Epistles of Ignatius present a series of letters written by Ignatius of Antioch on his journey to Rome. Instead of being executed in his home town of Antioch, Ignatius was escorted to Rome by a company of ten Roman soldiers. During the journey, the soldiers allowed Ignatius to meet with entire congregations of Christians while in chains and numerous Christian visitors and messengers were allowed to meet with him. These messengers allowed Ignatius to send six letters to nearby churches, and one to Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna. Ignatius's letters bear signs of being written in great haste and without a proper plan, such as run-on sentences and an unsystematic succession of thought. Ignatius modeled his writings after those allegedly written by Paul, Peter, and John, and even quoted or paraphrased biblical entries by these apostles' works freely. Seven original The Epistle to the Ephesians The Epistle to the Magnesians The Epistle to the Trallians The Epistle to the Romans The Epistle to the Philadelphians The Epistle to the Smyrnaeans The Epistle to Polycarp, a bishop of Smyrna
"Ignatius of Antioch (Ancient Greek: Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ignátios Antiokheías; ad c. 35 or 50 – 98 to 117), also known as Ignatius Theophorus (Ιγνάτιος ὁ Θεοφόρος, Ignátios ho Theophóros, lit. "the God-bearing"), was an Apostolic Father and the third bishop of Antioch. He was reputedly a student of John the Apostle. En route to Rome, where he met his martyrdom by being fed to wild beasts, he wrote a series of letters which have been preserved as an example of very early Christian theology. Important topics addressed in these letters include ecclesiology, the sacraments, and the role of bishops."
A beautiful series of letters, and a wonderful look into the exhortations given to flocks by their shepherds in a time I think the modern Church would not see as the Church flourishing in. Underneath oppression and persecution what bloomed was the Church, the blood of the marty's becoming the seeds that grew. Under persecution, oppression, and tyranny the Church grew in love, strength, and determination.
Cool to read some of these letters where ignatious encourages people to be pure, follow the bishop and be United. This stood out to me:
Labour with one another; contend together, run together, suffer together; sleep together, and rise together; as the stewards, and assessors, and ministers of God.