We have a treasure in the writings of Ignatius, who proved his discipleship of the Lord Jesus Christ through his life and martyrdom.

Continuing in Ignatius’ letter to the Ephesians, we find a wonderful description of the relationship between the Father and the Son,

But our Physician is the only true God, the unbegotten and unapproachable, the Lord of all, the Father and Begetter of the only-begotten Son. We have also as a Physician the Lord our God, Jesus the Christ, the only-begotten Son and Word, before time began, but who afterwards became also man, of Mary the virgin. For “the Word was made flesh.” Being incorporeal, He was in the body; being impassible, He was in a passible body; being immortal, He was in a mortal body; being life, He became subject to corruption, that He might free our souls from death and corruption, and heal them, and might restore them to health, when they were diseased with ungodliness and wicked lusts.

In this passage we learn:

1. God is our Physician;
2. He is unbegotten (has always been), and we cannot approach Him in our physical form;
3. He is Lord of all and the Father of Jesus Christ, who is our Physician, as well;
4. Jesus is the only-begotten Son and Word, before time began (John 17:24);
5. Jesus was incorporeal, impassible, immortal, and life, yet became corporeal, passible, mortal and subject to corruption so that…
6. He could free our souls from death and corruption; He healed us and restored us to health;
7. We needed healing because we were diseased with ungodliness and wicked lusts.

Ignatius, being a disciple of St. John the Apostle, learned this teaching from John, who learned it from Jesus. We can trust this teaching on the relationship shared between God the Father and God the Son.

Abba, it is comforting to read insights from someone who lived so close to Jesus’ time and was a disciple of John. Thank You for having Ignatius write it down for us. As we study these apostolic fathers, ones who learned from the apostles themselves, may we open our hearts to their teaching and grasp the wisdom of their lessons. Amen.