Justin quotes Jesus

Chapters 13-17

Justin sets the persecution faced by Christians in the context of spiritual warfare, it is due to the influence of demons that the Roman authorities oppose them, although they do no evil.

Justin then quotes Jesus extensively (apparently from his memory of the Gospels) to indicate the quality of the Christian faith. His main emphasis is on holiness, for he wishes to persuade his readers that Christians are no threat, in fact, although they only worship God and not Caesar in all else they are law-abiding.

Some interesting points:

1. Justin rejects double marriage.
2. Justin claims that there are many men and women who although now are old have led moral and pure lives.
3. Justin affirms that those who do not live holy lives are not genuine Christians. In fact, "not those who make profession, but those who do the works, will be saved."

Justin Christian worship and mini creed

Chapter 13 is another theological gem. Here Justin sets Christian worship and the rejection of sacrifices and other forms of religious ritual in the context of God desiring prayers and the good use of the creation that he has established.

Here we also have a proto-trinitarian mini-creed where Christ is worshipped as the son of God and the prophetic Spirit is referred to. The nature of Justin's belief is still unclear here as he refers to Christ as "second to the eternal and unchangeable God".

Justin on government, salvation and Trinity

Chapter 12 is full of interesting theological themes.

(1) Justin emphasises that the authorities should be content with Christians as they are allies in promoting peace. But this is no free cheque for politicians, for Justin also claims that the power of rulers who esteem opinion over truth is that of robbers in a desert.

(2) The emphasis in this chapter is strongly on the link between good works and salvation. Eternal punishment comes to those who do evil, eternal salvation to those who do good.

(3) Here we have language of the son being begotten of the Father.

Justin, the Kingdom and Death

In chapter 10 Justin emphasises that Christians are not looking for a human kingdom, an important point to make when one faces potential persecution. Nonetheless, persecution does not intimidate Christians after all :

"death is a debt which must at all events be paid."

Idols and serving God

In chapter 9 Justin follows the traditional OT polemic against idol worship, adding that there is demonic inspiration behind such worship.

In contrast, the true God, who cannot be represented in any form, and has no personal name, is to be worshipped through the imitation of his "excellences", especially "temperance...justice...philanthropy."

Justin on faith in God

According to Justin, Christians do not deny their faith in God, even though this could save their lives because they would rather die than choose to live a lie. Although Justin does not go as far as to teach salvation through works in chapter 8 he does declare that "pure and eternal life" will come to those who have proved to God that they have followed him.

In contrast, eternal punishment will come to those who are wicked, their spirits being re-united with their bodies. Justin draws a comparison to a similar teaching in Plato, although the philosopher restricted the punishment to a thousand years.

Responding to the charge of atheism

Christians are being condemned for "atheism", as evildoers, which Justin considers injust as they are being condemned on account of the name "Christian" as opposed to any evidence against them.

Justin accepts that Christians are atheists concerning the pagan gods, which he links to demons. Nonetheless, they believe in "the most true God, the Father of righteousness..." and in trinitarian language he refers also to the Son who proceeds from the Father and the "prophetic Spirit."

Justin justifies Christian rejection of the pagan gods by claiming that the same rejection of these demons can be seen in the great philosopher Socrates. In fact, the "logos" at work in Socrates is the same that "took shape, and became a man and was called Jesus Christ;". No wonder that Justin is such a mine (field?) for christology and the debate concerning Christianity and other religions.

Justin Martyr

Moving now onto the writings of Justin Martyr, starting with his first apology.

One of the significant statements of the introduction to this apology, addressed to the Emperor and his son, is Justin's suggestion of the ideal relationship between ruler and ruled:

subjects render an unexceptional account of their life and doctrine...rulers should give their decision in obedience, not to violence and tyranny, but to piety and philosophy.

This suggests some form of allegience to Plato's concept of the philosopher-king.

Walter Wink anyone?

