This is the final section of the epistle of St. Ignatius of Antioch to the Ephesians. In this last part, he refers to the Eucharist as integrally tied in to the reasons for obeying the bishops and presbyters: "...obey the bishop and the presbytery with an undivided mind, breaking one and the same bread, which is the medicine of immortality, and ( Read more... )

In this penultimate section of St. Ignatius's letter to the Ephesians, there are several things: the end of the exhortationary portion, a warning against heresy, and a brief discussion of baptism, as the beginning of a short section on the Incarnation, and its effects. The Baptism of Christ is here described as the sanctification of the waters, ( Read more... )

In today's portion of the letter of St. Ignatius to the Ephesians, he continues his exhortations to virtue, and begins to speak of the glories of martyrdom.

( Chapter 11 )

Here's the next part of St. Ignatius's epistle to the Ephesians. In this section, he exhorts them to continue to avoid heresy, and cling to truth and holiness.

( Chapter 7 )

If anyone wants to see where I'm getting this text, it's from http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.v.htmlRead more... )

St. Ignatius was a disciple of the Apostle John, and was the second bishop of Antioch after the Apostles themselves. He is also known as Theophoros, or God-bearer, though it's somewhat unclear as to exactly why. Tradition holds that he was the child that Christ held in Matthew 18.He, along with Ss. Clement and Polycarp (pictured in my icon icon) ( Read more... )