The Epistles of St. Ignatius of Antioch: 7 Letters of an Apostolic Father to the Early Churches (Bilingual English-Greek Edition)

Saint Ignatius of Antioch (1st and early 2nd century), a direct disciple of Saint John and Saint Paul and successor of Saint Peter in the bishopric of Antioch. Under the rule of Emperor Trajan, he was sentenced to death in the circus, where he was devoured by wild beasts. He has always been regarded from the earliest Christian Church as a figure of authority, making this work an invaluable source to firsthand understanding of Christian doctrine from its inception. This work consists of letters written during his captivity en route to Rome to various Christian communities. In them, the Apostolic Father offers masterful explanations to different churches on topics such as the nature of Christ, ecclesiastical unity and authority (warning against heresies and Judaizers), the Holy Eucharist, defense of the Virginity of Mary, martyrdom, among others. Those Christians seeking to enhance their education in apologetics or simply reinforce the foundations of their faith will find in this direct disciple of the apostles one of the clearest testimonies to the early church, as Saint Ignatius was one of the first Apostolic Fathers to use the word “Catholic” to refer to the Church. In his letter to the Romans, shortly before being martyred, bearing witness to his holiness and becoming seed of new Christians, Saint Ignatius wrote: “I exhort you, be ye not an unseasonable kindness to me. Let me be given to the wild beasts, for through them I can attain unto God. I am God’s wheat, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts that I may be found pure bread of Christ.” This edition also includes the original greek version of the letters. In this book you will find: The complete 7 letters of St. Ignatius in English and Greek. English translation by J.B. Lightfoot. Footnotes with the biblical references that support the teachings of the book. A font size of 12 points makes the document comfortable to read.