Ignatius of Antioch (35 – 107, CE)

Letter to Ephesians

CHAP. VI

" ... we should look upon the bishop even as we would upon the Lord Himself. ..."'

Early doctrine for the supremacy of the future popes?  Is this making a bishop equal with the Lord?

CHAP. VII

" ... There is one Physician who is possessed both of flesh and spirit; both made and not made; God existing in flesh; true life in death; both of Mary and of God; first possible and then impossible,[7] even Jesus Christ our Lord."

CHAP. XVIII

He was born and baptized, that by His passion He might purify the water.

The concept of “blessing” the water begins to emerge. But the Bible is clear that physical water does nothing, only the internal washing of the water within us is what is real. To those with no internal washing, they must then resort to blessing of water for external "washing."

Letter to Trallians

CHAP. VII.

" ...  he who does anything apart from the bishop, and presbytery, and deacons,(4) such a man is not pure in his conscience."

While there is to be a reasonable hierarchy in any church body, this is the beginnings of the pope as the final authority movement, particularly to change scripture as seen fit to match doctrinal whims.

Letter to the Philadelphians

CHAP. III.

"… 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. ... "

This statement fails to include those saved by grace, having made a decision for Christ, but are only being led astray by others. It suggests that salvation is by works, that is, only following the teachings of the church, regardless of one's confession of Christ as both their Lord and their Savior. On the other hand, following false doctrine only causes already true believers to stumble, it does not cause them to lose their inheritance in Heaven, because that casts God as a failure, to “keep” His children safe, regardless of their fleshly errors. 

Furthermore, this is the beginnings of teaching the absolute authority of a pope and “the Church” rather than the authority of Christ Himself.

CHAP. IV.

Take ye heed, then, to have but one Eucharist.

This appears to be the beginnings of the teaching that would one day lead to the concept that a “blessed” bread and wine are literally Christ's body, despite the lack of scripture basis. This all leans away from spiritually eating the blood and body of Christ via His life within us, substituting an physical element. 

Letter to the Smyrnaeans

CHAPTER VII.

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. …

This is a continuation of the doctrine of the bread becoming literally the body of Jesus, contrary to the Greek.  (See Bread and Wine.)

CHAPTER VIII.

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.

Where to begin?

1. The example of Jesus revering the Father is actually impossible for us to practice by revering a bishop in the same manner. This is an early teaching in the direction of the absolute authority of a pope to rule the cardinals, the bishops and thus rule the followers with absolute control.

2. Saying that nothing can be done without the bishop or his appointed ministers, is like saying, “Ignore the Bible, God's absolute authority, and substitute for it the bishop or his appointees."  It is simple: Ignatius ignores the authority over the Bible over every belielver, DIRECTLY!

3. Again, any believers, especially in remote regions, should certainly be permitted on their own to break bread and drink wine in remembrance of the death of their Savior. So this is really a heresy with another heresy attached.

4. If Ignatius were born again, then he would know that the presence of Jesus inside him would not be replaced by a mere human, regardless of title. A bishop's presence is not the presence of Christ. And the "Real Presence" is a 24x7 thing, which God provides, not a bishop or the bread.

5. When Jesus is in the midst of believers, indeed then there is unity. But the meaning of “Catholic Church” is not the “unified church” but the “universal church”. Thus the term “Catholic” has no relation to the internal presence in believers, because “unified” is what Jesus does for true believers, but it is not universal, since so many might only be Christians in name only, and it is a very liberal view of who can be saved.

6. Wow, if baptism, according to the Catholic Church is a prerequisite for entering Heaven, then if the bishop is not available, too bad, you go to hell! What a scam that is. God has to be really pissed at this lie, since (1) baptism does not save, but is only a response to having been saved, and (2) several non-bishops baptized in the New Testament, so it is far from biblical. (Oh, I forgot. "The Church" makes up doctrine as it sees fit.)

CHAPTER IX.

"… 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. …"

Wow, how dare anyone demote God to the level of a bishop? Would you promote a human to the level of God? How is it one serves the devil, if one follows God's Word, just because the bishop has no knowledge of what someone is doing? 

Letter to Polycarp

CHAP. VI.

"Give ye heed to the bishop, that God also may give heed to you. … Let your baptism endure as your arms; …"

Again, if one has a personal relationship with God, then heeding God, not the bishop, especially when the bishop errs, is the correct path. 

Baptism is starting to be promoted as having some kind of special powers, as if baptism is equated to the strengh in one's arms.

NOTE:  Polycarp's writings sound nothing like Ignatius's, and indeed in defense of Polycarp, he himself writes:

“In whom, though now you see Him not, you believe, and believing, rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; [1 Peter 1:8] into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that by grace you are saved, not of works, [Ephesians 2:8-9] but by the will of God through Jesus Christ."