“For this reason it is fitting for you to run together in harmony with the mind of the bishop… For your presbytery, which is both worthy of the name and worthy of God, is attuned to the bishop as strings to the lyre. Therefore Jesus Christ is sung in your harmony and symphony of love. And each of you should join the chorus, that by being symphonic in your harmony, taking up God’s pitch in unison, you may sing in one voice through Jesus Christ to the Father, that he may both hear and recognize you through the things you do well, since you are members of his Son. Therefore it is useful for you to be in flawless unison, that you may partake of God at all times as well.”

Thus wrote St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, to the Church at Ephesus.

For the record, I would like to point out that St. Ignatius succeeded Evodus (also known as Euodios of Antioch, Euodus, Euodias, Evodias, Evodios) who was bishop of Antioch after the holy Apostle Peter. It is words like St. Ignatius, the third bishop of Antioch, a couple of generations from Christ, and others that help clear up questions regarding the original structure of the church and worship. And yet he is only one Church father who God has used to help strengthen our journey towards salvation and understanding. If we dare to to take the time to include the older books in our reading so much more awaits us. Praise God for this.