The Bibical Concept of Church Authority in the Early Church Fathers: Ignatius of Antioch
In our last installment of this series on the blog, we took a look at the concepts of Church authority as presented by Pope Saint Clement of Rome. In this post, we will examine what the man Ignatius of Antioch had to say about this topic. Before we do that, however, it would be beneficial for us to get to know him a bit more.
Ignatius was born in Syria around the year 50 A.D. It is believed that he, along with his friend and fellow bishop Polycarp, heard Saint John the Apostle himself preach and also were pupils of this great man. We know that Ignatius was ordained the bishop of the city of Antioch, succeeding a man named Evodius who in turn succeeded Simon Peter, the first Pope or Bishop of Rome. Ignatius served as bishop during the times of the brutal Christian persecution under the pagan Roman emperor Trajan. Because of his courageous opposition to this corrupt and powerful man, Ignatius was sentenced to die in the city of Rome, being torn alive and eaten by ferocious animals for the thrill of the blood-thirsty crowds. The seven letters that we will examine in this post were penned by Ignatius as he was hauled from his diocese in Antioch to be martyred in Rome. So, let us now see what this virtuous and holy bishop and martyr had to say about the vital necessity of the authority of the Catholic Church, the New Covenant family of God.
Ignatius begins his Epistle to the Ephesians by praising the great faith and charity of the Ephesian people and then exhorting them:
"It is therefore befitting that you should in every way glorify Jesus Christ, who has glorified you, that by a unanimous obedience
This quote shows us that the early Christians all agreed in doctrine and practice because of the fact that they were united under the hierarchy of bishops and presbyters (aka. priests). Ignatius goes on to say something quite profound, modeling the words of Our Lord in John 20:21, "For even Jesus Christ, our inseparable life, is the will of the Father; as also bishops, settled everywhere to the utmost bounds, are so by the will of Jesus Christ."
Notice how similar these words are to those of Christ who said, "Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you." We know that those who are in authority in the Church are commissioned by God Himself to lead, to teach, and to guide the people of God into all truth. Indeed, as I have said before, the Church is no mere human institution, fallible, and destined for error and destruction, but really is overshadowed by the Holy Ghost who never ceases to offer protection against heresy and all evils of this world.
Seeing the dangers of heresy, apostasy, and schism, Ignatius warns his readers, "Let us be careful, then, not to set ourselves in opposition to the bishop, in order that we may be subject to God." In most frightening terms, Ignatius describes the fate of those wicked heretics who pervert the sacred doctrines, saying that they "shall go away into everlasting fire and so shall every one that hearkens unto him." In our day and age even today, with heretics running amuck and men of little or no faith everywhere, it is absolutely vital that we stay dedicated to the teachings of the Church, however unpopular they might be.
In his Epistle to the Magnesians, Ignatius writes the following encouragement to his audience:
"Study, therefore, to be established in the doctrines of the Lord and the apostles, that so all things, whatsoever you do, may prosper both in the flesh and spirit; in faith and love; in the Son, and in the Father, and in the Spirit; in the beginning and in the end; with your most admirable bishop, and the well-compacted spiritual crown of your presbytery, and the deacons who are according to God. Be subject to the bishop, and to one another, as Jesus Christ to the Father, according to the flesh, and the apostles to Christ, and to the Father, and to the Spirit; that so there may be a union both fleshly and spiritual."
Indeed, this quote shows that the early Christians did not have any concept of the so-called "invisible Church" held to by many in the various Protestant communities today. Rather, they believe (and rightly so) that Our Lord established a visible Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, which He built on a sacred hierarchy or order and which He obliged everyone to join.
Ignatius continues the theme in his Epistle to the Trallians:
"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. Apart from these, there is no Church."
