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worthy of reverence, worthy to be called blessed, worthy of praise, worthy of attainment, worthy of holiness and presiding in love, possessing the law of Christ, bearing the name of the Father, which I also greet in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father: to those united in flesh and spirit to his every commandment, filled with the grace of God without division and strained clear from every foreign color, abundant greetings in Jesus Christ, our God, blamelessly. Since I have succeeded, by praying to God, in seeing your faces which are worthy of God, so that I have received even more than I asked for; for as a prisoner in Christ Jesus I hope to greet you, if it is the will that I be counted worthy to reach the end. For the beginning is well-ordered, if I obtain grace to receive my lot without hindrance. For I fear your love, lest it should do me an injury. For it is easy for you to do what you want, but it is difficult for me to attain to God, unless you spare me.For I do not want you to please men, but to please God, just as you do please him. For neither shall I ever have such an opportunity to attain to God, nor can you, if you are silent, have a better work ascribed to you. For if you are silent about me, I shall become God's; but if you love my flesh, I shall be a runner once more. Grant me nothing more than to be poured out as a libation to God, while the altar is still ready, so that, having become a chorus in love, you may sing to the Father in Christ Jesus, that God has counted the bishop of Syria worthy to be found in the west, having summoned him from the east. It is good to set from the world to God, so that I may rise to him.You have never envied anyone; you have taught others.

But I desire that those things may be firm which you enjoin when you make disciples.Only ask for me power from within and from without, that I may not only say it, but also will it, that I may not only be called a Christian, but also be found to be one. For if I am found to be one, I can also be called one, and then be faithful, when I am not visible to the world. Nothing visible is good. For our God, Jesus Christ, being in the Father, is more visible. The work is not of persuasion, but Christianity is of greatness, when it is hated by the world.I am writing to all the churches and I enjoin all that I am willingly dying for God, if you do not hinder me. I beseech you, do not become an ill-timed goodwill to me. Allow me to be food for the wild beasts, through whom it is possible to attain to God. I am the wheat of God, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts, so that I may be found the pure bread of Christ. Rather, entice the wild beasts, so that they may become my tomb and leave nothing of my body, so that when I have fallen asleep I may not be burdensome to anyone. Then I shall truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ, when the world no longer sees my body. Entreat Christ for me, that through these instruments I may be found a sacrifice to God. I do not command you as Peter and Paul. They were apostles, I am a convict; they were free, but I am a slave until now. But if I suffer, I shall become a freedman of Jesus Christ, and I will be raised free in him. Now as a prisoner I am learning to desire nothing. From Syria to Rome I fight with wild beasts, by land and sea, by night and day, bound to ten leopards, that is, a company of soldiers, who even when treated well become worse. But in their wrongdoings I am the more a disciple, "yet I am not thereby justified."

May I have joy of the wild beasts that have been prepared for me, and I pray that they may be found prompt for me; which I will also entice to devour me promptly, not as they have done with some, whom they were afraid to touch. And if they are unwilling of their own accord, I will force them. Bear with me; I know what is profitable for me. Now I am beginning to be a disciple. May nothing visible or invisible envy me, so that I may attain to Jesus Christ. Let fire and cross and packs of wild beasts, cuttings, tearings, scatterings of bones, chopping of limbs, grinding of the whole body, evil torments of the devil come upon me, only that I may attain to Jesus Christ. The pleasures of the... will profit me nothing

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ἀξιοπρεπής, ἀξιομακάριστος, ἀξιέπαινος, ἀξιοεπίτευκτος, ἀξιόαγνος καὶ προκαθημένη τῆς ἀγάπης, χριστόνομος, πατρώνυμος, ἣν καὶ ἀσπάζομαι ἐν ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, υἱοῦ πατρός· κατὰ σάρκα καὶ πνεῦμα ἡνωμένοις πάσῃ ἐντολῇ αὐτοῦ, πεπληρωμένοις χάριτος θεοῦ ἀδιακρίτως καὶ ἀποδιϋλισμένοις ἀπὸ παντὸς ἀλλοτρίου χρώματος, πλεῖστα ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν, ἀμώμως χαίρειν. Ἐπεὶ εὐξάμενος θεῷ ἐπέτυχον ἰδεῖν ὑμῶν τὰ ἀξιόθεα πρόσωπα, ὡς καὶ πλέον ᾐτούμην λαβεῖν· δεδεμένος γὰρ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐλπίζω ὑμᾶς ἀσπάσασθαι, ἐάνπερ θέλημα ᾖ τοῦ ἀξιωθῆναί με εἰς τέλος εἶναι. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀρχὴ εὐοικονόμητός ἐστιν, ἐάνπερ χάριτος ἐπιτύχω εἰς τὸ τὸν κλῆρόν μου ἀνεμποδίστως ἀπολαβεῖν. Φοβοῦμαι γὰρ τὴν ὑμῶν ἀγάπην, μὴ αὐτή με ἀδικήσῃ. Ὑμῖν γὰρ εὐχερές ἐστιν, ὃ θέλετε ποιῆσαι· ἐμοὶ δὲ δύσκολόν ἐστιν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν, ἐάνπερ ὑμεῖς μὴ φείσησθέ μοι.Oὐ γὰρ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀνθρωπαρεσκῆσαι, ἀλλὰ θεῷ ἀρέσαι, ὥσπερ καὶ ἀρέσκετε. Oὔτε γὰρ ἐγώ ποτε ἕξω καιρὸν τοιοῦτον θεοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν, οὔτε ὑμεῖς, ἐὰν σιωπήσητε, κρείττονι ἔργῳ ἔχετε ἐπιγραφῆναι. Ἐὰν γὰρ σιωπήσητε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ἐγὼ γενήσομαι θεοῦ, ἐὰν δὲ ἐρασθῆτε τῆς σαρκός μου, πάλιν ἔσομαι τρέχων. Πλέον μοι μὴ παράσχησθε τοῦ σπονδισθῆναι θεῷ, ὡς ἔτι θυσιαστήριον ἕτοιμόν ἐστιν, ἵνα ἐν ἀγάπῃ χορὸς γενόμενοι ᾄσητε τῷ πατρὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὅτι τὸν ἐπίσκοπον Συρίας ὁ θεὸς κατηξίωσεν εὑρεθῆναι εἰς δύσιν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς μεταπεμψάμενος. Kαλὸν τὸ δῦναι ἀπὸ κόσμου πρὸς θεόν, ἵνα εἰς αὐτὸν ἀνατείλω.Oὐδέποτε ἐβασκάνατε οὐδενί, ἄλλους ἐδιδάξατε.

