My LORD’s BibleIgnatius to the Smyrnaeans 3
1SEE that ye all follow your bishop, as Jesus Christ, the Father; and the presbytery, as the Apostles. And reverence the deacons, as the command of God.
Τοὺς [δὲ] μερισμοὺς φεύγετε, ὡς ἀρχὴν κακών. πάντες τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ἀκολουθεῖτε, ὡς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς τῷ πατρί, καὶ τῷ πρεσβυτερίῳ ὡς τοῖς ἀποστόλοις" τοὺς δὲ διακόνους ἐντρέπεσθε ὡς Θεοῦ ἐντολήν. μηδεὶς χωρὶς ἐπι- σκόπου τε πρασσέτω τῶν ἀνηκόντων εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. ἐκείνη βεβαία εὐχαριστία ἡγείσθω ἡ ὑπὸ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον οὖσα, ἣ ᾧ ἄν αὐτὸς ἐπιτρέψῃ.
2Let no man do anything of what belongs to the church separately from the bishop.
3Let that eucharist be looked upon as well established, which is either offered by the bishop, or by him to whom the bishop has given his consent.
Grou ἂν φανῇ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, ἐκεῖ τὸ πλῆθος ἔστω, ὥσπερ ὅπου ἂν ἡ Χριστὸς ᾿Ἰησοῦς, ἐκεῖ ἡ καθολικὴ ἐκκλησία. οὐκ ἐξόν ἐστιν χωρὶς τοῦ ἐπισκόπου οὔτε βαπτίζειν οὔτε ἀγάπην ποιεῖν" ἀλλ᾽ ὃ ay ἐκεῖνος δοκι- μάσῃ, τοῦτο καὶ τῷ Θεῷ εὐάρεστον, iva ἀσφαλὲς ἣ καὶ βέβαιον πᾶν ὃ πράσσετε. ΙΧ. Εὔλογόν ἐστιν λοιπὸν ἀνανῆψαι ἡμᾶς, ὡς [ἔτι] καιρὸν ἔχομεν εἰς Θεὸν μετανοεῖν. καλῶς ἔχει Θοὸν καὶ ἐπί- σκοπὸν εἰδέναι. ὁ τιμῶν ἐπίσκοπον ὑπὸ Θεοῦ τετίμηται" ὁ λάθρα ἐπισκόπου τε πράσσων τῷ διαβόλῳ λατρεύει.
4Wheresoever the bishop shall appear, there let the people also be: as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic church.
5It is not lawful without the bishop, neither to baptize, nor to celebrate the Holy Communion; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing unto God; that so whatever is done, may be sure and well done.
6For what remains, it is very reasonable that we should repent whilst there is yet time to return unto God.
πάντα οὖν ὑμῖν ἐν χάριτι περισσενέτω, ἄξιοε γάρ ἐστε. κατὰ πάντα με ἀνεπαύσατε, καὶ ὑμᾶς Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. ἀπόντα με καὶ παρόντα ἠγαπήσατε: ἀμείβοι ὑμῖν Θεύς, δε ὃν πάντα ὑπομένοντες αὐτοῦ τεύξεσθε.
7It is a good thing to have a due regard both to God, and to the bishop: he that honours the bishop, shall be honoured of God. But he that does anything without his knowledge, ministers unto the devil.
8Let all things therefore abound to you in charity; seeing that ye are worthy.
@dreova καὶ Ῥαῖον ᾿Αγαθόπουν, of ἐπηκολούθησάν μοε εἰς λόγον Θεοῦ, καλῶς ἐποιήσατε ὑποδεξάμενος ὡς δια- κόνους [Χριστοῦ] Θεοῦ᾽ of καὶ εὐχαριστοῦσιν τῷ Κυρίῳ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, ὅτι αὐτοὺς ἀνεπαύσατε κατὰ πάντα τρόπον. οὐδὲν ὑμῖν οὐ μὴ ἀπολεῖται.
9Ye have refreshed me in all things; so shall Jesus Christ you. Ye have loved me both when I was present with you, and now being absent, ye cease not to do so.
10May God be your reward, from whom whilst ye undergo all things, ye shall attain unto him.
ἀντέίψυχον ὑμῶν τὸ πνεῦμά μου, καὶ τὰ δεσμά μον ἃ οὐχ ὑπερηφανήσατε οὐδὲ ἐπῃσχύνθητε᾽ οὐδὲ ὑμᾶς ἐπαισχυνθήσεται ἡ τελεία πίστις, Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. ΧΙ. Ἢ προσευχὴ ὑμῶν ἀπῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ἐν ᾿Αντιοχείᾳ τῆς Συρίας" ὅθεν δεδεμένος θεοπρεπεστάτοις δεσμοῖς πάντας ἀσπάξομαε, οὐκ ὧν ἄξιος ἐκεῖθεν εἶναι, ἔσχα- Tos αὐτῶν av’ κατὰ θέλημα κατηξιώθην, οὐκ ἐκ συνειδότος, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ χάριτος Θεοῦ, ἣν εὔχομαι τελείαν μοι δοθῆναι, ἵνα ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ ὑμῶν Θεοῦ ἐπιτύχω.
11Ye have done well in that ye have received Philo, and Rheus Agathopus, who followed me for the word of God, as the deacons of Christ our God.
12Who also gave thanks unto the Lord for you, forasmuch as ye have refreshed them in all things. Nor shall any thing that you have done be lost to you.
