SCRIPTURAL SUPPORTS FOR ST. IGNATIUS’ LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS

A Contemporary Icon of St. Ignatius, Based on the Traditional Motif of His Martyrdom by Lions 

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

THE LIFE OF ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH

St. Ignatius of Antioch (c. AD 35–107) was the third bishop of Antioch and a disciple of the Apostle John. He knew St. Peter in his younger years and implies that he was the child Jesus took upon His knee and said, "Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). He is one of the earliest Church Fathers and a crucial witness to the faith, life and structure of the early Church. Arrested during the reign of Emperor Trajan, he was taken to Rome under guard, where he was martyred by being thrown to the wild beasts in the Colosseum (Hebrews 11:35). 

During his journey to Rome, St. Ignatius wrote seven letters to various Christian communities, which remain among the most important writings of the Apostolic Fathers. In these letters, he emphasized the unity of the Church under the authority of the bishop (Hebrews 13:17), the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist (John 6:54-56), and the necessity of maintaining apostolic teaching (2 Timothy 2:2). He also gave one of the earliest affirmations of Christ’s full divinity and humanity, warning against heresies that denied either (Colossians 2:9, John 1:14).

His letters reveal a deep love for Christ and an eager desire for martyrdom, seeing it as a means of union with his Lord. He famously wrote to the Romans, urging them not to intervene in his execution: "Allow me to become food for the beasts, through whom it is granted me to attain to God" (cf. Philippians 1:21-23).

St. Ignatius is commemorated in both the Eastern and Western traditions. His feast day is observed on October 17 in the Western calendar and December 20 in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. His life and writings remain a vital testimony to the early Church’s faith, order, and devotion to Christ, and is absolutely central to properly contextualizing Scripture, and especially the writings of St. Paul, in their proper cultural and linguistic framework. 

CHAPTER 1: SALUTATION AND UNITY IN CHRIST

St. Ignatius begins with a formal greeting, addressing the Church in Ephesus as one “blessed with greatness through the fullness of God the Father, predestined before time.” Here, Ignatius underscores that the Church, as a collective body, is elected and predestined for salvation before the foundation of time. This differs from the typical Protestant understanding, where predestination is often applied to individuals. Instead, Ignatius emphasizes that individuals must choose to join the Church through obedience to Christ - an obedience enabled by a will that mirrors the likeness of God Himself. Alternatively, they can reject this choice and choose the predestined fate of those outside the Church: Hell. Thus, St. Ignatius affirms the Church as the instrument of salvation, with the faithful having agency and responsibility to follow Christ’s commands. This reflects a key Pauline theme: God’s grace and call are foundational, but human agency remains essential in responding to that call.

This understanding of predestination contrasts with certain Protestant interpretations, particularly the Reformed view found in Calvinism, which emphasizes unconditional election. St. Ignatius presents a dynamic interaction between God’s sovereign will and human free will, aligning with a synergistic approach, where God's grace and human response cooperate in the process of salvation. The Ancient Church was undoubtedly not Reformed in its approach. 

- Ephesians 1:1-4 – St. Paul similarly greets the Ephesian Church: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus… according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world." St. Ignatius seems to be intentionally mirroring Pauline language in his salutation, showing the position of the Church as the predestined. 

- John 17:21 – Christ prays, "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us." St. Ignatius' emphasis on unity is fundamentally Johannine in character, reinforcing Christ’s own high priestly prayer.

St. Ignatius avoids direct quotation outright, but seems to draw upon both Pauline and Johannine thought to emphasize unity in Christ from the outset, which is a New Testament theme. 

CHAPTER 2: THE EXCELLENCE OF THEIR FAITH

St. Ignatius commends the Ephesians for their strong faith and love, stating that they "live according to truth" and are "stones of the temple of the Father, prepared for the edifice of God the Father."

- Ephesians 2:19-22 – "Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints... Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." St. Ignatius' imagery of the faithful as stones in God's temple is strikingly similar to St. Paul’s architectural metaphor.

- Colossians 1:4-5 – "Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints." Like St. Paul, St. Ignatius acknowledges the Ephesians’ reputation for love and faith.

St. Ignatius' phraseology suggests an indirect reference to St. Paul’s architectural metaphor of the Church (Ephesians 2:19-22, mirroring St. Paul’s language subtly), emphasizing that the Ephesians are stones fitted into God’s spiritual building. His concern is highly structural, and St. Ignatius gives us the clearest contextualization of how the New Testament writers established the administrative and Eucharistic function of the Church. 

CHAPTER 3: CHRIST AS THE SOLE TEACHER

St. Ignatius stresses that Jesus Christ is the only true teacher, a concept deeply rooted in the Gospels.

- Matthew 23:8 – "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren." St. Ignatius' insistence on Christ as the sole teacher aligns with Jesus' rejection of hierarchical titles.

- John 14:6 – "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." St. Ignatius echoes the exclusivity of Christ as the source of all truth.

St. Ignatius’ assertion that Christ is the sole teacher and Truth seems to draw implicitly from both Matthean and Johannine themes, though he does not cite them directly.

CHAPTER 4: THE NECESSITY OF OBEDIENCE TO THE BISHOP

One of St. Ignatius’ central themes is hierarchical order, particularly the necessity of obedience to the bishop.

- Hebrews 13:17 – "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls." St. Ignatius aligns with the scriptural teaching on submission to ecclesiastical authority.

- Acts 20:28 – "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers." St. Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesian elders parallels St. Ignatius' view of the bishop as the guardian of the faithful.

