THE LETTER OF IGNATIUS TO THE TRALLIANS
Salutation
Ignatius the Image-bearer to the holy church at Tralles in Asia, dearly loved by God the Father of Jesus Christ, elect and worthy of God, at peace in flesh and spirit through the suffering of Jesus Christ, who is our hope when we rise to be with him, which I greet in the fullness of God in the apostolic manner and offer heartiest greetings.
Praise for the Trallians
1 I know that you have a disposition that is blameless and unwavering in patient endurance, not from habit but by nature, inasmuch as Polybius your bishop informed me when, by the will of God and Jesus Christ, he visited me in Smyrna; so heartily did he rejoice with me, a prisoner in Christ Jesus, that in him I saw your entire congregation. 2 Having received, therefore, your godly good will through him, I praised God when I found out that you were, as I had learned, imitators of God.
Obedience to the Bishop
2 For when you are subject to the bishop as to Jesus Christ, it is evident to me that you are living not in accordance with human standards but in accordance with Jesus Christ, who died for us in order that by believing in his death you might escape death. 2 It is essential, therefore, that you continue your current practice and do nothing without the bishop, but be subject also to the council of presbyters as to the apostles of Jesus Christ, our hope, in whom we shall be found, if we so live. 3 Furthermore, it is necessary that those who are deacons of the mysteries of Jesus Christ please everyone in every respect. For they are not merely deacons of food and drink but ministers of God’s church. Therefore they must avoid criticism as though it were fire.
Salutation the Image-bearer See note at Ign. Eph. Salutation. • spirit Some ancient authorities read blood.
2.2 live Some ancient authorities add in him. 2.3 mysteries Cf. 1 Cor. 4:1. • merely deacons Or merely servers.
3 Similarly, let everyone respect the deacons as Jesus Christ, just as they should respect the bishop, who is a model of the Father, and the presbyters as God’s council and as the band of the apostles. Without these no group can be called a church. 2 I am sure that you agree with me regarding these matters, for I received a living example of your love and still have it with me in the person of your bishop, whose very demeanor is a great lesson and whose gentleness is his power; I think that even the godless respect him. 3 Because I love you I am sparing you, though I could write more sharply on his behalf. But I did not think myself qualified for this, that I, a convict, should give you orders as though I were an apostle.
3.3 But . . . qualified Gk is corrupt; another possible reading is But I was not empowered.
Suffering and True Discipleship
4 I have many deep thoughts in union with God, but I take my own measure, lest I perish by boasting. For now I must be more careful and pay no attention to those who flatter me, for those who speak to me in this manner torture me. 2 For while I strongly desire to suffer, I do not know whether I am worthy, for the envy, though not apparent to many, wages war against me all the more. Therefore I need gentleness, by which the ruler of this age is destroyed.
4.2 envy I.e., of Satan.
5 Am I not able to write to you about heavenly things? But I am afraid to, lest I should cause harm to you, who are mere babes. So bear with me, lest you be choked by what you are unable to swallow. 2 For I myself, though I am in chains and can comprehend heavenly things, the ranks of the angels and the hierarchy of principalities, things visible and invisible— despite all this I am not yet a disciple. For we still lack many things, so that we may not lack God.
5.1 Cf. 1 Cor. 3:1–2. 5.2 heavenly things . . . invisible Cf. Col. 1:16.
The Danger of False Teaching
6 I urge you, therefore—yet not I, but the love of Jesus Christ—partake only of Christian food, and keep away from every strange plant, which is heresy. 2 These people, while pretending to be trustworthy, mix Jesus Christ with themselves—like those who administer a deadly drug with honeyed wine, which the unsuspecting victim accepts without fear, and so with fatal pleasure drinks down death.
6.2 themselves Gk is corrupt; some ancient versions read themselves; Lightfoot emends to poison. • without fear An editor’s emendation. Some ancient authorities read gladly.
