beware of the bishop’s resistance if we want to maintain our obedience to God” (Ephesians 5:3). “Try to intensify your meetings to offer your thanks and glorification to God, because Satan’s powers will diminish and his power will dissolve before the agreement of your faith” (Ephesians 13).
Bishop
“Where the bishop is, there must be the parish, just as where Christ is, there must be the universal Church” (Psalm 8:2).
At the beginning of each letter, he speaks about the bishop of the city and the people. He says about the bishop of Philadelphia: “I know that this bishop “did not receive the service of the flock, neither from himself nor from men” (Galatians 1:1), nor for love of vainglory, but for love for God the Father and Jesus Christ. We were captivated by his gentleness. His silence can do much more than pretentious speeches... His calm nature, which does not know anger, makes me know that the virtue of his thought is complete and that he lives with all the meekness of the living God” (Philadelphia 1:1).
The bishop represents Christ in the church and has the obedience of the believers, even if he is a young man, because whoever does not disagree with the opinion of the bishop protects himself from falling into heresy. He says: “None of you should do anything related to the church without the will of the bishop” (Psalm 8:1). “You must be of the same mind with your bishop” (Ephesians 4:1). “I envy you for your permanent connection to your bishop, just as the Church is connected to Christ, and Christ Jesus to the Father, all in complete unity” (Ephesians 6:1).
The bishop supervises the administration of all church sacraments: “Without the bishop, neither baptism nor the feast of love is permissible” (Psalm 8:2). “Men and women who marry must have their union under the authority of the bishop so that the marriage is according to the Lord and not according to desire” (Polycarp 5:2).
Saint Ignatius advises every bishop: “Justify your eminence by your great activity, physically and spiritually, and pay attention to the unity that transcends all good things. Bear with everyone as the Lord bears with you, and bear them with love as you do. Spend your time in constant prayers. Increase your wisdom more wisely, and stay awake with a spirit that does not know sleep. He addressed each one individually so that he might imitate God’s morals” (Polycarp 1:2-3).
And about the Christian in his life and work
“The Christian does not own himself and is not his master. His time belongs to God and he works only for His sake” (Polycarp 7:3). “It is better to be silent and be than to speak and not be.” “It is good for a man to teach; it is more beautiful for him to do what he teaches” (Ephesians 15:1). “If you remain silent, you will not contribute to a better work than this work” (Romans 2:1). “Be Christians, not in name but in reality” (Magnesia 4). “I do not ask you to seek the approval of men, but the approval of God” (Romans 2:1). “Do not put Christ on your lips and the world in your hearts” (Romans 1:7). “If you are willing to do good, God is ready to help you” (Ismir 11:3). “Be long-suffering and gentle toward one another, with the meekness of God toward you” (Polycarp 6:2).
“Consider him who has a thought contrary to the grace of Jesus Christ which has come upon us as opposed to the thought of God. Such a person cares neither for charity nor for the widow, nor for the poor nor for the persecuted, nor for the captives nor for the freed, nor for the hungry nor for the thirsty. He turns away from prayer and the sacrament of thanksgiving so that he does not acknowledge that the sacrament of thanksgiving is the body of our Savior Jesus Christ, the body which suffered for our sins and which God the Father raised up in his goodness. Those who reject the gift of God die in their disputes. It is better for them to apply the law of love so that they may have a place in the resurrection. Beware of such people and do not speak of them either in your private or public assemblies. Cling to the prophets and especially to the Gospel which showed us the sufferings in full and the resurrection accomplished. Flee from dissensions, for they are the root of evil” (Isma’iran 6:2; 7:1-2).
Footnotes:
- Saint Peter ordained Saint Euthymius as his successor on the throne of Antioch, but unfortunately we do not have anything that would allow us to delve into the history of the first successor of the Apostle Peter, but there is a tradition that says that he received the crown of martyrdom during the reign of Nero.... to up
