n which the significance of Jesus seems to Ignatius
essentially to rest, but how far is not made clear. But the [Greek:
pathos (haima, stauros)] and [Greek: anastasis] of Jesus are to the same
writer of great significance, and by forming paradoxical formulae of
worship, and turning to account reminiscences of Apostolic sayings, he
seems to wish to base the whole salvation brought by Christ on his
suffering and resurrection (see Lightfoot on Eph. inscr. Vol. II. p.
25). In this connection also, he here and there regards all articles of
the _Kerygma_ as of fundamental significance. At all events, we have in
the Ignatian Epistles the first attempt in the post-Apostolic
literature, to connect all the theses of the _Kerygma_ about Jesus as
closely as possible with the benefits which he brought. But only the
will of the writer is plain here, all else is confused, and what is
mainly felt is that the attempt to conceive the blessings of salvation
as the fruit of the sufferings and resurrection, has deprived them of
their definiteness and clearness. In proof we may adduce the following:
If we leave out of account the passages in which Ignatius speaks of the
necessity of repentance for the Heretics, or the Heathen, and the
possibility that their sins may be forgiven (Philad. 3. 2:8. 1; Smyrn.
4. 1: 5-3; Eph. 10. 1), there remains only one passage in which the
forgiveness of sin is mentioned, and that only contains a traditional
formula (Smyrn 7. 1: [Greek: sarx Iesou Christou, he huper ton hamartion
hemon pathousa]). The same writer, who is constantly speaking of the
[Greek: pathos] and [Greek: anastasis] of Christ, has nothing to say, to
the communities to which he writes, about the forgiveness of sin. Even
the concept "sin", apart from the passages just quoted, appears only
once, viz., Eph 14. 2: [Greek: oudeis pistin epangellomenos hamartanei].
Ignatius has only once spoken to a community about repentance (Smyrn. 9.
1). It is characteristic that the summons to repentance runs exactly as
in Hermas and 2 Clem., the conclusion only being peculiarly Ignatian. It
is different with Barnabas, Clement and Polycarp. They (see 1 Clem. 7.
4:12, 7:21, 6:49 6; Barn. 5. 1 ff.) place the forgiveness of sin
procured by Jesus in the foreground, connect it most definitely with the
death of Christ, and in some passages seem to have a conception of that
connection, which reminds us of Paul. But this just shews that they are
dependent here on Paul (