Martyrdom: a silent seal on doctrine

“The manner of his death sets the seal on his life,
so that even his earthly utterances are endowed with infallibility.” (1)

− Andrew Louth (speaking of Polycarp’s martyrdom)

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There are those who carry an ominous conviction that “heroic acts alone” prove and test the truth of one’s inner belief system. While persecution can and will test the strength of one’s “perception of truth” — it holds no radar for “truth” itself.

As persecution abounded and countless died for their faith, an unwritten rule surfaced among Christians which caused the doctrinal positions of martyred Saints (and especially those with rank within the Church) to become “untouchable.”

It’s understandable considering the circumstances. I mean, who was going to question (let alone debate), the doctrinal position of someone who has just put it all on the line for their faith? Such opposition would be deemed insensitive in the least; unforgivable and possibly heretical at worst. The times were critical. Christians (under the ever present eye of the Bishops) opted to band together and bury their differences. This wasn’t the time for doctrinal squabbles — especially among the laity.

I think this is important background information to understand, because it was often the event of martyrdom that catapulted new doctrines into the arena of accepted norm.

About 20 years after Clement’s statement regarding the rules which governed the layman/laity [non-clergy], Ignatius (bishop of Antioch) was condemned to be fed to the lions in Rome. (2)

En-route to Rome, he had the opportunity to write several letters to various churches. He implored the churches not to step in and deprive him of his right to die for the cause of Christ and gave (what he considered) his last words of helpful advise to the Christian world. Needless to say, those letters became extraordinarily important to those to whom they were written and were broadly circulated after his death. Within those letters, Ignatius made the following radical observations:

“Let the laity [non-clergy] be subject to the deacons; the deacons to the presbyters [elders]; the presbyters to the bishop; the bishop to Christ, even as He is to the Father.” (3)

As Earle Cairns, (in his book Christianity Through the Centuries) explains:

“[Ignatius] was the first to place the office of the bishop in contrast with the office of the presbyter and to subordinate the presbyters or elders to the monarchial bishop and the members of the church to both. The hierarchy of authority in the church is, according to him, bishop, presbyter, and deacon. However, Ignatius did not exalt the bishop of Rome as superior to other bishops even though he was the first to use the word catholic (Smyrna 8). The only superiority is that of the bishop to the presbyters within each church. Ignatius believed that without this threefold order there is no church (Trallians 3).” (4)

Building upon this platform, Ignatius made other alarming statements:

“Plainly, then, one should look upon the bishop as upon the Lord Himself.” (5)

“Surely, Jesus Christ … for His part is the mind of the Father, just as the bishops … represent for their part the mind of Jesus Christ. … It profits you, therefore, to continue in your flawless unity, that you may at all times have a share in God.” (6)

“I advise you to always act in godly concord with the Bishop, presiding as the counterpart of God … you must do nothing without the Bishop and the presbyters.” (7)

“It is fitting not to take advantage of the bishop’s youth, but rather, because he embodies the authority of God the Father, to show him every mark of respect … the bishop is to preside in the place of God.” (8)

In a the fuller passage of the above excerpt, Ignatius begins to lay the ground work for establishing a symbolic correlation between:

• The Bishop and God the Father
• Presbyters and the Council of the Apostles
• Deacons and “the Seven” picked to become day to day helpers in Acts 6.

Of course, as Bishop, he was free to give the interpretation of that symbolic relationship with all the authority of his office at bear.

“Just as the Lord … did nothing without [the Father] … so neither must you undertake anything without the bishop and the presbyters; nor must you attempt to convince yourselves that anything you do on your own account is acceptable.” (9)

Is it just me, or does this guy begin to rub you the wrong way? Talk about a mind trip! “Nor must you attempt to convince yourselves that ANYTHING you do on your own account is acceptable?!”