St. Ignatius clarifies the role of the bishop more explicitly than St. Paul, because his perspective was different. In Pauline texts, St. Paul is trying to get people to follow him, including the bishops that he has ordained (1 Corinthians 4:16 – "Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me."; 1 Timothy 1:3 – "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine."; Titus 1:5 – "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee."). In St. Ignatius, he is trying to get the people to listen and follow St. Onesimus (St. Ignatius, Ephesians 1:3 – "In God’s name, therefore, I have received your whole multitude in the person of Onesimus, whose love surpasses words and who is moreover your bishop in the flesh.").

CHAPTER 5: WARNING AGAINST SCHISM

St. Ignatius warns against schism, calling those who cause division "men of no faith."

- 1 Corinthians 1:10 – "Now I beseech you, brethren… that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." St. Paul’s plea for unity strongly parallels St. Ignatius' concerns.

- Romans 16:17 – "Mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." St. Paul and St. Ignatius share the same sense of urgency in rejecting schism.

St. Ignatius’ condemnation of schismatics echoes Pauline warnings (1 Corinthians 1:10 – "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."; Romans 16:17 – "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.") but places more weight on obedience to the bishop rather than fidelity to apostolic authority alone, since the Apostles were recently gone and the bishops now stood in their place (Acts 20:28 – "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."; 2 Timothy 2:2 – "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.").

CHAPTER 6: THE HARMONY OF THE CHURCH

St. Ignatius envisions the Church as a harmonious body acting in unity.

- Romans 12:4-5 – "For as we have many members in one body… so we, being many, are one body in Christ."

- 1 Corinthians 12:12 – "For as the body is one, and hath many members… so also is Christ."

St. Ignatius develops the Pauline idea of the Church as a single, well-ordered body (Romans 12:4-5 – "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."; 1 Corinthians 12:12 – "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.") but applies it within a stricter hierarchical framework, emphasizing the bishop’s role (Hebrews 13:17 – "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."; Acts 20:28 – "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.").

CHAPTER 7: THE DANGER OF FALSE TEACHERS

St. Ignatius warns against heretics who twist doctrine, saying that they “bite like dogs”, and “cannot be corrected.” 

- 2 Timothy 4:3-4 – "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine… and shall be turned unto fables."

- 1 John 4:1 – "Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God."

St. Ignatius’ warning against false teachers aligns with both Pauline and Johannine themes, emphasizing vigilance against doctrinal corruption (2 Timothy 4:3-4 – "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."; Titus 1:10-11 – "For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake."; Galatians 1:8 – "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."). His warning also reflects Johannine teaching on discerning truth from error (1 John 4:1 – "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.").

St. Ignatius of Antioch's Christological formula is most clearly articulated here, where he addresses the nature of Christ. While he does not use the exact phrase "fully God and fully man," he expresses the same teaching. In this chapter, he affirms the reality of Christ's divinity and humanity:

"For our God, Jesus Christ, was conceived by Mary according to the dispensation of God, of the seed of David, it is true, but also of the Holy Spirit; he was born and baptized, that by his passion he might purify the water. Now the virginity of Mary and her giving birth were as a sign of the true God. And the reality of his passion is a proof that he is truly human." (7:12). 

Here, St. Ignatius emphasizes both the divine and human aspects of Christ’s nature, affirming that Christ is truly God (born of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit) and truly human (through His human birth and suffering). This letter and its teachings on Christ's nature were influential in the development of later Christological doctrine, particularly in affirming Christ's true humanity and true divinity as one indivisible person.

St. Ignatius provides us with a clear formula for Christ being "fully God and fully man," a teaching that became central to the Church’s understanding of the nature of Christ. His writings strongly affirm both the full divinity and full humanity of Jesus Christ, which would later be echoed in the Nicene Creed and the Declaration of the Council of Chalcedon. In his letter to the Ephesians, Ignatius explicitly teaches that Jesus Christ is both "God manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16) and "true God and true man" (John 1:14, Colossians 2:9). This dual nature of Christ, fully divine and fully human, was a point of contention in early Christianity, and St. Ignatius’ writings provided a crucial theological foundation that influenced later ecumenical councils.

The Nicene Creed (AD 325) and the Declaration of the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451) both declare that Christ is “begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father” and “truly God and truly man,” which are expressions closely mirroring St. Ignatius’ teachings. His insistence on the union of Christ’s divine and human natures, without confusion or separation, helped clarify the orthodox position against heresies that either denied Christ’s divinity (Ebionites) or humanity (Valentinian Gnostics), or the anti-Old Testament Scripture imbalance of Marcionites. Through these declarations, Ignatius’ understanding of Christ’s nature continues to shape Christian orthodoxy today.

SUMMARY

In this work, St. Ignatius’ letter to the Ephesians is filled with echoes of both Pauline and Johannine teaching, reflecting the theological priorities of early Christianity. The central themes of unity in Christ, the necessity of obedience to the bishop, and the warning against false teachers are foundational to the letter. St. Ignatius emphasizes the hierarchical order of the Church, calling the faithful to submit to the authority of the bishop, a message deeply rooted in St. Paul’s teachings on ecclesiastical authority and the unity of the body of Christ. His warnings about schism and false doctrine further align with Pauline and Johannine concerns, urging the Church to hold fast to the truth. This letter reflects the pastoral care of St. Ignatius for the unity and faithfulness of the Ephesian Church, while also offering timeless lessons for the modern Christian community.