Ignatius of Antioch

Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Saint Ignatius of AntiochSaint 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 IgnatiusDuring the reign of Ignatius, the Roman Empire began to persecute and persecute Christians. The Christian faith began to spread in Rome itself, and this was tantamount to betrayal of the state to the Romans. For them, the religion of the fathers was a covenant that should not be broken. There is another factor that incited the Romans to persecute Christians, which was Jewish complaints, as it made them pay attention to the rapid spread of the Christian gospel in the empire. As for the internal conditions during the reign of Ignatius, they were not better, as the difference 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: So he set off in shackles, along with the two martyrs, Rufus and Zorsimus, who were included in the sentence. While traveling from Antioch to Rome, he wrote seven letters to the churches he passed through. Which was encouraged to endure adversity and misfortunes of time. It came to us in three groups: short, long and abbreviated. The short ones are the original ones. A Greek manuscript (the second century) has preserved these letters for us, but they do not include the letter to the Romans. The oldest text that preserves this letter for us dates back to the tenth century. In the fourth century, someone took care of it and distorted it, adding to it and making it into groups that included thirteen treatises instead of seven. He brought them, in addition to letters to the churches of: Ephesus, Magnesia, Tarella, Rome, Philadelphia, Izmir, and Polycarp, letters to Antioch, Tarsus, Philippi, Heron, Mary the Capsule, and the latter’s letter to Ignatius. These letters have remained the subject of controversy among Bible scholars and evangelicals. Some said it was fake, others said it was true. Then Lightfool, Haranck, Zahn, and Funk came and agreed to prove its authenticity with internal and external evidence, and all those who said it was forged remained silent. These letters became among the best remaining traces of the first 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
Saint Ignatius focuses on salvation through Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man. “...God incarnate, and in death there is true life, born of the Virgin and of God...” (Ephesians 7:2). At the beginning of his letter to the people of Izmir, he says: “I glorify Jesus Christ who made you wise. I have realized that you have been built with unshakable faith, as if you were nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ, body and soul, and firmly established in love by the blood of Christ, who is truly “of the seed of David in the flesh.” He was truly born of a virgin and was baptized by John “so that all justice might be fulfilled through him,” and he was nailed for us to The era of Pontius Pilate and Herod the Tetrarch, and with the fruit of his cross and his holy suffering we found life, and with his resurrection he “raised his banner” above the ages to gather his saints and believers in Judea and in the nations 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 fulfilled his ability. He did not suffer outwardly, as some ungrateful people say” (Izmir 2).

He confirms in the same letter: “I believe and believe that Christ was in the flesh after the resurrection. Didn’t he address Peter and those with him, saying, “Feel me, touch me, and see that I am not a spirit without body”? They touched him and immediately believed and were united with his body and spirit, so they despised death and conquered it” (Psalm 3:1-2).

The sacrament of thanksgiving and the church
“Beware of participating in anything other than the one sacrament of thanksgiving, because there is only one body of our Lord Jesus Christ, one cup that unites us with His blood, and one altar. Just as there is one bishop with predecessors, and the deacons are my companions in the service, and so everything you do you will do according to God” (Philadelphia 4). “If you all come together as one...you will break the one loaf of bread, which is a medicine for immortality, an offering prepared to preserve us from death and secure for us eternal life in Christ” (Ephesians 20:2).

“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 whoever holds an idea contrary to the grace of Jesus Christ that has come upon us as contrary to the mind of God. Such a person does not care about love, nor about widows, nor about the poor, nor about the persecuted, nor about the prisoners, nor about the freedmen, nor about the hungry, nor about the thirsty. He turns away from prayer and the sacrament of thanksgiving so as not to acknowledge that the sacrament of thanksgiving is the body of our Savior Jesus Christ, the body that suffered for our sins and which God the Father raised up through his goodness. Those who reject God's gift die in their arguments. It is better for them to apply the law of love so that they will have room for resurrection. Be careful of these people and do not talk about them, neither in your private gatherings nor in public ones. They clung to the prophets, especially to the Gospel, which showed us the sufferings in full and the resurrection accomplished. Flee from discord, for it is the root of all evil” (Izmir 6:2 and 7:1-2).

Dr.. Asad Rustam
Quoted from: Church of the Great City of God, Antioch


(1) Saint Peter appointed his successor to the throne of Antioch, Saint Evotheus, but unfortunately we have no reason to delve into researching the history of the first successor to the Apostle Peter, but there is a tradition that says that he obtained the crown of martyrdom during the reign of Nero...

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