Letters of Ignatius (Long Recension)

Contents

Reading pages: 1.0–1.21 · 2.0–3.13 · 4.0–5.11 · 6.0–8.10 · 9.0–10.9 · 11.0–13.5

1. 1.0Ignatius greets the church of Ephesus.
2. 1.1Ignatius thanks the Ephesians for their zeal in coming to meet him and praises their bishop Onesimus.
3. 1.2Ignatius commends the deacon Burrhus and Crocus and urges unity in subjection to the bishop and presbytery.
4. 1.3Ignatius urges the Ephesians to follow the mind of God and of their bishop and to sing as one choir in unity.
5. 1.5Ignatius praises the Ephesians' union with their bishop, warns against separating from the common worship, and urges obedience to bishop, presbyters and deacons.
6. 1.7Ignatius warns against false teachers and presents God and Christ, the Word made flesh, as the physicians of souls.
7. 1.8Ignatius praises the Ephesians for refusing false teachers, contrasts the Spirit of truth with the spirit of error, and urges them to pray for and answer their opponents with gentleness.
8. 1.11In the last times Ignatius urges the Ephesians to fear God and find their only joy in Christ, for whose sake he bears his chains.
9. 1.12Ignatius contrasts his own lowliness with the Ephesians, fellow initiates of Paul.
10. 1.13Ignatius urges frequent gatherings for the Eucharist, joins faith and love as the beginning and end of life, praises deeds over words, and warns that corrupters of the church face eternal punishment.
11. 1.17Christ's anointing breathes incorruption into the church; Ignatius warns against the foul-smelling teaching of this age.
12. 1.18Ignatius proclaims the cross, the virgin birth of the eternal Son, and the star that announced the hidden mysteries and overthrew the powers of darkness.
13. 1.20Ignatius urges the Ephesians to stand firm and to gather in one faith under the bishop, breaking the one bread, the medicine of immortality.
14. 1.21Ignatius closes, asking for the Ephesians' prayers for the church of Antioch.
15. 2.0Ignatius greets the church of Magnesia and praises its love.
16. 2.2Ignatius has met the Magnesians in their bishop Damas, their presbyters and the deacon Zotion.
17. 2.3Ignatius defends the authority of the young bishop with biblical examples of youths chosen by God and of the punishment of those who rose against their superiors.
18. 2.5Ignatius sets life and death before the Magnesians, describes the true and counterfeit coin of godly and ungodly, and urges them to act in concord under bishop, presbyters and deacons.
19. 2.8Ignatius warns against Jewish practices and teaches that the prophets lived according to Christ, the substantial Word of God.
20. 2.9Ignatius teaches that the prophets awaited Christ and urges the Magnesians to keep the Sabbath spiritually rather than in the Jewish manner.
21. 2.10Ignatius urges the Magnesians to live up to the name Christian, first given at Antioch, and to put away Judaism.
22. 2.11Ignatius sets out the faith in Christ, from his eternal begetting to his coming in judgment, to guard the Magnesians against error.
23. 2.12Ignatius commends the Magnesians' humility with scriptural examples.
24. 2.13Ignatius urges the Magnesians to stand firm in the decrees of the Lord and the apostles, asks prayer for the church in Syria, and sends greetings.
25. 3.0Ignatius greets the church at Tralles.
26. 3.1Ignatius praises the Trallians, whom he has come to know through their bishop Polybius.
27. 3.2Ignatius urges subjection to the bishop, the presbytery and the deacons, ministers of the mysteries of Christ.
28. 3.3Ignatius urges reverence for deacons, bishop and presbyters, praises the Trallians' bishop, and confesses his need of humility.
29. 3.5Ignatius holds back the deeper mysteries of the heavenly orders, since he is not yet perfected.
30. 3.6Ignatius warns against heretical teachers who mix poison with sweet words and deny the Father, the virgin birth, the passion and the resurrection.
31. 3.7Ignatius warns against such teachers, urges humility, and explains the dignity of bishop and presbytery.
32. 3.8Ignatius describes deacons as imitators of the angels, then urges the Trallians to meekness, forgiveness, and conduct that gives the Gentiles no occasion for blasphemy.
33. 3.9Ignatius tells the Trallians to stop their ears to any teaching apart from Jesus Christ, truly born.
34. 3.10Opening words of chapter 10, against those who deny Christ's real body.
35. 3.11Against docetism Ignatius affirms the reality of Christ's conception, birth, baptism, passion, death and resurrection, and warns against heresies as the devil's inventions.
36. 3.12Ignatius greets the Trallians, urges concord and care for the bishop, and asks their prayers.
