5 - Philadelphians

Ignatius of Antioch
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Ignatius of Antioch

Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35–c. 107). Born around 35 AD, possibly in Syria, Ignatius was an early Christian bishop of Antioch, one of the Apostolic Fathers, and a disciple of the Apostle John. Little is known of his early life, but he emerged as a key leader in the Antiochene church, emphasizing unity under episcopal authority. Arrested during a persecution, likely under Emperor Trajan, he was sentenced to death in Rome’s Colosseum. While being transported as a prisoner, he wrote seven letters to churches in Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Rome, Philadelphia, Smyrna, and to Polycarp, which survive as vital early Christian texts. These letters defend the Incarnation, the Eucharist as Christ’s flesh, and the centrality of bishops, countering heresies like Docetism. Martyred around 107 AD, he was devoured by wild beasts, leaving only a few bones. His fearless embrace of death for Christ’s sake inspired early believers. Ignatius wrote, “I am God’s wheat, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts that I may be found pure bread of Christ.”