Sunday, May 11, 2008

St. Ignatius of Antioch speaking on the importance of the Bishop



Chapter VIII.—Let nothing be done without the bishop.




See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid.

See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Christ Jesus does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles. Do ye also reverence the deacons, as those that carry out [through their office] the appointment of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as where Christ is, there does all the heavenly host stand by, waiting upon Him as the Chief Captain of the Lord’s might, and the Governor of every intelligent nature. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize, or to offer, or to present sacrifice, or to celebrate a love-feast. But that which seems good to him, is also well-pleasing to God, that everything ye do may be secure and valid.
Moreover, it is in accordance with reason that we should return to soberness [of conduct], and, while yet we have opportunity, exercise repentance towards God. It is well to reverence
both God and the bishop. He who honours the bishop has been honoured by God; he who does anything without the knowledge of the bishop, does [in reality] serve the devil. Let all things, then, abound to you through grace, for ye are worthy. Ye have refreshed me in all things, and Jesus Christ [shall refresh] you. Ye have loved me when absent as well as when present. May God recompense you, for whose sake, while ye endure all things, ye shall attain unto Him.
Moreover, it is in accordance with reason that we should return to soberness [of conduct], and, while yet we have opportunity, exercise repentance towards God. For “in Hades there is no one who can confess his sins.”Ps. vi. 5. For “behold the man, and his work is before him." Isa. lxii. 11. And [the Scripture saith], “My son, honour thou God and the king.” Prov. xxiv. 21. And say I, Honour thou God indeed, as the Author and Lord of all things, but the bishop as the high-priest, who bears the image of God—of God, inasmuch as he is a ruler, and of Christ, in his capacity of a priest. After Him, we must also honour the king. For there is no one superior to God, or even like to Him, among all the beings that exist. Nor is there any one in the Church greater than the bishop, who ministers as a priest to God for the salvation of the whole world. Nor, again, is there any one among rulers to be compared with the king, who secures peace and good order to those over whom he rules. He who honours the bishop shall be honoured by God, even as he that dishonours him shall be punished by God. For if he that rises up against kings is justly held worthy of punishment, inasmuch as he dissolves public order, of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, Heb. x. 29 who presumes to do anything without the bishop, thus both destroying the [Church’s] unity, and throwing its order into confusion? For the priesthood is the very highest point of all good things among men, against which whosoever is mad enough to strive, dishonours not man, but God, and Christ Jesus, the First-born, and the only High Priest, by nature, of the Father. Let all things therefore be done by you with good order in Christ. Let the laity be subject to the deacons; the deacons to the presbyters; the presbyters to the bishop; the bishop to Christ, even as He is to the Father. As ye, brethren, have refreshed me, so will Jesus Christ refresh you. Ye have loved me when absent, as well as when present. God will recompense you, for whose sake ye have shown such kindness towards His prisoner. For even if I am not worthy of it, yet your zeal [to help me] is an admirable thing. For “he who honours a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward.”Matt. x. 41. It is manifest also, that he who honours a prisoner of Jesus Christ shall receive the reward of the martyrs.
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.v.vii.viii.html

It is shown very clearly here that from the begining of the Catholic Church the authority of the Bishop which is given to him through Christ our Lord. Those who would deny this live in a make believe world, one which neither has authority nor true continuity with the Church. In the creed we proclaim our beliefe in "one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church". This proclaimation is not only a reafirmation of our union with Christs mystical Body (the Church) but is a statement of what the Catholic Church is! Anyone outside of the Body (the Catholic Church) should re-examine why the church they are in does not proclaim this unity as we do.

2 comments:

R. E. Aguirre. said...

You hit the nail on the head Marc. The episcopate form of ecclesiology is manifest since the first century and held the unanimous voice of the church up until the pesky protestants of the 16th century. An interesting defense of the episcopate (from a protestant Anglican) from the notable scholar Peter Toon is his entry in "Who runs the Church?" published by Zondervan, 2004.

The intellectual defense Toon gives is just a summary of the Catholic position in general, namely to take history seriously at all, is to cease to be a Protestant and embracee the historic church of the ages. None of the other three Protestant scholars respond to this heavy argument of course, they just give the standard response, micromanagement-exegesis of particular texts.
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R.E. Aguirre
- regulafide@blogspot.com

Marc said...

Great thing about the Early Church Fathers is that when one honestly studies their writings they will soon see how different their own(protestant churches) look when compared to the Early Church. Seeing this they will eventually seek union with the Catholic Church.

When speaking to protestants I always recommend reading the Church Fathers themselves and what they actually wrote and not what someone else wrote about them.