“Do nothing without your bishop … Let all respect the deacons as representing Jesus Christ, the bishop as a type of the Father, and the presbyters as God’s high council and as the Apostolic college. Apart from these, no church deserves the name …

… cling inseparably to God Jesus Christ, to the bishop and the precepts of the Apostles. He that is inside the sanctuary is pure; he that is outside the sanctuary is not pure. In other words: he that does anything apart from bishop, presbytery, or deacon has no pure conscience …” (10)

“Heed the bishop that God may heed you, too.” (11)

“… it is not permitted to baptize or hold a love-feast [Communion; Lord’s Supper] independently of the Bishop.” (12)

“You must all follow the lead of the bishop, as Jesus Christ followed that of the Father … reverence the deacons as you would God’s [own] commandment. Let no one do anything touching the Church apart from the bishop.” (13)

“Surely, all those that belong to God and Jesus Christ are the very ones that side with the bishop.” (14)

“Whatever he [the bishop] approves, that is also well-pleasing to God.” (15)

According to Ignatius, the way to give glory to Jesus Christ was to be submissive to and acknowledge the authority of one’s bishop:

“It is only right that you should give glory to [Jesus Christ]; and this, (if sanctification is to be yours in full measure), means uniting in a common act of submission and acknowledging the authority of your bishop and clergy.” (16)

My how far we’ve fallen — and in such a brief time period — from Jesus’ original instructions about servanthood leadership.

“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you IT WILL BE DIFFERENT. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant … for even the Son of Man came not to BE SERVED but to SERVE OTHERS.”

(Matthew 20:25-28, New Living Translation, emphasis mine)

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Next up: Martyrdom: A Silent Seal on Doctrine (part 2)
If new to this blog, begin here to read subject sequentially.

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Footnote References:

(1) Maxwell Staniforth & Andrew Louth, Early Christian Writings (London, Penguin Books, 1987), page 117 (speaking of Polycarp’s martyrdom).
(2) James Rutz, Mega Shift (Colorado Springs, Empowerment Press, 2005), page 216
(3) MegaShift, by James Rutz, page 216 (org source: Ignatius’ letter to the Smyrnaeans I, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, American Edition, Volume I, edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, 1885, chapter 40, “Honour the Bishop”), emphasis mine.
(4) Earle E. Cairns, Christianity Through the Centuries – A History of the Christian Church, Third Edition (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), page 76, emphasis mine.
(5) Rod Bennett, Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words, (San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 2002), page 124 (org source: Ignatius, Epistle to the Ephesians, chap. 6, no. 1, ACW 1:62), emphasis mine.
(6) Rod Bennett, Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words, (San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 2002) page 123-124 (org source: Ignatius, Epistle to the Ephesians, chap. 3, nos. 1-2, chap. 4, nos. 1-2, ACW 1:61-62), emphasis mine.
(7) MegaShift, by James Rutz, page 216 (org source: Ignatius’ letter to the Magnesians, in Bettenson, op, cit., The Early Christian Fathers, pp. 42-44), emphasis mine.
(8) Rod Bennett, Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words, (San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 2002), page 126 quoting Ignatius of Antioch (org source: Epistle to the Magnesians, chaps. 3, no. 1; chap. 6, nos 1b, 2b, ACW 1:69-71), emphasis mine.
(9) Rod Bennett, Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words, (San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 2002) page 127 (org source: Ignatius, Epistles to the Magnesians, chap. 7, nos. 1-2 ACW 1:71), emphasis mine.
(10) Rod Bennett, Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words, (San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 2002), page129 (org source: Ignatius, Epistle to the Trallians, prologue, chaps. 1-3, 6-7, 9-11, 13 in Epistles, ACW 1:75-79), emphasis mine.
(11) Rod Bennett, Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words, (San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 2002) page 138 (org source: Ignatius, Epistle to Polycarp, chap. 6, nos. 1-2, ACW 1:98).
(12) MegaShift, by James Rutz, page 216 (or source: Ignatius’ letter to the Smyrnaeans, 8:8-9, J. B. Lightfoot, translator) emphasis mine.
(13) Rod Bennett, Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words, (San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 2002), page 135 (org source: Ignatius, Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, chaps. 1-2, 6, 8, in Epistles, ACW 1:90, 92-92), emphasis mine.
(14) Rod Bennett, Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words, (San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 2002) page 134 (org source: Ignatius, Epistle to the Philadelphians, chaps. 2-3, ACW 1:85-86)
(15) MegaShift, by James Rutz, page 216 (or source: Ignatius’ letter to the Smyrnaeans, 8:8-9, J. B. Lightfoot, translator) emphasis mine.
(16) Early Christian Writings, translated by Maxwell Staniforth and Andrew Louth (Penguin Books, England 1987), Ignatius to the Ephesians, page 61, emphasis mine.

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