ANF – Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians

This post is one of a series of reviews of the early Church Fathers, who are technically referred to as the Ante-Nicene Fathers (before the Council of Nicaea).  To find other reviews of these ancient writings, use the search bar on my blog and search for ANF.

This letter is shorter than his letter to the Ephesians.  Ignatius compliments the Magnesians on their unity and the quality of their young bishop.  He encourages them to continued harmony and obedience to their bishop even though he is young, and castigates those who have taken it upon themselves to act separately or contrary to him.  He also warns against the temptation of being convinced or coerced to take on Jewish forms and practices.  This was an early tension in the Christian church, when many Christians were Jews.  There was much pressure, despite the decisions of Acts 15, to have Christian Jews still follow traditional Jewish rites and practices, and the early Church as well as the Apostles warned against this as a source of confusion in terms of where our salvation comes from.