37. 3.13Closing greetings and exhortations to the Trallians.
38. 4.0Ignatius greets the church of Rome and asks the Romans not to hinder his martyrdom out of affection.
39. 4.2Ignatius begs the Romans to stay silent so that he may be poured out as a libation to God, and asks for strength to be a Christian in deed.
40. 4.4Ignatius asks the Romans to let him be ground as God's wheat by the beasts, so that he may become a true disciple and a freedman of Christ.
41. 4.5Ignatius describes his journey under guard, longs for the beasts and for the bread of God, and begs the Romans not to keep him from dying for Christ.
42. 4.9Ignatius commends the church in Syria to the Romans' prayers and closes his letter from Smyrna.
43. 5.0Ignatius greets the church at Philadelphia, founded on the rock and united with its bishop, presbyters and deacons.
44. 5.1Ignatius praises the bishop of Philadelphia, appointed not by men but in the love of Christ.
45. 5.2Ignatius urges the Philadelphians to flee division and heresy and to follow their shepherd.
46. 5.3Ignatius warns against schismatics and false teachers, urges the Philadelphians to receive the penitent gently, and forbids violence against God's enemies.
47. 5.4Ignatius urges one faith and one Eucharist, sets out the unity of God, faith and church, and gives instructions to wives, virgins, children, slaves, husbands, fathers and masters, honouring both virginity and marriage.
48. 5.5Ignatius completes his instructions, ending with widows, and disclaims apostolic authority, writing as a fellow soldier.
49. 5.6Ignatius lists the errors of those who deny Christ's sonship, the God of the law, Christ's divinity, marriage, the reality of the incarnation, or chastity, and urges unity.
50. 5.7Ignatius recalls how the Spirit moved him to cry out at Philadelphia: do nothing without the bishop.
51. 5.8Ignatius urges unity, forgiveness for the penitent, and faith in the Gospel, whose authentic archive is Christ's cross, death and resurrection.
52. 5.9Christ the high priest and Word is the door through which patriarchs, prophets, apostles and church enter; the Gospel fulfils the prophets.
53. 5.10Ignatius asks the Philadelphians to send an envoy to congratulate the church of Antioch, now at peace.
54. 5.11Ignatius commends Philo, Gaius and Agathopus and sends greetings from Troas.
55. 6.0Ignatius greets the church at Smyrna.
56. 6.1Ignatius praises the Smyrnaeans' firm faith in Christ, truly born, baptized and crucified in the flesh.
57. 6.2Against docetists Ignatius affirms that the Word truly took flesh, suffered and rose.
58. 6.3Ignatius affirms that Christ was in the flesh even after his resurrection.
59. 6.4Ignatius cites the risen Christ's invitation to touch him, his eating with the disciples and his bodily ascension and return, and argues that if Christ only seemed to suffer, his own chains would be a mere seeming.
60. 6.5Ignatius laments those who deny Christ's flesh and are moved neither by the prophets, the law, the Gospel nor the martyrs' sufferings.
61. 6.6Ignatius insists that eternal life depends on believing in Christ's life in the flesh and his saving blood, and describes the lovelessness of those who teach otherwise.
62. 6.7The false teachers are offspring of the devil, the author of evil from Adam to the Passion; Ignatius urges the Smyrnaeans to avoid them and their schisms.
63. 6.8Ignatius commands that nothing in the church, Eucharist, baptism or love-feast, be done without the bishop.
64. 6.9Ignatius urges repentance while there is time.
65. 6.10Ignatius thanks the Smyrnaeans for receiving his companions Philo, Gaius and Agathopus.
66. 6.11Ignatius reports that the church of Antioch is at peace and asks the Smyrnaeans to send a messenger with a letter of congratulation.
67. 6.12Ignatius sends greetings from Troas and greets Polycarp, the presbytery and the deacons of Smyrna.
68. 6.13Closing greetings to the households of Smyrna.
69. 7.0Ignatius greets Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna.
70. 7.1Ignatius exhorts Polycarp to fulfil his office as bishop with diligence, care for unity, patience and prayer.
71. 7.2Ignatius counsels Polycarp to win difficult disciples by gentleness and to be wise as the serpent.
72. 7.3Ignatius urges Polycarp to pray, to stand firm like an anvil against false teachers, and to look for Christ, timeless, invisible and impassible, yet for us born and suffering.
73. 7.4Ignatius gives Polycarp instructions on widows, slaves, wives and husbands, celibacy and marriage, and urges the church to serve as God's soldiers under the bishop.
74. 7.7Ignatius asks Polycarp to convene a council and appoint a messenger to go to Antioch, now at peace.
