THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO ST. JOHN THE APOSTLE
Ignatius, and the brethren who are with him, John the
holy presbyter.
WE are deeply grieved at thy delay in strengthening
us by thy addresses and consolations. thy absence be
prolonged, it will disappoint many of us. Hasten then
to come, for we believe that it is expedient. There
are also many of our women here, who are desirous to
see Mary [the mother] of Jesus, and wish day by day
to run off from us to you, that they may meet with
her, and touch those breasts of hers which nourished
the Lord Jesus, and may inquire of her respecting some
rather secret matters. But Salome also, [the daughter
of Anna,] whom thou lovest, who stayed with her five
months at Jerusalem, and some other well-known persons,
relate that she is full of all graces and all virtues,
after the manner of a virgin, fruitful in virtue and
grace. And, as they report, she is cheerful in persecutions
and afflictions, free from murmuring in the midst of
penury and want, grateful to those that injure her,
and rejoices when exposed to troubles: she sympathizes
with the wretched and the afflicted as sharing in their
afflictions, and is not slow to come to their assistance.
Moreover, she shines forth gloriously as contending
in the fight of faith against the pernicious conflicts
of vicious(1) principles or conduct. She is the lady
of our new religion and repentance,(2) and the handmaid
among the faithful of all works of piety. She is indeed
devoted to the humble, and she humbles herself more
devotedly than the devoted, and is wonderfully magnified
by all, while at the same time she suffers detraction
from the Scribes and Pharisees. Besides these points,
many relate to us numerous other things regarding her.
We do not, however, go so far as to believe all in
every particular; nor do we mention such to thee. But,
as we are informed by those who are worthy of credit,
there is in Mary the mother of Jesus an angelic purity
of nature allied with the nature of humanity.(3) And
such reports as these have greatly excited our emotions,
and urge us eagerly to desire a sight of this (if it
be lawful so to speak) heavenly prodigy and most sacred
marvel. But do thou in haste comply with this our desire;
and fare thou well. Amen.
A SECOND EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO ST. JOHN.
His friend(1) Ignatius to John the holy presbyter.
IF thou wilt give me leave, I desire to go up to
Jerusalem, and see the faithful(2) saints who are there,
especially Mary the mother, whom they report to be
an object of admiration and of affection to all. For
who would not rejoice to behold and to address her
who bore the true God from hers own womb, provided
he is a friend of our faith and religion? And in like
manner [I desire to see] the venerable James, who is
surnamed Just, whom they relate to be very like Christ
Jesus in appearance,(4) in life, and in method of conduct,
as if he were a twin-brother of the same womb. They
say that, if I see him, I see also Jesus Himself, as
to all the features and aspect of His body. Moreover,
[I desire to see] the other saints, both male and female.
Alas! why do I delay? Why am I kept back? Kind(5) teacher,
bid me hasten [to fulfil my wish], and fare thou well.
Amen.
THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE VIRGIN MARY
Her friend(1) Ignatius to the Christ-bearing Mary.
THOU oughtest to have comforted and consoled me
who am a neophyte, and a disciple of thy [beloved]
John. For I have heard things wonderful to tell respecting
thy [son] Jesus, and I am astonished by such a report.
But I desire with my whole heart to obtain information
concerning the things which I have heard from thee,
who wast always intimate and allied with Him, and who
wast acquainted with [all] His secrets. I have also
written to thee at another time, and have asked thee
concerning the same things. Fare thou well; and let
the neophytes who are with me be comforted of thee,
and by thee, and in thee. Amen.
REPLY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN TO THIS LETTER.
The lowly handmaid of Christ Jesus to Ignatius, her
beloved fellow-disciple.
THE things which thou hast heard and learned from
John concerning Jesus are true. Believe them, cling
to them, and hold fast the profession of that Christianity
which thou hast embraced, and conform thy habits and
life to thy profession. Now I will come in company
with John to visit thee, and those that are with thee.
Stand fast in the faith,(2) and show thyself a man;
nor let the fierceness of persecution move thee, but
let thy spirit be strong and rejoice in God thy Saviour.(3)
Amen.