13My soul be for yours, and my bonds which ye have not despised, nor been ashamed of. Wherefore neither shall Jesus Christ, our perfect faith, be ashamed of you.
ἵνα οὖν τέλειον ὑμῶν γένηται τὸ ἔργον καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ ἐν οὐρανῷ, πρέπει εἰς τιμὴν Θεοῦ χειροτονῆσαι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ὑμῶν θεοπρεσβύτην εἰς τὸ γενόμενον ἕως Συρίας συγχαρῆναι αὐτοῖς ὅτι εἰρηνεύουσιν καὶ ἀπέλαβον τὸ ἴδιον μέγεθος καὶ ἁἀπεκατεστάθη αὐτοῖς τὸ ἴδιον σωματεῖον.
14Your prayer is come to the church of Antioch which is in Syria. From whence being sent bound with chains becoming God, I salute the churches; being not worthy to be called from thence, as being the least among them.
15Nevertheless by the will of God I have been thought worthy of this honour; not for that I think I have deserved it, but by the grace of God.
ἐφάνη μοι οὖν ἄξιον πρᾶγμα πέμψαι τινὰ τῶν ὑμετέρων μετ᾽ ἐπιστολῆς, ἵνα συνδοξάσῃ τὴν κατὰ Θεὸν αὐτοῖς γενομένην εὐδίαν, καὶ ὅτε λιμένος ἤδη ἐτύγχανον τῇ προσευχῇ ὑμῶν. τέλειοι ὄντες τέλεια καὶ φρονεῖτε" θέ- λουσιν γὰρ ὑμῖν εὖ πράσσειν Θεὸς ἕτοιμος εἰς τὸ παρασχεῖν.
16Which I wish may be perfectly given unto me, that through your prayers I may attain unto God.
17And therefore that your work may be fully accomplished both upon earth and in heaven; it will be fitting, and for the honour of God, that your church appoint some worthy delegate, who being come as far as Syria, may rejoice together with them that they are in peace; and that they are again restored to their former state, and have again received their proper body.
18Wherefore I should think it a worthy action, to send some one from you with an epistle, to congratulate with them their peace in God; and that through your prayers they have now gotten to their harbor.
᾿Ασπάζεται ὑμᾶς ἡ ἀγάπη τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν ἐν Tpwad:, ὅθεν καὶ γράφω ὑμῖν διὰ Βούρρου, ὃν ἀπεστείλατε 1] ΤΟ
19For inasmuch as ye are perfect yourselves, you ought to think those things that are perfect. For when you are desirous to do well, God is ready to enable you thereunto.
20The love of the brethren that are at Troas salute you; from whence I write to you by Burrhus whom you sent with me, together with the Ephesians your brethren; and who has in all things refreshed me.
POLYCARP. 121 μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἅμα ᾿Ἐφεσίοις τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὑμῶν᾽ ὃς κατὰ πάντα με ἀνέπαυσεν. καὶ ὄφελον πάντες αὐτὸν ἐμιμοῦντο, ὄντα ἐξεμπλάριον Θεοῦ διακονίας. ἀμείψεται αὐτὸν ἡ χάρις κατὰ πάντα.
21And I would to God that all would imitate him, as being a pattern of the ministry of God. May his grace fully reward him.
22I salute your very worthy bishop, and your venerable presbytery; and your deacons, my fellow-servants; and all of you in general, and every one in particular, in the name of Jesus Christ, and in his flesh and blood; in his passion and resurrection both fleshly and spiritually; and in the unity of God with you.
ἀσπάζομαι τὸν ἀξιόθεον ἐπίσκοπον καὶ θεοπρε- πὲς πρεσβυτέριον, [καὶ] τοὺς συνδούλους μου διακόνους καὶ τοὺς κατ᾽ ἄνδρα καὶ κοινῇ πάντας, ἐν ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ αἴματι, πάθει τε καὶ ἀναστάσει σαρκικῇ τε καὶ πνευματικῇ, ἐν ἑνότητε Θεοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν. χάρις ὑμῖν, ἔλεος, εἰρήνη, ὑπομονὴ διὰ παντός.
23Grace be with you, and mercy, and peace, and patience, for evermore.
24I salute the families of my brethren, with their wives and children; and the virgins that are called widows. Be strong in the power of the Holy Ghost. Philo, who is present with me salutes you.
25I salute the house of Tavias, and pray that it may be strengthened in faith and charity, both of flesh and spirit.
᾿Ασπάζομαι τοὺς οἴκους τῶν ἀδελφῶν pov σὺν γυναιξὶν καὶ τέκνοις, καὶ τὰς παρθένους τὰς λεγομένας χήρας. ἔρρωσθέ μοι ἐν δυνάμει πατρός. ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς Φίλων, σὺν ἐμοὶ ὧν.
26I salute Alce my well-beloved, together with the incomparable Daphnus, and Eutechnus, and all by name.
27Farewell in the grace of God. To the Smyrnæans from Troas.
ἀσπάζομαι τὸν οἶκον Γαουΐας, ἣν εὔχομαι ἑδρᾶσθαι πίστει καὶ ἀγάπῃ σαρκικῇ τε καὶ πνευματικῇ. ἀσπάζομαι ΓΑλκην, τὸ ποθητόν μοι ὄνομα, καὶ Δάφνον τὸν ἀσύγκριτον καὶ Εὕτεκνον καὶ πάντας κατ᾽ ὄνομα. ἔρρωσθε ἐν χάριτι Θεοῦ.