In a recent survey on early Anatolian Christianity, S. E. Johnson concludes with these remarks:

This is a useful reminder that we know virtually nothing of the development of Christianity at Antioch until Ignatius appears and that we know almost as little after his departure until late in the second century. We may, however, be certain of this: Ignatius' understanding of the gospel is fundamentally Pauline. He does not pedantically recount Paul's views, but thinks for himself, although Johnson's epithet ‘creative’ may be generous. Now that we may be reasonably sure that we are dealing with authentic texts from the early second century, we have in these letters writings that, while, coming from western Syria, are addressed to Christian communities in Asia Minor on the certain assumption that they will be understood. These writings also have points of contact with certain forms of expression and ideas that are found among later gnostic writers, and at the same time they stand within the Pauline and Judaeo-Christian traditions.