Ignatius of Antioch…. You may have never heard of him but his writings in the early days of the Church are profound and inspiring. Ignatius was the Bishop of Antioch in the late first century and the early second century. He gave the ultimate witness to his faith through his martyrdom.
The word martyr comes from the greek word martus. The greek word martus means witness. So a martyr is essentially a witness to their faith. These early Christian martyrs such as Ignatius gave up their lives for their faith. They did not do it by taking others lives, they did it by willfully giving their lives as a witness to the faith.
They refused to renounce their belief of Jesus as Lord and proclaim Caesar as Lord. They died for their belief.
In the coming weeks I hope to examine the writings of Ignatius of Antioch. In them you will find the teachings of Apostolic Succession, the Primacy of the Roman Church, the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and more. I hope everyone will enjoy the life of Ignatius as much as I do. He is a hero and a true witness of the faith.
