Ante-Nicene Fathers (Volume 1) - V - Epistles of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, Polycarp; then the Syriac versions of the Ignatian Epistles to Polycarp, and the Second and Third epistles to the Ephesians; and then the Spurious epistles of Ignatius to the Tarsians.

Required reading
Ante-Nicene Fathers (Volume 1) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the Epistles of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, Polycarp; then the Syriac versions of the Ignatian Epistles to Polycarp, and the Second and Third epistles to the Ephesians; and then the Spurious epistles of Ignatius to the Tarsians.

My summary
Today we continue the epistles from Ignatius, and also some epistles that, in all likelihood, do not come from the pen of Ignatius.

Firstly we read a letter to the Smyrnaeans which has a primary focus on counteracting heresy, particularly heretics who deny the full humanity of Jesus.

Then we read a letter to Polycarp in which Ignatius makes various exhortations to live a faithful Christian life and make sure those under him do the same.

Next we read Syriac versions of epistles we've already read.  I won't make much comment on them other than to say that much of the material in them we easily recognise from their Greek counterparts.

The only spurious epistle we read today is that addressed to the Tarsians which briefly speaks against false doctrines.  Again, most of this material is familiar from our reading of Ignatius' Greek epistles.

What grabbed me
It's always refreshing to hear an unashamed affirmation of Christ's humanity: 'And I know that He was possessed of a body not only in His being born and crucified, but I also know that He was so after His resurrection, and believe that He is so now. When, for instance, He came to those who were with Peter, He said to them, “Lay hold, handle Me, and see that I am not an incorporeal spirit.”“For a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.” And He says to Thomas, “Reach hither thy finger into the print of the nails, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side;”and immediately they believed that He was Christ. Wherefore Thomas also says to Him, “My Lord, and my God.”And on this account also did they despise death, for it were too little to say, indignities and stripes. Nor was this all; but also after He had shown Himself to them, that He had risen indeed, and not in appearance only, He both ate and drank with them during forty entire days. And thus was He, with the flesh, received up in their sight unto Him that sent Him, being with that same flesh to come again, accompanied by glory and power. For, say the [holy] oracles, “This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, in like manner as ye have seen Him go unto heaven.”But if they say that He will come at the end of the world without a body, how shall those “see Him that pierced Him,”and when they recognise Him, “mourn for themselves?”'

Jesus was born human, died human, rose human and remains human.

Next week's reading
Read the Spurious Epistles of Ignatius to the Antiochians, Hero, the Philippians, Maria the Proselyte to Ignatius, Mary at Neapolis, St John (First and Second), the Virgin Mary; and also read the Martyrdom of Ignatius.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.