Ignatius of Antioch, "Apostolic Father," died before 117 ce "Shorter" Version ET from W. Cureton, Corpus Ignatianum (1849) "Middle" Version TLG Greek edited P. T. Camelot, SC 10 (1969\4); "M" English Translation from the Lightfoot-Harmer edition; "Long" Version TLG Greek ed F.X.Funk and F.Diekamp (1913\2). coding (in "L"): $...$10 indicates "additions" relative to "M" $3...$ indicates quotation [??] $13...$ indicates quotation [??] ----- L---+---T1----+-T--2----R----V--T-+----4T---+---T5----R-T--6----r----7--T-+--  THE EPISTLE THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS OF IGNATIUS TO THE ROMANS TO THE ROMANS Ignatius, Ignatius, who is Theophorus, who is also Theophorus, to the Church unto her which has been pitied that hath found mercy in the greatness in the bountifulness of the Father Most High; of the Father Most High and of Jesus Christ His only Son; [see above] to the church that is beloved and enlightened through the will of Him who willed all things that are, by faith and love towards Jesus Christ our God; to her even unto her who presideth that hath the presidency in the place of the in the country of the country of the Romans, region of the Romans, who is worthy of God, being worthy of God, and worthy of life worthy of honor, and happiness worthy of felicitation, and praise worthy of praise, and remembrance, worthy of success, and is worthy worthy of prosperity, in purity, and presideth and having the presidency in love, of love, and is perfected walking in the law of Christ in the law of Christ blameless, [see below] and bearing the Father's name; which church also I salute in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of the Father; unto them that in flesh and spirit are united unto His every commandment, being filled with the grace of God without wavering, and filtered clear from every foreign stain; much peace. abundant greeting in Jesus Christ our God [see above] in blamelessness.  Long since [1.1] Forasmuch as have I prayed in answer to my prayer to God to God that I might be it hath been accounted worthy granted me to behold your faces, to see which are worthy of God: your godly countenances, now therefore so that I have obtained even more than I asked; being bound for wearing bonds in Jesus Christ, in Christ Jesus I hope to meet you I hope to and salute you, salute you, if there be the will if it be the Divine will that I should be that I should be accounted worthy counted worthy to the end. to reach unto the end; For the beginning [1.2] for the beginning is well disposed, verily is well ordered, if I be accounted worthy if so be I shall to attain to the end, attain unto the goal, that I may receive that I may receive my portion mine inheritance without hindrance without hindrance. through suffering. For I am afraid For I dread of your love, your very love, lest it should injure me. lest it do me an injury; For you, indeed, it is for it is easy easy for you for you to do what you wish; to do what ye will, but for me, but for me it is difficult for me it is difficult to be accounted worthy to attain of God, if indeed unto God, unless you spare me not. ye shall spare me. [2.1] For I would not have you to be men-pleasers but to please God, as indeed ye do please Him. For there is no other For neither shall I myself time ever find an opportunity like this, such as this that I should be accounted worthy of God; to attain unto God, neither will ye, nor can ye, if ye be silent, if ye be silent, be found in win the credit a better work than this. of any nobler work.  If ye For, if ye be silent leave me I shall be and leave me alone, I am the word of God; a word of God; but if ye love but if ye desire my flesh, my flesh, again am I then shall I be to myself a voice. again a mere cry. Ye will not give me [2.2] Nay grant me any thing nothing better than this, more than that I should be that I be poured out sacrificed to God a libation to God, while while there is still the altar is ready; an altar ready; that ye may be that forming yourselves in one concord in love, into a chorus in love and may praise ye may sing God the Father to the Father through Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ, our Lord, because he for that God has accounted hath vouchsafed a Bishop that the bishop from Syria should be found [see below] in the West, worthy to be God's, having called him having summoned him from the East from the East. to the West. [see above] It is good It is good that I should set to set from the world in God, from the world unto God, that I may rise in Him that I may rise unto Him. in life. [3.1] Ye have never [3.1] Ye never envied any one. grudged any one; Ye have taught ye were the instructors others. of others. And my desire is that those lessons shall hold good which as teachers ye enjoin. Pray only [3.2] Only pray for strength that I may have power to be given to me from within within and from without, and without, that I may so that I may not only speak, not only say it but also may be willing; but also desire it; and not that I may be that I may not only be called a Christian only, called a Christian, but also that I may but also be found to be [one]: be found one.  for if I am For if I shall be found to be [one], found so, I am also able then can I also to be called [so]. be called one, Then [indeed] shall I be and be faithful, faithful then, when I am no longer seen when I am no more