As for me, my charter is Jesus Christ, the inviolable charter is His cross and His death and resurrection, and faith through Him.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the foundational role of Jesus Christ's sacrifice and resurrection in a believer's faith.
Ignatius of Antioch highlights that his entire belief system and identity are rooted in Jesus Christ, specifically pointing to His suffering, death, and resurrection as central tenets of faith. This reflects the idea that true faith is anchored in the reality of Christ's actions and His enduring significance in spiritual life.
In practice
In a sermon about the importance of faith, one might use this quote to highlight the centrality of Jesus Christ in Christianity.
Now do I begin to be a disciple of Christ, and care for nothing in this world, that so I may find Jesus. Let fire, or the cross, or wild beasts, or the breaking of my bones, or the cutting of me to pieces, or the shattering of my whole body, yea, all the tortures of the devil - let them all come upon me, only let me enjoy my God.
I greet you from Smyrna together with the Churches of God present here with me. They comfort me in every way, both in body and soul. My chains, which I carry about on me for Jesus Christ, begging that I may happily make my way to God, exhort you: persevere in your concord and in you community prayers.
I am writing to all the Churches and I enjoin all, that I am dying willingly for God's sake, if only you do not prevent it. I beg you, do not do me an untimely kindness. Allow me to be eaten by the beasts, which are my way of reaching to God. I am God's wheat, and I am to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, so that I may become the pure bread of Christ.
Where the bishop is present, there is the Catholic Church
I am God's wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ's pure bread.
I am the wheat of God, and am ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of God.
Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
A liar goes in fine clothes, a liar goes in rags, a liar is a liar, clothes or no clothes.
This is the story of America. Everybody's doing what they think they're supposed to do.
The questioners had that beautiful detachment and devotion to stern justice of men dealing in death without being in any danger of it.
Maybe a nation that consumes as much booze and dope as we do and has our kind of divorce statistics should pipe down about "character issues."
One has only the choice between God and idolatry. There is no other possibility. For the faculty of worship is in us, and it is either directed somewhere into this world, or into another.
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