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Lent: Day 6 - ignatius to the Magnesians

Day Six: St. ignatius of antioch: letter to the Magnesians (full text) Who: ignatius converted at a young age and later became Bishop of Antioch. A friend of Polycarp and fellow disciple of John, there is a long standing tradition that ignatius was the child that Jesus held in his arms and blessed in Mark 10:13-16 What: ignatius urges the church to continue in unity, to honour their leadership and to avoid Judaizers who may try to bring false teaching. This letter also gives some valuable insight to early church hierarchy. Why: ignatius wrote a series of letters to the churches in Asia Minor whilst en route to Rome to face martyrdom by wild beasts in the Col...

How Polycarp (And Others) Show the Early Use of the New Testament

Polycarp is one of the most important people in early church history. He was a disciple of John the Evangelist, and later became the bishop of Smyrna. Polycarp was born around 69 A.D. in Smyrna, which is now modern-day Turkey. He grew up during a time when Christians were being persecuted for their beliefs, and he himself became a Christian at a young age. Polycarp is regarded as one of the earliest church fathers because he had a significant impact on Christianity as it spread throughout Asia Minor and Europe, and he also played an important role in shaping biblical canon for centuries to come. We don’t know a great deal about his life, apart from t...

Lent: Day 8 - ignatius to the Romans

Day Eight: St. ignatius of antioch: letter to the Romans (full text) Who: ignatius converted at a young age and later became Bishop of Antioch. A friend of Polycarp and fellow disciple of John, there is a long standing tradition that ignatius was the child that Jesus held in his arms and blessed in Mark 10:13-16 What: A challenging letter in which ignatius pours himself out to the Roman church about his impending martyrdom. Why: ignatius wrote a series of letters to the churches in Asia Minor whilst en route to Rome to face martyrdom by wild beasts in the Colosseum around 108 AD. When: Around 107-108 AD On reading the introduction to this letter my first th...

Lent: Day 7 - ignatius to the Trallians

Day Seven: St. ignatius of antioch: letter to the Trallians (full text) Who: ignatius converted at a young age and later became Bishop of Antioch. A friend of Polycarp and fellow disciple of John, there is a long standing tradition that ignatius was the child that Jesus held in his arms and blessed in Mark 10:13-16 What: ignatius urges the church to continue in unity and to honour their leadership. This letter also gives a defence against certain heresies. Why: ignatius wrote a series of letters to the churches in Asia Minor whilst en route to Rome to face martyrdom by wild beasts in the Colosseum around 108 AD. When: Around 107-108 AD the letter to the Tr...

Lent: Day 10 - ignatius to the Smyrnaeans

Day Ten: St. ignatius of antioch: letter to the Smyrnaeans (full text) Who: ignatius converted at a young age and later became Bishop of Antioch. A friend of Polycarp and fellow disciple of John, there is a long standing tradition that ignatius was the child that Jesus held in his arms and blessed in Mark 10:13-16 What: A defence against the heresy of Docetism and an intriguing insight into the possible origins of evil spirits! Why: ignatius wrote a series of letters to the churches in Asia Minor whilst en route to Rome to face martyrdom by wild beasts in the Colosseum around 108 AD. When: Around 107-108 AD the opening chapters of this letter pulls no punc...

the Early Concept of the Trinity: Tracing the Roots

the doctrine of the Trinity, which asserts the co-equality of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has deep roots in the early Christian writings of the first three centuries. While the full articulation of the Trinity developed over time, culminating at the Council of Nicaea in the fourth century, references to the equality of these three persons can be traced back to influential documents and the teachings of early Church Fathers in the centuries leading up to this pivotal moment in Church History. Early Church Beliefs and Teachings One of the earliest Christian documents, the Didache, believed to have been written in the late first or early second century, pro...