visible in the world. to the world. For there is nothing [3.3] Nothing which is seen visible that is good. is good. For our God Jesus Christ, being in the Father, is the more plainly visible. The work is not The Work is not [a matter] of persuasion, of persuasiveness, but Christianity but Christianity is great is a thing of might, when the world whensoever it is hated hateth it. by the world. [4.1] I write [4.1] I write to all the Churches, to all the churches, and declare and I bid to all men all men know, that I die willingly that of my own free will for God, I die for God if it be unless that ye hinder me not. Ye should hinder me. I entreat you, I exhort you, be not [affected] be ye not towards me by love an unseasonable kindness that is unseasonable. to me. Leave me Let me be given to be the beasts', to the wild beasts, that through them for through them I may be accounted worthy I can attain of God. unto God. I am the wheat of God, I am God's wheat, and by the teeth and I am ground of the beasts by the teeth I am ground, of wild beasts that I may be found that I may be found the pure bread of God. pure bread [of Christ]. With provoking [4.2] Rather entice provoke ye the beasts, the wild beasts, that they may be that they may become a grave for me, my sepulchre and may leave nothing and may leave no part of my body, of my body behind, that even after so that I may not, I am fallen asleep when I am fallen asleep, I may not be a burden be burdensome upon any one. to any one.  Then shall I be in truth Then shall I be truly a disciple a disciple of Jesus Christ, of Jesus Christ, when the world seeth not when the world shall not even my body. so much as see my body. Intreat our Lord Supplicate the Lord for me, that through for me, that through these instruments these instruments I may be found I may be found a sacrifice to God. a sacrifice to God. I do not [4.3] I do not charge you enjoin you, like Peter and Paul, as Peter and Paul did. who are Apostles, They were Apostles, but I am one condemned: I am a convict; they indeed are free, they were free, but I am a slave but I am a slave even until now. to this very hour. But if I suffer, Yet if I shall suffer, I shall be the freedman then am I a freed-man of Jesus Christ, of Jesus Christ, and I shall rise and I shall rise from the dead in Him free. free in Him. And now, Now being bound, I learn I am learning in my bonds to desire nothing. to put away every desire. [5.1] From Syria, [5.1] From Syria and even to Rome even unto Rome I am cast among beasts, I fight with wild beasts, by sea and by land, by land and sea, by night and by day, by night and by day, being bound being bound between ten leopards, amidst ten leopards, which are even the band of soldiers, a company of soldiers, who, even while who only wax worse I do good to them, when they are do evil the more to me. kindly treated. But I am Howbeit through [see below] their wrong doings the rather instructed I become more completely by their injury, a disciple; but not on this account "yet am I not am I justified to myself. hereby justified". [5.2] I rejoice [5.2] May I have joy in the beasts of the beasts that have that are prepared for me, been prepared for me; and I pray and I pray that they may that I may be quickly found for me; find them prompt; and I will provoke them nay I will entice them to devour me that they may devour me speedily: promptly,  and not as that not as which is afraid they have done of some other men, to some, and does not refusing to approach them; touch them through fear. even should Yea though of themselves they not be they should not be willing to approach me, willing while I am ready, I will go with violence I myself will force them against them. to it. Know me from myself. Bear with me. What is expedient I know what is expedient for me? for me. [5.3] [5.3] Now am I beginning to be a disciple. Let nothing May naught envy me of things visible of those that are seen and things invisible and that are not seen, envy me; that I should be that I may accounted worthy attain of Jesus Christ. unto Jesus Christ. Fire and the cross, Come fire and cross and grapplings and the beasts with wild beasts, that are prepared, amputation of the limbs, [cuttings and manglings,] and scattering wrenching of the bones, of bones, hacking of limbs, and crushing crushings of the whole body, of my whole body, hard torments come cruel tortures of the devil, of the devil let these come upon me, to assail me. and only may I be Only be it mine accounted worthy to attain of Jesus Christ. unto Jesus Christ. [6.1] The farthest bounds of the universe shall profit me nothing, neither the kingdoms of this world. It is good for me to die for Jesus Christ rather than to reign over the farthest bounds of the earth. Him I seek, who died on our behalf; Him I desire, who rose [6.1] again [for our sake]. The pains of the birth The pangs of a new birth stand over me, are upon me. [6.2] Bear with me, [[go to 7.2]] brethren.  