Up one level
Back to document index
The Real Jesus: Who is the Real Jesus? Ever since the dawn of modern rationalism, skeptics have sought to use textual criticism, archaeology and historical reconstructions to uncover the "historical Jesus" -- a wise teacher who said many wonderful things, but fulfilled no prophecies, performed no miracles and certainly did not rise from the dead in triumph over sin. Over the past 100 years, however, startling discoveries in biblical archaeology and scholarship have all but vanquished the faulty assumptions of these doubting modernists. Regretably, these discoveries have often been ignored by the skeptics as well as by the popular media. As a result, the liberal view still holds sway in universities and impacts the culture and even much of the church.
|
This presentation explodes the myths of these critics and the movies, books and television programs that have popularized their views.
Presented in ten parts -- perfect for individual, family and classroom study -- viewers will be challenged to go deeper in their knowledge of Christ in order to be able to defend their faith and present the truth to a skeptical modern world – that the Jesus of the Gospels is the Jesus of history -- "the same yesterday, today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). He is the real Jesus. Speakers include: George Grant, Ted Baehr, Stephen Mansfield, Raymond Ortlund, Phil Kayser, David Lutzweiler, Jay Grimstead, J.P. Holding, and Eric Holmberg. Ten parts, over two hours of instruction! Running Time: 130 minutes
|
| The Beast of Revelation: IDENTIFIED
Who is the dreaded beast of Revelation? Now at last, a plausible candidate for this personification of evil incarnate has been identified (or re-identified). Ken Gentry's insightful analysis of scripture and history is likely to revolutionize your understanding of the book of Revelation -- and even more importantly -- amplify and energize your entire Christian worldview! Historical footage and other graphics are used to illustrate the lecture Dr. Gentry presented at the 1999 Ligonier Conference in Orlando, Florida. It is followed by a one-hour question and answer session addressing the key concerns and objections typically raised in response to his position. This presentation also features an introduction that touches on not only the confusion and controversy surrounding this issue -- but just why it may well be one of the most significant issues facing the Church today. Ideal for group meetings, personal Bible study -- for anyone who wants to understand the historical context of John's famous letter "... to the seven churches which are in Asia." (Revelation 1:4) |
(Available in DVD only) $17.95 ORDER NOW!
|
INCLUDES A FREE Sixteen Christian leaders and scholars answer some of the most common questions and misperceptions related to this volatile issue: Download the free |
Perfect for group instruction as well as personal
Bible study. Speakers include: George Grant, Howard Phillips,
R.C. Sproul Jr., Ken Gentry, Gary DeMar, Jay Grimstead, R.J. Rushdoony,
Steven Schlissel, Andrew Sandlin, Eric Holmberg, and more!
Ten parts, over four hours of instruction! Watch over 60 streaming videos from God's Law and Society at:
Price reduced! |
| Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism
Over four hours of instruction! Just what is “Calvinism?” Does this teaching make man a deterministic robot and God the author of sin? What about free will? If the church accepts Calvinism, won’t evangelism be stifled, perhaps even extinguished? How can we balance God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility? What are the differences between historic Calvinism and hyper-Calvinism? Why did men like Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, Whitefield, Edwards and a host of renowned Protestant evangelists embrace the teaching of predestination and election and deny free will theology? This is the first video documentary that answers these and other related questions. Hosted by Eric Holmberg, this fascinating three-part, four-hour presentation is detailed enough so as to not gloss over the controversy. At the same time, it is broken up into ten “Sunday-school-sized” sections to make the rich content manageable and accessible for the average viewer. |
$19.95 ORDER NOW!
|
|
The Forerunner Forum is the discussion group for this web site. The purpose of the group is to engage in discussion about the articles on-line. If you want to discuss any article or video on this web site, visit The Forerunner Forum. |
| VIDEOS | WORDS | BLOG | DISCUSSION | WHAT'S NEW | ABOUT US | FEEDBACK | SEARCH | DONATE | JAY'S BIO | HOME |
For more information, contact:
| The Forerunner jrogers@forerunner.com |
|
P.O. Box 362173 Melbourne, FL 32936-2173 |
