Early proof for Rome(papacy)?

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Hello all ,
This is my first post here , I have been observing for some time . I was reading the letters of Ignatius and one of them esp. puzzled me

It is the one of Ignatius to Polycarp , I was under the assumption that Polycap was a Bishop so when ignatius speaks in this portion ( ch.6 :1-3 )

6:1 Give ye heed to the bishop, that God also may give heed to you.
6:2 I am devoted to those who are subject to the bishop, the presbyters, the deacons.
6:3 May it be granted me to have my portion with them in the presence of God.

who is he reffering to as far as Bishop etc ???

Is it Rome , I mean i’m not Catholic , But from the tenor of the previous letters to the other churches , it leads me to think that it poss. could be Rome . Esp. considering how he refers to Rome in his letter to them and how he asks for permision almost to be maryted( do not interfere ) while i dont see that happening with the other churches he writes to , there is respect etc , but not to that level . And also considering ths is a letter to Polycarp not to Smyrna congregation in general

Maybe I am off , but I would be interested in others oppinions

Thank you all , and God bless and have a wonderful Lords’ day
 
In his seven letters (written on his way to his martyrdom in the Roman arena), St. Ignatius of Antioch repeatedly refers to the absolute necessity of Christian obedience to the bishops – the successors to the 12 Apostles. His letters (written between 105 and 110 AD) as well as St. Clement’s (the bishop of Rome) epistle to the Corinthians (written between 80 and 96 AD) are probably the first non-inspired Christian writings explcitly referring to apostolic succession. Ignatius himself was the bishop of Antioch. The only churches that currently believe in apostolic succession are all the churches that predate the Protestant Reformation (e.g., the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Assyrian Church of the East, etc.) and, to some extent, the Anglican Church.

If you are intersted in a dialogue about the early evidence in favor of the papacy, you might want to check out the thread entitled: “What evidence do we have that the early bishops of Rome had authority over the entire Church?” (as of now, last updated on July 9, 2009 in this same Apologetics forum).

Hope that helps.
 
Thank you for your reply , I guesse what made me think it may be reffering to Rome was the use of the def. articale " The Bishop" not the bishops or a bishop but "The " : esp. since the letter is from one bishop to another , In my reasoning I ask myself who would be Polycarps’ bishop that he would need to heed , since he himself is already a bishop is there someone or someoffice higher than him …well maybe Rome then . Again that was just my reasoning . Thank you again for the good reply

God bless
 
Hi jello…if you are interest in more early proof in a more organized thread, please see the public debate I did over at another forum. My username in that thread is MrPolo. I tried to give an account for much of the earliest references.

Here are some other useful guides of early evidence for Papacy:

catscans.com/catholicsite/papacy2.htm
chnetwork.org/ecf.html
bringyou.to/apologetics/a30.htm
catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?recnum=635
bringyou.to/apologetics/num52.htm Chrysostom
angelqueen.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5916
bringyou.to/apologetics/a87.htm
staycatholic.com/ecf_primacy_of_rome.htm

Peter = Rock (Protestant perspectives)
catholicity.elcore.net/SimonIsTheRock.html

Here is an online PDF of the 1894 book The Primitive Church and the See of Peter.

For more Scriptural evidence, here is a PDF of the 1871 book St. Peter: His Name and His Office.

God bless! :o
 
On the sentence that begins, “Give ye heed to the bishop,” my Protestant commentary notes, “As this Epistle, though sent to the bishop, was meant to be read to the people, Ignatius here directly addresses them.”

This seems to be the case; the exhortations in this chapter seem to be addressed, not to just one person (Polycarp), but to more than one person, such as “Let none of you be found a deserter.” So, Ignatius seems to be telling the Church at Smyrna to heed their bishop (Polycarp) at the beginning of this chapter. I don’t think the bishop of Rome is meant.
 
Irenaeus
But since it would be too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the succession of all the churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness and wicked opinion, assemble other than where it is proper, by pointing out here the successions of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient church known to all, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles. Peter and Paul, that church which has the tradition and the faith which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the apostles. With that church, because of its superior origin, all the churches must agree, that is, all the faithful in the whole world, and it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition
(Against Heresies 3:3:2 [inter A.D. 180-190]).
 
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