Safety under the Bishop
7 Therefore be on your guard against such people. And you will be, provided that you are not puffed up with pride and that you cling inseparably to Jesus Christ and to the bishop and to the commandments of the apostles. 2 The one who is within the sanctuary is clean, but the one who is outside the sanctuary is not clean. That is, whoever does anything without the bishop and council of presbyters and deacons does not have a clean conscience.
7.1 Jesus Christ and Some ancient authorities read God, Jesus Christ, and.
Advance Warning against Error
8 Not that I know of any such thing among you; rather, I am guarding you in advance because you are very dear to me and I foresee the snares of the devil. You, therefore, must arm yourselves with gentleness and regain your strength in faith (which is the flesh of the Lord) and in love (which is the blood of Jesus Christ). 2 Let none of you hold a grudge against his neighbor. Do not give any opportunity to the pagans, lest the godly majority be blasphemed on account of a few foolish people. For “woe to the one through whose folly my name is blasphemed among any.”
8.1 and regain your strength An emendation. Some ancient authorities read and renew yourselves. 8.2 woe . . . among any Cf. Isa. 52:5.
The Reality of Jesus’ Human Experiences
9 Be deaf, therefore, whenever anyone speaks to you apart from Jesus Christ, who was of the family of David, who was the son of Mary; who really was born, who both ate and drank; who really was persecuted under Pontius Pilate, who really was crucified and died while those in heaven and on earth and under the earth looked on; 2 who, moreover, really was raised from the dead when his Father raised him up. In the same way his Father will likewise also raise up in Christ Jesus us who believe in him. Apart from him we have no true life.
10 But if, as some atheists (that is, unbelievers) say, he suffered in appearance only (while they exist in appearance only!), why am I in chains? And why do I want to fight with wild beasts? If that is the case, I die for no reason; what is more, I am telling lies about the Lord.
11 Flee, therefore, from these wicked offshoots that bear deadly fruit; if anyone even tastes it, he dies on the spot. These people are not the Father’s planting. 2 For if they were, they would appear as branches of the cross, and their fruit would be imperishable—the same cross by which he, through his suffering, calls you who are his members. The head, therefore, cannot be born without members, since God promises unity, which he himself is.
11.1 Cf. Matt. 15:13.
Personal Greetings and Parting Requests
12 I greet you from Smyrna together with the churches of God that are present with me, people who have refreshed me in every respect, physically as well as spiritually. 2 My chains, which I carry around for the sake of Jesus Christ while praying that I may reach God, exhort you: persevere in your unanimity and in prayer with one another. For it is right for each one of you, and especially the presbyters, to encourage the bishop, to the honor of the Father and to the honor of Jesus Christ and of the apostles. 3 I pray that you will listen to me in love, so that I may not by virtue of having written to you become a witness against you. But also pray for me, for I need your love in the mercy of God so that I may be reckoned worthy of the fate that I am eager to obtain, lest I be found disqualified.
12.2 and to the honor of Jesus Christ Some ancient authorities read and of Jesus Christ; others read of Jesus Christ. 12.3 that I am eager An emendation; both text and meaning are uncertain. • lest . . . disqualified Cf. 1 Cor. 9:27.
13 The love of the Smyrnaeans and of the Ephesians greets you. Remember in your prayers the church in Syria, of which I am not worthy to be considered a member, being as I am the very least of them. 2 Farewell in Jesus Christ. Be subject
to the bishop as to the commandment, and likewise to the council of presbyters. And love one another, each one of you, with an undivided heart. 3 My spirit is dedicated to you, not only now but also when I reach God. For I am still in danger, but the Father is faithful: in Jesus Christ he will fulfill my prayer and yours. May we be found blameless in him.
13.3 we Some ancient authorities read you.
THE LETTER OF IGNATIUS TO THE ROMANS
Salutation
Ignatius the Image-bearer to the church that has found mercy in the majesty of the Father Most High and Jesus Christ his only son, the church beloved and enlightened through the will of the one who willed all things that exist, in accordance with faith in and love for Jesus Christ our God, which also presides in the place of the district of the Romans, worthy of God, worthy of honor, worthy of blessing, worthy of praise, worthy of success, worthy of sanctification, and presiding over love, observing the law of Christ, bearing the name of the Father, which I also greet in the name of Jesus Christ, son of the Father; to those who are united in flesh and spirit to every commandment of his, who have been filled with the grace of God without wavering and filtered clear of every alien color: heartiest greetings blamelessly in Jesus Christ our God.
