Martyrdom And The Desire For Mar


Ignatius of Antioch, Ep. ad Romanos, 4.





Ignatius was bishop of Antioch in the opening years of the second

century. According to tradition, he suffered martyrdom in Rome

under Trajan, circa 117. Having been sent from Antioch to Rome by

command of the Emperor, on his way he addressed letters to various

churches in Asia, exhorting them to seek unity and avoid heresy by

c
ose union with the local bishop. His aim seems to have been

practical, to promote the welfare of the Christian communities

rather than the exaltation of the episcopal office itself. Doubts

have arisen as to the authenticity of these epistles on account of

the frequent references to the episcopate and to heresy. Further

difficulty has been caused by the fact that the epistles of

Ignatius appear in three forms or recensions, a longer Greek

recension forming a group of thirteen epistles, a short Greek of

seven epistles, and a still shorter Syriac version of only three.

After much fluctuation of opinion, due to the general

reconstruction of the history of the whole period, which has gone

through various marked changes, the opinion of scholars has been

steadily settling upon the short Greek recension of seven epistles

as authentic, especially since the critical re-examination of the

whole question by Zahn and Lightfoot.





I write to all the churches and impress on all, that I shall willingly die

for God unless ye hinder me. I beseech you not to show unseasonable

good-will toward me.(11) Permit me to be the food of wild beasts, through

whom it will be granted me to attain unto God. I am the wheat of God and I

am ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread

of Christ. Rather entice the wild beasts, that they may become my tomb and

leave nothing of my body, so that when I have fallen asleep I may be

burdensome to no one. Then I shall be truly a disciple of Jesus Christ,

when the world sees not my body. Entreat Christ for me, that by these

instruments I may be found a sacrifice to God. Not as Peter and Paul(12)

do I issue commandments unto you. They were Apostles, I a condemned man;

they were free, I even until now a slave.(13) But if I suffer, I shall be

the freedman of Jesus Christ, and shall rise again free in Him. And now,

being in bonds, I learn not to desire anything.



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