Vol 01 - EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS.
EPISTLE TO THE EPHESIANS
Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the church which is at Ephesus in ~4sia, blessed in the greatness andfulness of GOD the Father, predestinated, before all worlds, to an enduring, eternal, unchangeable glory, united and elected through his true passion, in the will of the Father and JESUS CHRIST our GOD, all health in JESUS CHRIST, and his holy grace.
1. I HAVE heard of your name, much beloved in GOD, which ye have justly obtained, by faith and love in JESUS CHRIST our Savior, being followers of GOD, and stirring up yourselves by the blood of CHRIST to finish and perfect works answerable thereto. Ye heard that I cane bound from Syria, for the common name and hope, trusting to obtain through your prayer, that I may fight with beasts at Rome, so that by martyrdom I may attain to be a disciple of Him, "who gave himself to GOD an offering and sacrifice for us."
1 received therefore, in the name of GOD, your whole multitude in Onesimus, your bishop, whom I love with love unspeakable; whom I beseech you all to love in JESUS CHRIST, and to be followers together of Him. Blessed be GOD who has given such a bishop to you who were worthy of him.
2. Concerning my fellow-servant Burrhus, according to the will of GOD your deacon, blessed in all things, I pray that he may remain to the honor of you and of your bishop, Crocus also, worthy of GOD and you, whom I have received as a pattern of your love, has refreshed me in all things, as the Father of our Lord JESUS CHRIST shall refresh him, with Onesimus, and Burrhus, and Euplus, and Fronto, in whom I have seen the love of you all. And may I have joy of you always, if I am worthy! Ye ought therefore, in all manner of ways, to glorify JESUS CHRIST, who has glorified us; that by an uniform obedience, ye maybe "perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment, and may all speak the same thing;" and that, being subject to the bishop and the presbyters, ye may be sanctified in all things.
3. I do not command you, as being somebody; for though I am bound for his name, I am not yet made perfect in JESUS CHRIST. But I now begin to be a disciple, and I speak unto you as to any fellow-disciples. I ought indeed to have been stirred up by you, in faith, patience, and long-suffering. But love not suffering me to be silent, I first exhort you, that ye together fulfill the will of God. JESUS CHRIST, our hidden life, shows us the will of the Father; and by the will of JESUS CHRIST are the bishops, who are appointed unto the ends of the earth:
4. Ye ought, therefore, to fulfill the will of your bishop, as indeed ye do; to whom your venerable presbytery, worthy of GOD, are fitly joined as strings to a harp, by. whose concord and harmony of love, JESUS CHRIST is sung. And be ye the quire, that so being consonant in love, and taking up the song of GOD, ye may in `unity sing with one voice to the Father, through JESUS CHRIST. So shall he hear you, and acknowledge by your works, that ye are members of his Son. Wherefore it is profitable for you to live in unblaimable unity, that ye may always partake of God.
5. Happy are ye who are so joined with your bishop, as the church with JESUS CHRIST, and JESUS CHRIST with the Father, that all things may agree in unity. Let no man deceive himself. If a man be not within the altar; he is deprived of the bread of God. But, if the prayer of one or two have such force, how much more that of the bishop and the whole church He, therefore, who goes not to the public assembly is proud, and has passed his own sentence; for “GOD resisteth the proud." Let us take heed, therefore, not to resist the bishop, that we may be found obedient to God.
6. For whomsoever the master of the house sends to be over his household, we ought to receive him, as him that. sent him. It is therefore manifest, that we ought to look on the bishop as on the Lord himself. And indeed Onesimus himself greatly commends your good order in GOD: that ye all live according to the truth, and that no heresy dwells among you. For ye do not hearken to any one, more than to JESUS CHRIST, speaking to you in truth.
7. But sonic deceitfully bear the name of CHRIST, and yet do things unworthy of God. Flee from these as from wild beasts. For they are ravening dogs, that bite secretly. Guard yourselves against them; for they are hard to be cured. There is one physician, both fleshly and spiritual, made and not made, GOD incarnate, true life in death, both of Mary and of GOD, first passible, then impassible.
8. Wherefore let no man deceive you. Nor indeed are ye deceived, being wholly GOD’s. For so long as there is no contention among you to trouble you, ye live according to God. My soul be for your's, for your church at Ephesus, whose name shall endure to all ages. They that are of the flesh cannot do the works of the Spirit, neither they that are of the Spirit the works of the flesh: as faith cannot do the works of unbelief, neither unbelief the works of faith. But even those worldly works which ye do are spiritual; for ye do all things in JESUS CHRIST.
9. But I have known some who came among you, having perverse doctrine, whom ye suffered not to sow in you, stopping your ears, that ye might receive nothing from them. For ye are living stones, prepared for the building, the temple of GOD the Father, and lifted up on high by the Holy Ghost, through the cross of JESUS, CHRIST. Your faith is your support, and your charity the way that leadeth to God. Ye, therefore, with all your companions in the same journey, are spiritual temples, full of GOD, full of CHRIST, full of holiness; adorned in all things with the commands of JESUS CHRIST: with whom I rejoice that I have been counted worthy to converse by this epistle, and to joy with you, that having your eye fixed on that other life, ye love nothing but GOD only.
