St. Ignatius of Antioch again

I already read and went over another one of St. Ignatius' letters and his strong Ecclesiology shone through. A friend is meeting me tomorrow because she is Catholic and dating a Reformed Protestant and wants to show him the proof of the Real (physical) Presence of Christ in the Eucharist in the Early Church. So I quickly thought of the Apostolic Fathers and it amazes me how overwhelmingly Catholic they are. I just began reading St. Ignatius' letter to the Trallians and he writes almost immediately:

"without the bishop you should do nothing, but should also be subject to the presbytery, as to the apostle of Jesus Christ" Ch.2

"In like manner, let all reverence the deacons as an appointment of Jesus Christ, and the bishop as Jesus Christ, who is the Son of the Father, and the presbyters as the sanhedrim of God, and assembly of the apostles. Apart from these, there is no Church. Concerning all this, I am persuaded that you are of the same opinion" Ch. 3 - here he even links the Episcopate to an assembly of Apostles verifying the doctrine of Apostolic succession and he says apart from the Bishops there is no Church. Wow... this man was quite possibly St. John's Disciple. Theodoret writes that St. Peter himself appointed him as bishop of Antioch. He says here that there can be no Church without the bishop and that we are to obey them as we would Christ. Fairly strong attack on Presbyterianism and Congregationalism...

mmmm.....apostolic authority....nothing more delicious (just joking St. Ignatius)

" continue in intimate union with Jesus Christ our God, and the bishop, and the enactments of the apostles. He that is within the altar is pure, but he that is without is not pure; that is, he who does anything apart from the bishop, and presbytery, and deacons, such a man is not pure in his conscience." Ch. 7 - he says that obeying these things will cure the 'poison of heresy'

Then I read part of his epistle to Polycarp and he writes again:
"Give heed to the bishop, that God also may give heed to you. My soul be for theirs that are submissive to the bishop, to the presbyters, and to the deacons, and may my portion be along with them in God!" Ch. 6

Wow he really isn't budging on this submission to the Church bit. I really am having a hard time understanding where this divine mandate of broken communion and 'reformation' comes into play. If the "Reformation" saught to restore early Christianity where is the Ecclesiology which St. Ignatius can't seem to get rid of.

Finally I moved onto his Epistle to the Philadelphians, and he opens with:

"to the Church of God... which I salute in the blood of Jesus Christ, who is our eternal and enduring joy, especially if [men] are in unity with the bishop, the presbyters, and the deacons, who have been appointed according to the mind of 'Jesus Christ, whom He has established in security, after His own will, and by His Holy Spirit." Greeting

Man this guy doesn't shut up about Christ's establishment of the Bishops and their security and authority etc. But then here comes the icing on the cake:

"For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ are also with the bishop. And as many as shall, in the exercise of repentance, return into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall belong to God, that they may live according to Jesus Christ. Do not err, my brethren. If any man follows him that makes a schism in the Church, he shall not inherit the kingdom of God. If any one walks according to a strange opinion, he agrees not with the passion [of Christ.]" Ch. 3

Wow... if anyone follows a schismatic they are damned. . . St. Ignatius is like a 1st century John MacArthur. These are strong words against denominations outside of the historic episcopate *cough - non-Anglican/Orthodox/Catholic cough*.

Moving on he continues to stress Ecclesiology but also throws in some Real Presence stuff:
"Take heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to [show forth ] the unity of His blood; one altar; as there is one bishop, along with the presbytery and deacons" ch. 4

" Yet it is not I, but Jesus Christ, for whose sake being bound I fear the more, inasmuch as I am not yet perfect. But your prayer to God shall make me perfect" Ch. 5 - Completed Sanctification anyone? - a little purgatory proof as I call it. He seems to be under the 'delusion' that sanctification must be completed...no imputed righteousness here.

"But the Spirit proclaimed these words: Do nothing without the bishop; keep your bodies as the temples of God; love unity; avoid divisions; be the followers of Jesus Christ, even as He is of His Father." Ch. 7 - Man now he's saying that the Holy Spirit is proclaiming his message "DO NOTHING WITHOUT THE BISHOP" - we get it St. Ignatius, shout it at the people talking about a Priesthood of all Believers.

" For where there is division and wrath, God does not dwell. To all them that repent, the Lord grants forgiveness, if they turn in penitence to the unity of God, and to communion with the bishop. " Ch. 8 - Again in the Early Church division is a HUGE sin. There isn't alot of Ecumenical dialogue, just the orthodox and the heretics.

ok there were even a few more references to honoring bishops, presbyters, and deacons but I spared you.

Thus in conclusion as I read the faith of the Apostolic Fathers I am once again reaffirmed that no man has the authority to go against the Church Christ established and there is no 'invisible' body theory for the ancients, just a visible communion under the bishops. Lord have mercy on everyone else, and on those beneath the bishops. This is the catholic faith, once delivered to the saints.

St. Clement of Rome's Epistle to the Corinthians pt.1

I have begun to try to study the works of the Apostolic fathers. Today I read the first 23 chapters of St. Clement's letter to the Corinthians. I went to see whether Protestantism was completely foreign to them, or which side of the justification debate they found themselves on. Now obviously it is anachronist to try reading an ancient source in order to answer a debate occuring some 13 centuries later, however it gives me a glimpse. Thus far I see Clement as supporting Luther/not teaching sanctification as a necessary part of salvation.