A Request Not to Hinder His Martyrdom
1 Since by praying to God I have succeeded in seeing your godly faces, so that I have received more than I asked—for I hope to greet you in chains for Christ Jesus, if it is his will for me to be reckoned worthy to reach the goal. 2 For the beginning is auspicious, provided that I attain the grace to receive my fate without interference. For I am afraid of your love, in that it may do me wrong; for it is easy for you to do what you want, but it is difficult for me to reach God, unless you spare me.
Salutation the Image-bearer See note at Ign. Eph. Salutation. • faith in and love for Jesus Or faith and love of Jesus; other ancient authorities omit faith [in] and. • presides . . . Romans This phrase, as wordy in Greek as in English, has been the subject of considerable discussion, primarily because of its obvious bearing on the question of the primacy of the bishop of Rome. A number of alternative ways of understanding the phrase have been proposed, most of which either strain the meaning of the words or require the emendation of a well-established text, and thus have little to commend them. Here the church (not the bishop) is said to preside or rule (cf. Magn. 6), presumably over the district in which it is located. • presiding over Or preeminent in. • observing . . . Christ Other ancient authorities read bearing the name of Christ, likely because of the influence of the following bearing the name of the Father. 1.1 so that . . . asked An editor’s emendation; most ancient authorities read faces, even as I have been asking to receive yet more; the difference in Greek is a single letter. 1.2 grace Other ancient authorities read goal. 2.1 For I do not . . . please God Cf. 1 Thess. 2:4. • a word of God . . a mere voice The contrast is between word as an intelligible or meaningful utterance and voice as an irrational cry or inarticulate sound. • love my flesh I.e., wish to keep me alive. Ignatius’s fear was that the Roman Christians, desiring to preserve his (physical) life, would plead his case before the magistrates and obtain his release, thereby frustrating his desire for martyrdom, through which he hoped to preserve his (spiritual) life. 2.2 west . . . east Lit. in the setting [of the sun] . . . from the rising [of the sun]; notice the play on these words in the next sentence. 3.3 work I.e., Christianity; cf. Eph. 14.2. 4.1 unseasonably kind Apparently an allusion to an ancient proverb: “An unseasonable kindness is no different than hostility.” • food Some ancient authorities omit this word. • bread Some ancient authorities read bread of God; others read bread of Christ. 4.2 the Lord Some ancient authorities read Christ. 5.1 I am not thereby justified 1 Cor. 4:4. 5.3 mutilation, mangling Some ancient authorities read mutilation and; others omit. 6.2 brothers and sisters Gk adelphoi. • tempt An editor’s emendation; one ancient authority reads deceive; the Gk manuscripts are defective. 7.2 believe instead Some ancient authorities read be persuaded instead by. • passionate love I.e., for the “world”; cf. Gal. 6:14. • water living and speaking So the Gk manuscripts; another ancient authority reads living water welling up; other ancient authorities vary widely. 8.3 goal Some ancient authorities add through the Holy Spirit. 9.2 an untimely birth Cf. 1 Cor. 15:8–9.
Martyrdom: The True Test of a Christian
2 For I do not want you to please people, but to please God, as you in fact are doing. For I will never again have an opportunity such as this to reach God, nor can you, if you remain silent, be credited with a greater accomplishment. For if you remain silent and leave me alone, I will be a word of God, but if you love my flesh, then I will again be a mere voice. 2 Grant me nothing more than to be poured out as an offering to God while there is still an altar ready, so that in love you may form a chorus and sing to the Father in Jesus Christ, because God has judged the bishop from Syria worthy to be found in the west, having summoned him from the east. It is good to be setting from the world to God in order that I may rise to him.
