The Letters of Ignatius · §3.3 · Ignatius of Antioch

Honor deacons, elders, and bishop as God's order

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Ignatius is writing to the church in Tralles, urging them to honor their deacons, elders, and bishop as the visible order of God.

In the same way, let everyone respect the deacons as they would Jesus Christ, just as they should also respect the bishop, who is a pattern of the Father, and the council of elders as the council of God and as a bond of the apostles. Without these, a church is not called a church.

I am persuaded that you already hold this view. For I received the pattern of your love and I have it with me in your bishop, whose very disposition is a great discipleship and whose gentleness is power. I consider that even the godless respect him.

Because I love you, I am sparing you, though I could write more sharply about this matter. I did not think that, being condemned, I should give you orders as if I were an apostle.

Greek

Ὁμοίως πάντες ἐντρεπέσθωσαν τοὺς διακόνους ὡς Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, ὡς καὶ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ὄντα τύπον τοῦ πατρός. τοὺς δὲ πρεσβυτέρους ὡς συνέδριον θεοῦ καὶ ὡς σύνδεσμον ἀποστόλων. χωρὶς τούτων ἐκκλησία οὐ καλεῖται.

περὶ ὧν πέπεισμαι ὑμᾶς οὕτως ἔχειν. τὸ γὰρ ἐξεμπλάριον τῆς ἀγάπης ὑμῶν ἔλαβον καὶ ἔχω μεθ̓ ἑαυτοῦ ἐν τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ὑμῶν, οὖ αὐτὸ τὸ κατάστημα μεγάλη μαθητεία, ἡ δὲ πραότης αὐτοῦ δύναμις: ὃν λογίζομαι καὶ τοὺς ἀθέους ἐντρέπεσθαι.

ἀγαπῶν ὑμᾶς φείδομαι, συντονώτερον δυνάμενος γράφειν ὑπὲρ τούτου. οὐκ εἰς τοῦτο ᾠήθην, ἵνα ὤν κατάκριτος ὡς ἀπόστολος ὑμῖν διατάσσωμαι.

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.