Greeting and Thanks for the Ephesians' Visit
1 Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the church in Ephesus [of Asia], which has been blessed with greatness through the fullness of God the Father, destined before time began for lasting and unchanging glory, united and chosen through true suffering by the will of the Father and of Jesus Christ our God, and deserving of every blessing: warmest greetings in Christ Jesus and in blameless joy. In God I welcomed [your] much-loved name, which is yours by your very nature [in an upright and virtuous mind], through faith and love in Christ Jesus our Savior. You imitate God, and with hearts set on fire by the blood of God, you have done perfectly the work that comes naturally to you— 2 for when you heard that I was on my way from Syria in chains for the sake of the Name and the hope we share, and that I hoped through your prayers to succeed in fighting wild beasts in Rome, so that by succeeding I could truly become a disciple, you were eager to visit me— 3 since, then, in God's name I have received your whole community in the person of Onesimus, whose love is beyond words and who is also your bishop [in the flesh]; I pray that you will love him in Jesus Christ and that all of you will be like him; for blessed is the One who has given you, as you deserve, such a bishop—
Burrhus, Crocus, and the Other Ephesian Visitors
1 As for my fellow servant Burrhus, your deacon by the will of God and blessed in every way, I ask that he be allowed to stay with me, to your credit and to your bishop's. And Crocus too, who is worthy of God and of you, and whom I welcomed as a sign of your love for me, has refreshed me in every way (may the Father of Jesus Christ refresh him in return), together with Onesimus, Burrhus, Euplus, and Fronto; in them I saw all of you with the eyes of love. 2 I hope I will always have reason to rejoice over you, if I am worthy of it. So it is right for you to glorify Jesus Christ in every way, since He has glorified you, so that, completely united in one obedience and submitting to your bishop and presbytery, you may be made holy in every way.
Ignatius Speaks as a Fellow Learner
1 I am not giving you orders as if I were someone important. For even though I am in chains for the Name, I have not yet been made perfect in Jesus Christ. [For] now I am beginning to be a disciple, and I speak to you as my fellow learners. For I ought to be trained by you for the contest in faith, in encouragement, in endurance, and in patience. 2 But since love does not allow me to be silent about you, I took the lead in urging you to run in harmony with the mind of God; for Jesus Christ, our inseparable life, is also the mind of the Father, just as the bishops appointed in the farthest parts of the earth are in the mind of Jesus Christ.
The Presbytery Tuned to the Bishop Like a Lyre
1 So it is right for you to run in harmony with the mind of the bishop, as you already do. For your presbytery, which deserves its good name and is worthy of God, is tuned to the bishop like strings to a lyre. So in your harmony and united love Jesus Christ is sung. 2 Every one of you, join in a choir, so that being in tune with one another and taking your pitch from God, you may sing in unison with one voice through Jesus Christ to the Father, and He may both hear you and recognize you by your good deeds as members of His Son. It benefits you, then, to be in blameless unity, so that you may always share in God.
Staying Within the Sanctuary
1 For if I in a short time came to know your bishop so closely, in a way that was not human but spiritual, how much more do I count you blessed, since you are closely joined with him, as the Church is with Jesus Christ and as Jesus Christ is with the Father, so that all things may be in harmony through unity. 2 Let no one be deceived. If anyone is not within the sanctuary, he lacks the bread [of God]. For if the prayer of one or two people has such power, how much more that of the bishop and of the whole Church. 3 So whoever does not come to the assembly already shows his pride and has separated himself; for it is written, God opposes the proud. So let us be careful not to oppose the bishop, so that by our obedience we may give ourselves to God.
Respecting a Silent Bishop
1 And the more anyone sees that the bishop is silent, the more he should revere him. For we ought to receive everyone whom the Master of the house sends to manage His own household as we would receive the one who sent him. So it is clear that we should regard the bishop as the Lord Himself. 2 Now Onesimus himself highly praises how orderly you are in God, because you all live according to the truth, and no heresy has a home among you; in fact, you do not even listen to anyone unless he speaks truthfully about Jesus Christ.
Ignatius on Jesus as the One Physician
1 For some people make a practice of using the Name deceitfully, while doing other things unworthy of God. You must avoid them as you would wild beasts; for they are mad dogs that bite in secret, and you must be on guard against them, for they are hard to heal. 2 There is one physician, both flesh and spirit, born and unborn, God in man, true life in death, Son of Mary and Son of God, first able to suffer and then beyond suffering, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Ignatius Offers Himself for the Ephesians
1 So let no one deceive you, as indeed you are not deceived, since you belong completely to God. For when no desire that can torment you has taken root in you, then you truly live according to God. I give myself for you, and I dedicate myself as an offering for you Ephesians, a church famous through all the ages. 2 Those who belong to the flesh cannot do the things of the Spirit, nor can those who belong to the Spirit do the things of the flesh; just as faith cannot do the things of unfaithfulness, nor unfaithfulness the things of faith. Indeed, even what you do in the flesh is spiritual, for you do everything in Jesus Christ.