Martyrdom: The True Test of a Christian
3 You have never envied anyone; you taught others. And my wish is that those instructions that you issue when teaching disciples will remain in force. 2 Just pray that I will have strength both outwardly and inwardly so that I may not just talk about it but want to do it, so that I may not merely be called a Christian but actually prove to be one. For if I prove to be one, I can also be called one, and then I will be faithful when I am no longer visible to the world. 3 Nothing that is visible is good. For our God Jesus Christ is more visible now that he is in the Father. The work is not a matter of persuasive rhetoric; rather, Christianity is greatest when it is hated by the world.
Sacrifice as True Discipleship
4 I am writing to all the churches and am insisting to everyone that I die for God of my own free will—unless you hinder me. I implore you: do not be unseasonably kind to me. Let me be food for the wild beasts, through whom I can reach God. I am God’s wheat, and I am being ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, so that I may prove to be pure bread. 2 Better yet, coax the wild beasts, so that they may become my tomb and leave nothing of my body behind, lest I become a burden to anyone once I have fallen asleep. Then I will truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ, when the world will no longer see my body. Pray to the Lord on my behalf, so that through these instruments I may prove to be a sacrifice to God. 3 I do not give you orders like Peter and Paul: they were apostles, I am a convict; they were free, but I am even now still a slave. But if I suffer, I will be a freedman of Jesus Christ and will rise up free in him. In the meantime, as a prisoner I am learning to desire nothing.
Desire to Face, Not Flee, Martyrdom
5 From Syria all the way to Rome I am fighting with wild beasts, on land and sea, by night and day, chained amidst ten leopards (that is, a company of soldiers) who only get worse when they are well treated. Yet because of their mistreatment I am becoming more of a disciple; nevertheless I am not thereby justified. 2 May I have the pleasure of the wild beasts that have been prepared for me; and I pray that they prove to be prompt with me. I will even coax them to devour me quickly, not as they have done with some, whom they were too timid to touch. And if when I am willing and ready they are not, I will force them. 3 Bear with me—I know what is best for me. Now at last I am beginning to be a disciple. May nothing visible or invisible envy me, so that I may reach Jesus Christ. Fire and cross and battles with wild beasts, mutilation, mangling, wrenching of bones, the hacking of limbs, the crushing of my whole body, cruel tortures of the devil—let these come upon me, only let me reach Jesus Christ!
6 Neither the ends of the earth nor the kingdoms of this age are of any use to me. It is better for me to die for Jesus Christ than to rule over the ends of the earth. Him I seek, who died on our behalf; him I long for, who rose again for our sake. The pains of birth are upon me.
Longing for Life through Death
2 Bear with me, brothers and sisters: do not keep me fr
om living; do not desire my death. Do not give to the world one who wants to belong to God or tempt him with material things. Let me receive the pure light, for when I arrive there I will be a human being. 3 Allow me to be an imitator of the suffering of my God. If anyone has him within, let that person understand what I long for and sympathize with me, knowing what constrains me.
7 The ruler of this age wants to take me captive and corrupt my godly intentions. Therefore none of you who are present must help him. Instead take my side, that is, God’s. Do not talk about Jesus Christ while you desire the world. 2 Do not let envy dwell among you. And if upon my arrival I myself should appeal to you, do not be persuaded by me; believe instead these things that I am writing to you. For though I am still alive, I am passionately in love with death as I write to you. My passionate love has been crucified and there is no fire of material longing within me, but only water living and speaking in me, saying within me, “Come to the Father.” 3 I take no pleasure in corruptible food or the pleasures of this life. I want the bread of God, which is the flesh of Christ who is of the seed of David; and for drink I want his blood, which is incorruptible love.
8 I no longer want to live according to human standards. And such will be the case, if you so desire. Do so desire, so that you also may be desired! 2 With these brief lines I am making my request of you. Do believe me! And Jesus Christ, the unerring mouth by whom the Father has spoken truly, will make it clear to you that I am speaking truly. 3 Pray for me, that I may reach the goal. I write to you not according to human perspective but in accordance with the mind of God. If I suffer, you will have wanted it; if I am rejected, you will have hated me.
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