A review by theologiaviatorum
The Letters by Ignatius of Antioch

informative fast-paced

4.25

I just finished St. Ignatius' letters. This edition from the Popular Patristics Series includes those genuine letters of St. Ignatius and the longer recension now attributed to Pseudo-Ignatius, as well an account of his martyrdom, a panegyric of Chrysostom in honor of Ignatius, and letters (likely from a medieval tradition) supposedly written to John and Mary. Traditionally, Ignatius is considered, along with Polycarp, a disciple of the St. John the Apostle. Further, tradition says that he was handpicked by St. Peter to be bishop over Antioch. So, as St. John Chrysostom says, "He was genuinely in the company of the apostles and enjoyed their spiritual streams." Ignatius writes these letters on the way to celebrate his martyrdom in Rome in imitation of Saints Paul and Peter. He exhorts the churches to holiness, warns them of false teachers (especially the Docetists), and commands their unity. An essential part of this unity, according to Ignatius, is communion with and submission to one's bishop. He writes in his letter to the Trallians, "For when you are subject to the bishops as to Jesus Christ you seem to me not to be living in a human way but in accordance with Jesus Christ who died for us so that, believing in his death, you may escape death. This it is required that you should undertake nothing apart from the bishop, as is already the case, but also that you be subject to the presbytery as to the apostles of Jesus Christ our hope, in whom we will be found through living in him ... Likewise everyone should respect the deacons like Jesus Christ, and also the bishop, who is a representation of the Father, and the presbyters as a sanhedrin of God and company of the apostles. Apart from these nothing can be called a church." The Letters of Ignatius are one of the earliest extra-biblical writings we have and a worthwhile read for anyone interested in our history.