Early Church History: Ignatius of Antioch

I have always been a fan of history. I loved the American Girl books as a little girl and I even collected Felicity's series. And when I was in Jr. High I read the historical fiction series "The Royal Diaries." I was hooked and loved to transport to another time in history. Of course, these historical fiction books are not all true, hence, fiction; but to read what it might have been like back then enthralled my little heart.

This is how I've come to write snippets of church history. I believe it's important for the church to know it's history. Yes, the Bible is the starting point and we should always go back to it again and again. And we should delve deeper into the lives of men and women who were incredibly devoted after the book of Revelation. These men and women were used by God to further His kingdom and to where we are today.

I know history may be boring to some. I get that history isn't a topic for everyone. But once you realize the impact these men and women had and what they went through, it may just spark your curiosity.

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Have you ever heard of John, one of Jesus' twelve disciples? Most likely, you have. But have you heard of Ignatius of Antioch? He was one of John's disciples. Ignatius lived a life fully devoted to Christ, became Bishop of Antioch, and was eventually martyred for his faithfulness to Christ.

The birth of Ignatius is unknown, some saying AD 35, but his martyrdom was recorded around 110. Ignatius was born somewhere in Asia Minor. Ignatius was also known as Theophorus which means "God-bearer" in Greek. Not much is known about his early life, but his letters, imprisonment, and martyrdom are well-known.

Ignatius was Bishop of Antioch around the year 69 after Evodius was Bishop (AD 53-66). For those of you who know your New Testament, you understand the importance of Antioch. First, it was the third-largest city of the Roman Empire and where many Christians fled to when persecutions began in Jerusalem. And it was where followers of Christ were given the name Christians (which was first given as a derogatory word).

 Ignatius paralleled what John wrote in his epistles. Since Ignatius was a disciple of John, he knew what problems John was writing about: false teachers. John warns that false teachers will say that Jesus did not really appear in the flesh, denying Christ's humanity (docetism). Ignatius warned believers about false teachers but he also told them to pray for the false teachers so "...that they may find God, for there is in them hope for repentance." [Ignatius' letter to the Ephesians, Lightfoot, 89]

  Ignatius also wrote about church unity and the church structure. Ignatius knew the importance of having an organized church leadership to teach biblically-correct truths and prevent discord.

Trajan was the Roman Emperor (98 -117 AD) and his friend, Pliny the Younger, was the governor of the northern area of Asia Minor. Ignatius was brought before Trajan because he was a well-known Christian and would not worship the gods of Trajan. Read this article about their conversation and here is another great article about their conversation and eye-witnesses. Ignatius traveled over 1,500 miles (look at this cool map I used) from Antioch to Rome with a military escort and this is when Ignatius wrote his epistles. Along the way to Rome, Ignatius and the military escort stopped in Smyrna for an unknown reason. In Smyrna Ignatius met with Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, his friend and fellow disciple of John. Ignatius was encouraged by fellow believers before heading off to Rome.

Ignatius was ready to be a martyr for Christ. He even told believers not to stand in the way of his martyrdom (Ignatius' epistle to the Romans). If you want to deep dive, read Ignatius' epistle to the Romans, but honestly, read all of his epistles.

Ignatius was brought to Rome and thrown into the Colosseum where he was devoured by lions. Read this short excerpt about his martyrdom.

I'm challenged by Ignatius' faithfulness despite knowning he was on his way to a brutal death. He would rather die as a martyr "...than to rule over the ends of the earth." [epistle to the Romans.] Christians worldwide are still martryed for their faith. Am I that faithful? In America, we don't have persecution, but I've thought of the possibility that it could happen. As I grow in my sanctification, I hope my faith is in Christ and not on things of this world.

Ignatius' words in his epistle to the Romans before his martyrdom:

"Allow me to become food for the wild beasts, through whose means it will be granted me to reach God. I am the wheat of God, and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ.”

Interesting traditions held about Ignatius:

• Ignatius is said to be one of the children Jesus held and blessed in Mark 9:35 (https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07644a.htm)

• Peter is suggested to have anointed Ignatius as Bishop (https://livingspace.sacredspace.ie/f1017s/#:~:text=Ignatius%20is%20believed%20to%20have,student%20of%20the%20Apostle%20John)

• Ignatius is first believed to have used the phrase "Catholic church" to mean the universal church (The Apostolic Fathers Second Edition, Translated by J.B. Lightfoot and J.R. Harmer, page 113, footnote 109.)

When I read Ignatius' epistles, his words reminded me of Paul's. His blunt but loving epistles demonstrates Ignatius' unwavering dedication to God and his overwhelming love for his fellow believers.

-Chloe Burch