According to Papias:

"To some of them [angels] he gave dominion over the arrangement of the world, and he commissioned them to exercise their dominion well. ...but it happened that their arrangement came to nothing."

Papias and eschatology

Papias believed in a future millenium when Christ would rule over the earth after the resurrection from the dead. Papias also believed in a grading of eternal life: heaven, paradise, the city according to our merits.

Papias, apostolic tradition and traditions

Papias is quoted by other authors as a very early witness to the concept of the apostolic tradition. He seems also to have been responsible for developing "traditions" concerning the family of Jesus.

De-fragmenting Papias

Reading through the fragments of Papias preserved in other authors. Pity that his five books seem to have gone AWOL.

Papias is a name which crops up quite regularly in Biblical studies with his theories on the composition of NT books, especially Mark and Matthew. Is the story in the Gospel of the Hebrews of the woman caught in a multitude of sins the mysterious passage of the woman's gospel now [kind of] in the Gospel of John? Is his reference to a presbyter called John significant for the composition of Revelation?

Scripture and Hermeneutics in the Epistle of Barnabas

In EB there is a strong use of the OT as Scripture. However, the author is very often cavalier in his handling of the text, if not blatantly mistaken, committing errors in quoting certain passages. Some NT passages are alluded to, whilst there are also references to apochryphal texts such as Enoch and IV Esdras.

The hermeneutical method is definitely allegorical, seeking to find christological applications in just about every nook and cranny of the OT. At times it becomes even esoteric, as when the author seeks to find significance in the numbers of men circumcised by Abraham, affirming that his readers are the first to have this secret revealed to them. The author claims that understanding the spiritual meaning comes from having one's ears and heart circumcised, and at times this even leads him to disdain the literal meaning, as when he claims that the Jews misunderstood the food laws because "they received them according to fleshly desire, as if he had merely spoken of literal meats."

Epistle of Barnabas

Next in my reading of ancient sources is the Epistle of Barnabas.

One of the striking features of this epistle is the way that it uses the Old Testament to try and deconstruct the claims of Judaism. THus, the OT rather than a source of Judaism, is seen to confront it. This can be seen in the way the author of EB deals with the OT themes of Law/covenant; land, Sabbath and temple.

Law/ Covenant

In a very debatable manner, the author claims that because Moses destroyed the tablets of the law in the episode of the golden calf, the covenant was never really established with the Israelites, hence the true covenant is that which was established in Christ. No explanation is offered for the fact that the OT narrates a subsequent re-giving of the law.

Land

The land flowing in milk and honey is not the land of Canaan, rather it refers to Christians growing in faith ruling over the earth.

Sabbath

In what seemed a rather bizarre form of argument, the author claims that the genuine sabbath refers to the eighth day, when Jesus was raised from the dead.

Temple

The true temple is the Spiritual temple of our hearts.

Ignatius' Christology

An idea of Ignatius' Christology can be gleaned from the following quote coming from the Epistle to Polycarp:

Look for Him who is above all time, eternal and invisible, yet who became visible for our sakes; impalpable and impassible, yet who became passible on our account; and who in every kind of way suffered for our sakes.

Ignatius to Polycarp

In his epistle to Polycarp, Ignatius provides a lengthy list of exhortations to Polycarp concerning Christian leadership. Great emphasis is placed upon the need for the bishop preserving unity, especially by showing love and patience towards the more awkward disciples.

Once again we see in Ignatius a tension concerning how false teachers are to be dealt with. Whilst their heresy is not to be tolerated, they are to be resisted in a loving way, as the bishop himself becomes the one who is wounded and hurt for Christ's sake.

Why is docetism wrong?

For Ignatius docetism is wrong for the following reasons:

(1) The docetics deny that Christ genuinely had a human body.
(2) The docetics deny the suffering, the passion and the resurrection of Christ. As we have seen before, this is particularly a sore point for Ignatius as he saw his own suffering as being linked to the suffering of Christ. Also, the heretics in this way exclude themselves from the salvation Christ achieved.
(3) Docetics deny the Eucharist, as they deny Christ had a real body.
(4) Docetics deny prayer--although Ignatius does not explain this.
(5) Docetics do not care for the widows, the orphans and others who are in need.

