Ignatius and Transubstantiation

Q. Did Ignatius advocate the Roman dogma of transubstantiation?

 

Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch (c. 35-108/140 A.D.):

You, therefore, must arm yourselves with gentleness and regain your strength in faith (which is the flesh of the Lord) and in love (which is the blood of Jesus Christ). 

(Michael W. Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations of Their Writings, The Letter of Ignatius to the Trallians, Ch. 8, [Baker Academic, 2007], p. 221). Here

Greek text: Ὑμεῖς οὖν τὴν πραϋπάθειαν ἀναλαβόντες ἀνακτίσασθε ἑαυτοὺς ἐν πίστει, ὅ ἐστιν σὰρξ τοῦ κυρίου, καὶ ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ὅ ἐστιν αἷμα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. 

(Ibid, p. 220). See also: (J. P. Minge, Patrologiæ Cursus Completus, [1857], Patrologiæ Græcæ, Tomus V, Sancti Ignatii, Epistola ad Trallianos, Caput VIII, Col. 681). Here

 

Alternate Translation:

Wherefore, clothing yourselves with meekness, be ye renewed in faith, that is the flesh of the Lord, and in love, that is the blood of Jesus Christ. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol. I, Epistle to the Trallians: Shorter and Longer Versions, VIII). Here

 

…we possess two Greek recensions, a shorter and a longer. It is plain that one or other of these exhibits a corrupt text, and scholars have for the most part agreed to accept the shorter form as representing the genuine letters of Ignatius. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol. I, Introductory Note to the Epistles of Ignatius). Here

 

I take no pleasure in corruptible food or the pleasures of this life. I want the bread of God, which is the flesh of Christ who is of the seed of David; and for drink I want his blood, which is incorruptible love. 

(Michael W. Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations of Their Writings, The Letter of Ignatius to the Romans, Ch. 7, [Baker Academic, 2007], p. 233). Here

Greek text: Oὐχ ἥδομαι τροφῇ φθορᾶς οὐδὲ ἡδοναῖς τοῦ βίου τούτου. Ἄρτον θεοῦ θέλω, ὅ ἐστιν σὰρξ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, «τοῦ ἐκ σπέρματος Δαυίδ», καὶ πόμα θέλω τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν ἀγάπη ἄφθαρτος. 

(Ibid, p. 232).

 

Alternate Translation:

I have no delight in corruptible food, nor in the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, the heavenly bread, the bread of life, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became afterwards of the seed of David and Abraham; and I desire the drink of God, namely His blood, which is incorruptible love and eternal life. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol. I, Epistle to the Romans: Shorter and Longer Versions, VII). Here

 

The use of metaphorical language in the writings of Ignatius:

 

Brethren, I am overflowing with love to you, and exceedingly joyful in watching over your safety. Yet not I, but Jesus Christ, whose bonds I bear, but am the more fearful in that I am not yet perfected; but your prayer will make me perfect for God, that I may attain the lot wherein I found mercy, making the Gospel my refuge as the flesh of Jesus [προσφυγὼν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ὡς σαρκὶ Ἰησου], and the Apostles as the presbytery of the Church.  

(The Apostolic Fathers: In Two Volumes, Vol. I., trans. Kirsopp Lake, [London: William Heinemann, 1912], Ignatius to the Philadelphians, V.1, p. 243). Here

 

Alternate Translation:

My brethren, I am greatly enlarged in loving you; and rejoicing exceedingly [over you], I seek to secure your safety. Yet it is not I, but Jesus Christ, for whose sake being bound I fear the more, inasmuch as I am not yet perfect. But your prayer to God shall make me perfect, that I may attain to that portion which through mercy has been allotted me, while I flee to the Gospel as to the flesh of Jesus, and to the apostles as to the presbytery of the Church.

