The
Fathers of the Church spread the gospel of
Jesus Christ, defended the Church in apologetic writing and fought the many
heresies of the first six centuries of Christianity. These men, also called
Apostolic Fathers, gave special witness to the faith, some dying the death of a
martyr. Like Jesus who referred to Abraham as a spiritual father (Luke 16: 24)
and St. Paul, who referred to himself in the same terms (1 Corinthians 4: 15), the
Fathers were zealous for the word of God. Their writings are a testimony to the
faith of the early Church, yet many Christians are unfamiliar with the work of
Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, Justin the Martyr,
Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian of Carthage, Athanasius, Ephraim, Cyril of
Jerusalem, Hilary of Poitiers or Gregory the Great to name of few of the early
Fathers. Periodically we will provide biographical information and examples of
the writing of these great men of faith. This page will focus on St. Ephraim.
St. Ephraim
(about 306-373 A.D.)
Ephraim was born in a Christian household in
Nisibis in Mesopatamia about 306 A.D. and took up a life at Edessa where he won
fame as a teacher, a battler against heresy and an ascetic. Known for saintly
qualities he was ordained to the diaconate before the year 338 A.D.
Some speculate he later advanced to the
priesthood.
He was a prolific writer, using a variety of
poetic forms and writing in Syrian, winning the title "lyre of the Holy Spirit."
He was said to have received his diaconate from St. Basil in Cappadocia and to
have been an influence on him despite his short visit there, but this is not
certain.
He battled against Manichean, Marcionite
and Aryan heresies
Homilies 707 [4, 4]
"Our Lord
Jesus took in His hands what in the beginning was only bread; and He blessed it
and signed it, and made it holy in the name of the Father and in the name of the
Spirit; and He broke it and in gracious kindness He distributed to all of His
disciples one by one. He broke it and in His gracious kindness He distributed it
to all of His disciples one by one. He called the bread His living Body, and did
Himself fill it with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
And
extending His hand, He gave them the bread which His right hand had made holy:
'Take, all of you eat this, which My word has made holy. Do not regard as bread
that which I have given you; but take, eat this Bread, and do not scatter the
crumbs; for what I have called my Body, that it is indeed. One particle from its
crumbs is able to sanctify thousands and thousands, and is sufficient to afford
life to those who eat of it. Take, eat, because this is my Body, and whoever
eats it in belief, entertaining no doubt of faith, because this is My Body, and
whoever eats it in belief eats it in Fire and Spirit. But if any doubters eat of
it, for him it will be only bread. And whoever eats in belief the Bread made
holy in My name, if he be pure, he will be preserved in his purity; and if he be
a sinner, he will be forgiven.' But if anyone despise it or reject it or treat
it with ignominy, it may be taken as a certainty that he treats with ignominy
the Son, who called it and actually made it to be His Body."
"After the
disciples had eaten the new and holy Bread, and when they understood by faith
that they had eaten of Christ's body, Christ went on to explain and to give them
the whole Sacrament. He took and mixed a cup of wine. Then He blessed it, and
signed it, and made it holy, declaring that it was His own Blood, which was
about to be poured out . . . Christ commanded them to drink, and He explained to
them that the cup which they were drinking was His own Blood: 'This is truly My
Blood, which is shed for all of you. Take, all of you, drink of this, because it
is a new covenant in My Blood. As you have seen Me do, do you also in My memory.
Whenever you are gathered together in My name in Churches everywhere, do what I
have done, in memory of Me. Eat My Body, and drink My Blood, a covenant new and
old.'"
706 [4]
"Simon, My follower, I have made you the foundation of the holy Church. I
betimes called you Peter [Kefa or Rock], because you will support all its
buildings. You are the inspector of those who will build on earth a Church for
Me. If they should wish to build what is false, you, the foundation will condemn
them. You are the head of the fountain from which my teaching flows, you are the
chief of My disciples. Through you I will give drink to all peoples. Yours is
that life-giving sweetness which I dispense. I have chosen you to be, as it
were, the first-born in My institution, and so that, as the heir, you may be
executor of my treasures. I have given you the keys of my kingdom. Behold I have
given you authority over all My treasures!"
Profound
Thoughts on Scripture:
Lord who can grasp all of the wealth of just one of your words?
What we understand is much less than we leave behind, like thirsty people who
drink from a fountain. For your word Lord has many shades of meaning, just as
those who study have many different points of view. The Lord has colored his
word with many views so that each person who studies it can see in it what he
loves. He has hidden many treasures in His word so that each of us is enriched
as we meditate on it. The word of God is a tree of life that from all its parts
offers you fruit that is blessed. It is like that rock opened in the desert that
from all its parts gave forth a spiritual drink. He who comes into contact with
some share of its treasure should not think that the only thing contained in the
word is what he himself has found. He should realize that he has only been able
to find that one thing from among many others. Nor because only that one part
has become his should he say that the word is void and empty and look down upon
it. But because he could not exhaust it, he should give thanks for it riches and
be glad that you were overcome and do not be sad that it overcame you. The
thirsty man rejoices when he drinks and is not downcasts because he can not
empty the fountain. Rather let the fountain quench your thirst then have your
thirst quench the fountain because if your thirst is quenched when the fountain
is not exhausted, you can drink from it again whenever your thirsty. But if when
your thirst is quenched the fountain also is dried up, your victory will bode
evil for you. So be grateful for what you have received and don't grumble about
the abundance left behind. What you have received and what you have reached is
your share and what remains is your heritage. What at one time you were unable
to receive because of your weakness, you will be able to receive at other times
if you persevere. Do not have the presumption to try to take in one draft what
can not be taken in one draft and do not abandon out of laziness what you may
only consume little by little."
Other Early Church Fathers and their Testimony