Interesting excerpts:

"Let us look steadfastly to the blood of Christ, and see how precious that blood is to God which, having been shed for our salvation, has set the grace of repentance before the whole world. Let us turn to every age that has passed, and learn that, from generation to generation, the Lord has granted a place of repentance to all such as would be converted unto Him. Noah preached repentance, and as many as listened to him were saved. Jonah proclaimed destruction to the Ninevites; (Jonah iii) but they, repenting of their sins, propitiated God by prayer, and obtained salvation, although they were aliens [to the covenant] of God." (Ch7)

"Abraham, styled the friend, was found faithful, inasmuch as he rendered obedience to the words of God. He, in the exercise of obedience, went out from his own country, and from his kindred, and from his father's house, in order that, by forsaking a small territory, and a weak family, and an insignificant house, he might inherit the promises of God. (Ch10)"

"Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. On account of his faith and hospitality, a son was given him in his old age; and in the exercise of obedience, he offered him as a sacrifice to God (Ch10)"

Another person not putting the dicotemy between Abraham's faith and works - I really wish Clement would pick a side, we're at doctrinal war here people. In the first part he says obedience, then he says faith.

"On account of his hospitality and godliness, Lot was saved" (Ch11)

"On account of her faith and hospitality, Rahab the harlot was saved" (Ch12)

"Moreover, they gave her [Rahab] a sign to this effect, that she should hang forth from her house a scarlet thread. And thus they made it manifest that redemption should flow through the blood of the Lord to all them that believe and hope in God. You see, beloved, that there was not only faith, but prophecy, in this woman." (Ch12)

"For Christ is of those who are humble-minded, and not of those who exalt themselves over His flock. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sceptre of the majesty of God, did not come in the pomp of pride or arrogance, although He might have done so, but in a lowly condition, as the Holy Spirit had declared regarding Him [he then quotes Isaiah 53]." (Ch15)

Ouch Renaissance Popes.

"let us look steadfastly to the Father and Creator of the universe, and cleave to His mighty and surpassingly great gifts and benefactions of peace. Let us contemplate Him with our understanding, and look with the eyes of our soul to His long-suffering will. Let us reflect how free from the wrath He is towards all His creation." (Ch19)

"Let us reverence the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was given for us" (Ch21)

"All these, therefore, were highly honoured, and made great, not for their own sake, or for their own works, or for the righteousness which they wrought, but through the operation of His will. And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen (Ch32)"

Soteriology: The Blood of Christ

All in all Clement's Soteriology seems to be the same as St. Paul's in Romans, have faith in God and Christ's sacrifice, you will then be saved, and will be rewarded for good works. This is the Protestant interpretation basically, though nothing St. Clement says contradicts Catholicism. He also doesn't mention anything about being a Pope which probably would've helped him have alot more influence. Mary didn't get any shout-outs either. It reaffirms my beliefs that early Christianity was not distinctly anything other than Christian, they were worried about getting people to still believe in Christ and his sacrifice, rather than argue about Purgatory which I'm 95% sure would have been a foreign concept to them. Though I haven't studied it in-depth and can't be sure.

He continually mentions the Blood of Christ, as our propitiation. This reminds me of my Baptist days and the old Hymn 'Nothing but the Blood of Jesus'.

Providence:

St. Clement like St. Paul (in Ephesians 2:10) says that we are to trust in God's providence. We are saved "through the operation of his will". It's this idea that I see as being alot more of a core Christian doctrine. It's as though we are to trust in God's providence and unchangeable will that we will be saved and we will rise again like Christ. Whereas I see the Lutheran doctrine of single unconditional predestination/election at work in this letter and in Ephesians. As oppossed to St. Thomas Aquinas' view of Election. I've never like Aquinas' one theory that God has predestined some to be saved and then lose their salvation. That always turned me off, and that's why I mention the Lutheran doctrine of predestination as - in my opinion - being closer to what Paul and Clement had in mind.

Scripture / Old Testament

The letter uses probably 90% Old Testament quotes and examples to prove his point. Many strange metaphorical interpretation of verses / taking verses out of context, like Paul and other New Testament writers. I'm not saying 'out of context' as meaning 'wrong' just that they must be read 'metaphorically' or anachronistically to be about what is currently happening.

An interesting thing I note is that repeatedly St. Clement says "the Holy Ghost says" and then quotes the Old Testament or New Testament, or writes 'as the Spirit proclaims:' and then quotes the bible. This shows immediately the recognition of certain Scripture as God the Holy Ghost speaking Himself, meaning it is by nature infallible (as God cannot lie). This proves quite useful in establishing the doctrine of the Authority and Inspiration of the Bible.

As well like every other theologian and Christian writer I've seen up until even past the Reformation, he quotes the Apocrypha alongside Scripture making no seperation between the two. However this is not proof it is scripture, after all St. Paul quotes Cretian poets, and I believe it was Justin Martyr who quoted in one text I read, almost exclusively from different plays and dramas of the ancient world. I guess you just use what you got. Make lemonade out of whatever resembles lemons.

Conclusion

All in all I enjoy St. Clement, he reminds me alot of Paul who apparently mentions him in his epistles according to Jared's blog - from which I stole alot of information. It is good to read the Church Fathers - especially the Apostolic Fathers, as I constantly hear from Catholics 'show me one Protestant idea in them' - which I now can. And I have found them truly uninvolved in later debates. No matter what Christian Tradition you are in, Clement's letter reminds us of the importance of unity, faith, and a working love for God.