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol. I, Epistle to the Philadelphians, Ch. V). Here

 

Let not envy find a dwelling-place among you; nor even should I, when present with you, exhort you to it, be ye persuaded to listen to me, but rather give credit to those things which I now write to you. For though I am alive while I write to you, yet I am eager to die. My love has been crucified, and there is no fire in me desiring to be fed; but there is within me a water that liveth and speaketh, saying to me inwardly, Come to the Father. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol I, Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Romans, VII). Here

 

Suffer me to become food for the wild beasts, through whose instrumentality it will be granted me to attain to God. I am the wheat of God, and let me be ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ. Rather entice the wild beasts, that they may become my tomb, and may leave nothing of my body; so that when I have fallen asleep [in death], I may be no trouble to any one. ...They were apostles; I am but a condemned man: they were free, while I am, even until now, a servant. But when I suffer, I shall be the freed-man of Jesus, and shall rise again emancipated in Him. And now, being a prisoner, I learn not to desire anything worldly or vain. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol I, Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Romans, IV). Here

 

Roman Objections:

 

Objection One:

They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again. Those, therefore, who speak against this gift of God, incur death in the midst of their disputes. But it were better for them to treat it with respect, that they also might rise again. It is fitting, therefore, that ye should keep aloof from such persons, and not to speak of them either in private or in public, but to give heed to the prophets, and above all, to the Gospel, in which the passion [of Christ] has been revealed to us, and the resurrection has been fully proved. But avoid all divisions, as the beginning of evils. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol I, Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Smyrnæans, VII). Here

 

A.1. Context matters, Ignatius is not speaking here to transubstantiation, but rather against Docetism, which denied that the Lord Jesus Christ possessed a corporeal body [ie. that the Lord was a ghost and not a real man]. 

 

Now, He suffered all these things for our sakes, that we might be saved. And He suffered truly, even as also He truly raised up Himself, not, as certain unbelievers maintain, that He only seemed to suffer, as they themselves only seem to be [Christians]. And as they believe, so shall it happen unto them, when they shall be divested of their bodies, and be mere evil spirits. 

(Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, The Ante-Nicene Fathers, [1885], Vol I, Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnæans, II, p. 87). Here

 

Alternate Translation:

For He suffered all these things for our sakes [that we might be salved]; and He suffered truly, as also He raised Himself truly; not as certain unbelievers say, that He suffered in semblance, being themselves mere semblance. And according as their opinions are, so shall it happen to them, for they are without body and demon-like. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol I, Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Smyrnæans, II). Here

 

Some ignorantly deny Him, or rather have been denied by Him, being the advocates of death rather than of the truth. These persons neither have the prophets persuaded, nor the law of Moses, nor the Gospel even to this day, nor the sufferings we have individually endured. For they think also the same thing regarding us. For what does any one profit me, if he commends me, but blasphemes my Lord, not confessing that He was [truly] possessed of a body? But he who does not acknowledge this, has in fact altogether denied Him, being enveloped in death. I have not, however, thought good to write the names of such persons, inasmuch as they are unbelievers. Yea, far be it from me to make any mention of them, until they repent and return to [a true belief in] Christ’s passion, which is our resurrection. 

(Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, The Ante-Nicene Fathers, [1885], Vol I, Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnæans, V, pp. 244-245). Here

 

Alternate Translation:

But certain persons ignorantly deny Him, or rather have been denied by Him, being advocates of death rather than of the truth; and they have not been persuaded by the prophecies nor by the law of Moses, nay nor even to this very hour by the Gospel, nor by the sufferings of each of us severally; for they are of the same mind also concerning us.

For what profit is it [to me], if a man praiseth me, but blasphemeth my Lord, not confessing that He was a bearer of flesh? Yet he that affirmeth not this, doth thereby deny Him altogether, being himself a bearer of a corpse.

But their names, being unbelievers, I have not thought fit to record in writing--nay, far be it from me even to remember them, until they repent and return to the passion, which is our resurrection. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol I, Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Smyrnæans, V). Here

 

Even the Jesuit scholar, and canonized Roman saint, Cardinal Robert Bellarmine admits as much:

 

That the heretics, Simoniani and Menandriani, would have no eucharistical oblations, because they denied the sacrament to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, For, those heretics did not oppose the sacrament of the Eucharist, so much as the mystery of the incarnation; and therefore (as Ignatius shews in that place) they would deny that the eucharist is the flesh of Christ; that is, (as Theodoret interprets it,) that the divine mysteries of bread and wine should be the signs of a real body of Christ truly existing, because they would not own that Christ had taken flesh. 

