9
Martyrdom as imitation and renunciation
Why, though, is he willing to die? First, Ignatius is certain that his martyrdom will please
God. As he declares with confidence about his desire to die for Christ: "I am not writing
now as a mere man, but I am voicing the mind of God."
46
The use of genitives in his
description of himself as "His [i.e. Gods] wheat " and "the purest bread for Christ"
47
reveals Ignatius awareness that "God is the author of martyrdom." Consequently he must
be pleased with those who die for the sake of their faith in Christ.
48
Why exactly does Ignatius martyrdom please God? Well, first of all, he conceives of it
as an imitation of the death of Christ. "Leave me to imitate the Passion of my God," he
says at one point.
49
If God the Father was pleased with his Sons death for sinners,
Ignatius dying for his faith in Christ is also pleasing to God. And just as Christs death
was one in which violence was done to him, but he did not retaliate,
50
likewise the death
of Ignatius, the imitator of his Lords passion. Weinrich rightly notes, though, that there
is not the slightest hint that Ignatius death has any salvific value for others as Christs
death has.
51
46
Romans 8.3 (trans. Staniforth, Early Christian Writings, 88). See also Romans 2.1, where he is urging
the Roman Church to allow his martyrdom to take place: "It is not men I want you to gratify, but God"
(trans. Staniforth, Early Christian Writings, 85).
47
Romans 4.1 (trans. Staniforth, Early Christian Writings, 86).
48
Weinrich, Spirit and Martyrdom, 115.
49
Romans 6.3 (trans. Staniforth, Early Christian Writings, 87). Noteworthy in this text is Ignatius high
Christology. In referring to Christ as "God," Ignatius evidently expected the Christians in Rome to be both
familiar with a high Christology and comfortable with it. See also the following texts where Ignatius
describes Christ as God: Romans, Salutation ["Jesus Christ our God" (trans. Staniforth, Early Christian
Writings, 85)]; 6.3; Ephesians, Salutation; 1.1 (where Ignatius refers to the "blood of God"); 18.2;
Smyrnaeans 1.1.
Reinforcing these texts is the statement in Magnesians 6.1 that "Jesus Christ...was with the Father
(
) from all eternity" (trans. Staniforth, Early Christian Writings, 72). This clause is parallel to
the Johannine affirmation in John 1:1 that "the Word was with God (
)." In koine Greek at
this time, the use of
with the dative to express the idea of "with someone" was receiving competition
from
with the accusative. In other words, Ignatius statement that Jesus was "with the Father" and
Johns declaration that the Word "was with God" are making the same point: Jesus Christ/the Word
enjoyed intimate, personal communion with the Father from eternity.
50
See, for example, 1 Peter 2:21-23.
51
Spirit and Martyrdom, 112-113. Thus Weinrich comments: "It is...quite doubtful whether Ignatius
conceived of his martyrdom as sacrificially vicarious for his fellow Christians"(Spirit and Martyrdom,
113). Cp., though, Frend, Martyrdom and Persecution in the Early Church, 199.