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BOOK 6  (from: _Apostolic Fathers,_ Kirsopp Lake, 1912 (Loeb Classical Library))

                          IGNATIUS to the Magnesians

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CHAPTER 0
 0:1  |Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to
her ^1 who is blessed in the Grace of God the Father by
Christ Jesus, our Saviour, in whom I greet the Church
which is in Magnesia on the Maeander, and bid it in God
the Father and in Christ Jesus abundant greeting.

== small type on ==
 ^1  _i.e._ the Church.
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CHAPTER 1
 1:1  |Knowing the great orderliness of your love
towards God I gladly determined to address you in the
faith of Jesus Christ.
 1:2  For being counted worthy to bear a most godly
name I sing the praise of the Churches in the bonds
which I carry about, and pray that in them there may be
a union of the flesh and spirit of Jesus Christ, who is
our everlasting life, a union of faith and love, to
which is nothing preferable, and (what is more than
all) a union of Jesus and the Father. If we endure in
him all the evil treatment of the Prince of this world
and escape, we shall attain unto God.

CHAPTER 2
 2:1  |Forasmuch then as I was permitted to see you in
the person of Damas, your godly bishop, and the worthy
presbyters Bassus and Apollonius, and my fellow servant
the deacon Zotion, whose friendship I would enjoy
because he is subject to the bishop as to the grace of
God, and to the presbytery as to the law of Jesus
Christ, -- ^1

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 ^1  The sentence is unfinished: possibly the text is corrupt.
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CHAPTER 3
 3:1  |Now it becomes you not to presume on the youth
of the bishop, but to render him all respect according
to the power of God the Father, as I have heard that
even the holy presbyters have not taken advantage of
his outwardly youthful appearance, but yield to him in
their godly prudence, yet not to him, but to the Father
of Jesus Christ, to the bishop of all.
 3:2  For the honour therefore of him who desired us,
it is right that we yield obedience without hypocrisy,
for a man does not merely deceive this bishop who is
seen, but is dealing wrongly with him who is invisible.
And in this matter his reckoning is not with flesh, but
with God, who knows the secret things.

CHAPTER 4
 4:1  |It is right, then, that we should be really
Christians, and not merely have the name; even as there
are some who recognize the bishop in their words, but
disregard him in all their actions. Such men seem to me
not to act in good faith, since they do not hold valid
meetings according to the commandments.

CHAPTER 5
 5:1  |Seeing then that there is an end to all, that
the choice is between two things, death and life, and
that each is to go to his own place;
 5:2  for, just as there are two coinages, ^1 the one
of God, the other of the world, and each has its own
stamp impressed on it, so the unbelievers bear the
stamp of this world, and the believers the stamp of God
the Father in love through Jesus Christ, and unless we
willingly choose to die through him in his passion, his
life is not in us.

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 ^1  This is perhaps a reference to Matthew 22:19.
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CHAPTER 6
 6:1  |Seeing then that I have looked on the whole
congregation in faith in the persons mentioned above,
and have embraced them, I exhort you: -- Be zealous to
do all things in harmony with God, with the bishop
presiding in the place of God and the presbyters in the
place of the Council of the Apostles, and the
deacons, ^1 who are most dear to me, entrusted with the
service of Jesus Christ, who was from eternity with the
Father and was made manifest at the end of time.
 6:2  Be then all in conformity with God, and respect
one another, and let no man regard his neighbour
according to the flesh, but in everything love one
another in Jesus Christ. Let there be nothing in you
which can divide you, but be united with the bishop and
with those who preside over you as an example and
lesson of immortality.

== small type on ==
 ^1  The sentences seem to be unfinished: the Apostolic
Constitutions 2:26 say "Let the Deacon be honoured as a type of Holy
Spirit."
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CHAPTER 7
 7:1  |As then the Lord was united to the Father and
did nothing without him, neither by himself nor through
the Apostles, so do you do nothing without the bishop
and the presbyters. Do not attempt to make anything
appear right for you by yourselves, but let there be in
common one prayer, one supplication, one mind, one hope
in love, in the joy which is without fault, that is
Jesus Christ, than whom there is nothing better.
 7:2  Hasten all to come together as to one temple of
God, as to one altar, to one Jesus Christ, who came
forth from the one Father, and is with one, and
departed to one.

