Abstract
This article challenges a consensus position in Ignatian studies by arguing that Ignatius’s use of scripture has been underestimated and exploring two proposals for ways in which scripture influenced Ignatius. The essay first addresses the weak foundations of the consensus, namely, Ignatius’s report about his visit to Philadelphia and the small number of direct citations. It then explores two suggestions for how Ignatius displays his indebtedness to an early Jewish thought-world. First, Ignatius employs scriptural imagery in his letters. Second, he alludes to language that is found in several places across the Old Testament. Although the number of explicit citations is small, an expanded understanding of Ignatius’s use of Jewish scripture that takes into account imagery and allusions sheds light on Ignatius’s awareness of scripture and is in keeping with the practices of other early Christian texts.
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Professor Paul Trebilco for his helpful comments on an earlier draft of this essay and to the anonymous reviewers for urging me to reflect more. This research was supported at various stages by a University of Otago Postgraduate Publishing Bursary and by the Research Fund of the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary, 2019.
© 2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
