This thought comes from my reading of Historical Theology by William Cunningham. Cunningham (1805–1861) was a Reformed theologian and church historian who served as Principal of New College, Edinburgh.
Here is the quote:
“I have no doubt, indeed, that the epistles of Ignatius, as we now have them, even in the purest and most uncorrupted form, did not proceed from his hand; but whether they ought to be regarded as wholly fabricated, or merely as interpolated by some over-zealous defender of the threefold order of bishop, priests, and deacons, it is not easy to decide.” (p. 137)
Here, Cunningham expresses his confidence that the letters attributed to Ignatius of Antioch are not authentic. What strikes me is not the possibility of forgery (we see this in many historical writings), but rather the possibility of motive.
The idea that these letters were “interpolated by some over-zealous defender of the threefold order of bishop, priests, and deacons” is a fascinating theory. To put it plainly, this is the idea that certain portions were added to the letters in support of the Prelacy, that is, the hierarchical system in which bishops hold primary authority over elders and congregations.
I have always noticed in reading the church fathers that Ignatius has this disproportionately “loud” view of the monarchical episcopacy. By “loud,” I mean that it is mentioned very frequently and often very definitively. Here is one quote I pulled as an example:
“It is impossible to have God without the bishop. Whoever does anything apart from the bishop, makes void the eucharist, and walks in ignorance of God.”— Letter to the Trallians 3:1-2
I am not aware of any other early church writing that includes language like this. To me, this sounds like the claims of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. This brings me back to Cunningham’s point: was this changed later to “prove” their claims of apostolicity?
My thought on this is that the prescription for, and evidence of, the plurality of elders and deacons is found in the Scriptures. Whether or not Cunningham is correct about the authenticity of Ignatius’ letters, the mere possibility of interpolation necessarily weakens the claims of Rome and the East. Praise God that our doctrine is built solely upon what is truly infallible—Scripture alone.
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