وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

[Mary Naeem]

This expression of uncertainty was repeated in substance by Jortin (1751), Mosheim (1755), Griesbach (1768), Rosenmüller (1795), Neander (1826), and many others; some going so far as to deny that we have any authentic remains of Ignatius at all, while others, though admitting the seven shorter letters as being probably his, yet strongly suspected that they were not free from interpolation. Upon the whole, however, the shorter recension was, until recently, accepted without much opposition, and chiefly in dependence on the work of Bishop Pearson above mentioned, as exhibiting the genuine form of the Epistles of Ignatius.

[Mary Naeem]

But a totally different aspect was given to the question by the discovery of a Syriac version of three of these Epistles among the mss. procured from the monastery of St. Mary Deipara, in the desert of Nitria, in Egypt. In the years 1838, 1839, and again in 1842, Archdeacon Tattam visited that monastery, and succeeded in obtaining for the English Government a vast number of ancient Syriac manuscripts. On these being deposited in the British Museum, p. 48the late Dr. Cureton, who then had charge of the Syriac department, discovered among them, first, the Epistle to Polycarp, and then again, the same Epistle, with those to the Ephesians and to the Romans, in two other volumes of manuscripts.

[Mary Naeem]

As the result of this discovery, Cureton published in 1845 a work, entitled, The Ancient Syriac Version of the Epistles of St. Ignatius to Polycarp, the Ephesian, and the Romans, etc., in which he argued that these Epistles represented more accurately than any formerly published what Ignatius had actually written. This, of course, opened up the controversy afresh. While some accepted the views of Cureton, others very strenuously opposed them. Among the former was the late Chev. Bunsen; among the latter, an anonymous writer in the English Review, and Dr. Hefele, in his third edition of the Apostolic Fathers. In reply to those who had controverted his arguments, Cureton published his Vindiciæ Ignatianæ in 1846, and his Corpus Ignatianum in 1849. He begins his introduction to the last-named work with the following sentences: “Exactly three centuries and a half intervened between the time when three Epistles in Latin, attributed to St. Ignatius, first issued from the press, and the publication in 1845 of three letters in Syriac bearing the name of the same apostolic writer. Very few years passed before the former were almost universally regarded as false and spurious; and it seems not improbable that scarcely a longer period will elapse before the latter be almost as generally acknowledged and received as the only true and genuine letters of the venerable Bishop of Antioch that have either come down to our times, or were ever known in the earliest ages of the Christian Church.”

[Mary Naeem]

Had the somewhat sanguine hope thus expressed been realized, it would have been unnecessary for us to present to the English reader more than a translation of these three Syriac Epistles. But the Ignatian controversy is not yet settled. There are still those who hold that the balance of argument is in favour of the shorter Greek, as against these Syriac Epistles. They regard the latter as an epitome of the former, and think the harshness which, according to them, exists in the sequence of thoughts and sentences, clearly shows that this is the case. We have therefore given all the forms of the Ignatian letters which have the least claim on our attention. 484 The reader may judge, by comparison for himself, which of these is to be accepted as genuine, supposing him disposed to admit the claims of any one of them. We content ourselves with laying the materials for judgment before him, and with referring to the above-named works in which we find the whole subject discussed. As to the personal history of Ignatius, almost nothing is known. The principal source of information regarding him is found in the account of his martyrdom, to which the reader is referred. Polycarp alludes to him in his Epistle to the Philippians (chap. ix.), and also to his letters (chap. xiii.). Irenæus quotes a passage from his Epistle to the Romans (Adv. Hær., v. 28; Epist. ad Rom., chap. iv.), without, however, naming him. Origen twice refers to him, first in the preface to his Comm. on the Song of Solomon, where he quotes a passage from the Epistle of Ignatius to the Romans, and again in his sixth homily on St. Luke, where he quotes from the Epistle to the Ephesians, both times naming the author. It is unnecessary to give later references.