Latin text: [Primi qui negarunt Christi corporis esse in eucharistia videntur fuisse illi ipsi qui primi haeresum zizania in ecclesia serere coeperunt ; Simoniani, Menandriani et similes. De his loquens S. Ignatius, in epistola ad Smyrnenses, sic ait: Eucharistias et oblationes non admittunt, eo quod non confiteantur eucharistiam esse carnem Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi : quae sententia citatur a Theodoreto in 3. dialogo ex epistola ad Smyrnenses; ubi tamen nunc non habetur. Ne autem glorientur Calvinistae sententiam suam valde antiquam esse, illud est observandum, antiques illos haereticos non tarn sacramentum eucharistiae, quam mysterium incarnationis oppugnasse. Idcirco enim (ut Ignatius ibidem indicat) negabant eucharistiam esse carnem Domini, quia negabant Dominum habere carnem.] 

(De Eucharistia, 1. i. c. 1.) see (John Cosin. The History of Popish Transubstantiation, [1840], p. 154). Here

 

Tertullian wrote against the same heresy not long after Ignatius:

 

“This is my body,” that is, the figure of my body. A figure, however, there could not have been, unless there were first a veritable body. An empty thing, or phantom, is incapable of a figure. ...He likewise, when mentioning the cup and making the new testament to be sealed “in His blood,” affirms the reality of His body. For no blood can belong to a body which is not a body of flesh. 

(Phillip Schaff, ANF, Vol III, Tertullian, The Five Books Against Marcion, 4.40). Here

 

Objection Two:

Take ye heed, then, to have but one Eucharist (ευχαριστια). For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to [show forth] the unity of His blood; one altar; as there is one bishop, along with the presbytery and deacons, my fellow-servants: that so, whatsoever ye do, ye may do it according to [the will of] God. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol I, Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Philadelphians, IV). Here

 

A.2. Ignatius speaks of unity in the Church, not of the accidents and substance of the bread and wine, again, context matters.

 

Keep yourselves from those evil plants which Jesus Christ does not tend, because they are not the planting of the Father. Not that I have found any division among you, but exceeding purity. For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ are also with the bishop. And as many as shall, in the exercise of repentance, return into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall belong to God, that they may live according to Jesus Christ. Do not err, my brethren. If any man follows him that makes a schism in the Church, he shall not inherit the kingdom of God. If any one walks according to a strange opinion, he agrees not with the passion [of Christ.]. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol I, Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Philadelphians, III). Here

 

Transliteration vs. Translation: The meaning of "Eucharist" [thanksgiving]:

 

In the epistles of Ignatius:

Take heed, then, often to come together to give thanks (ευχαριστιαν) to God, and show forth His praise. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol. I, Ignatius, Epistle to the Ephesians, XIII). Here

 

...whence also I write to you, giving thanks (ευχαριστων) unto the Lord, and loving Polycarp even as I do you. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol. I, Ignatius, Epistle to the Ephesians, XXI). Here

 

And I thank (ευχαριστω) my God that I have a good conscience in respect to you, and that no one has it in his power to boast, either privately or publicly, that I have burdened any one either in much or in little. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol. I, Ignatius, Epistle to the Philadelphians, VI). Here

 

...and I myself give thanks (ευχαριστω) to God for you, that ye have received them, even as  the Lord you. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol. I, Ignatius, Epistle to the Philadelphians, XI). Here

 

Ye have done well in receiving Philo and Rheus Agathopus as servants of Christ our God, who have followed me for the sake of God, and who give thanks (ευχαριστουσιν) to the Lord in your behalf, because ye have in every way refreshed them. 

(Philip Schaff, ANF, Vol. I, Ignatius, Epistle to the Smyrnæans, X). Here

 

New Testament Usage See: Here

 

 

~ Soli Deo Gloria