Do not hinder me from living; do not desire my death. Bestow not on the world one who desireth to be God's, neither allure him with material things. Suffer me to receive the pure light. When I am come thither, then shall I be a man. [6.3] Permit me to be an imitator of the passion of my God. If any man hath Him within himself, let him understand what I desire, and let him have fellow- feeling with me, for he knoweth the things which straiten me. [7.1] The prince of this world would fain tear me in pieces and corrupt my mind to Godward. Let not any of you therefore who are near abet him. Rather stand ye on my side, that is on God's side. Speak not of Jesus Christ and withal desire the world. Let not envy have a home in you. [7.2] Even though I myself, when I am with you, should beseech you, obey me not; but rather give credence to these things which I write to you. [For] I write to you in the midst of life, yet lusting after death. and my love My lust is crucified, hath been crucified, and there is no fire and there is no fire in me of material longing for another love. in me, but only water living and speaking in me, saying within me, Come to the Father.  I do not desire I have no delight the food of corruption, in the food of corruption neither the desires or in the delights of this world. of this life. The bread of God I desire I seek, the bread of God, which is the flesh which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, of Christ who was of the seed of David; and his blood I seek, and for a draught a drink I desire His blood, which is love which is love incorruptible. incorruptible. [8.1] I desire no longer to live after the manner of men; and this shall be, if ye desire it. Desire ye, that ye yourselves also may be desired. In a brief letter I beseech you; [8.2] believe me. And Jesus Christ shall make manifest unto you these things, that I speak the truth -- Jesus Christ, the unerring mouth in whom the Father hath spoken [truly]. [8.3] Entreat ye for me, that I may attain [through the Holy Spirit]. I write not unto you after the flesh, but after the mind of God. If I shall suffer, it was your desire; if I shall be rejected, it was your hatred. [9.1] Remember in your prayers the church which is in Syria, which hath God for its shepherd in my stead. Jesus Christ alone shall be its bishop -- He and your love. [9.2] But for myself I am ashamed to be called one of them; for neither am I worthy, being the very last of them and an untimely birth: but I have found mercy that I should be some one, if so be I shall attain unto God.  [9.3] My spirit [9.3] My spirit saluteth you, saluteth you, and the love and the love of the Churches of the churches which received me which received me as the name in the name of Jesus Christ, of Jesus Christ, not as a mere wayfarer; for even those for even those churches who were near which did not lie on my to the way in the flesh route after the flesh preceded me went before me in every city. from city to city. [[the following section -------------------- is here only in S; but is [[material from Trall 4-5 in M+L in Trall 4-5 !]] ETMed follows]] Now therefore being about to arrive shortly at Rome, I know many [4.1] I have many things in God; deep thoughts in God: but I moderate myself, but I take the measure that I may not perish of myself, lest I perish through boasting; in my boasting. for now it behoveth me For now I ought to be to fear the more, the more afraid and not to regard and not to give heed those to those who puff me up. that would puff me up: For they who say to me for they that say such things, these things to me scourge me: are a scourge to me. for For though I love to suffer, I desire to suffer, but I do not know yet I know not if I am worthy. whether I am worthy: For to many zeal for the envy of the devil is not seen; is unseen indeed by many, but with me but against me it has war: it wages the fiercer war. I have need therefore So then I crave of meekness, gentleness, by which whereby the ruler of this world the prince of this world is destroyed. is brought to nought. I am able [5.1] Am I not able to write to you to write to you of heavenly things; of heavenly things? but I fear lest I should But I fear lest do you an injury. I should cause you harm being babes. Know me from myself. So bear with me, For I am cautious, lest ye should not lest not being able be able to receive it, to take them in, and should be perplexed. ye should be choked.  For even I, For I myself also, not because I am bound, albeit I am in bonds and am able to know and can comprehend heavenly things, heavenly things and the places and the arrays of angels, of the angels and the station and the musterings of the powers of the principalities, that are seen things visible and that are not seen, and things invisible -- I myself am not yet on this account by reason of this am I a disciple: a disciple. for I am far short For we lack of the perfection many things, which is worthy of God. that God may not be lacking to us. -------------------- [10.1] Now I write these things to you from Smyrna by the hand of the Ephesians who are worthy of all felicitation. And Crocus also, a name very dear to me, is with me, with many others besides. [10.2] As touching those who went before me from Syria to Rome unto the glory of God, I believe that ye have received instructions; whom also apprise that I am near; for they all are worthy of God and of you, and it becometh you to refresh them in all things. [10.3] These things I write to you on the ninth before the Calends of September. Be ye perfectly safe Fare ye well unto the end in the patience in the patient waiting of Jesus Christ our God. for Jesus Christ. ----- ----- [Adaptations and modifications [(c) 1990 ATHENA DATA PRODUCTS] [Distributed by: University of Pennsylvania Electronic Text Archive]