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  "description": "In this post I will be citing three different English translations of specific letters from St. Ignatius, in which this holy Bishop of Antioch, Syria and Christian martyr, speaks of Christ existing without chronology and without age, stating that the risen Lord is unborn and beyond/ above all time/season. All emphasis will be mine.\n\nChapter 3. Exhortations\n\nLet not those who seem worthy of credit, but teach strange doctrines, 1 Timothy 1:3, 1 Timothy 6:3 fill you with apprehension. Stand firm, a",
  "path": "/ignatius-on-christ-as-the-uncreated-timeless-ageless-god/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-16T08:42:25.000Z",
  "site": "https://answeringislam.blog",
  "tags": [
    "strange doctrines",
    "1 Timothy 1:3",
    "1 Timothy 6:3",
    "God",
    "zealous",
    "eternal",
    "Epistle to Polycarp",
    "habit",
    "name [of Jesus Christ]",
    "wicked",
    "spirit",
    "made",
    "in flesh",
    "Mary",
    "Jesus Christ our Lord",
    "Epistle to the Ephesians",
    "persons",
    "faith",
    "love",
    "bishop",
    "presbyters",
    "apostles",
    "deacons",
    "Jesus Christ",
    "Father",
    "united",
    "those that preside over you",
    "immortality",
    "Epistle to the Magnesians",
    "Ignatius’s Proclamation of Christ's Essential Deity",
    "Athanasius Confirms Ignatius’ Christology",
    "Origen’s Trinitarianism Summarized",
    "Origen on God’s Uncreated Firstborn Son",
    "Athanasius on Origen’s Christology",
    "Tertullian: Trinity is the Faith of the Ancient Church",
    "Tertullian and the Trinity",
    "Tertullian’s Paradoxical God-Man",
    "DID TERTULLIAN DENY THE ETERNAL NATURE OF CHRIST?",
    "TRINITY IN IRENAEUS & TERTULLIAN"
  ],
  "textContent": "In this post I will be citing three different English translations of specific letters from St. Ignatius, in which this holy Bishop of Antioch, Syria and Christian martyr, speaks of Christ existing without chronology and without age, stating that the risen Lord is unborn and beyond/ above all time/season. All emphasis will be mine.\n\nChapter 3. Exhortations\n\nLet not those who seem worthy of credit, but teach strange doctrines, 1 Timothy 1:3, 1 Timothy 6:3 fill you with apprehension. Stand firm, as does an anvil which is beaten. It is the part of a noble athlete to be wounded, and yet to conquer. And especially, we ought to bear all things for the sake of God, that He also may bear with us. Be ever becoming more zealous than what you are. Weigh carefully the times. **Look for Him _who is ABOVE ALL TIME,_** eternal**_(ton achronon)_ and invisible, yet who became visible for our sakes; impalpable and impassible, yet who became passible on our account**; and who in every kind of way suffered for our sakes. (Epistle to Polycarp)\n\n3\n\nDo not allow those who appear trustworthy yet who deliver contrary teachings daze you. Stand firm as an anvil that is struck. It is the mark of a great athlete to bear up under blows and still claim the victory. But we must endure everything especially for God's sake, that he may endure us. 2. Be more eager than you are. Take note of the seasons. **Await the one who is beyond the season,_the one WHO IS TIMELESS, the one who is invisible_ , who became visible for us, the one who cannot be handled, the one who is beyond suffering, who suffered for us, enduring in every way on our account**. (_The Apostolic Fathers, Volume I: I Clement. II Clement. Ignatius. Polycarp. Didache_ , edited and translated by Bart D. Ehrman [Harvard University Press, 2003], pp. 313, 315)\n\n**3.** Do not let those who appear to be trustworthy yet who teach strange doctrines baffle you. Stand firm, like an anvil being struck with a hammer. It is the mark of a great athlete to be bruised, yet still conquer. But especially we must, for God's sake, patiently bear all things, so that he may also bear with us. Be more diligent than you are. Understand the times. Wait expectantly **for the one who is _ABOVE ALL TIME_ : the Eternal, the Invisible, who for our sake became visible; the Intangible, the Unsuffering**, who for our sake suffered, who for our sake endured in every way. (_The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations_ , edited and revised by Michael W. Holmes [Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI 1999], p. 197)\n\nChapter 7. Beware of false teachers\n\nFor some are in the habit of carrying about the name [of Jesus Christ] in wicked guile, while yet they practise things unworthy of God, whom you must flee as you would wild beasts. For they are ravening dogs, who bite secretly, against