Ignatius became bishop of Antioch during the reign of Domitian suffered the death of a Christian martyr during the reign of Trajan. Before he died he wrote epistles to his fellow Christians in the cities of Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Rome, Philadelphia, and Smyrna. He also wrote a seventh epistle to Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna.
A prominent theme of these epistles is the reality of our Savior's life on earth. The reason for this emphasis was to refute the teachings of the docetists, who denied the reality of the Incarnation of Christ. He emphasizes that the Son of God really did become man, that He really did suffer and die; and that He still possessed human flesh after he rose from the dead,
He offers other Christian admonition. Among other salutary words of exhortation, he urges his fellow Christians to respect their respective bishops.