75. 7.8Ignatius asks Polycarp to write to the other churches on his behalf and sends final greetings.
76. 8.0Ignatius greets the church at Tarsus.
77. 8.1On his way to Rome Ignatius declares himself ready for every death and urges the Tarsians to stand firm in the faith.
78. 8.2Ignatius lists the errors that false teachers have brought to Tarsus and praises the Tarsians, Paul's fellow citizens, for resisting them.
79. 8.3Opening of Ignatius's affirmation that Jesus was truly born.
80. 8.4Ignatius argues from the apostles' sufferings that Christ truly suffered, and from Paul that the crucified one is the firstborn of creation and God the Word.
81. 8.5Ignatius argues that the Son is distinct from the Father and subject to him, yet not a mere man but the Word through whom all things were made.
82. 8.7Ignatius cites Christ and Paul for the resurrection of the body.
83. 8.8Without the resurrection we would live like beasts; Ignatius urges the Tarsians to put away vice and keep good order under bishop, presbyters and deacons.
84. 8.9Ignatius gives brief instructions to husbands, wives, children, parents, virgins, widows, slaves and masters.
85. 8.10Closing greetings to the Tarsians from Philippi.
86. 9.0Ignatius greets the church of Antioch, rejoices at its peace, and warns against heresies that deny either the one God or Christ.
87. 9.2Ignatius shows from Moses, the prophets, the evangelists and the apostles that the one God has a Son who became man and suffered, condemns those who deny either, and reminds the Antiochians of Paul, Peter and Evodius.
88. 9.8Ignatius instructs the presbyters, deacons, people and virgins of Antioch.
89. 9.9Instructions to husbands, wives, parents and children, grounding monogamy in the creation.
90. 9.10Instructions to masters and slaves, with the example of Job.
91. 9.11Ignatius warns against idleness and vice, urges obedience to Caesar where it is without danger, and forbids magic, pederasty and murder.
92. 9.12Ignatius greets the clergy and people of Antioch and sends greetings from Polycarp, Onesimus, Polybius and others.
93. 9.13Ignatius closes the letter from Philippi.
94. 10.0Ignatius greets Hero, deacon of Antioch.
95. 10.1Ignatius urges Hero to persevere, bear with the weak, and fast with moderation, since wine and meat are not abominable.
96. 10.2Ignatius tells Hero to treat as wolves and antichrists any who teach contrary to the faith, however impressive their lives.
97. 10.3Ignatius instructs Hero on widows, orphans, his service to the bishops, slaves and women, and explains the virgin birth without disparaging marriage.
98. 10.5Ignatius warns Hero against pride, lying and envy, gives counsel for wives and husbands, and charges him to lead the people of Antioch as Joshua succeeded Moses.
99. 10.9Ignatius sends greetings to Cassian, the faithful of Laodicea and Tarsus, Maris and Maria, and blesses Hero.
100. 11.0Ignatius greets the church at Philippi.
101. 11.1Ignatius writes to remind the Philippians of their course and sets out the one God, one Lord, one Spirit, one baptism and one church.
102. 11.3Ignatius sets out the one God, one Son and one Paraclete, the true incarnation and passion of the Son alone, and addresses the devil, who fears the cross, works through heresies, and could not recognize the Son of God in his lowly birth and life.
103. 11.9The devil, confused by Christ's lowly birth and fast, tempts him to turn stones into bread; but Christ's hunger shows that he truly took a body.
104. 11.10The devil, fallen like lightning, tempts Christ to throw himself down, quoting the psalm but suppressing its prophecy of his own defeat.
105. 11.11The devil dares to claim the world as his own and to ask Christ to worship him.
106. 11.12Christ answers the devil meekly, confessing the one God and the Father who begot him.
107. 11.13Opening of chapter 13: Ignatius explains why he has written.
108. 11.14Ignatius greets the churches and clergy, forbids keeping the Passover with the Jews, and closes the letter.
109. 12.0Mary of Cassobola greets Ignatius and asks him to send Bishop Maris to her church.
110. 12.2Mary assures Ignatius that young men may be fit for office, citing Samuel, Daniel, Jeremiah and Solomon.
111. 12.4Mary adds the examples of Josiah and David, apologizes for her boldness, and sends greetings.
112. 13.0Ignatius greets Mary.
113. 13.1Ignatius writes to Mary that, since they cannot meet, a letter must serve as a second harbour.
114. 13.2Ignatius describes his sufferings, which are nothing beside the coming glory.
115. 13.3Ignatius has granted Mary's request for the two young bishops, praises her, and regrets that he cannot visit her.
116. 13.5Ignatius warns Mary against those who deny Christ's passion and birth, and sends greetings.