There is tension in Ignatius' attitude towards the heretics. On the one hand, he instructs his readers not to associate with them so as not to be contaminated by their teaching. Yet they are to pray for the docetics that they may be saved. In fact, Ignatius refuses to name the heretical teachers, expressing a hope that they might still repent.

Ignatius' Epistle to the Smyrnaeans

As one reads through these epistles by Ignatius, common themes start to emerge. Once again in this letter we have emphasis on the authority of the bishop and the need for submission to him. In fact, it is considered wrong to celebrate the Eucharist without the bishop, or at least someone authorised by him.

However, in this letter the authority of the bishop is set in the context of conflict over the docetic heresy. As I have suggested earlier, prior to a NT canon it is the authority of the bishop which guarantees continuity within the apostolic tradition, hence the need to avoid heretic celebrations of the Eucharist.

Ignatius, Judaism and the Old Testament

Whilst the author of the Epistle to Diognetus was very negative about Judaism and the Old Testament, Ignatius can say some complimentary about the Old Covenant, whilst at the same time condemning those who try to teach Christians to keep the Jewish law. As EP Sanders said about Paul, for Igantius the problem with Judaism is that it was not Christianity. Jesus not only fulfills the Old Covenant, but also transcends it.

The following quote outlines Ignatius' position:

He is the door of the Father, by which enter in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the prophets, and the apostles and the church... the gospel possesses something transcendent...the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ignatius: Epistle to the Phiadelphians

In this epistle we once more have the common theme in Ignatius of church unity and the authority of the bishop. For Ignatius, "If any man follows him that makes a schism of the Church, he shall not inherit the kingdom of God"

Whilst Ignatius does not expect any schismatics to be reading this epistle, there apparently was enough of a problem in the Philadelphian church for some to suspect that his plea for unity and submission to the bishop had come at the latter's request. Hence, he is at great pains to emphasise that it came from the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Why is Ignatius determined to die?

One reason seems to be that Ignatius saw his martyrdom as a sacrifice being offered to God, one that is in someway linked to the death of Christ on the cross. Therefore, he is able to refer to "be sacrificed to God whilst the altar is still being prepared". Hence, for his readers to intervene in his favour would actually deny him the opportunity to offer this sacrifice.

Another reason is that for Ignatius this was the final test that he had to face. His whole life had been spent facing challenges to his Christian faith, and martyrdom was the final one. In this way he is able to say "Then shall I truly be a disciple of Christ, when the world shall not see so much as my body." Again, he did not want his readers to deny him the chance to pass this final test and complete his life's mission.

A final explanation would be sociological. It is likely that as a persecuted and oppressed Christian Ignatius had less of a stake in his society and the life that he led, and hence the prospect of death was less frightening.

All these raise the major question. Is my disturbance at reading Ignatius' letter a sign of problems in his Christianity, or my one?

Or maybe a bit of both...

Ignatius writes to the Romans

This is, by Ignatius' own admission, a "brief" letter. What is striking in this letter, more than his clear reference to Jesus as God in the introduction, is his determination to face martyrdom. In fact, his main concern in this letter is to persuade his readers not to try to intervene to save his life, which I found disturbing, to say the least.

Docetism

Chapters 9-11 attack the specific heresy that Ignatius is concerned with: Docetism, the belief that Christ was not really human and did not really suffer, but only appeared to. Ignatius attacks this heresy with a passionate defense of the humanity of Christ, who "did eat and drink".

There is a pastoral reason for the vehemence of Ignatius' argument, even referring to the heretics as the "offshoot of Satan." Ignatius is suffering for the gospel, on the way to face martyrdom. He makes sense of this suffering by seeing it as a participation in the suffering and the passion of Christ. Yet, if Christ was not truly human, and his suffering not real, this makes a mockery of Ignatius' own suffering and faithfulness.

