Part 4 of … on Historical Theology.  Taught by Mike Reeves for the UCCF staff study programme.  Listen to the talks here

Ignatius

The most colourful character in this period.  Bishop of Antioch, in Syria.  Know virtually nothing about him until he explodes on the scene a few weeks before his persecution.  In Antioch there was a citywide persecution, and he and some other Christians are arrested and deported to Rome to be thrown to wild beasts.  On route from Antioch, Ignatius under armed guard writes seven letters to the churches he passes through.  The letters are clearly written quickly, by a man under considerable strain.  Yet they are the last words of a man with only a few weeks to live – so are fascinating to read.  As he wrote he had three concerns:

1. That the churches be united under their respective bishops.  He is so supportive of bishops he makes Clement look communist in contrast!  So for Ignatius the church finds its unity through the Bishop and presbyters.  You can’t do anything without them, because the Bishop represents Christ to the church, so to meet without the Bishop is to meet without Christ.

2. The problem of false teaching.  Two types addressed: Docetists and Judaisers.  Both deny that Christ had come in the flesh – see 1 John! 

Docetists: Jesus was entirely divine, and only appeared/seemed to be human (Doco – to appear/seem).  Most notorious: Marcion.  He said: you have the creator God of Old Testament – boo! – and an entirely different god: the good saviour God of New Testament.  Jesus comes from the saviour God of the New Testament, and has nothing to do with the bad creator.  Because of that, he would not have taken a physical body.  So he could change appearance at will, and would walk along and not leave footprints behind him etc. 

In stark opposition, Ignatius spoke of the blood of God.  If the divine Christ did not take human flesh, he could not have died for us.  Ignatius was going to martyrdom based on his belief that Jesus was really incarnate; he longed for martyrdom so that he could copy Christ; but if Christ didn’t exist in the body, Ignatius couldn’t copy him and would die for no reason.  He wanted his life and death to proclaim the incarnation. 

“If that is the case, I die for no reason…  There is only one physician who is both flesh and spirit, born and unborn, God in man, true life in death, both from Mary and from God, first subject to suffering and beyond it, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

So yep, clearly, the humanity/divinity of Christ is a 4^th century creation – phew, thanks Dan Brown!

Judaisers: Christians should abide by Jewish customs, in particular circumcision and the Mosaic law.  This was at the time that Christianity was only just beginning to be seen as distinct from Judaism.  A pressing issue! 

Ignatius’ response: if we continue to live in accordance with Judaism we admit we have not received grace, for the most godly of saints lived in accordance with Christ – ie, the Old Testament greats were Christians.  The Old Testament existed to proclaim Christ.  The entire legitimacy of their faith depends on Old Testament being inherently Christian.  If you have to read Christian meaning back in, then you’re inserting meaning that is not there, and thus Judaism is right and Christianity is wrong.

3. His own death. 

Mostly in the letter to church in Rome.  He wrote to beg Christians in Rome not to get him off the hook when he gets there, for he was eager to be martyred.  So he is eager for martyrdom, which he details in grim fashion; thus, some think he is psychotic. But he is realistic – he anticipates that when the occasion comes, his courage will fail, and tells them at that time “not to be persuaded by him” in his weakness to get him out of it.  His reasoning: when Christians were arrested and put on trial, they were only ever released if they denied Christ.  So if the Romans got him off the hook, even for a good reason, many people would hear about it and assume he denied Christ, and he would rather suffer.  But also, he felt the best way to follow Christ was through the same kind of violent death so he could savour the suffering of his God. 

Polycarp

Ignatius had sent one of his letters to Bishop of Smyrna.  Another apostle of John, probably most famous because of his martyrdom.  We have one work by him, a letter written to church in Philippi. 

(This backs up argument against Clement claiming papal authority by writing to Corinth; Polycarp does same here!)

Polycarp wrote a few weeks after Ignatius’ death, to deal with 2 problems:

1. An elder had run off with church cash

2. False teaching

Interesting – in Philippi.  When Paul wrote, the key issue was circumcision and the Judaisers.  By time of Polycarp it was more Docetic.  When he rebukes Vallens for a moral problem he calls him to repentance; the false teachers he calls the firstborn of Satan.  Interesting because at this most critical time – he is about to be martyred – he says a good theological understanding is crucial and so false teachers need still to be tackled.  Need to stand fast in doctrine even in times of persecution. 

