Take heed, then, often to come together to give thanks to God, and show forth his praise. For when you assemble frequently in the same place, the powers of Satan are destroyed, and the destruction at which he aims is prevented by the unity of your faith. Nothing is more precious than peace, by which all war, both in heaven and earth, is abolished. (Ephesians 13)
Ignatius was a contemporary of Polycarp (direct disciple of the Apostle John), a second generation leader in the church. This quotation is particularly profound among the pacifistic statements of the post-Apostolic era. Ignatius paints here an image of the Church as the political body whose simple work of gathering together in praise of God is a political act, an act which opposes and diffuses the violence of the world. According to Ignatius, the demonic power that instigates wars is undone by the unifying power of the gathered eschatological community. In Ignatius’ understanding, there is no possibility of a “war to end all wars.” The only force powerful enough to end war on earth is the Church.
Labels: Early Christians, Nonviolence, Pacifism
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