The letter concludes with the customary concern with love and unity.

Warning against heresy

In chapters 6-8 Ignatius warns his readers against heresy. Here we have a clue for why Ignatius is so concerned that his readers submit themselves to their bishop. The reason is that it is through their bishop that they have access to the teachings handed down by the apostles.

One has to remember that this is prior both to the formulation of the creeds and the finalization of the NT canon. If Ignatius had been writing at a later date, I wonder whether the creeds and the NT canon may have taken over some of the authority that he invests in the bishop?

Ignatius and humility

I have been known to say that the worse thing that can happen to a Christian leader is to believe that they are who people say they are. Well, in chapter 4 Ignatius says the same thing but in a much better way, emphasising that it is through meekness that one can bring the devil to nothing.

Chapter 5, Ignatius points out, maybe to demonstrate that he is not an apostle like Paul, that he will not teach his readers profound mysteries because he is not able to understand heavenly things, being in these subjects a "learner."

Ignatius: Epistle to the Trallians

Moving further along with my reading of Ignatius. This epistle begins with the now well known theme of submission to the bishop of the church, now extended to include the presbyters and the deacons. What is significant is Ignatius' claim that without such order there can be no church.

Ignatius takes on heresy

In chapters 7 to 11 we see Ignatius express his concern with heresy. Not that he believes that his readers are engaging in heresy, but as a forewarning to hold on to the birth, the passion and the resurrection of Christ.

The heresy Ignatius is concerned with is Judaizing. Not that he is anti-Jewish [at least not in the shorter version] but he simply believes that Christianity fulfils the OT hope so that true Judaism embraces Christianity [a concept missing from the longer version which is definitely anti-Jewish]

The final chapters repeat the appeal for unity of the rest of the letter but it is interesting to notice a proto-trinitarian formula of Father, Son, Spirit appearing, as up to now Ignatius has seemed to concentrate mainly on the Father and the Son.

Spirituality and church order for Ignatius

In chapter 5 Ignatius outlines the traditional biblical theme of a way of death and a way of life. What is significant is the spirituality of the way of life. It is having the character of the Father impressed on us by the Son, as we learn to die in the Son's passion.

Chapters 6 and 7 continue with the issue of church order and the authority of the bishop. What is significant is the way that the unity of the church under a bishop is grounded in the relationship of Christ with the Father. Just as the Son did not do anything without the Father, so those in the church should not do anything without the bishop.

The youthful bishop

In chapters 3 and 4 church leaders are urged to show respect towards their bishop, despite his young age. Submission to the bishop is equivalent to submission to Christ.

This statement is interesting in the light of the contrast between emerging and pentecostal churches. Whilst emerging churches stress a decentralization of leadership, "successful" pentecostal churches are often based around one leader who exercises a strong authority.

Ignatius' Epistle to the Magnesians

My next step in my perusal of ancient sources is Ignatius' Epistle to the Magnesians. He begins in the first two chapters with a standard salutation, although it is interesting to note that he expresses the hope of being able to "enjoy God", once he is able to overcome the attacks of the devil.

Ignatius' concluding theology...

Ignatius ends his letter with another rant at false teachers, who will end up in everlasting fire, (chapter 17) and their false doctrine which is described as a false odour (chapter 18). In comparison to this we have Jesus Christ, who is presented as the knowledge of God.

As is suitable for such an admirer of Paul, Ignatius then proceeds to glory in the cross of Christ, which is a source of salvation and eternal life. His brief summary of the life of Jesus ends with the enigmatic statement that Jesus, through his passion, purified the waters of his baptism.

Chapter 20 then lists 3 mysteries which Ignatius believes were hidden from Satan but now revealed: the virginity of Mary, her son, and the cross of Christ.