The Martyrdom of Polycarp

An eyewitness account in lead up to, and including, his death.  Helpful insight into persecution and why it happened. 

Starts with trials and martyrs of other Christians in Smyrna.  Most, almost all, of the martyrs are said to have been given incredible courage from the Lord in their hour of need.  However, one man, Quintas, foolishly volunteered for martyrdom; but when told to rebuke Christ or be burned, he apostatised.  It is included as a warning not to volunteer to martyrdom.  A more rounded view of how people at the time viewed persecution. 

Polycarp doesn’t look for it but doesn’t shy away either.  Similarities between last hours of Christ and Polycarp – point: he is Christ-like in death.  Caesar is Lord?  He refused continually: “86 years I have been Christ’s servant, and he has done me no wrong; how can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”

He was burned at stake, but the fire failed to kill him; so he was stabbed to death. 

This account claimed it was the mob, not the Roman government, who started the persecution.  That was the norm, although not how we view it.  Mostly, systematic persecution of Christians was not Roman policy, but was usually local and sporadic, even if incredibly savage, due to local issues. 

What were these local issues?  Christians were not persecuted because they were Christians per se, but because they didn’t worship state gods and emperor.  Why is this so bad?  To refuse to worship emperor to the Roman mind  - which was very political - looked like sedition.  To refuse to worship the state gods was considered antisocial.  The gods were considered nasty, and it was thought that if ther were not kept sweet the community would suffer.  So, it was decided to placate the gods by wiping out the blasphemers.  

Joaquim Manuel Correia no seu livro «Terras de Ribacôa - Memórias Sobre o Concelho do Sabugal» faz a descrição da freguesia em 1905:
«É uma pitoresca aldeia formada de cinco Quintas ou pequenas povoações: Quinta do Santo, Barrocal, Curral, Redonda e do Meio. A Quinta do Santo é a principal e situada no ponto mais elevado. É esta freguesia abundante em águas potáveis e para irrigação, banhada como é por um ribeiro que fertiliza as suas mimosas hortas e lameiros. Tem muitas árvores frutíferas, especialmente castanheiros. Passa a pequena distância a estrada que partindo da estrada distrital, perto da ponte dos Sargaçais, se dirigia à estação da Cerdeira. Perto da povoação passa a caudalosa ribeira dos Sargaçais, que a pequena distância se une ao rio Côa. Nas margens dessa Ribeira, que nasce perto da Paã, há belíssimas veigas e lameiros. Junta-se-lhe o ribeiro das Quintas sobre o qual há uma ponte, a poucos metros da freguesia. A Igreja Paroquial é decente e de boas dimensões e tem altares regularmente ornados. No altar-mor vê-se São Bartolomeu, orago da freguesia. A Feira de São Bartolomeu que se realiza no dia deste santo é sempre muito concorrida pela gente do Sabugal. Em 1765 tinha 101 fogos e em 1889 tinha 150.»

Em Fevereiro de 2007 o Paulo Leitão Batista fez uma reportagem nas Quintas de São Bartolomeu sobre as obras adjudicadas pela Câmara Municipal do Sabugal e incluídas no programa de dotação da rede de saneamento básico em todas as localidades do concelho. Na ocasião o presidente da Junta de Freguesia, Joaquim Corte, deu conta da sua satisfação pela intervenção justificando a duração da mesma: «A dispersão do casario e a rede de ruas e caminhos que conduzem às habitações situadas fora do núcleo urbano, levaram a que os trabalhos fossem mais lentos.»
Aqui recordamos uma passagem da referida reportagem: «As Quintas de São Bartolomeu são formadas por três núcleos populacionais: a Quinta do Santo, a Redonda e o Barrocal. As casas esparrinham-se nas encostas de um pequeno vale, entremeadas com campos de cultivo pejados de arvoredo. Fora do núcleo urbano de antigamente construíram-se casas novas, por onde se chegava por caminhos esconsos, que com o decurso do tempo a Junta de Freguesia foi empedrando. As Quintas têm um dos maiores perímetros urbanos do concelho do Sabugal, e uma rede de passagens a servir as casas, que formam uma teia descomunal. Cada habitação ficou com o saneamento e a rede de água instalada à porta, e o empedrado, tendo sido levantado, foi de novo reposto, o que demorou o seu tempo.»

