The Writings of Ignatius and Polycarp (Early Christian Writings)

This book presents a modernized text of two of the most important writers of early- to mid-second century Christianity, both martyred for their faith.Ignatius, bishop of the church of Antioch, wrote six letters to various churches, plus a seventh to his friend Polycarp, whilst travelling in chains from Syria to Rome around A.D. 107 to be killed by beasts in the arena for the crime of being a Christian. These letters, urging their readers to continue in the orthodox Christian faith, are full of the pathos of a man knowing he is soon to die and embracing the life to come.His friend Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna in Asia Minor, who was martyred much later — around A.D. 155 — has left us one letter to the church at Philippi. Also included here is the authentic and moving record of his martyrdom. Who can fail to be touched by the aged man standing firm in his faith as he declares, “Eighty-six years have I served him, and he never did me any injury. How then can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?”The translation presented here is a revised and modernized re-wording of the translation of these epistles found in Alexander Roberts, D.D., James Donaldson, LL.D., and A. Cleveland Coxe, D.D. (eds.), ‘The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume I: The Apostolic Fathers, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus’ (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, and Wm. B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, reprinted 1996).