Ignatius of Antioch (35-50 AD to 107-110 AD) was an early Christian bishop and martyr known for his seven letters to various Christian communities. These letters, collectively called the “Ignatian Epistles,” provide insights into the early Christian Church’s organization and theology. Ignatius emphasized unity within the Church, the authority of bishops, and the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. As one of the Apostolic Fathers, he is considered to have had direct contact with the apostles. His writings played a crucial role in shaping the early Christian ecclesiastical structure and theology, offering valuable perspectives on the challenges faced by early Christian communities. Ignatius of Antioch is remembered for his unwavering commitment to the Christian faith, ultimately leading to his martyrdom in Rome.
Ignatius Of Antioch Quotes
1. “It is not that I want merely to be called a Christian, but actually to be one. Yes, if I prove to be one, then I can have the name.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
2. “My dear Jesus, my Savior, is so deeply written in my heart, that I feel confident, that if my heart were to be cut open and chopped to pieces, the name of Jesus would be found written on every piece.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
3. “Now I begin to be a disciple. Let fire and cross, flocks of beasts, broken bones, dismemberment come upon me, so long as I attain to Jesus Christ.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
4. “Christianity is greatest when it is hated by the world.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
5. “Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips, and the world in your heart.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
6. “It is better to be silent and be real than to talk and not be real.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
7. “I wish not merely to be called Christian, but also to be Christian.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
8. “Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
9. “I am God’s wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ’s pure bread.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
10. “A Christian is not his own master, since all his time belongs to God.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
11. “It is impossible for a man to be freed from the habit of sin before he hates it, just as it is impossible to receive forgiveness before confessing his trespasses…”
— Ignatius of Antioch
12. “Be careful, therefore, to take part only in the one Eucharist; for there is only one Flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and one cup to unite us with His Blood.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
13. “I no longer take pleasure in perishable food or in the delights of this world. I want only God’s bread, which is the Flesh of Jesus Christ, formed of the seed of David, and for drink I crave His Blood which is love that cannot perish.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
14. “Be obedient to the bishop and to one another, as Jesus Christ was in the flesh to the Father, and the apostles to Christ and to the Father and to the Spirit, so that there may be unity in flesh and in spirit.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
15. “It is outrageous to utter the name of Jesus Christ and live in Judaism.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
16. “Only let it be in the name of Jesus Christ, that I may suffer together with Him! I endure everything because He Himself, Who is perfect man, empowers me.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
17. “I would rather die for Christ than rule the whole earth.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
18. “He who died in place of us is the one object of my quest. He who rose for our sakes is my one desire.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
19. “Therefore run together as into one temple of God, as to one altar, as to one Jesus Christ, who came forth from one Father, and is with and has gone to one.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
20. “I offer my life’s breath for the sake of the Cross, which is a stumbling block to the unbelievers, but to us it is salvation and eternal life.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
21. “Where the bishop is present, there is the Catholic Church.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
22. “For Faith is the beginning and the end is love, and God is the two of them brought into unity. After these comes whatever else makes up a Christian gentleman.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
23. “May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of limbs – let them come to me, provided only I make my way to Jesus Christ.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
24. “Take heed often to come together to give thanks to God and show forth His praise. For when you assemble frequently in the same place, the powers of Satan are destroyed, and the destruction at which he aims is prevented by the unity of your faith.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
25. “But pray unceasingly also for the rest of men, for they offer ground for hoping that they may be converted and win their way to God. Give them an opportunity therefore, of becoming your disciples. Meet their angry outbursts with your own gentleness, their boastfulness with your humility, their revilings with your prayers, their error with your constancy in the faith, their harshness with your meekness; and beware of trying to match their example.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
26. “Let not then any one deceive you, as indeed you are not deceived, inasmuch as you are wholly devoted to God.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
27. “Do everything as if He were dwelling in us. Thus we shall be His temples and He will be within us as our God – as He actually is.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
28. “The Lord did nothing either of himself or through his apostles without his Father, with whom he is united; so too, you should undertake nothing without the bishop and the presbyters priests.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
29. “It is better to keep silence and be something than to talk and be nothing.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
30. “I would rather die and come to Jesus Christ than be king over the entire earth. Him I seek who died for us; Him I love who rose again because of us.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
31. “It is better for me to die in behalf of Jesus Christ, than to reign over all the ends of the earth.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
32. “As for me, my charter is Jesus Christ, the inviolable charter is His cross and His death and resurrection, and faith through Him.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
33. “Let no man’s place, or dignity, or riches, puff him up; and let no man’s low condition or poverty abase him. For the chief points are faith towards God, hope towards Christ, the enjoyment of those good things for which we look, and love towards God and our neighbor.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
34. “For some are in the habit of carrying about the name in wicked guile, while they still practice things unworthy of God. You must flee these as you would wild beasts. For they are ravening dogs, who bite secretly, against whom you must be on your guard, since they are men who can scarcely be cured.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
35. “Let us therefore be of a reverent spirit, and fear the long-suffering of God, that it tend not to our condemnation.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
36. “The proper thing, then, is not merely to be styled Christians, but also to be such.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
37. “For where there is division and wrath, God doth not dwell.”
— Ignatius of Antioch
