Ignace d\' Antioche

History

Ignace was stopped by the authorities and was transferred to Rome to be put at dead in the arena. One thus hoped to make an example in order to slow down the expansion of the Christianisme. On the contrary, it came across and encouraged many Christians and it wrote letters with the Éphésiens, the Magnésiens, Tralliens, Philadelphiens, Smyrniens, and with the Romains, just as the letter with Polycarpe, which according to the tradition was bishop of Smyrna and a disciple of Saint Jean the Evangelist.

Its very strong desire of Martyr E bloody in the arena can seem strange to the modern reader: it conceives martyrdom like a Libation, a sacrifice towards Christ like wants it the Évangile.

Authentic letters and apocryphal books

Considering the low number of writings of this period of the Church, these letters had an influence in the development of the Christian Théologie. They seem to be written in great haste and without true plan, like a nonsystematic succession of thoughts.

Ignace is the first Christian writer who reached us which strongly insists on honesty with the bishop of the city, assisted by the Presbyte S (priest S) and the Diacre S. the former writings mention either the bishops indeed or the presbyopes, and give the impression that there were several bishops by community. Ignace also insists on the value of the Eucharistie, and calls it a “drug for the eternal life”. It showed that the Roman Church had primacy on the other Churches of the East, because it governed the love.

Cepenant, on about fifteen epistles which reached us under the name of Ignace d' Antioche, seven are regarded today as authentic. But the problems of authenticity do not relate to only the number of writings, but also their contents.

Indeed, some of these letters reached us in three “forms”: short, an average and long. The whole of criticisms - among which it is advisable to name Tischendorf - agree to recognize with the “average” form the characters of originality, the short form (for the letters with Polycarpe, with the Romans and Ephésiens, into syriaque) proving to be the shortened shape of these letters, while the long form (presents in the manuscripts containing the recognized letters as pseudépigraphes) is a recension interpolated from a later theological point of view. The letters, in the “average” form, came from to us in various languages: some Greek manuscripts present the letters to Polycarpe, in Ephésiens, Magnésiens, Tralliens, Philadelphiens, and Smyrniotes, the another Lettre with the Romans . This letter “with the Romans” is also inserted in a syriaque manuscript of the Martyre of St Ignace . A Latin version, made on the Greek, of these letters is also known, as well as a Armenian version, made on a syriaque translation. Lastly, the Lettre in Smyrniotes is also known by a version copte. The whole of these versions made it possible to restore the text of the epistles in a completely remarkable degree of probability. In addition, the letters in Tarsiens, Antiochiens, Philippiens, with the Héron deacon, the Jean apostle, the Virgin Mary, as well as the correspondence with the Marie proselyte, present in the manuscripts offering the “long” shape (interpolated) of the letters of Ignace are recognized like pseudépigraphes definitely later.

As for the account of the Martyre of St Ignace , though it was abundantly used to write the “biographies” of Ignace, it is unfortunately late. The various anachronisms which it comprises do not make it possible absolutely to see a historically reliable document there: it is one of these innumerable " acts of martyrs" where the imagination of the writer compensates for the lack of information.

Theology of St Ignace

From its authentic letters, it is possible to paint a picture of the theological thought of Ignace.

As example, we will limit ourselves to indicate his christology and its eucharistic theology.

While affirming the Unit of God (Magn 8.2), Ignace evokes the Trinité is by the formula " the son, the Father and Esprit" (Magn 13.1) that is to say " Christ, the Father and Esprit" (Magn 13.2). St Spirit is quoted with various recoveries, in addition to the two preceding ones: Phil " suscr" and 7.1-2, Eph 18.2, Eph 9.1.

While affirming (against the docètes) the reality of the human life of Jesus Christ (Smyrn 4.2,5.2; Eph 7.2,18.2,20.2; Smyrn 3.1,4.2, to also see Magn 11; Trall 9, Smyrn chap 1 to 6), Ignace affirms with not less force its divinity (Smyrn 1.1; Trall 7.1; Eph " suscr" , 1.1,15.1,19.3; Romanian " suscr" , 3.3,6.3; Polyc 3.2,8.3; Magn 6.1,7.2…

Its eucharistic theology is in addition very precise: It indeed defines the eucharistie as a " remedy of immortality, an antidote against the mort" (Eph 20.2) denouncing with the passage those (in fact docètes) which " abstain from Eucharistie because they do not want to recognize in it the flesh of Jesus Christ" (Smyrn 7.1). He prevents not to recognize like " validate that the eucharistie celebrated under the presidency of the bishop or sound délégué". (Smyrn 8.2; to also see Philad chap 4)

Source: Apostolic Fathers, Greek text, translation, introduction and notes by A. Lelong, 1927

Quotation

“the Church which chairs in the area of the Romans, worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy to be called happy, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy of purity, which governs the charity, which carries the law of Christ, which bears the name of the Father. ” (Letter with the Christians of Rome)

Sacrifice of the pig (Romania)

According to the Rumanian tradition , the December 20th is the day of Saint-Ignat. The tradition wants that one sacrifices this day of the Porc of a stab in the throat. This ritual announces the approach of the Rumanian Christmas.

The children are then grimmés with the Sang of the animal. The people believe that the night of the 19 to the 20, the saint appears with the pigs in dream and their advertisement which they will die as of the rising of the sun at five hours. The pig must be sacrificed between five and seven hours and any person who falls ill this day is likely to die before laying down it sun or the New year. The grease of the pig is good for any kind of désenvoûtements ( descântec in Rumanian, a Cognat of the French word disenchantment ).

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