THE EPISTLE OF IGNATIUS TO THE SMYRNAEANS SHORTER AND LONGER VERSIONS.

Ignatius, who is also called Theophorus, to the Church of God the Father,  
and of the beloved Jesus Christ, which has through mercy obtained every 
kind of gift, which is filled with faith and love, and is deficient in no 
gift, most worthy of God, and adorned with holiness:(1) the Church which is 
at Smyrna, in Asia, wishes abundance of happiness, through the immaculate 
Spirit and word of God.

CHAP. I.--THANKS TO GOD FOR YOUR FAITH.

    I glorify God, even Jesus Christ, who has given you such wisdom. For I 
have observed that ye are perfected in an immoveable faith, as if ye were 
nailed to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, both in the flesh and in the 
spirit, and are established in love through the blood of Christ, being 
fully persuaded with respect to our Lord, that He was truly of the seed of 
David according to the flesh,(3) and the Son of God according to the will 
and power(4) of God; that He was truly born of a virgin, was baptized by 
John, in order that all righteousness might be fulfilled(5) by Him; and was 
truly, under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch, nailed[to the cross] 
for us in His flesh. Of this fruit(7) we are by His divinely-blessed 
passion, that He might set up a standard s for all ages, through His 
resurrection, to all His holy and faithful[followers], whether among Jews 
or Gentiles, in the one body of His Church.

CHAP. II.--CHRIST'S TRUE PASSION.

    Now, He suffered all these things for our sakes, that we might be 
saved. And He suffered truly, even as also He truly raised up Himself, not, 
as certain unbelievers maintain, that He only seemed to suffer, as they 
themselves only seem to be[Christians]. And as they believe, so shall it 
happen unto them, when they shall be divested of their bodies, and be mere 
evil spirits.(3)

CHAP. III.--CHRIST WAS POSSESSED OF A BODY AFTER HIS RESURRECTION.

    For I know that after His resurrection also He was still possessed of 
flesh,(7) and I believe that He is so now. When, for instance, He came to 
those who were with Peter, He said to them, "Lay hold, handle Me, and see 
that I am not an incorporeal spirit."(8) And immediately they touched Him, 
and believed, being convinced both by His flesh and spirit. For this cause 
also they despised death, and were found its conquerors.(12) And after his 
resurrection He did eat and drink with them, as being possessed of flesh, 
although spiritually He was united to the Father.

CHAP. IV.--BEWARE OF THESE HERETICS.

    I give you these instructions, beloved, assured that ye also hold the 
same opinions[as I do]. But I guard you beforehand from those beasts in the 
shape of men, whom you must not only not receive, but, if it be possible, 
not even meet with; only you must pray to God for them, if by any means 
they may be brought to repentance, which, however, will be very difficult. 
Yet Jesus Christ, who is our true life, has the power of[effecting] this. 
But if these things were done by our Lord only in appearance, then am I 
also only in appearance bound. And why have I also surrendered myself to 
death, to fire, to the sword, to the wild beasts? But,[in fact,] he who is 
near to the sword is near to God; he that is among the wild beasts is in 
company with God; provided only he be so m the name of Jesus Christ. I 
undergo all these things that I may suffer together with Him,(1) He who 
became a perfect man inwardly strengthening me.(2)

CHAP. V.--THEIR DANGEROUS ERRORS,

    Some ignorantly(3) deny Him, or rather have been denied by Him, being 
the advocates of death rather than of the truth. These persons neither have 
the prophets persuaded, nor the law of Moses, nor the Gospel even to this 
day, nor the sufferings we have individually endured. For they think also 
the same thing regarding us.(4) For what does any one profit me, if he 
commends me, but blasphemes my Lord, not confessing that He was[truly] 
possessed of a body?(5) But he who does not acknowledge this, has in fact 
altogether denied Him, being enveloped in death.(6)    I have not, however, 
thought good to write the names of such persons, inasmuch as they are 
unbelievers. Yea, far be it from me to make any mention of them, until they 
repent and return to[a true belief in] Christ's passion, which is our 
resurrection.

CHAP. VI--UNBELIEVERS IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST SHALL BE CONDEMNED.

    Let no man deceive himself. Both the things which are in heaven, and 
the glorious angels,(7) and rulers, both visible and invisible, if they 
believe not in the blood of Christ, shall, in consequence, incur 
condemnation.(1) "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."(2) 
Let not[high] place puff any one up: for that which is worth all is a faith 
and love, to which nothing is to same thing regarding us. For what does it 
profit, if any one commends me, but blasphemes my be preferred. But 
consider those who are of a different opinion with respect to the grace of 
Christ which has come unto us, how opposed they are to the will of God. 
They have no regard for love; no care for the widow, or the orphan, or the 
oppressed; of the bond, or of the free; of the hungry, or of the thirsty.