[Mary Naeem]

Supposing the letters of Ignatius and the account of his martyrdom to be authentic, we learn from them that he voluntarily presented himself before Trajan at Antioch, the seat of his bishopric, when that prince was on his first expedition against the Parthians and Armenians (a.d. 107); and on professing himself a Christian, was condemned to the wild beasts. After a long and dangerous voyage he came to Smyrna, of which Polycarp was bishop, and thence wrote his four Epistles to the Ephesians, the Magnesians, the Trallians, and the Romans. From Smyrna he came to Troas, and tarrying there a few days, he wrote to the Philadelphians, the Smyrnæans, and Polycarp. He then came on to Neapolis, and passed through the whole of Macedonia. Finding a ship at Dyrrachium in Epirus about to sail into Italy, he embarked, and crossing the Adriatic, was brought to Rome, where he perished on the 20th of December 107, or, as some think, who deny a twofold expedition of Trajan against the Parthians, on the same day of the year a.d.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III

The phrase ‘His brothers’

In Hebrew expressions, the word ‘brother’ may signify near relations or step-brothers. There are numerous examples of this in the Holy Bible, such as:
(i) Jacob and his uncle Laban
The Holy Bible says about the meeting between Jacob and Rachel: “And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother” (Gen.29: 10-12). Thus Jacob called Rachel’s father his brother although he was his mother's brother. The phrase ‘mother’s brother’ was repeated many times in this chapter. The word ‘brother’ was used to mean very near relations.
Laban talked to Jacob in the same manner, saying: "Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing?” Tell me, what should your wages be?” (Gen.29: 15) Thus Laban called Jacob his brother although he was his nephew.
(ii) Abram and Lot
Lot was Abram's nephew, the son of his brother Haran (Gen.11: 31), yet the Holy Bible says: “Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants” (Gen.14: 14). Here Abram considered Lot his brother although he was his nephew, due to their near relationship.

In like manner, the phrase ‘brothers of Jesus’ was used in referring to the cousins of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who are the brothers of the Lord?

When the Lord went to His own country, the people were astonished and said: “Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?” (Matt.13: 55,56); (Mark.6: 1-3)
St. Peter the Apostle mentions that he saw James, the Lord's brother (Gal.1: 19). This James was called ‘the Less’ (Mark.15: 40) to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee. He was also called the son of Alphaeus (Matt.10: 3) and was one of the Apostles (Gal.1: 19).
St. Matthew the Apostle says in his Gospel that at the cross “many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons” (Matt.27: 55,56).
Who then was Mary, mother of James and Joses? Was she the Virgin Mary? Is it reasonable to assume that the Virgin Mary begot all those children?
The mother of James and Joses was Mary, the wife of Halfa or Clopas, of whom St. John the Apostle said: “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene” (John.19: 25). Compare this verse with verses 55 and 56 of chapter 27 of the Gospel according to St. Matthew.
Mary the mother of James and Joses was with Mary Magdalene at the cross of Christ (Matt.27: 55,56). They were the same two persons present at the Lord's burial and saw where He was laid, and it was they who brought spices to anoint His body when the Sabbath was over (Mark.16: 1). They were the same persons of whom St. John said in his Gospel: "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene" (John.19: 25).
Therefore, the brothers of Jesus are His cousins, the sons of Mary, the Virgin's sister, the wife of Clopas or Halpha and mother of James, Joses and the rest of the brothers.
Regarding the difference between the names Clopas and Halfa, it may be a difference in pronunciation or, as St. Jerome said, it is not uncommon for the Holy Bible to give more than one name to a person,
Moses 'father-in-law was called Reuel (Ex.2: 18) and was also called Jethro (Ex.4: 18). Gideon was called Jerubbaal (Judg.6: 32), Peter was called Simon and Cephas, and Judas the Zeolot was called Thaddeaus (Matt.10: 3).
It is obvious that Mary the mother of James and Joses is not the Virgin Mary who was never called by that name in the Holy Bible.

