THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE MAGNESIANS 
Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the [Church] blessed in the 
grace of God the Father, in Jesus Christ our Saviour, in whom I salute the 
Church which is at Magnesia, near the Moeander, and wish it abundance of 
happiness in God the father, and in Jesus Christ.

CHAP. I.--REASON OF WRITING THE EPISTLE.

    HAVING been informed of your godly(1) love, so well-ordered, I rejoiced 
greatly, and determined to commune with you in the faith of Jesus Christ. 
For as one who has been thought worthy of the most honourable of all 
names,(2) in those bonds which I bear about, I commend the Churches, in 
which I pray for a union both of the flesh and spirit of Jesus Christ, the 
constant source of our life, and of faith and love, to which nothing is to 
be preferred, but especially of Jesus and the Father, in whom, if we endure 
all the assaults of the prince of this world, and escape them, we shall 
enjoy God.

CHAP. II.--I REJOICE IN YOUR MESSENGERS.

    Since, then, I have had the privilege of seeing you, through Damas your 
most worthy bishop, and through your worthy presbyters Bassus and 
Apollonius, and through my fellow-servant the deacon Sotio, whose 
friendship may I ever enjoy, inasmuch as he is subject to the bishop as to 
the grace of God, and to the presbytery as to the law of Jesus Christ, [I 
now write(8) to you].

CHAP. III.--HONOUR YOUR YOUTHFUL BISHOP.

    Now it becomes you also not to treat your bishop too familiarly on 
account of his youth,(1) but to yield him all reverence, having respect 
to(2) the power of God the Father, as I have known even holy presbyters do, 
not judging rashly, from the manifest youthful appearance(3) [of their 
bishop], but as being themselves prudent in God, submitting to him, or 
rather not to him, but to the Father of Jesus Christ, the bishop of us all. 
It is therefore fitting that you should, after no hypocritical fashion, 
obey [your bishop], in honour of Him who has wired us [so to do], since he 
that does not so deceives not [by such conduct] the bishop that is visible, 
but seeks to mock Him that is invisible. And all such conduct has reference 
not to man,(10) but to God, who knows all secrets.

CHAP, IV.--SOME WICKEDLY ACT INDEPENDENTLY OF THE BISHOP.

    It is fitting, then, not only to be called Christians, but to be so in 
reality: as some indeed give one the title of bishop, but do all things 
without him. Now such persons seem to me to be not possessed of a good 
conscience, seeing they are not stedfastly gathered together according to 
the commandment.

CHAP. V.--DEATH IS THE FATE OF ALL SUCH.

    Seeing, then, all things have an end, these two things are 
simultaneously set before us--death and life; and every one shall go unto 
his own place. For as there are two kinds of coins, the one of God, the 
other of the world, and each of these has its special character stamped 
upon it,[so is it also here.][2] The unbelieving are of this world; but the 
believing have, in love, the character of God the Father by Jesus Christ, 
by whom, if we are not in readiness to die into His passion,[3] His life is 
not in us.

CHAP. VI.--PRESERVE HARMONY.

    Since therefore I have, in the persons before mentioned, beheld the 
whole multitude of you in faith and love, I exhort you to study to do all 
things with a divine harmony,[4] while your bishop presides in the place of 
God, and your presbyters in the place of the assembly of the apostles, 
along with your deacons, who are most dear to me, and are entrusted with 
the ministry of Jesus Christ, who was with the Father before the beginning 
of time,[5] and in the end was revealed. Do ye all then, imitating the same 
divine conduct,[7] pay respect to one another, and let no one look upon his 
neighbour after the flesh, but do ye continually love each other in Jesus 
Christ. Let nothing exist among you that may divide you; but be ye united 
with your bishop, and those that preside over you, as a type and evidence 
of your immortality.[8]

CHAP. VII.--DO NOTHING WITHOUT THE BISHOP AND PRESBYTERS.

    As therefore the Lord did nothing without the Father, being united to 
Him, neither by Himself nor by the apostles, so neither do ye anything 
without the bishop and presbyters. Neither endeavour that anything appear 
reasonable and proper to yourselves apart; but being come together into the 
same place, let there be one prayer, one supplication, one mind, one hope, 
in love and in joy undefiled. There is one Jesus Christ, than whom nothing 
is more excellent. Do ye therefore all run together as into one temple of 
God, as to one altar, as to one Jesus Christ, who came forth from one 
Father, and is with and has gone to one.

