Over the past month or so I have been reading the early Church Fathers and not so much in the way of Lutheran theology or Bible commentaries - but I have been acquiring them!
I've read:
St. Clement's Epistles to The Corinthians
Mathetes
Polycarp
The Epistles of Ignatius (Genuine & Spurious)
Barnabas
Papias
and now I am reading Justin Martyr and am nearly finished with his Dialogue With Trypho.
I think I liked Ignatius the best, there was a lot of doctrinal content in his writings and his style is straight-forward and makes good use of rhetoric (but isn't over-the-top) like when he says,
"Let not those who seem worthy of credit, but teach strange doctrines, fill thee with apprehension. Stand firm, as does an anvil which is beaten. It is the part of a noble athlete to be wounded, and yet to conquer. And especially, we ought to bear all things for the sake of God, that He also may bear with us. Be ever becoming more zealous than what thou art. Weigh carefully the times. Look for Him who is above all time, eternal and invisible, yet who became visible for our sakes; impalpable and impassible, yet who became passible on our account; and who in every kind of way suffered for our sakes." - St. Ignatius, Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp, Chap 3, ANF Vol I, pg 94
Stand firm as does an anvil which is beaten - you think Ignatius was living in an environment of persecution? If Christ can take a beating so can you! Bothered by false teachers? Deal with it! Consider the day and age you live in and then look to Him who is the great I AM for strength and comfort. Reading words like those penned by Ignatius puts it all into perspective.
That's all for now, more when I finish reading Dialogue With Trypho.
TTFN & God Bless,
Jim
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I've read:
St. Clement's Epistles to The Corinthians
Mathetes
Polycarp
The Epistles of Ignatius (Genuine & Spurious)
Barnabas
Papias
and now I am reading Justin Martyr and am nearly finished with his Dialogue With Trypho.
I think I liked Ignatius the best, there was a lot of doctrinal content in his writings and his style is straight-forward and makes good use of rhetoric (but isn't over-the-top) like when he says,
"Let not those who seem worthy of credit, but teach strange doctrines, fill thee with apprehension. Stand firm, as does an anvil which is beaten. It is the part of a noble athlete to be wounded, and yet to conquer. And especially, we ought to bear all things for the sake of God, that He also may bear with us. Be ever becoming more zealous than what thou art. Weigh carefully the times. Look for Him who is above all time, eternal and invisible, yet who became visible for our sakes; impalpable and impassible, yet who became passible on our account; and who in every kind of way suffered for our sakes." - St. Ignatius, Epistle of Ignatius to Polycarp, Chap 3, ANF Vol I, pg 94
Stand firm as does an anvil which is beaten - you think Ignatius was living in an environment of persecution? If Christ can take a beating so can you! Bothered by false teachers? Deal with it! Consider the day and age you live in and then look to Him who is the great I AM for strength and comfort. Reading words like those penned by Ignatius puts it all into perspective.
That's all for now, more when I finish reading Dialogue With Trypho.
TTFN & God Bless,
Jim
My Facebook Profile
My Church's Facebook Profile
