The Letters of Ignatius · §6.11 · Ignatius of Antioch

Send a delegate to Antioch to rejoice with the restored church

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Ignatius, writing to the Smyrnaeans, has just praised them for receiving his companions and now asks them to send a representative to the church in Antioch, which has regained peace.

Your prayer reached the church in Antioch of Syria. From there I greet you all, bound as I am in chains most worthy of God. I am not worthy to come from that place, for I am the least of them. Yet by God's will I was counted worthy, not because of my own conscience but by the grace of God. I pray that this grace may be given to me in full, so that through your prayer I may attain God.

So that your work may be complete both on earth and in heaven, it is fitting for the honor of God that your church appoint a godly ambassador. He should go to Syria and rejoice with the church there, because they are at peace, have received back their own greatness, and their own body has been restored to them.

It seemed to me, then, a thing worthy of God to send one of your own with a letter, so that he might join in glorifying the calm that has come to them from God, and because they have already reached harbor through your prayer. Since you are perfect, think perfect things. For God is ready to grant you well-being.

Greek

Ἡ προσευχὴ ὑμῶν ἀπῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ τῆς Συρίας, ὅθεν δεδεμένος θεοπρεπεστάτοις δεσμοῖς πάντας ἀσπάζομαι, οὐκ ὢν ἄξιος ἐκεῖθεν εἶναι, ἔσχατος αὐτῶν ὤν: κατὰ θέλημα δὲ κατηξιώθην, οὐκ ἐκ συνειδότος ἀλλ’ ἐκ χάριτος θεοῦ: ἣν εὔχομαι τελείαν μοι δοθῆναι, ἵνα ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ ὑμῶν θεοῦ ἐπιτύχω.

ἵνα οὖν ὑμῶν τέλειον γένηται τὸ ἔργον καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ ἐν οὐρανῷ, πρέπει εἰς τιμὴν θεοῦ χειροτονῆσαι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ὑμῶν θεοπρεσβεύτην, εἰς τὸ γενόμενον ἐν Συρίᾳ συγχαρῆναι αὐτοῖς, ὅτι εἰρηνεύουσιν καὶ ἀπέλαβον τὸ ἴδιον μέγεθος καὶ ἀπεκατεστάθη αὐτοῖς τὸ ἴδιον σωματεῖον.

ἐφάνη μοι οὖν θεοῦ ἄξιον πρᾶγμα, πέμψαι τινὰ τῶν ὑμετέρων μετ’ ἐπιστολῆς, ἵνα συνδοξάσῃ τὴν κατὰ θεὸν αὐτοῖς γενομένην εὐδίαν, καὶ ὅτι λιμένος ἤδη ἐτύγχανον τῇ προσευχῇ ὑμῶν. τέλειοι ὄντες τέλεια καὶ φρονεῖτε. θέλουσιν γὰρ ὑμῖν εὖ πράσσειν θεὸς ἕτοιμος εἰς τὸ παρέχειν.

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)

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