Ignatius exhorts

In chapter 10 Ignatius exhorts his readers to pray for all men, especially those who hate them. For those with interest in spiritual warfare it is worth pointing out that he sees this as an important step in breaking the work of the evil one.

Whilst in chapter 11 he exhorts towards fear of God in the light of living in the last days, in chapter 12 Ignatius, seeing himself as someone condemned, praises the Ephesians and expresses his admiration for Paul.

Chapter 13 returns to the theme of spiritual warfare, with an emphasis on peace, unity and worship in the church being means whereby "the powers of Satan are destroyed." Chapter 14 takes the theme of unity further, emphasising the importance of faith and love for "no man making a profession of faith sinneth, nor does he who possesses love hate anyone."

Chapter 16 stresses the value of silence, and the importance of teachers acting and not just speaking.

Warning on false teachers

In chapters 7-9 Ignatius proceeds to warn his readers of the danger of false teachers. In fact, Ignatius praises the church in Ephesus for its strength in matters of doctrine, and for the way it has already not suffered false teachers. Ignatius actually goes as far as to say that he feels himself to be inferior to the church in Ephesus.

There is little indication, yet, of what the nature of the false teaching Ignatius is concerned with is. However, through his stress on the human and the divine natures of Christ one senses that his concern is Christological.

Unity under a bishop

In chapters 3-6 we see Ignatius stressing the unity of the church. What is significant is that he links the unity of the church under the leadership of its bishop to the union of the church with Jesus and the union of Jesus with the Father. Thus to break the unity of the church becomes a serious offence, for one is in essence breaking oneself away from the unity that the church has with Jesus.

Ignatius: Epistle to the Ephesians

In the first letter I am reading, Ignatius begins by praising the Ephesians for their sympathy towards Ignatius as he faces martyrdom. Special praise is reserved for the bishop, Onesimus, and for a deacon, Burrhus.

What is interesting is the way in which Ig. sees his imminent death as in someway being linked to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

Ignatius of Antioch

This is my next stop in exploring ancient sources. Not wishing to be embroilled in too much Historical critical research I have, rather arbitrarily, resolved to concentrate on the seven letters which are considered authentic in their shorter versions.

Clement of Rome: Epistle to the Church in Corinth: Final Comments

Read over my posts concerning Clement's epistle. It is not hard to tell why it never became one of the classic ancient texts, as in effect it offers nothing new in comparison to Paul's writings. Nonetheless certain features stand out:

(1) The author's considerable ability in weaving the Old Testament into the text of his epistle.
(2) The status of Paul's writings as Scripture.
(3) Some very insightful advice on leadership and church life.

However, I am uncertain as to how effective such a letter would have been in the context of the problems it seeks to deal with. The general tone is one of siding with the deposed leaders, without really taking into consideration the reasons Clement's opponents might have had for their actions.

The Martyrdom of Polycarp

So glad I eschewed historical-critical analysis of these ancient sources and was thus able to enjoy this very readable story, which seems to be narrating a historical fact with some legendary embellishments--certainly in the way that obvious links between Polycarp and Christ are established.

Particularly memorable is the report of the dialogue between Polycarp and the proconsul:
“Swear by the fortune of Cæsar; repent, and say, Away with the Atheists.” But Polycarp, gazing with a stern countenance on all the multitude of the wicked heathen then in the stadium, and waving his hand towards them, while with groans he looked up to heaven, said, “Away with the Atheists. Referring the words to the heathen, and not to the Christians, as was desired. Then, the proconsul urging him, and saying, “Swear, and I will set thee at liberty, reproach Christ;” Polycarp declared, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?”

Equally worthwhile pointing out are

1) Possibly worried by unintended consequences of the story, the author takes great pains, referring to an apostate called Quintus to dissuade his readers from offering themselves up for martyrdom.

2) Although the author claims only to worship Jesus, a certain veneration of Polycarp is evident, including relics of what are claimed to be his bones.

3) For those interested in APEPT team leadership, Polycarp is described as an "apostolic and prophetic teacher"