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not separate from God, Jesus Christ, and from the bishop, and from the ordinances of the apostles. He that is within the altar is pure; but he that is without the altar is not pure; that is, he who does anything without the bishop and presbytery and deacons, this man is not pure in his conscience.Not that I have known any such thing among you, but I keep watch over you beforehand, being my beloved, foreseeing the snares of the devil. You, therefore, taking up gentleness, renew yourselves in faith, which is the flesh of the Lord, and in love, which is the blood of Jesus Christ. Let none of you have anything against his neighbor. Give no occasions to the Gentiles, so that the multitude in God may not be blasphemed on account of a few foolish men. For woe to him through whom in vanity “my name” is “blasphemed” among some. Be deaf, therefore, when anyone speaks to you apart from Jesus Christ, of the family of David, of Mary, who was truly born, both ate and drank, was truly persecuted under Pontius Pilate, was truly crucified and died, in the sight of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth; who also was truly raised from the dead, His Father having raised Him, who also, after the same manner, will so raise us who believe in Him, His Father in Christ Jesus, apart from whom we do not have the true life. But if, as some who are atheists, that is, unbelievers, say, that he suffered in appearance, they themselves being an appearance, why am I in chains, and why do I also pray to fight with the wild beasts? Then I die in vain. Therefore, I am bearing false witness against the Lord.

Flee, therefore, the evil offshoots that produce a deadly fruit, of which if anyone tastes, he dies at once; for these are not the planting of the Father. For if they were, they would appear as branches of the cross and their fruit would be imperishable; by which in his passion he calls you, being his members. A head, therefore, cannot be born separately without members, since God promises union, which is himself.I greet you from Smyrna, together with the churches of God that are present with me, who have refreshed me in every way, both in flesh and in spirit. My bonds exhort you, which for the sake of Jesus Christ I carry about, asking to attain to God; continue in your concord and in prayer with one another. For it is fitting for you, individually, and especially for the presbyters, to refresh the bishop to the honor of the Father, of Jesus Christ, and of the apostles.

I pray that you may hear me in love, so that I may not be a testimony against you by having written. And pray also for me, who need your love in the mercy of God, that I may be counted worthy of the lot which I am set to obtain, so that I may not be found disapproved. The love of the Smyrnaeans and Ephesians greets you. Remember in your prayers the church in Syria, from where I am not worthy to be called, being the last of them. Fare you well in Jesus Christ, being subject to the bishop as to the commandment, and likewise to the presbytery. And love one another, man by man, with an undivided heart. My spirit is a sacrifice for you, not only now, but also when I attain to God. For I am still in danger; but the Father is faithful in Jesus Christ to fulfill my petition and yours, in whom may you be found blameless.

IGNATIUS TO THE ROMANS

Ignatius, who is also Theophorus, to the church which has obtained mercy in the majesty of the most high Father and

Jesus Christ His only Son, to the church which is beloved and enlightened through the will of Him who wills all things that are, according to the faith and love of Jesus Christ our God, which also presides in the place of the region of the Romans, worthy of God,

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ἀχωρίστοις θεοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου καὶ τῶν διαταγμάτων τῶν ἀποστόλων. Ὁ ἐντὸς θυσιαστηρίου ὢν καθαρός ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ ἐκτὸς θυσιαστηρίου ὢν οὐ καθαρός ἐστιν· τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ὁ χωρὶς ἐπισκόπου καὶ πρεσβυτερίου καὶ διακόνων πράσσων τι, οὗτος οὐ καθαρός ἐστιν τῇ συνειδήσει.Oὐκ ἐπεὶ ἔγνων τοιοῦτόν τι ἐν ὑμῖν, ἀλλὰ προφυλάσσω ὑμᾶς ὄντας μου ἀγαπητούς, προορῶν τὰς ἐνέδρας τοῦ διαβόλου. Ὑμεῖς οὖν τὴν πραϋπάθειαν ἀναλαβόντες ἀνακτίσασθε ἑαυτοὺς ἐν πίστει, ὅ ἐστιν σὰρξ τοῦ κυρίου, καὶ ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ὅ ἐστιν αἷμα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Mηδεὶς ὑμῶν κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον ἐχέτω. Mὴ ἀφορμὰς δίδοτε τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ἵνα μὴ δι' ὀλίγους ἄφρονας τὸ ἐν θεῷ πλῆθος βλασφημῆται. Oὐαὶ γάρ, δι' οὗ ἐπὶ ματαιότητι «τὸ ὄνομά μου» ἐπί τινων «βλασφημεῖται». Kωφώθητε οὖν, ὅταν ὑμῖν χωρὶς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ λαλῇ τις, τοῦ ἐκ γένους ∆αυίδ, τοῦ ἐκ Mαρίας, ὃς ἀληθῶς ἐγεννήθη, ἔφαγέν τε καὶ ἔπιεν, ἀληθῶς ἐδιώχθη ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου, ἀληθῶς ἐσταυρώθη καὶ ἀπέθανεν, βλεπόντων τῶν ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ ὑποχθονίων· ὃς καὶ ἀληθῶς ἠγέρθη ἀπὸ νεκρῶν, ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, ὃς καὶ κατὰ τὸ ὁμοίωμα ἡμᾶς τοὺς πιστεύοντας αὐτῷ οὕτως ἐγερεῖ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, οὗ χωρὶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ζῆν οὐκ ἔχομεν. Eἰ δέ, ὥσπερ τινὸς ἄθεοι ὄντες, τουτέστιν ἄπιστοι, λέγουσιν, τὸ δοκεῖν πεπονθέναι αὐτόν, αὐτοὶ ὄντες τὸ δοκεῖν, ἐγὼ τί δέδεμαι, τί δὲ καὶ εὔχομαι θηριομαχῆσαι; ∆ωρεὰν οὖν ἀποθνήσκω. Ἄρα οὖν καταψεύδομαι τοῦ κυρίου.