Stones of God's Temple
1 But I have learned that certain people from elsewhere passed through your city bringing evil teaching; you did not allow them to sow it among you, but stopped your ears so that you would not receive what they sowed, since you are stones of a temple, prepared in advance for a building of God the Father, lifted up to the heights by the Cross of Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit as the rope; your faith pulls you upward, and love is the road that leads up to God. 2 So you are all fellow travelers, carrying your God and your shrine, your Christ and your holy things, adorned from head to foot with the commandments of Jesus Christ. And I too share in the celebration, since I am permitted by letter to keep you company and to rejoice with you, because you love nothing about ordinary human life, only God.
Praying for Others and Answering Them with Gentleness
1 And pray without ceasing for the rest of humanity as well (for there is hope that they may repent), so that they may find God. So let them learn at least from the way you live. 2 When they are angry, be gentle; when they boast, be humble; when they insult you, offer your prayers; when they go astray, be steadfast in the faith; when they are cruel, be kind. And do not be eager to imitate them by paying them back. 3 Let us show ourselves their brothers by our patience; but let us be eager to imitate the Lord, competing to see who can suffer the greater wrong, who can be cheated, who can be scorned, so that no weed of the devil may be found among you; but remain in Christ Jesus in all purity and self-control, in flesh and in spirit.
Ignatius on the End of the Age
1 These are the last times. From now on let us be reverent; let us fear the patience of God, so that it does not turn into judgment on us. For let us either fear the anger to come or love the grace that is present, one or the other; only let us be found in Christ Jesus to true life. 2 Let nothing dazzle you apart from Him, in whom I carry my chains, my spiritual pearls, in which I hope to rise again through your prayer. May I always have a share in your prayers, so that I may be found among the Christians of Ephesus, who have always been of one mind with the Apostles by the power of Jesus Christ.
The Ephesians and Paul
1 I know who I am and to whom I am writing. I am a condemned man; you have received mercy. I am in danger; you are secure. 2 You are the highway of those on their way to death for God. You share the mysteries with Paul, who was made holy, who was well spoken of, and who is truly blessed; I hope to be found following in his footsteps when I attain to God; in every letter he mentions you in Christ Jesus.
Meeting Together Often
1 So be eager to meet together more often to give thanks to God and to glorify Him. For when you meet together often, the powers of Satan are overthrown, and his destructive work comes to nothing in the harmony of your faith. 2 Nothing is better than peace, by which all warfare among those in heaven and those on earth is brought to an end.
Faith and Love as the Beginning and End of Life
1 None of these things escapes you if you have perfect faith and love toward Jesus Christ, for these are the beginning and the end of life: faith is the beginning and love is the end, and the two joined in unity are God, while everything else that leads to true goodness follows them. 2 No one who professes faith sins, and no one who has love hates. The tree is known by its fruit; so those who profess to belong to Christ will be recognized by what they do. For the work of faith is not a matter of what we profess now, but of being found in the power of faith to the end.
Ignatius on Silence and Speech
1 It is better to be silent and be genuine than to talk and not be genuine. It is good to teach, if the one who speaks also acts. Now there is one teacher, who spoke and it came to be; and even the things He has done in silence are worthy of the Father. 2 Whoever truly possesses the word of Jesus is able also to hear His silence, so that he may be perfect, acting through what he says and being known through his silence. 3 Nothing is hidden from the Lord; even our secrets are near Him. So let us do everything knowing that He lives in us, so that we may be His temples and He Himself may be in us as our God. This is so, and it will also be made clear before our eyes from the love we rightly have for Him.
Those Who Corrupt Households and Teaching
1 Do not be deceived, my brothers. Those who corrupt households will not inherit the kingdom of God. 2 If, then, those who do these things in the flesh are put to death, how much more will this happen to someone who uses evil teaching to corrupt the faith of God for which Jesus Christ was crucified. Such a person, having made himself unclean, will go into the unquenchable fire, and so will anyone who listens to him.
The Anointing of Jesus' Head
1 For this reason the Lord received ointment on His head, so that He might breathe undying life into the Church. Do not be anointed with the foul smell of the teaching of the prince of this world, so that he does not lead you captive and rob you of the life set before you. 2 And why are we not all wise, since we have received the knowledge of God, which is Jesus Christ? Why do we foolishly perish, not recognizing the gift of grace that the Lord has truly sent?
Ignatius on the Cross and the Birth of Jesus
1 My spirit is a humble sacrifice for the Cross, which is a stumbling block to unbelievers but to us salvation and eternal life. Where is the wise man? Where is the debater? Where is the boasting of those who are called intelligent? 2 For our God, Jesus the Christ, was conceived in the womb by Mary according to God's plan, of the seed of David and also of the Holy Spirit; and He was born and was baptized so that by His passion He might cleanse the water.
