The Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians Shorter and Longer Versions
Chapter I.—Reason of writing the epistle.
Chapter II.—I rejoice in your messengers.
Chapter III.—Honour your youthful bishop.
Chapter IV.—Some wickedly act independently of the bishop.
Chapter V.—Death is the fate of all such.
Chapter VII.—Do nothing without the bishop and presbyters.
Chapter VIII.—Caution against false doctrines.
Chapter IX.—Let us live with Christ.
Chapter X.—Beware of Judaizing.
Chapter XI.—I write these things to warn you.
Chapter XII.—Ye are superior to me.
Chapter XIII.—Be established in faith and unity.
These things [I address to you], my beloved, not that I know any of you to be in such a state;75 i.e., addicted to the error of Judaizing. but, as less than any of you, I desire to guard you beforehand, that ye fall not upon the hooks of vain doctrine, but that ye attain to full assurance in regard to the birth, and passion, and resurrection which took place in the time of the government of Pontius Pilate, being truly and certainly accomplished by Jesus Christ, who is our hope,76 1 Tim. i. 1. from which may no one of you ever be turned aside.
These things [I address to you], my beloved, not that I know any of you to be in such a state;77 i.e., addicted to the error of Judaizing. but, as less than any of you, I desire to guard you beforehand, that ye fall not upon the hooks of vain doctrine, but that you may rather attain to a full assurance in Christ, who was begotten by the Father before all ages, but was afterwards born of the Virgin Mary without any intercourse with man. He also lived a holy life, and healed every kind of sickness and disease among the people, and wrought signs and wonders for the benefit of men; and to those who had fallen into the error of polytheism He made known the one and only true God, His Father, and underwent the passion, and endured the cross at the hands of the Christ-killing Jews, under Pontius Pilate the governor and Herod the king. He also died, and rose again, and ascended into the heavens to Him that sent Him, and is sat down at His right hand, and shall come at the end of the world, with His Father’s glory, to judge the living and the dead, and to render to every one according to his works.78 2 Tim. iv. 1; Rom. ii. 6. He who knows these things with a full assurance, and believes them, is happy; even as ye are now the lovers of God and of Christ, in the full assurance of our hope, from which may no one of us79 Some read, “of you.” ever be turned aside!
XI 1. Ταῦτα δέ, ἀγαπητοί μου, οὐκ ἐπεὶ ἔγνων τινὰς ἐξ ὑμῶν οὕτως ἔχοντας, ἀλλ’ ὡς μικρότερος ὑμῶν ἄγκιστρα τῆς κενοδοξίας, ἀλλὰ πεπληροφορῆσθαι ἐν τῇ γεννήσει καὶ τῷ πάθει καὶ τῇ ἀναστάσει τῇ γενομένῃ ἐν καιρῷ τῆς ἡγεμονίας Ποντίου Πιλάτου· πραχθέντα ἀληθῶς καὶ βεβαίως ὑπὸ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμῶν, ἧς ἐκτραπῆναι μηδενὶ ὑμῶν γένοιτο.