The Letters of Ignatius · §3.12 · Ignatius of Antioch

Greetings, bonds, and a plea for unity from Smyrna

Click or tap any sentence to jump there. The side buttons skip a paragraph.

Ignatius, writing from Smyrna, closes his letter to the Trallians with greetings, a plea that they remain united in prayer, and a wish that his letter not become a witness against them.

I greet you from Smyrna, together with the churches of God that are here with me. They have refreshed me in every way, both in flesh and in spirit.

My chains, which I carry around for the sake of Jesus Christ, exhort you, asking that you may attain God: remain in your concord and in prayer with one another. For it is fitting for each one of you, and especially the council of elders, to refresh the bishop for the honor of the Father, Jesus Christ, and the apostles.

I pray that you will listen to me in love, so that I may not be a witness among you by having written.

Greek

Ἀσπάζομαι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ Σμύρνης ἅμα ταῖς συμπαρούσαις μοι ἐκκλησίαις τοῦ θεοῦ, οἲ κατὰ πάντα με ἀνέπαυσαν σαρκί τε καὶ πνεύματι.

παρακαλεῖ ὑμᾶς τὰ δεσμά μου, ἃ ἕνεκεν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ περιφέρω, αἰτούμενος θεοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν: διαμένετε ἐν τῇ ὁμονοίᾳ ὑμῶν καὶ τῇ μετ’ ἀλλήλων προσευχῇ. πρέπει γὰρ ὑμῖν τοῖς καθ̓ ἕνα, ἐξαιρέτως καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις, ἀναψύχειν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον εἰς τιμὴν πατρός, Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων.

εὔχομαι ὑμᾶς ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἀκοῦσαί μου, ἵνα μὴ εἶς μαρτύριον ὦ ἐν ὑμῖν γράψας.

About this text

The seven letters Ignatius of Antioch wrote on his way to martyrdom in Rome, urging each church to stand united with its bishop.

Ignatius of Antioch (d. c. 110) was the bishop of Antioch in Syria. He wrote these letters while being taken under guard from Syria to Rome, where he expected to be executed for his Christian faith during the reign of Emperor Trajan.

The letters were written in great haste, modelled after the biblical epistles of Paul, Peter, and John. Ignatius wrote to the churches in Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, and Rome from Smyrna, and to Philadelphia, Smyrna, and Polycarp the bishop of Smyrna from Troas. In them he urges each church to unite around its bishop, the council of elders, and the deacons as the visible order willed by God. He warns against teachers who deny the real flesh, suffering, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and against any return to Judaism.

A reader will meet bishops such as Onesimus of Ephesus, Damas of Magnesia, Polybius of Tralles, and Polycarp of Smyrna, along with deacons and companions who visited Ignatius. , and he reports words of the Spirit. He presents his own coming death by wild beasts as the completion of his discipleship.

New English from the Greek base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Ignatius of Antioch The Apostolic Fathers Kirsopp Lake Cambridge, MA Harvard University Press London William Heinemann 1912 1 Loeb Classical Library (Greek)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.