Ignatius on the Star and the Three Hidden Mysteries
1 And the virginity of Mary and her giving birth were hidden from the prince of this world, as was the death of the Lord: three mysteries meant to be shouted aloud, which were accomplished in the silence of God. 2 How, then, were they revealed to the ages? A star shone in the sky brighter than all the stars; its light was beyond words, and its strangeness caused amazement; and all the other stars, with the sun and moon, formed a chorus around the star, but the star itself far outshone them all; and people were perplexed about where this strange sight, so unlike the others, had come from. 3 From then on all sorcery and every spell was broken, the ignorance of wickedness vanished, and the ancient kingdom was torn down, when God appeared in human form to bring the newness of eternal life; and what had been completed in the plan of God began to take effect. From then on everything was in turmoil, because the destruction of death had been set in motion.
A Promised Second Letter and the Medicine of Immortality
1 If Jesus Christ counts me worthy through your prayer, and if it is God's will, in my second letter, which I intend to write to you, I will explain further the plan I have begun to describe, concerning the new man Jesus Christ, which consists in faith in Him and love for Him, in His passion and resurrection, 2 especially if the Lord reveals anything to me. All of you, each and every one, gather together in grace, in one faith and in one Jesus Christ, who according to the flesh was of the family of David, who is Son of Man and Son of God, so that you may obey the bishop and the presbytery with an undistracted mind, breaking one bread, which is the medicine of immortality, the antidote so that we do not die but live forever in Jesus Christ.
Farewell from Smyrna
1 I offer my life for you and for those whom you sent to Smyrna for the honor of God; I am also writing to you from there, giving thanks to the Lord and loving Polycarp as I love you. Remember me, as I pray that Jesus Christ may also remember you. 2 Pray for the church in Syria, from which I am being taken as a prisoner to Rome, I who am the very last of the faithful there, even as I was counted worthy to bring honor to God. Farewell in God the Father and in Jesus Christ, our common hope.
An Introduction to Ignatius' Epistle to the Ephesians
3 min read
Ignatius, the leader of the Christian community in Antioch in Syria, wrote this Greek letter in the first part of the second century CE, while ten Roman soldiers were taking him to Rome to be killed by wild beasts.1 He wrote it from Smyrna after the Ephesians sent their bishop, Onesimus, and several others to visit him, and he treats their visit as if he had received all the Christians of Ephesus in the person of their bishop.2 In the letter, Ignatius praises the Ephesians, urges them to stay united with their bishop and to gather often, and commends them for refusing to listen to traveling teachers. In Epistle to the Ephesians 19:1–3, he describes the birth of Jesus as hidden from the prince of this world and revealed by a star, a passage in which he uses Jewish and Christian traditions about the heavens to insist on the real birth and death of Jesus.3
The opening of the letter echoes the opening of the New Testament letter to the Ephesians, with its language of blessing, fullness, election before the ages, and the will of the Father in Ephesians 1:3–14. Ignatius may have thought it fitting to address the Ephesians in the language of an apostolic letter that was regarded as written to them.4 His phrase "the blood of God" in Epistle to the Ephesians 1:1 also appears in Acts 20:28 in some manuscripts, including Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, where other manuscripts of the verse read differently.5 One perspective is that Onesimus is the same man as the enslaved Onesimus of Paul's letter to Philemon. Another perspective is that Onesimus was a common name, which makes the identification unlikely.6 In Epistle to the Ephesians 19:1, Ignatius says that the virginity of Mary, her giving birth, and the death of Jesus were hidden from the prince of this world, language similar to 1 Corinthians 2:6–8, where Paul says that the rulers of this age crucified Jesus without understanding who he was.78 The star of Epistle to the Ephesians 19:2 is closest to the star of Matthew 2:1–12, although Ignatius gives a more cosmic version, with the sun, moon, and stars forming a chorus around it.9
Ignatius' account of the star has close parallels in other writings of his period. In Ascension of Isaiah 11:16, the birth of Jesus is hidden from all the heavens and all the princes of this world, and in Protevangelium of James 21:2, the wise men see a very great star that outshines the other stars.10 One perspective treats Epistle to the Ephesians 19:2–3 as a hymn, or as a version of a myth about a divine savior who comes down to earth unrecognized, a story told by second-century Gnostic groups, who promised salvation through secret knowledge. Another perspective is that the passage is Ignatius' own rhetoric, built from Jewish and Christian traditions about the end of the age and from stories about the birth of Jesus, and that the Ascension of Isaiah, its closest early parallel, is not a Gnostic text.11
Later Christian writers described the star in similar language. Clement of Alexandria, in his Excerpts from Theodotus, calls the star strange and new and says it destroys the old order of the stars.12 Origen traces the weakening of the demonic powers behind magic to the appearance of the star, and Tertullian finds it significant that the magi, who practiced astrology, were the first to announce the birth of Jesus.13 Centuries later, Christians who held that Jesus had a single divine nature appealed to Ignatius' phrase "the blood of God" in support of their view.14
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