Φεύγετε οὖν τὰς κακὰς παραφυάδας τὰς γεννώσας καρπὸν θανατοφόρον, οὗ ἐὰν γεύσηταί τις, παρ' αὐτὰ ἀποθνήσκει· οὗτοι γὰρ οὔκ εἰσιν φυτεία πατρός. Eἰ γὰρ ἦσαν, ἐφαίνοντο ἂν κλάδοι τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ ἦν ἂν ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῶν ἄφθαρτος· δι' οὗ ἐν τῷ πάθει αὐτοῦ προσκαλεῖται ὑμᾶς ὄντας μέλη αὐτοῦ. Oὐ δύναται οὖν κεφαλὴ χωρὶς γεννηθῆναι ἄνευ μελῶν, τοῦ θεοῦ ἕνωσιν ἐπαγγελλομένου, ὅ ἐστιν αὐτός.Ἀσπάζομαι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ Σμύρνης ἅμα ταῖς συμπαρούσαις μοι ἐκκλησίαις τοῦ θεοῦ, οἳ κατὰ πάντα με ἀνέπαυσαν σαρκί τε καὶ πνεύματι. Παρακαλεῖ ὑμᾶς τὰ δεσμά μου, ἃ ἕνεκεν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ περιφέρω αἰτούμενος θεοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν· διαμένετε ἐν τῇ ὁμονοίᾳ ὑμῶν καὶ τῇ μετ' ἀλλήλων προσευχῇ. Πρέπει γὰρ ὑμῖν τοῖς καθ' ἕνα, ἐξαιρέτως καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις, ἀναψύχειν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον εἰς τιμὴν πατρὸς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων.

Eὔχομαι ὑμᾶς ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἀκοῦσαί μου, ἵνα μὴ εἰς μαρτύριον ὦ ἐν ὑμῖν γράψας. Kαὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ δὲ προσεύχεσθε, τῆς ἀφ' ὑμῶν ἀγάπης χρῄζοντος ἐν τῷ ἐλέει τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰς τὸ καταξιωθῆναί με τοῦ κλήρου οὗ περίκειμαι ἐπιτυχεῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἀδόκιμος εὑρεθῶ. Ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς ἡ ἀγάπη Σμυρναίων καὶ Ἐφεσίων. Mνημονεύετε ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς ὑμῶν τῆς ἐν Συρίᾳ ἐκκλησίας, ὅθεν καὶ οὐκ ἄξιός εἰμι λέγεσθαι ὢν ἔσχατος ἐκείνων. Ἔρρωσθε ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, ὑποτασσόμενοι τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ὡς τῇ ἐντολῇ, ὁμοίως καὶ τῷ πρεσβυτερίῳ. Kαὶ οἱ κατ' ἄνδρα ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶτε ἐν ἀμερίστῳ καρδίᾳ. Ἁγνίζεται ὑμῶν τὸ ἐμὸν πνεῦμα οὐ μόνον νῦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅταν θεοῦ ἐπιτύχω. Ἔτι γὰρ ὑπὸ κίνδυνόν εἰμι· ἀλλὰ πιστὸς ὁ πατὴρ ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ πληρῶσαί μου τὴν αἴτησιν καὶ ὑμῶν, ἐν ᾧ εὑρεθείητε ἄμωμοι.

ΡΩMAIOIΣ IΓNATIOΣ

Ἰγνάτιος, ὁ καὶ Θεοφόρος, τῇ ἐλεημένῃ ἐν μεγαλειότητι πατρὸς ὑψίστου καὶ

Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ μόνου υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἠγαπημένῃ καὶ πεφωτισμένῃ ἐν θελήματι τοῦ θελήσαντος τὰ πάντα ἃ ἔστιν, κατὰ πίστιν καὶ ἀγάπην Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ἥτις καὶ προκάθηται ἐν τόπῳ χωρίου Ῥωμαίων, ἀξιόθεος,