10. And pray without ceasing for other men. For there is hope of their repentance, that they may attain unto God. Suffer them, therefore, to be instructed by your works. Be ye meek at their anger, humble at their boastings; return your prayers to their blasphemies; to their error, your steadfastness in the faith. At their fierceness be ye gentle, not endeavoring to imitate them: (but let us be their brethren in mildness, endeavoring to imitate the Lord. For who was ever more unjustly treated than he who more outraged who more set at nought) that no plant of the devil may be found among you. But continue in all holiness and sobriety, through CHRIST JESUS, both in body and spirit.
11. The last times are come. Let us be ashamed. Let us fear the long-suffering of GOD, that it be not unto condemnation.. Either let us fear the wrath to come, or love the present grace: one of the two." Only let us be found in CHRIST JESUS, unto true life. without him, let nothing he worthy of you. For him I bear about these bonds, these spiritual jewels; in which may arise through your prayer; whereof let me always be a partaker, that I may be found in the lot of the Christians of Ephesus, who have always agreed with the apostles, through the power of JESUS CHRIST.
12. I know who I am, and to whom I write. I am a condemned man; ye are they that have found mercy II am in danger; ye are established: ye are the passage of those who are slain into God: the fellow-disciples of the holy, the martyred, the worthily-happy Paul: at whose feet may I be found, when I shall have attained unto GOD; who, in all his epistle, makes mention of you in CHRIST JESUS.
13. Labor, therefore, to come more frequently together, to the praise and glory of God. For when ye frequently come together, the powers of SATAN are destroyed, and his mischief is dissolved by the concord of your faith. For nothing is better than peace, whereby all war is destroyed, both of things in heaven and things on earth.
14. Nothing of this is hid from you, if ye have perfect faith in JESUS CHRIST, and love, which are the beginning and the end of life:. faith is the beginning, love the end: aid both being joined in one, are of God. All other things pertaining to perfect holiness follow. For no man that path faith sins;. and none that has love hateth any man. The tree is made manifest by its fruits. So Christians shall be known by their deeds. For it is not the work of an outward profession; but in the power of faith, if a man endure unto the end.
15. It is better to be silent and be a Christian, than to talk and not be a Christian. It is good to teach, if he that speaks does also. There is one Master who spoke and it was done. And even what things he did' without speaking, were worthy of the Father. He that truly possesseth the word of JESUS, can hear even his silence, that he may be perfect, that he may work by the things which he speaks, and may be known by the things he does in silence. There is nothing hid from the Lord, but even our secret things are nigh -into him. Let us therefore do all things as having GOD dwelling in us, that we may be his temples, and he may be in us, and be our God. As also he is, and will manifest himself before our face: wherefore we justly love him.
16. Be not deceived, my brethren. Fornicators and adulterers a shall not inherit the kingdom of God." But if these corrupters suffered death, how much more he% who by evil doctrine corrupts the faith of GOD, for which JESUS CHRIST was crucified He that is thus defiled, shall depart into unquenchable fire; and so also shall he that heareth him.
17. As our Lord received on his head the sweet smelling ointment, so he breathes incorruption upon his church. Be not ye anointed with the filthy doctrine of the prince of this world, lest he carry you away captive from the life which is set before you. Why are ye not all wise, who have received the knowledge of GOD, which is in CHRIST JESUS Why do we perish in our folly, not considering the gift, which is sent unto us of the Lord
18. Let my life be sacrificed for the cross, which is a stumbling-block to them that believe not, but to us salvation and life everlasting. Where is the wise man Where is the disputer Where is the boasting of them who are called men of understanding Our GOD, JESUS CHRIST, was, according to the dispensation of GOD, conceived in Mary, of the seed of David, by the Holy GhosL’He was born, he was baptized, that thereby he might sanctify water to the washing away of sin.
19. By his death all the power of magic was dissolved; every band of wickedness vanished away; ignorance was taken away, and the ancient kingdom destroyed; GOD appearing in the form of a man, for the renewal of eternal life. Then began what is already perfected in the counsel of God. From thence all things were moved; forasmuch as GOD has determined to abolish death.
20. If it be the will of the Lord, I shall write unto you again more fully of these things. Especially if the Lord shall reveal unto me that ye all come together in one faith, obeying your bishop and your presbytery with entire affection, and breaking one and the same bread, which is the medicine of immortality, our antidote that we should not die, but live for ever in CHRIST JESUS.
21. My soul be for your's, and their's whom ye have sent, to the glory of GOD, even unto Smyrna, from whence I write to you; giving thanks unto the Lord, and loving Polycarp, even as I do you. Be mindful of me, as JESUS CHRIST of you. Pray for the church which is in Syria, from whence I am carried bound to Rome, the least of all the faithful who are there. Fare ye well in GOD the Father, and in JESUS CHRIST, our common hope!