Ignatius has a curious passage on the
heavenly hierarchy. ‘Am I not able to write to you of heavenly things? But I
fear lest I should cause you harm being babes (νηπιοι) . . .I . . . can comprehend heavenly things,
and the arrays (τοποθεσιας) of the angels and the musterings of
the principalities, . . . I am not yet by reason of this a disciple’ (Trall.
V, 2). This may be compared with Hebr. 5:11-12: ‘of whom we have many
things to say . . . but ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments
(στοιχεια) of the first principles of the oracles of
God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food.’ These
two texts are closely parallel; in each a distinction is drawn between the
elementary catechesis which provides nourishment for the neophytes (cf. 1
Pet. 2:2) who were traditionally compared to νεηιοι, and a higher teaching. This higher teaching
is the gnosis. In this passage, Ignatius states his intention of keeping to the
elementary teaching; and for this reason only allusions to the gnosis are to be
found in his work, although he claims to be acquainted with it. (Jean Daniélou,
The Theology of Jewish Christianity: The Development of Christian Doctrine
Before the Council of Nicaea [trans. John A. Baker; London: Darton, Longman
and Todd, 1964], 41)