CHAP, VIII.--CAUTION AGAINST FALSE DOCTRINES.

    Be not deceived with strange doctrines, nor with old fables, which are 
unprofitable. For if we still live according to the Jewish law, we 
acknowledge that we have not received grace. For the divinest prophets 
lived according to Christ Jesus. On this account also they were persecuted, 
being inspired by His grace to fully convince the unbelieving that there is 
one God, who has manifested Himself by Jesus Christ His Son, who is His 
eternal Word, not proceeding forth from silence,[5] and who in all things 
pleased Him that sent Him.

CHAP. IX.--LET US LIVE WITH CHRIST.

    If, therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of 
things[7] have come to the possession of a new[8] hope, no longer observing 
the Sabbath, but living in the observance[10] of the Lord's Day, on which 
also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death--whom some deny, 
by which mystery we have obtained faith,[12] and therefore endure, that we 
may be found the disciples of Jesus Christ, our only Master--how shall we 
be able to live apart from Him, whose disciples the prophets themselves in 
the Spirit did wait for Him as their Teacher? And therefore He whom they 
rightly waited for, being come, raised them from the dead.[16]

CHAP. X.--BEWARE OF JUDAIZING.

    Let us not, therefore, be insensible to His kindness. For were He to 
reward us according to our works, we should cease to be. Therefore, having 
become His disciples, let us learn to live according to the principles of 
Christianity.[7] For whosoever is called by any other name besides this, is 
not of God. Lay aside, therefore, the evil, the old, the sour leaven, and 
be ye changed into the new leaven, which is Jesus Christ. Be ye salted in 
Him, lest any one among you should be corrupted, since by your savour ye 
shall be convicted. It is absurd to profess[12] Christ Jesus, and to 
Judaize. For Christianity did not embrace[13] Judaism, but Judaism 
Christianity, that so every tongue which believeth might be gathered 
together to God.

CHAP. XI.--I WRITE THESE THINGS TO WARN YOU.

    These things[I address to you], my beloved, not that I know any of you 
to be in such a state;[17] but, as less than any of you, I desire to guard 
you beforehand, that ye fall not upon the hooks of vain doctrine, but 
thatye 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,[1] from which may no one of you ever be turned aside.

CHAP. XII.--YE ARE SUPERIOR TO ME.

    May I enjoy you in all respects, if indeed I be worthy! For though I am 
bound, I am not worthy to be compared to any of you that are at liberty. I 
know that ye are not puffed up, for ye have Jesus Christ in yourselves. And 
all the more when I commend you, I know that ye cherish modesty[4] of 
spirit; as it is written, "The righteous man is his own accuser."[5]

CHAP. XIII.--BE ESTABLISHED IN FAITH AND UNITY.

    Study, therefore, to be established in the doctrines of the Lord and 
the apostles, that so all things, whatsoever ye do, may prosper both in the 
flesh and spirit; in faith and love; in the Son, and in the Father, and in 
the Spirit; in the beginning and in the end; with your most admirable 
bishop, and the well-compacted spiritual crown of your presbytery, and the 
deacons who are according to God. Be ye subject to the bishop, and to one 
another, as Jesus Christ to the Father, according to the flesh, and the 
apostles to Christ, and to the Father, and to the Spirit; that so there may 
be a union beth fleshly and spiritual.

   

CHAP. XIV.--YOUR PRAYERS REQUESTED.

    Knowing as I do that ye are full of God, I have but briefly exhorted 
you. Be mindful of me in your prayers, that I may attain to God; and of the 
Church which is in Syria, whence I am not worthy to derive my name: for I 
stand in need of your united prayer in God, and your love, that the Church 
which is in Syria may be "deemed worthy of being refreshed[2] by your 
Church.

CHAP. XV.--SALUTATIONS.

The Ephesians from Smyrna (whence I also write to you), who are here for 
the glory of God, as ye also are, who have in all things refreshed me, 
salute you, along with Polycarp, the bishop of the Smyrnaeans. The rest of 
the Churches, in honour of Jesus Christ, also salute you. Fare ye well in 
the harmony of God, ye who have obtained the inseparable Spirit, who is 
Jesus Christ.