Ἐγὼ δὲ θέλω, ἵνα κἀκεῖνα βέβαια ᾖ, ἃ μαθητεύοντες ἐντέλλεσθε.Mόνον μοι δύναμιν αἰτεῖσθε ἔσωθέν τε καὶ ἔξωθεν, ἵνα μὴ μόνον λέγω, ἀλλὰ καὶ θέλω, ἵνα μὴ μόνον λέγωμαι Χριστιανός, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὑρεθῶ. Ἐὰν γὰρ εὑρεθῶ, καὶ λέγεσθαι δύναμαι καὶ τότε πιστὸς εἶναι, ὅταν κόσμῳ μὴ φαίνωμαι. Oὐδὲν φαινόμενον καλόν. Ὁ γὰρ θεὸς ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐν πατρὶ ὢν μᾶλλον φαίνεται. Oὐ πεισμονῆς τὸ ἔργον, ἀλλὰ μεγέθους ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστιανισμός, ὅταν μισῆται ὑπὸ κόσμου.Ἐγὼ γράφω πάσαις ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις καὶ ἐντέλλομαι πᾶσιν ὅτι ἐγὼ ἑκὼν ὑπὲρ θεοῦ ἀποθνήσκω, ἐάνπερ ὑμεῖς μὴ κωλύσητε. Παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς, μὴ εὔνοια ἄκαιρος γένησθέ μοι. Ἄφετέ με θηρίων εἶναι βοράν, δι' ὧν ἔστιν θεοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν. Σῖτός εἰμι θεοῦ καὶ δι' ὀδόντων θηρίων ἀλήθομαι, ἵνα καθαρὸς ἄρτος εὑρεθῶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Mᾶλλον κολακεύσατε τὰ θηρία, ἵνα μοι τάφος γένωνται καὶ μηθὲν καταλίπωσι τῶν τοῦ σώματός μου, ἵνα μὴ κοιμηθεὶς βαρύς τινι γένωμαι. Tότε ἔσομαι μαθητὴς ἀληθῶς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅτε οὐδὲ τὸ σῶμά μου ὁ κόσμος ὄψεται. Λιτανεύσατε τὸν Χριστὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, ἵνα διὰ τῶν ὀργάνων τούτων θεῷ θυσία εὑρεθῶ. Oὐχ ὡς Πέτρος καὶ Παῦλος διατάσσομαι ὑμῖν. Ἐκεῖνοι ἀπόστολοι, ἐγὼ κατάκριτος· ἐκεῖνοι ἐλεύθεροι, ἐγὼ δὲ μέχρι νῦν δοῦλος. Ἀλλ' ἐὰν πάθω, ἀπελεύθερος γενήσομαι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἀναστήσομαι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐλεύθερος. Nῦν μανθάνω δεδεμένος μηδὲν ἐπιθυμεῖν. Ἀπὸ Συρίας μέχρι Ῥώμης θηριομαχῶ, διὰ γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης, νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, δεδεμένος δέκα λεοπάρδοις, ὅ ἐστιν στρατιωτικὸν τάγμα· οἳ καὶ εὐεργετούμενοι χείρους γίνονται. Ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἀδικήμασιν αὐτῶν μᾶλλον μαθητεύομαι, «ἀλλ' οὐ παρὰ τοῦτο δεδικαίωμαι».

Ὀναίμην τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐμοὶ ἡτοιμασμένων καὶ εὔχομαι σύντομά μοι εὑρεθῆναι· ἃ καὶ κολακεύσω, συντόμως με καταφαγεῖν, οὐχ ὥσπερ τινῶν δειλαινόμενα οὐχ ἥψαντο. Kἂν αὐτὰ δὲ ἄκοντα μὴ θελήσῃ, ἐγὼ προσβιάσομαι. Συγγνώμην μοι ἔχετε· τί μοι συμφέρει, ἐγὼ γινώσκω. Nῦν ἄρχομαι μαθητὴς εἶναι. Mηθέν με ζηλώσαι τῶν ὁρατῶν καὶ ἀοράτων, ἵνα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιτύχω. Πῦρ καὶ σταυρὸς θηρίων τε συστάσεις, ἀνατομαί, διαιρέσεις, σκορπισμοὶ ὀστέων, συγκοπὴ μελῶν, ἀλεσμοὶ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος, κακαὶ κολάσεις τοῦ διαβόλου ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἐρχέσθωσαν, μόνον ἵνα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιτύχω. Oὐδέν μοι ὠφελήσει τὰ τερπνὰ τοῦ