Remarks:

(1) It is unreasonable that the Lord Jesus Christ commanded the Virgin Mary to His Apostle John when He was on the cross if she had all those sons and daughters. Undoubtedly her children, if she had any, should have been the ones to look after her.
(2) We notice that during the journey of St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary to and from Egypt, there is no mention of any other children of the Virgin Mary except the Lord Jesus (Matt.2: 14,20,21). Neither is there any mention of the sort during their journey to and from Jerusalem when the Lord Jesus was twelve years old (Lk.2: 43).
(3) It is unsound to hold, as some people do, that the ‘brothers of Jesus’ are the sons of Joseph whom he begot from another wife after whose death he became a widower, because the Holy Bible mentions that Mary the mother of James and Joses was present at the time of Christ's crucifixion and burial, as we have previously explained (M k.15: 47).
(4) There is a clear Biblical text confirming the perpetual virginity of the Virgin Mary. In his prophecy, Prophet Ezekiel saw a closed gate in the East and he was told: “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut” (Ez.44: 2). This gate is the Virgin’s womb through which the Lord entered; it remained shut and was not opened by another child.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III







Jacob and his uncle Laban
The Holy Bible says about the meeting between Jacob and Rachel: “And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother” (Gen.29: 10-12). Thus Jacob called Rachel’s father his brother although he was his mother's brother. The phrase ‘mother’s brother’ was repeated many times in this chapter. The word ‘brother’ was used to mean very near relations.
Laban talked to Jacob in the same manner, saying: "Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing?” Tell me, what should your wages be?” (Gen.29: 15) Thus Laban called Jacob his brother although he was his nephew.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III






(ii) Abram and Lot
Lot was Abram's nephew, the son of his brother Haran (Gen.11: 31), yet the Holy Bible says: “Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants” (Gen.14: 14). Here Abram considered Lot his brother although he was his nephew, due to their near relationship.

In like manner, the phrase ‘brothers of Jesus’ was used in referring to the cousins of the Lord Jesus Christ..

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III










Who are the brothers of the Lord?

When the Lord went to His own country, the people were astonished and said: “Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?” (Matt.13: 55,56); (Mark.6: 1-3)
St. Peter the Apostle mentions that he saw James, the Lord's brother (Gal.1: 19). This James was called ‘the Less’ (Mark.15: 40) to distinguish him from James the son of Zebedee. He was also called the son of Alphaeus (Matt.10: 3) and was one of the Apostles (Gal.1: 19).
St. Matthew the Apostle says in his Gospel that at the cross “many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons” (Matt.27: 55,56).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III








Regarding the difference between the names Clopas and Halfa, it may be a difference in pronunciation or, as St. Jerome said, it is not uncommon for the Holy Bible to give more than one name to a person,
Moses 'father-in-law was called Reuel (Ex.2: 18) and was also called Jethro (Ex.4: 18). Gideon was called Jerubbaal (Judg.6: 32), Peter was called Simon and Cephas, and Judas the Zeolot was called Thaddeaus (Matt.10: 3).
It is obvious that Mary the mother of James and Joses is not the Virgin Mary who was never called by that name in the Holy Bible.

Remarks:

(1) It is unreasonable that the Lord Jesus Christ commanded the Virgin Mary to His Apostle John when He was on the cross if she had all those sons and daughters. Undoubtedly her children, if she had any, should have been the ones to look after her.
(2) We notice that during the journey of St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary to and from Egypt, there is no mention of any other children of the Virgin Mary except the Lord Jesus (Matt.2: 14,20,21). Neither is there any mention of the sort during their journey to and from Jerusalem when the Lord Jesus was twelve years old (Lk.2: 43).
(3) It is unsound to hold, as some people do, that the ‘brothers of Jesus’ are the sons of Joseph whom he begot from another wife after whose death he became a widower, because the Holy Bible mentions that Mary the mother of James and Joses was present at the time of Christ's crucifixion and burial, as we have previously explained (M k.15: 47).
(4) There is a clear Biblical text confirming the perpetual virginity of the Virgin Mary. In his prophecy, Prophet Ezekiel saw a closed gate in the East and he was told: “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut” (Ez.44: 2). This gate is the Virgin’s womb through which the Lord entered; it remained shut and was not opened by another child.