Greek · Letter to the Smyrnaeans
A letter against docetism that stresses the reality of Christ's flesh and contains the earliest use of 'catholic church' (8.2). It includes a resurrection saying close to Luke 24:39.
Dating
Dated with Ignatius' journey and martyrdom under Trajan (Eusebius' Chronicle implies c. 107/108). Most scholars accept c. 105-115 for the seven letters of the middle recension; a minority date them to the 120s-140s or regard them as pseudonymous. Written at Troas, per the letter itself.Books it uses
1.1 'baptized by John, that all righteousness might be fulfilled by Him'. Matt 3:15 is Matthean redaction, so this points to the finished Gospel of Matthew (directly or at one remove).
3.2 'Lay hold, handle Me, and see that I am not an incorporeal spirit' is close to Luke 24:39; Jerome attributes a similar saying to the Gospel of the Hebrews.
Quotations
that He was truly born of a virgin, was baptized by John, in order that all righteousness might be fulfilled by Him; and was truly, under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch, nailed [to the cross] for us in His flesh.
Ign. Smyrn. 1.1Allusion
ANF vol. 1 (1885), ed. Roberts & Donaldson, American ed. A. C. Coxe (shorter Greek recension) · Source (opens in a new tab)
'That all righteousness might be fulfilled' is Matthean redaction (Matt 3:15), so this is one of the strongest cases for Ignatius knowing Matthew (Foster: 'probable').
Matthew 3:15 BSB
15“Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him.