In his Epistle to the Romans, Ignatius makes it clear that this community holds a special place of authority and honor in the Catholic Church, just as it does today. In fact, we know that Simon Peter was the first man to hold the office of the papacy, instituted by Christ in Matthew 16:17-18. Ignatius says that the Church of Rome is "beloved and enlightened by the will of Him that wills all things which are according to the love of Jesus Christ" and "worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of the highest happiness, worthy of praise, worthy of obtaining her every desire, worthy of being deemed holy, and which presides over love". He then tells the Roman community of the Church not to rescue him from his impending martyrdom for he desires to give his life up for the Lord.
In his Epistle to the Philadelphians, Ignatius follows his typical format of encouraging the Christians to remain in the unity of the Church and not to succumb to the various falsehoods of the heretics of the day. Indeed, while speaking about Church unity under the bishop, Ignatius declares:
"Take heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to [show forth] the unity of His blood; one altar; as there is one bishop, along with the presbytery and deacons, my fellow-servants: that so, whatsoever you do, you may do it according to [the will of] God."
The early Church clearly saw the not only the hierarchy of bishops, priests, and deacons under the Pope as the principle of Church authority and unity but also the Eucharist itself, the Body and Blood of Our Lord, was not only the Sacrament which nourished the soul but also served as the principle of unity for the people of God.
Writing to the Smyrnaeans, Ignatius declares:
"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. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."
This is the first recorded reference to the Church Christ established as the 'Catholic' or 'Universal' Church. Indeed, this title is still held today by us Catholic Christians who belong to the Church spread throughout the world, including every race, tongue, and person who seeks to come into the fold of the Good Shepherd. When many non-Catholic Christians recite the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed, they are quick to point out that the qualifier 'Catholic' does not refer to the 'Catholic Church' but rather, it merely indicates that the elect are found everywhere in the world. However, as I have said before on this blog, that view of the Church (namely, simply an invisible organization without either authority, sacraments, creed, or doctrine) is untenable, given the fact of a visible hierarchy and system of Church authority established by Our Lord as is very evident in both the New Testament Scriptures and in the writings of the early Church Fathers. Indeed, as we Catholics recite every Sunday in the Nicene Creed, we believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. This is the orthodox faith and this is the truth given to by Our Lord Jesus Christ to His Apostles and down through the centuries.
Ignatius was born in Syria around the year 50 A.D. It is believed that he, along with his friend and fellow bishop Polycarp, heard Saint John the Apostle himself preach and also were pupils of this great man. We know that Ignatius was ordained the bishop of the city of Antioch, succeeding a man named Evodius who in turn succeeded Simon Peter, the first Pope or Bishop of Rome. Ignatius served as bishop during the times of the brutal Christian persecution under the pagan Roman emperor Trajan. Because of his courageous opposition to this corrupt and powerful man, Ignatius was sentenced to die in the city of Rome, being torn alive and eaten by ferocious animals for the thrill of the blood-thirsty crowds. The seven letters that we will examine in this post were penned by Ignatius as he was hauled from his diocese in Antioch to be martyred in Rome. So, let us now see what this virtuous and holy bishop and martyr had to say about the vital necessity of the authority of the Catholic Church, the New Covenant family of God.
Ignatius begins his Epistle to the Ephesians by praising the great faith and charity of the Ephesian people and then exhorting them:
"It is therefore befitting that you should in every way glorify Jesus Christ, who has glorified you, that by a unanimous obedience
you may be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment, and may all speak the same thing concerning the same thing,and that, being subject to the bishop and the presbytery, you may in all respects be sanctified."
This quote shows us that the early Christians all agreed in doctrine and practice because of the fact that they were united under the hierarchy of bishops and presbyters (aka. priests). Ignatius goes on to say something quite profound, modeling the words of Our Lord in John 20:21, "For even Jesus Christ, our inseparable life, is the will of the Father; as also bishops, settled everywhere to the utmost bounds, are so by the will of Jesus Christ."
Notice how similar these words are to those of Christ who said, "Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you." We know that those who are in authority in the Church are commissioned by God Himself to lead, to teach, and to guide the people of God into all truth. Indeed, as I have said before, the Church is no mere human institution, fallible, and destined for error and destruction, but really is overshadowed by the Holy Ghost who never ceases to offer protection against heresy and all evils of this world.
