Christian Texts and History • Re: The Short Recension of Three Letters of Ignatius

The Short Recension of Three Letters - discovered and championed by Cureton - the Epistles to Polycarp, to the Ephesians and to the Romans - were almost certainly the first, original letters of Ignatius.

They do not include references to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, the Eucharist, or to Christianity’s relationship with Judaism or Jews, that the Middle Recension does (nor to other significant themes, such as the offices of presbyter and deacon).

So, they may not have been witness to 'the historicity of Jesus' themselves, let alone been arguing for one or against anyone denying it.

I don't know the Ignatian Letters so if this is immature ignore it, but from the point of view of
Early Ebionaen Christianity:

• they may have believed there was no resurrection - just survival
• they make no reference to the Eucharist
• they are the relationship of Christianity with Judaism

So could the Short Recension of Three Letters discovered and championed by Cureton be an
early Ebionaen version?

Perhaps in haste I concluded that the Ignatius letters are too much of a mess to say anything.
If the Short Recension were almost certainly the first, original letters of Ignatius, I should look again. The key question I wanted to answer was do the letters of Ignatius refer to the Pauline Epistles in a way that is above and beyond what could be Paul-in-Acts, because if so they call into question my conclusion that Paul's letters are all derived by/from MarcionOrLater

Statistics: Posted by ebion — Sun Mar 31, 2024 9:46 pm

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