Epistles of Ignatius 2-4

Ignatius, who is also Theophorus, to the church which has obtained mercy in Christ, worthy of praise, worthy of remembrance, and worthy of love, which is at Tarsus: mercy and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied unto you forever.

From Syria as far as Rome I fight with wild beasts—not being devoured by irrational beasts (for these, as you know, when God so willed, spared Daniel), but by men in the shape of beasts, in whom the savage beast lies lurking and daily stabs and wounds me.

But I make no account of the terrors, nor do I hold my life precious to myself, as though loving it more than the Lord. Therefore I am ready for fire, for wild beasts, for the sword, for the cross, only that I may see Christ my Savior and God, who died for me.

I therefore exhort you, I the prisoner of Christ, who am driven over land and sea: stand firm and steadfast in the faith, for 'the righteous shall live by faith'; be unwavering, for 'the Lord makes the solitary to dwell in a house.'

I have learned that certain of Satan's ministers have wished to trouble you: some saying that Jesus was born in appearance only, and crucified in appearance, and died in appearance; others, that He is not the Son of the Creator; others, that He is the God who is over all; others, that He is a mere man; and yet others, that this flesh is not raised, and that one ought to live the life of pleasure and pursue it, for this is the limit of good things for those who will soon perish.

So great a swarm of evils has come rioting in; but you did not yield, even for an hour, to their subjection. For you are fellow-citizens and disciples of Paul, who from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum fully preached the gospel, and bore about the marks of Christ in his flesh.

Being mindful of him, you know full well that Jesus the Lord was truly born of Mary, being made of a woman, and was in truth crucified. For 'God forbid,' he says, 'that I should glory, save in the cross of the Lord Jesus.'

And in truth He died and rose again. For 'Christ,' he says, 'must suffer, He being the first from the resurrection of the dead'; and in that He died, He died unto sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives unto God.

For what need of bonds, if Christ did not die? What need of endurance? What need of scourgings? Why indeed was Peter crucified, and Paul and James beheaded with the sword, and John banished to Patmos, and Stephen put to death with stones by the Lord-slaying Jews? But none of these things were in vain; for in truth the Lord was crucified by the impious.

And this One who was born of a woman is the Son of God, and He who was crucified is the firstborn of all creation and God the Word, and He Himself made all things.

For the apostle says: 'There is one God the Father, of whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things.' And again: 'For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.' And: 'In Him were all things created, the things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; and He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.'

And that He Himself is not the God who is over all, but the Son of Him, He says: 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God'; and: 'When all things shall be subjected to Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subjected to Him who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.'

Therefore He who subjected, and who is all in all, is one; and He to whom all was subjected, and who along with all things is subjected, is another.

And neither is He a mere man, He through whom and in whom all things came to be; for all things came to be through Him. 'When He made the heaven, I was present with Him; and there I was beside Him, fitting things together, and He rejoiced over me day by day.'

How could a mere man have heard: 'Sit at My right hand'? And how could he say: 'Before Abraham came to be, I am'? And: 'Glorify Me with the glory which I had before the world came to be'? And what manner of man would say: 'I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me'?

And of what kind of man did He speak when He said: 'That was the true Light, which lights every man who comes into the world; He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not; He came unto His own, and His own received Him not'?

How then can such a one be a mere man, having from Mary the beginning of His being, and not rather God the Word and the only-begotten Son? For 'in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' And in another place: 'The Lord created me the beginning of His ways for His works; before the age He established me, and before all the hills He begets me.'

And that our bodies also rise again, He says: 'Verily I say unto you, the hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear shall live.' And the apostle says: 'For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.'

And that we ought to live soberly and righteously, He says again: 'Be not deceived; neither adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor fornicators, nor revilers, nor drunkards, nor thieves shall inherit the kingdom of God.' And: 'If the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised; and our preaching is vain, and your faith is also vain; ye are yet in your sins; then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. If the dead rise not, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.'

But if we are so disposed, in what shall we differ from asses and dogs, which, taking no thought of the future, desire only to eat and what comes after eating? For they are uncontrolled by any inward mind that moves them.

May I have joy of you in the Lord. Be sober; let each one of you put away all malice and beastlike rage, slander, false accusation, filthy speech, ribaldry, whispering, conceit, drunkenness, lust, love of money, vainglory, envy, and everything akin to these. Rather, put on our Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfil its desires.

Let the presbyters be subject to the bishop, the deacons to the presbyters, the people to the deacons. I am the ransom of those who keep this good order; and may the Lord be with them continually.

Husbands, love your wives; wives, love your spouses. Children, honour your parents; parents, bring up your children in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. Honour those who live in virginity as priestesses of Christ, and the widows who live in dignity as an altar of God.

Masters, give orders to your servants with gentleness; servants, serve your masters with reverent fear. Let no one among you be idle, for idleness is the mother of want. These things I command not as though I were anyone—even though I am in bonds—but I remind you as a brother. May the Lord be with you.

May I have joy of your prayers. Pray that I may attain to Jesus. I commend to you the church in Antioch.

The churches of Asia salute you, and Polycarp, the man of God, to whom I will also commend the church of Syria. The church of the Philippians salutes you, from whom also I write to you. Philo, your deacon, salutes you, to whom I also give thanks, for he diligently ministers to me in all things. Agathopus the deacon salutes you, who follows me from Syria in Christ.

Greet one another with a holy kiss. I salute all, both men and women, who are in Christ. Be strong in body and soul and spirit, and do not forget me. The Lord be with you.