[Lee N. Field]

I kept coming back to Ignatius and Polycarp as I could not get them out of my mind.

That's funny. I'm reading these guys (what little we have of them) right now, and I'm not bowled over by their supposed resemblance to the modern Roman Catholic church.

[fdcc]

What about the fact that, at the start of the second century, Ignatius takes for granted a church which is hierarchical and sacramental with bishops, priests, and deacons and at least some authority vested in the church at Rome? Couple this with the authentic letter of Clement from about 80 AD and it’s difficult to believe that the Catholic/Orthodox Church isn't exactly what the Apostles intended to leave. And if they didn't understand Jesus, how can we expect to?

[editor-surveyor]

" kept coming back to Ignatius and Polycarp as I could not get them out of my mind."

"That's funny. I'm reading these guys (what little we have of them) right now, and I'm not bowled over by their supposed resemblance to the modern Roman Catholic church."

Polycarp, in particular, is about as unroman as you can get. It was his testimony to Irenius that totally demolished their idea of the early writing of The Revelation.