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Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to theChurch of God theFather, and of the belovedJesus Christ, which has through mercy obtained every kind of gift, which is filled withfaith andlove, and is deficient in no gift, most worthy ofGod, and adorned withholiness: theChurch which is at Smyrna, inAsia, wishes abundance ofhappiness, through the immaculate Spirit and word ofGod.
I GlorifyGod, evenJesus Christ, who has given you such wisdom. For I have observed that you are perfected in an immoveablefaith, as if you were nailed to the cross ofour Lord Jesus Christ, both in the flesh and in the spirit, and are established inlove through the blood ofChrist, being fully persuaded with respect to our Lord, that He wastruly of the seed ofDavid according to the flesh,Romans 1:3 and theSon of God according to the will and power ofGod; that He wastruly born of avirgin, wasbaptized by John, in order that all righteousness might be fulfilledMatthew 3:15 by Him; and wastruly, underPontius Pilate andHerod the tetrarch, nailed [to the cross] for us in His flesh. Of this fruit we are by His divinely-blessed passion, that He might set up a standardIsaiah 5:26, Isaiah 49:22 for all ages, through Hisresurrection, to all Hisholy and faithful [followers], whether amongJews orGentiles, in the one body of HisChurch.
Now, He suffered all these things for our sakes, that we might be saved. And He sufferedtruly, even as also Hetruly raised up Himself, not, as certain unbelievers maintain, that He only seemed to suffer, as they themselves only seem to be [Christians]. And as theybelieve, so shall it happen unto them, when they shall be divested of their bodies, and be mereevil spirits.
For Iknow that after Hisresurrection also He was still possessed of flesh, and Ibelieve that He is so now. When, for instance, He came to those who were withPeter, He said to them,Lay hold, handle Me, and see that I am not an incorporeal spirit.
And immediately they touched Him, andbelieved, being convinced both by His flesh andspirit. For thiscause also they despised death, and were found its conquerors. And after his resurrection He ate and drank with them, as being possessed of flesh, although spiritually He was united to the Father.
I give you these instructions, beloved, assured that you also hold the same opinions [as I do]. But I guard you beforehand from those beasts in the shape ofmen, whom you must not only not receive, but, if it be possible, not even meet with; only you mustpray to God for them, if by any means they may be brought to repentance, which, however, will be very difficult. YetJesus Christ, who is ourtrue life, has the power of [effecting] this. But if these things were done by our Lord only in appearance, then am I also only in appearance bound. And why have I also surrendered myself to death, to fire, to the sword, to the wild beasts? But, [in fact,] he who is near to the sword is near toGod; he that is among the wild beasts is in company withGod; provided only he be so in the name ofJesus Christ. I undergo all these things that I may suffer together with Him,Romans 8:17 He who became a perfect man inwardly strengthening me.Philippians 4:13
Someignorantly deny Him, or rather have been denied by Him, being the advocates of death rather than of thetruth. Thesepersons neither have theprophets persuaded, nor thelaw of Moses, nor theGospel even to this day, nor the sufferings we have individually endured. For they think also the same thing regarding us. For what does any one profit me, if he commends me, but blasphemes my Lord, not confessing that He was [truly] possessed of a body? But he who does not acknowledge this, has in fact altogether denied Him, being enveloped in death. I have not, however, thought good to write the names of suchpersons, inasmuch as they are unbelievers. Yea, far be it from me to make any mention of them, until they repent and return to [atrue belief in] Christ's passion, which is our resurrection.
Let no man deceive himself. Both the things which are in heaven, and thegloriousangels, and rulers, both visible and invisible, if theybelieve not in the blood ofChrist, shall, in consequence, incur condemnation.He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
Matthew 19:12 Let not [high] place puff any one up: for that which is worth all isfaith andlove, to which nothing is to be preferred. But consider those who are of a different opinion with respect to thegrace of Christ which has come unto us, how opposed they are to thewill ofGod. They have no regard forlove; no care for thewidow, or the orphan, or the oppressed; of the bond, or of the free; of the hungry, or of the thirsty.
