Ignatius of Antioch: source notes

Works: Letters (c. 107–110), middle recension. Edition/translation: ANF vol. 1 (Roberts–Donaldson), as on New Advent. Greek key words checked against public Greek text (Via Patrum / Lightfoot line; Holmes/Lightfoot critical Greek not re-collated from a printed edition).

Back to justification · reasoning · conventions

S1: Philadelphians 8.2

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0108.htm
Text: “But to me Jesus Christ is in the place of all that is ancient: His cross, and death, and resurrection, and the faith which is by Him, are undefiled monuments of antiquity; by which I desire, through your prayers, to be justified.” Key Greek (Philadelphians 8.2, verified): ἐν οἷς θέλω ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ ὑμῶν δικαιωθῆναι (Via Patrum).
Context: Against people who would believe only what they found in the “archives” (OT). Justification is tied to Christ’s cross and resurrection and to faith. Ignatius gives no exposition of the term.
Bears on: Q1, Q2
Status: verified (English; key Greek δικαιωθῆναι)

S2: Magnesians 10.3

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0105.htm
Text: “It is absurd to profess Christ Jesus, and to Judaize. For Christianity did not embrace Judaism, but Judaism Christianity.”
Context: This is the anti-Judaizing context for Ignatius’s faith language. It is relevant to the ἔργα νόμου question.
Bears on: Q2
Status: verified (English)

Topic: eucharist

See eucharist reasoning.

EUC S1: Smyrnaeans 7.1

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm
Text: “They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again.” Key Greek (Smyrnaeans 7.1, verified): τὴν εὐχαριστίαν σάρκα εἶναι τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Via Patrum).
Context: Written against Docetists, who denied that Christ had real flesh. The Eucharist is identified with the flesh that suffered.
Bears on: E1
Status: verified (English; key Greek σάρκα)

Topic: afterlife

See afterlife reasoning.

AFT S1: Ephesians 16.2

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm
Text: “Such an one becoming defiled [in this way], shall go away into everlasting fire, and so shall every one that hearkens unto him.”
Context: About corrupters of the faith.
Bears on: L5
Status: verified (English)

Topic: trinity

See trinity reasoning.

TRI S1: Ephesians 7.2

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm (NPNF/ANF English translation)
Text: “There is one Physician who is possessed both of flesh and spirit; both made and not made; God existing in flesh; true life in death; both of Mary and of God; first passible and then impassible — even Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Context: Christ as God in flesh, against docetists.
Bears on: T1
Status: verified (English)

Topic: christology

See christology reasoning.

CHR S1: Ephesians 7.2

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “There is one Physician who is possessed both of flesh and spirit; both made and not made; God existing in flesh; true life in death; both of Mary and of God; first passible and then impassible — even Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Context: Against docetism.
Bears on: X1
Status: verified (English)

Topic: church-authority

See church-authority reasoning.

PAP S1: Romans, prologue

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0107.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “presides in the place of the region of the Romans, worthy of God, worthy of honour, worthy of the highest happiness, worthy of praise, worthy of obtaining her every desire, worthy of being deemed holy, and which presides over love, is named from Christ, and from the Father, which I also salute in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father: to those who are united, both according to the flesh and spirit, to every …”
Context: Honour of the Roman church.
Bears on: P1
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine F16

See F16 reasoning.

F16 S1: Smyrnaeans 8.2

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.”
Context: First use of ‘catholic church’.
Bears on: F16.1
Status: verified (English)

F16 S2: Philadelphians 5 and 9 — apostles with the Church

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0108.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “I flee to the Gospel as to the flesh of Jesus, and to the apostles as to the presbytery of the Church. And let us also love the prophets, because they too have proclaimed the Gospel …” And (ch. 9): “He is the door of the Father, by which enter in Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the prophets, and the apostles, and the Church.”
Context: The Church stands with the apostles and prophets under Christ; creedal ‘apostolic’ as origin and foundation. Papal primacy is S08; polity forms are S09.
Bears on: F16.3
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine F05

See F05 reasoning.