CHAPTER 8
 8:1  |Be not led astray by strange doctrines or by old
fables which are profitless. For if we are living until
now according to Judaism, we confess that we have not
received grace.
 8:2  For the divine prophets lived according to Jesus
Christ. Therefore they were also persecuted, being
inspired by his grace, to convince the disobedient that
there is one God, who manifested himself through Jesus
Christ his son, who is his Word proceeding from
silence, who in all respects was well-pleasing to him
that sent him.

CHAPTER 9
 9:1  |If then they who walked in ancient customs came
to a new hope, no longer living for the Sabbath, but
for the Lord's Day, on which also our life sprang up
through him and his death, -- though some deny him, --
and by this mystery we received faith, and for this
reason also we suffer, that we may be found disciples
of Jesus Christ our only teacher;
 9:2  if these things be so, how then shall we be able
to live without him of whom even the prophets were
disciples in the Spirit and to whom they looked forward
as their teacher? And for this reason he whom they
waited for in righteousness, when he came raised them
from the dead. ^1

== small type on ==
 ^1  This is possibly a proleptic reference to final resurrection,
but more probably to the belief, found in many documents of a later
date, that Jesus by the descent into Hades set free, and took into
Paradise, the righteous dead. Cf. especially the _Gospel of
Nicodemus_ or _Acta Pilati._
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CHAPTER 10
 10:1  |Let us then not be insensible to his goodness,
for if he should imitate us in our actions we are
lost. ^1 For this cause let us be his disciples, and
let us learn to lead Christian lives. For whoever is
called by any name other than this is not of God.
 10:2  Put aside then the evil leaven, which has grown
old and sour, and turn to the new leaven, which is
Jesus Christ. Be salted in him, that none among you may
be corrupted, since by your savour you shall be tested.
 10:3  It is monstrous to talk of Jesus Christ and to
practise Judaism. For Christianity did not base its
faith on Judaism, but Judaism on Christianity, and
every tongue believing on God was brought together in
it.

== small type on ==
 ^1  The meaning appears to be "if God should treat us according to
human standards none of us should see salvation."
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CHAPTER 11
 11:1  |Now I say this, beloved, not because I know that
there are any of you that are thus, but because I wish
to warn you, though I am less than you, not to fall
into the snare of vain doctrine, but to be convinced of
the birth and passion and resurrection which took place
at the time of the procuratorship of Pontius Pilate;
for these things were truly and certainly done by Jesus
Christ, our hope, from which God grant that none of you
be turned aside.

CHAPTER 12
 12:1  |Let me have joy of you in all things, if I be
but worthy. For even though I am in bonds I am not to
be compared to one of you that have been set free. I
know that you are not puffed up; for you have Jesus
Christ in yourselves. And I know that when I praise you
your modesty increases the more, as it is written, "The
righteous man is his own accuser."

CHAPTER 13
 13:1  |Be diligent therefore to be confirmed in the
ordinances of the Lord and the Apostles, in order that
"you may prosper in all things whatsoever ye do" in the
flesh and in the spirit, in faith and love, in the Son
and the Father and the Spirit, at the beginning and at
the end, together with your revered bishop and with
your presbytery, that aptly woven spiritual crown, and
with the godly deacons.
 13:2  Be subject to the bishop and to one another,
even as Jesus Christ was subject to the Father, and the
Apostles were subject to Christ and to the Father, in
order that there may be a union both of flesh and of
spirit.

CHAPTER 14
 14:1  |I know that you are full of God, and I have
exhorted you briefly. Remember me in your prayers, that
I may attain to God, and remember the Church in Syria,
of which I am not worthy to be called a member. For I
need your united prayer in God and your love, that the
Church which is in Syria may be granted refreshment
from the dew of your Church.

CHAPTER 15
 15:1  |The Ephesians greet you from Smyrna, whence
also I am writing to you; they, like yourselves, are
here for the glory of God and have in all things given
me comfort, together with Polycarp the bishop of the
Smyrnaeans. And the other Churches also greet you in
honour of Jesus Christ. Farewell in godly concord and
may you possess an unhesitating ^1 spirit, for this is
Jesus Christ.

== small type on ==
 ^1  The translation "a spirit that knows no division" is possible,
and perhaps suits the context here better than "unhesitating," but
the latter rendering seems to be justified by _Ignatius to the
Trallians_ 1:1. A somewhat different shade of meaning is found in
_Ignatius to the Ephesians_ 3:2.
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