Seeing the dangers of heresy, apostasy, and schism, Ignatius warns his readers, "Let us be careful, then, not to set ourselves in opposition to the bishop, in order that we may be subject to God." In most frightening terms, Ignatius describes the fate of those wicked heretics who pervert the sacred doctrines, saying that they "shall go away into everlasting fire and so shall every one that hearkens unto him." In our day and age even today, with heretics running amuck and men of little or no faith everywhere, it is absolutely vital that we stay dedicated to the teachings of the Church, however unpopular they might be.
In his Epistle to the Magnesians, Ignatius writes the following encouragement to his audience:
"Study, therefore, to be established in the doctrines of the Lord and the apostles, that so all things, whatsoever you do, may prosper both in the flesh and spirit; in faith and love; in the Son, and in the Father, and in the Spirit; in the beginning and in the end; with your most admirable bishop, and the well-compacted spiritual crown of your presbytery, and the deacons who are according to God. Be subject to the bishop, and to one another, as Jesus Christ to the Father, according to the flesh, and the apostles to Christ, and to the Father, and to the Spirit; that so there may be a union both fleshly and spiritual."
Indeed, this quote shows that the early Christians did not have any concept of the so-called "invisible Church" held to by many in the various Protestant communities today. Rather, they believe (and rightly so) that Our Lord established a visible Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, which He built on a sacred hierarchy or order and which He obliged everyone to join.
Ignatius continues the theme in his Epistle to the Trallians:
"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. Apart from these, there is no Church."
In his Epistle to the Romans, Ignatius makes it clear that this community holds a special place of authority and honor in the Catholic Church, just as it does today. In fact, we know that Simon Peter was the first man to hold the office of the papacy, instituted by Christ in Matthew 16:17-18. Ignatius says that the Church of Rome is "beloved and enlightened by the will of Him that wills all things which are according to the love of Jesus Christ" and "worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of the highest happiness, worthy of praise, worthy of obtaining her every desire, worthy of being deemed holy, and which presides over love". He then tells the Roman community of the Church not to rescue him from his impending martyrdom for he desires to give his life up for the Lord.
In his Epistle to the Philadelphians, Ignatius follows his typical format of encouraging the Christians to remain in the unity of the Church and not to succumb to the various falsehoods of the heretics of the day. Indeed, while speaking about Church unity under the bishop, Ignatius declares:
"Take heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to [show forth] the unity of His blood; one altar; as there is one bishop, along with the presbytery and deacons, my fellow-servants: that so, whatsoever you do, you may do it according to [the will of] God."
The early Church clearly saw the not only the hierarchy of bishops, priests, and deacons under the Pope as the principle of Church authority and unity but also the Eucharist itself, the Body and Blood of Our Lord, was not only the Sacrament which nourished the soul but also served as the principle of unity for the people of God.
Writing to the Smyrnaeans, Ignatius declares:
"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. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."
This is the first recorded reference to the Church Christ established as the 'Catholic' or 'Universal' Church. Indeed, this title is still held today by us Catholic Christians who belong to the Church spread throughout the world, including every race, tongue, and person who seeks to come into the fold of the Good Shepherd. When many non-Catholic Christians recite the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed, they are quick to point out that the qualifier 'Catholic' does not refer to the 'Catholic Church' but rather, it merely indicates that the elect are found everywhere in the world. However, as I have said before on this blog, that view of the Church (namely, simply an invisible organization without either authority, sacraments, creed, or doctrine) is untenable, given the fact of a visible hierarchy and system of Church authority established by Our Lord as is very evident in both the New Testament Scriptures and in the writings of the early Church Fathers. Indeed, as we Catholics recite every Sunday in the Nicene Creed, we believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. This is the orthodox faith and this is the truth given to by Our Lord Jesus Christ to His Apostles and down through the centuries.
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