F05 S1: Ephesians 18.2

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “Where is the wise man? Where the disputer? 1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the boasting of those who are styled prudent? For our God, Jesus Christ, was, according to the appointment of God, conceived in the womb by Mary, of the seed of David, but by the Holy Ghost.”
Context: Conceived by Mary ‘by the Holy Ghost’.
Bears on: F05.1
Status: verified (English)

F05 S2: Ephesians 19.1

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “Three celebrated mysteries Now the virginity of Mary was hidden from the prince of this world, as was also her offspring, and the death of the Lord; three mysteries of renown, which were wrought in silence by God.”
Context:
Bears on: F05.1
Status: verified (English)

F05 S3: Smyrnaeans 1.1

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “truly of the seed of David according to the flesh, Romans 1:3 and the Son of God according to the will and power of God; that He was truly born of a virgin, was baptized by John, in order that all righteousness might be fulfilled Matthew 3:15 by Him; and was truly, under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch, nailed [to the cross] for us in His flesh. …”
Context:
Bears on: F05.1
Status: verified (English)

F05 S4: Ephesians 7.2 — God existing in flesh

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “There is one Physician who is possessed both of flesh and spirit; both made and not made; God existing in flesh; true life in death; both of Mary and of God; first passible and then impassible — even Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Context: The one Christ is God existing in flesh — real incarnation of God, not a mere man later adopted.
Bears on: F05.3
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine F12X

See F12X reasoning.

F12X S1: Smyrnaeans 6.1

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “Both the things which are in heaven, and the glorious angels, and rulers, both visible and invisible, if they believe not in the blood of Christ, shall, in consequence, incur condemnation.”
Context:
Bears on: F12.2
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine F09

See F09 reasoning.

F09 S1: Smyrnaeans 2

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “Christ’s true passion Now, He suffered all these things for our sakes, that we might be saved.”
Context:
Bears on: F09.1
Status: verified (English)

F09 S2: Trallians 9.1

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0106.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “He was truly persecuted under Pontius Pilate; He was truly crucified, and [truly] died, in the sight of beings in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth.”
Context: Era I: against Docetism; the passion is real.
Bears on: F09.3
Status: verified (English)

F09 S3: Smyrnaeans 2

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “And He suffered truly, even as also He truly raised up Himself, not, as certain unbelievers maintain, that He only seemed to suffer, as they themselves only seem to be [Christians].”
Context: Era I: against Docetism on the passion. Complements F09 S1 (death for our salvation).
Bears on: F09.3
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine S09

See S09 reasoning.

S09 S1: Trallians 3.1

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0106.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “Honour the deacons, etc In like manner, let all reverence the deacons as an appointment of Jesus Christ, and the bishop as Jesus Christ, who is the Son of the Father, and the presbyters as the sanhedrim of God, and assembly of the apostles.”
Context: Era I: threefold ministry in Asia.
Bears on: S09.1
Status: verified (English)

S09 S2: Trallians 3.1

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0106.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “Apart from these, there is no Church.”
Context:
Bears on: S09.1
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine T13

See T13 reasoning.

T13 S1: Magnesians 9.1

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0105.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord’s Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death — whom some deny, by which mystery we have obtained faith, and therefore endure, that we may be found the disciples of Jesus Christ, our only Master — how shall we be able to live apart from Him, whose disciples the prophets themselves in the Spirit did wait for Him as th …”
Context:
Bears on: T13.1
Status: verified (English)

T13 S2: Magnesians 9

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0105.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “the Lord’s Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death — whom some deny, by which mystery we have obtained faith, and therefore endure, that we may be found the disciples of Jesus Christ, our only Master — how shall we be able to live apart from Him, whose disciples the prophets themselves in the Spirit did wait for Him as their Teacher? And therefore He whom they rightly waited for, havin …”
Context:
Bears on: T13.2
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine F02

See F02 reasoning.