They abstain from theEucharist and fromprayer, because they confess not theEucharist to be the flesh of our SaviourJesus Christ, which suffered for oursins, and which theFather, of His goodness, raised up again. Those, therefore, who speak against this gift ofGod, incur death in the midst of their disputes. But it were better for them to treat it with respect, that they also might rise again. It is fitting, therefore, that you should keep aloof from suchpersons, and not to speak of them either in private or in public, but to give heed to theprophets, and above all, to theGospel, in which the passion [of Christ] has been revealed to us, and the resurrection has been fullyproved. But avoid all divisions, as the beginning ofevils.
See that you all follow thebishop, even asJesus Christ does theFather, and thepresbytery as you would theapostles; and reverence thedeacons, as being the institution ofGod. Let no man do anything connected with theChurch without thebishop. Let that be deemed a properEucharist, which is [administered] either by thebishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever thebishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, whereverJesus Christ is, there is theCatholicChurch. It is not lawful without thebishop either tobaptize or to celebrate alove-feast; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing toGod, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid.
Moreover, it is in accordance with reason that we should return to soberness [of conduct], and, while yet we have opportunity, exercise repentance towards God. It is well to reverence both God and thebishop. He who honours thebishop has been honoured byGod; he who does anything without theknowledge of thebishop, does [in reality] serve thedevil. Let all things, then, abound to you throughgrace, for you are worthy. You have refreshed me in all things, andJesus Christ [shall refresh] you. You have loved me when absent as well as when present. May God recompense you, for whose sake, while you endure all things, you shall attain unto Him.
You have done well in receiving Philo and Rheus Agathopus as servants of Christ ourGod, who have followed me for the sake ofGod, and who give thanks to the Lord in your behalf, because you have in every way refreshed them. None of these things shall be lost to you. May my spirit be for you, and my bonds, which you have not despised or been ashamed of; nor shallJesus Christ, our perfect hope, be ashamed of you.
Yourprayer has reached to theChurch which is atAntioch inSyria. Coming from that place bound with chains, most acceptable toGod, I salute all; I who am not worthy to be styled from thence, inasmuch as I am the least of them. Nevertheless, according to thewill ofGod, I have been thought worthy [of thishonour], not that I have any sense [of having deserved it], but by thegrace ofGod, which I wish may be perfectly given to me, that through yourprayers I may attain toGod. In order, therefore, that your work may be complete both on earth and in heaven, it is fitting that, for thehonour ofGod, your Church should elect some worthy delegate; so that he, journeying intoSyria, may congratulate them that they are [now] at peace, and are restored to their proper greatness, and that their proper constitution has been re-established among them. It seems then to me a becoming thing, that you should send some one of your number with an epistle, so that, in company with them, he mayrejoice over the tranquility which, according to thewill ofGod, they have obtained, and because that, through yourprayers, they have now reached the harbour. Aspersons who are perfect, you should also aim at those things which are perfect. For when you are desirous to do well, God is also ready to assist you.
Thelove of the brethren atTroas salutes you; whence also I write to you by Burrhus, whom you sent with me, together with the Ephesians, your brethren, and who has in all things refreshed me. And I would that all may imitate him, as being a pattern of a minister ofGod. Grace will reward him in all things. I salute your most worthybishop, and your very venerablepresbytery, and yourdeacons, my fellow-servants, and all of you individually, as well as generally, in the name ofJesus Christ, and in His flesh and blood, in Hispassion and resurrection, both corporeal and spiritual, in union with God and you. Grace, mercy, peace, and patience, be with you for evermore!
I salute thefamilies of my brethren, with their wives and children, and thevirgins who are calledwidows. Be strong, Ipray, in the power of theHoly Ghost. Philo, who is with me, greets you. I salute the house of Tavias, andpray that it may be confirmed infaith andlove, both corporeal and spiritual. I salute Alce, my well-beloved, and the incomparable Daphnus, and Eutecnus, and all by name. Fare well in thegrace ofGod.
Source.Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. FromAnte-Nicene Fathers,Vol. 1.Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co.,1885.)Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.<http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm>.
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