whom you must be on your guard, inasmuch as they are men who can scarcely be cured. **There is one Physician who is possessed both of flesh and** spirit**;_both_** made**_AND NOT MADE (gennetos kai aggenetos)_ ; **God**existing** in flesh**; true life in death; both of** Mary**and of** God**; first passible and then impassible** — even Jesus Christ our Lord. (Epistle to the Ephesians)\n\n7\n\nFor some are accustomed to bear the name in wicked deceit, while acting in ways that are unworthy of God. You must shun them as wild animals. For they are raving dogs who bite when no one is looking. You must guard against them, for they are hard to tame. 2. **For there is one physician, both fleshly and spiritual,_born AND UNBORN, God come in the flesh, true life in death_ , from both Mary and God, first subject to suffering and then beyond suffering, Jesus Christ our Lord**. (Ehrman, p. 227)\n\n**7.** For there are some who are accustomed to carrying about the Name maliciously and deceitfully while doing other things unworthy of God. You must avoid them as wild beasts. For they are mad dogs that bite by stealth; you must be on your guard against them, for their bite is hard to heal. [2] **There is only one physician, who is both flesh and spirit, born _AND UNBORN_ , God in man, true life in death, both from Mary and from God, first subject to suffering and then beyond it**, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Holmes, p. 141)\n\nChapter 6. Preserve harmony\n\nSince therefore I have, in the persons before mentioned, beheld the whole multitude of you in faith and love, I exhort you to study to do all things with a divine harmony, while your bishop presides in the place of God, and your presbyters in the place of the assembly of the apostles, along with your deacons, who are most dear to me, and are entrusted with the ministry **of** Jesus Christ**, who was with the** Father**_BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF TIME_  _(pro aionon)_** , and in the end was revealed. Do all then, imitating the same divine conduct, pay respect to one another, and let no one look upon his neighbour after the flesh, but continually love each other in Jesus Christ. Let nothing exist among you that may divide you; but be united with your bishop, and those that preside over you, as a type and evidence of your immortality. (Epistle to the Magnesians)\n\n6\n\nSince, then, I have observed, by the eyes of faith, your entire congregation through those I have already mentioned, and loved it, I urge you to hasten to do all things in the harmony of God, with the bishop presiding in the place of God and the presbyters in the place of the council of the apostles, and the deacons, who are especially dear to me, entrusted with the ministry **of Jesus Christ, who was with the Father _BEFORE THE AGES_ and has been manifest at the end**. 2. You should assume the character of God and all respect one another. No one should consider his neighbor in a fleshly way, but you should love one another in Jesus Christ at all times. Let there be nothing among you that can divide you, but be unified with the bishop and with those who preside according to the model and teaching of incorruptibility.\n\n**6.** Since, therefore, in the persons mentioned above I have by faith seen and loved the whole congregation, I have this advice: Be eager to do everything in godly harmony, the bishop presiding in the place of God and the presbyters in the place of the council of the apostles and the deacons, who are especially dear to me, since they have been entrusted with the ministry _**of Jesus Christ, who BEFORE****THE AGES****was with the Father and appeared at the end of time**_. [2] Let all, therefore, accept the same attitude as God and respect one another, and let no one regard his neighbor in merely human terms, but in Jesus Christ love one another always. Let there be nothing among you that is capable of dividing you, but be united with the bishop and with those who lead, as an example and lesson of incorruptibility. (Holmes, pp. 153, 155)\n\n**Further Reading**\n\nIgnatius’s Proclamation of Christ's Essential Deity\n\nAthanasius Confirms Ignatius’ Christology\n\nOrigen’s Trinitarianism Summarized\n\nOrigen on God’s Uncreated Firstborn Son\n\nAthanasius on Origen’s Christology\n\nTertullian: Trinity is the Faith of the Ancient Church\n\nTertullian and the Trinity\n\nTertullian’s Paradoxical God-Man\n\nDID TERTULLIAN DENY THE ETERNAL NATURE OF CHRIST?****\n\nTRINITY IN IRENAEUS & TERTULLIAN",
  "title": "Ignatius on Christ as the Uncreated, Timeless & Ageless God",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-16T22:08:46.589Z"
}