F02 S1: Ephesians 18.2

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “Where is the wise man? Where the disputer? 1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the boasting of those who are styled prudent? For our God, Jesus Christ, was, according to the appointment of God, conceived in the womb by Mary, of the seed of David, but by the Holy Ghost.”
Context: Era I: Christ called ‘our God’.
Bears on: F02.1, F02.3
Status: verified (English)

F02 S2: Magnesians 6.1

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0105.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “f God, and your presbyters in the place of the assembly of the apostles, along with your deacons, who are most dear to me, and are entrusted with the ministry of Jesus Christ, who was with the Father before the beginning of time, and in the end was revealed.”
Context: Era I.
Bears on: F02.2
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine F03

See F03 reasoning.

F03 S1: Trallians 9.1

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0106.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “Reference to the history of Christ Stop your ears, therefore, when any one speaks to you at variance with Jesus Christ, who was descended from David, and was also of Mary; who was truly born, and ate and drank.”
Context: Era I: against docetists.
Bears on: F03.1
Status: verified (English)

F03 S2: Smyrnaeans 1.1

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “truly of the seed of David according to the flesh, Romans 1:3 and the Son of God according to the will and power of God; that He was truly born of a virgin, was baptized by John, in order that all righteousness might be fulfilled Matthew 3:15 by Him; and was truly, under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch, nailed [to the cross] for us in His flesh. …”
Context:
Bears on: F03.1
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine F10

See F10 reasoning.

F10 S1: Smyrnaeans 3.1

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “Christ was possessed of a body after His resurrection For I know that after His resurrection also He was still possessed of flesh, and I believe that He is so now.”
Context: Era I: against docetists.
Bears on: F10.1
Status: verified (English)

F10 S2: Magnesians 9.2

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0105.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “ter — how shall we be able to live apart from Him, whose disciples the prophets themselves in the Spirit did wait for Him as their Teacher? And therefore He whom they rightly waited for, having come, raised them from the dead.”
Context: The prophets.
Bears on: F10.2
Status: verified (English)

F10 S3: Smyrnaeans 3.2–3 — handle me; ate and drank

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “When, for instance, He came to those who were with Peter, He said to them, Lay hold, handle Me, and see that I am not an incorporeal spirit. And immediately they touched Him, and believed, being convinced both by His flesh and spirit. … And after his resurrection He ate and drank with them, as being possessed of flesh, although spiritually He was united to the Father.”
Context: Same risen body that can be handled and that eats — not a ghost or different spiritual double.
Bears on: F10.3
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine T22

See T22 reasoning.

T22 S1: Magnesians 10

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0105.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “It is absurd to profess Christ Jesus, and to Judaize.”
Context: The ceremonial law has ended.
Bears on: T22.2
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine T24

See T24 reasoning.

T24 S1: Smyrnaeans 8

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “Let nothing be done without the bishop See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God.”
Context: Church order and unity.
Bears on: T24.1
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine S21

See S21 reasoning.

S21 S1: Ephesians 7

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0104.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “There is one Physician who is possessed both of flesh and spirit; both made and not made; God existing in flesh; true life in death; both of Mary and of God; first passible and then impassible — even Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Context: Christ, God in flesh, suffered in his humanity.
Bears on: S21.2
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine S24

See S24 reasoning.

S24 S1: To Polycarp 6

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0110.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “Let your works be the charge assigned to you, that you may receive a worthy recompense.”
Context: Works receive recompense.
Bears on: S24.1
Status: verified (English)

Doctrine F10X

See F10X reasoning.

F10X S1: Magnesians 9

Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0105.htm (public-domain English translation)
Text: “ter — how shall we be able to live apart from Him, whose disciples the prophets themselves in the Spirit did wait for Him as their Teacher? And therefore He whom they rightly waited for, having come, raised them from the dead.”
Context: Ignatius on the prophets who waited for Christ.
Bears on: F10.4
Status: verified (English)