Mais recentemente visitámos novamente as Quintas de São Bartolomeu avaliando as intervenções em equipamentos sociais ao serviço da população. Há melhoramentos visíveis por intervenção da executivo da Junta por delegação de competências, transferência de verbas e apoio complementar do Município.
A sede da Junta de Freguesia está instalada num renovado edifício com salão polivalente no rés-do-chão que pode ser utilizado como auditório. Conservando as memórias do passado foi recuperado um forno comunitário mantendo a sua traça exterior em cantaria granítica típica da região.
A Associação das Quintas de São Bartolomeu foi igualmente «beneficiada» com um polidesportivo.
Do outro lado da estrada o recinto das festas com palco, instalações sanitárias de apoio e um amplo recinto para bailaricos está funcional e bem situado.

As ruas interiores estão muito bem cuidadas e com excelente piso. A arquitectura e os estores fechados da maioria das casas construídas há menos de 30 anos confirma a qualidade de emigrantes dos seus proprietários. É uma típica freguesia raiana, renovada e rejuvenescida nos seus equipamentos sociais, onde também só vão faltando as pessoas.
jcl

El florero derramado en el mantel. La muchacha ríe mostrando los labios mojados. El agua cae sobre los rombos de las baldosas…

Se endereza. Mira las quintas de legumbres, los techos de cinc, los parrales. El agua estaba fresca y no importaba haberse chorreado.

Los niños a caballo entraban al arroyo y seguían hasta lo hondo, mojándose las piernas, hasta que el animal alargaba el cuello y empezaba a bogar con las patas en la profundidad…

Me hamaco al caminar, las articulaciones se me aflojan y los hombros se me ensanchan. Es lo mismo que hacen las copas de los árboles.

En las esquina de Arenales hay un cartel que dice Félix Balmaceda. Se han cambiado las calles…o mi memoria. ¿Y el tanque…? Allá… con sus remaches, pintura de aluminio y también alquitrán. Todo en orden.

A lo lejos se queja de pronto una sirena de fábrica, como se quejaba tarde a tarde en el vestido floreado de Maruja, diciendo que la tarde está madura en lo dorado del verano. Tubos de metal sonoro. Tenor que fuma tabaco fuerte. Allí están, la casa de las tejas amarillentas, la de los arbustos, donde vivía aquella niña Margarita…El almacén de enfrente. –Doblo por la esquina- Ha de ser Castillo, o Puerto Nuevo…Seguir avanzando…

El caserío se aplanaba y ajaba, como se acurrucan las flores al anochecer dentro de su propio caliz. Conservado intacto en el olvido y ahora, al contacto con el aire perdiera el último resto de humedad que lo mantenía en pie. Habría que esperar, tal vez, el calor de la noche para que fermentara en él, de nuevo la embriaguez. Porque cuando el agua verde del florero, la luna pesadamente amarilla se levantaba tras los eucaliptos y de las ventanas abiertas asomaban las cortinas ondulantes.

¿Vienen por Balmaceda! –gritó Julián a sus compinches que corrían hasta la esquina para volver a atrincherarse mientras los sillones de la casa mostraban los hilos del tapizado bajo la descarnada luz eléctrica.

El muchacho supo que la verdadera tarde y la verdadera noche se escondían tras las fachadas de las casas. No le importó que aquellos frentes le miraran de esa forma impersonal cuando ya traspasaba la esquina de la calle Guimaraens. Sabía ahora que transitaba el último momento de la contención y que todo aquello, como una fruta madura, se iba a rajar y dejar fluir su abundante jugo. Caminó la última vereda despareja. Se detuvo frente a la puerta verde, bajo la copa del paraíso. Levantó el brazo y golpeó los nudillos en la madera…

Maruja tiene viso de franela

y camina por el dintel de la casa

mientras la luna lenta da vueltas,

para ponerse redonda.

Redondo redondel de luna,

sobre las azoteas y las ramas altas.

Cielo negro.

Azul y negro.

Maruja, ma bruja, las cortinas blancas…

Caminas por el cielo.

¡No te pinches en las estrellas!

Un plato se sopa con humo.

Un collar de perro negro.

Y las azoteas y las claraboyas

se levantan bajo la comba del cielo.

Maruja, ma bruja,

vuela,

como una nube de franela.