CHAP. VII.--LET US STAND ALOOF FROM SUCH HERETICS.

    They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer,(7) because they 
confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, 
which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised 
up again. Those, therefore, who speak against this gift of God, incur 
death(11) in the midst of their disputes. But it were better for them to 
treat it with respect,(13) that they also might rise again. It is fitting, 
therefore, that ye should keep aloof from such persons, and not to speak 
of(15) them either in private or in public, but to give heed to the 
prophets, and above all, to the Gospel, in which the passion[of Christ] has 
been revealed to us, and the resurrection has been fully proved.(16) But 
avoid all divisions, as the beginning of evils. They are ashamed of the 
cross; they mock at the passion; they make a jest of the resurrection. They 
are the offspring of that spirit who is the author of all evil, who led 
Adam,(8) by means of his wife, to transgress the commandment, who slew Abel 
by the hands of Cain, who fought against Job, who was the accuser of 
Joshua(9) the son of Josedech, who sought to ''sift the faith"(10)of the 
apostles, who stirred up the multitude of the Jews against the Lord, who 
also now "worketh in the children of disobedience;(12)from whom the Lord 
Jesus Christ will deliver us, who prayed that the faith of the apostles 
might not fail,(14) not because He was not able of Himself to preserve it, 
but because He rejoiced in the pre-eminence of the Father. It is fitting, 
therefore, that ye should keep aloof from such persons, and neither in 
private nor in public to talk with(15) them; but to give heed to the law, 
and the prophets, and to those who have preached to you the word of 
salvation. But flee from all abominable heresies, and those that cause 
schisms, as the beginning of evils.

CHAP. VIII.--LET NOTHING BE DONE WITHOUT THE BISHOP.

    See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the 
Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles; and reverence the 
deacons, as being the institution(17) of God. Let no man do anything 
connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a 
proper(18) Eucharist, which is[administered] either even as, wherever Jesus 
Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not lawful without the 
bishop either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast; but whatsoever he 
shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is 
done may be secure and valid.(2)

CHAP. IX.--HONOUR THE BISHOP.

    Moreover,(3) it is in accordance with reason that we should return to 
soberness[of conduct], and, while yet we have opportunity, exercise 
repentance towards God. It is well to reverence(5) both God and the bishop. 
He who honours the bishop has been honoured by God; he who does anything 
without the knowledge of the bishop, does[in reality] serve the devil. Let 
all things, then, abound to you through grace, for ye are worthy. Ye have 
refreshed me in all things, and Jesus Christ[shall refresh] you. Ye have 
loved me when absent as well as when present. May God recompense you, for 
whose sake, while ye endure all things, ye shall attain unto Him.

CHAP. X.--ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THEIR KINDNESS.

    Ye have done well in receiving Philo and Rheus Agathopus as servants(1) 
of Christ our God, who have followed me for the sake of God, and who give 
thanks to the Lord in your behalf, because ye have in every way refreshed 
them. None of these things shall be lost to you. May my spirit be for 
you,(3) and my bonds, which ye have not despised or been ashamed of; nor 
shall Jesus Christ, our perfect hope, be ashamed of you.

CHAP. XI.--REQUEST TO THEM TO SEND A MESSENGER TO ANTIOCH.

  Your prayer has reached to the Church which is at Antioch in Syria. 
Coming from that place bound with chains, most acceptable to God,(4) I 
salute all; I who am not worthy to be styled from thence, inasmuch as I am 
the least of them. Nevertheless, according to the will of God, I have been 
thought worthy[of this honour], not that I have any sense(5)[of having 
deserved it], but by the grace of God, which I wish may be perfectly given 
to me, that through your prayers I may attain to God. In order, therefore, 
that your work may be complete both on earth and in heaven, it is fitting 
that, for the honour of God, your Church should elect some worthy 
delegate;(6) so that he, journeying into Syria, may congratulate them that 
they are[now] at peace, and are restored to(7) their proper greatness, and 
that their proper constitution(8) has been re-established among them. It  
seems then to me a becoming thing, that you should send some one of your 
number with an epistle, so that, in company with them, he may rejoice(9) 
over the tranquility which, according to the will of God, they have  
obtained, and because that, through your prayers, they have now reached the 
harbour. As persons who are perfect, ye should also aim at(10) those  
things which are perfect. For when ye are desirous to do well, God is also 
ready to assist you. 

CHAP. XII.--SALUTATIONS.

    The love of the brethren at Troas salutes you; whence also I write to 
you by Burrhus, whom ye sent with me, together with the Ephesians, your 
brethren, and who has in all things refreshed me. And I would that all may 
imitate him, as being a pattern of a minister(1) of God. Grace will reward 
him in all things. I salute your most worthy(2) bishop, and your very 
venerable(3) presbytery, and your deacons, my fellow-servants, and all of 
you individually, as well as generally, in the name of Jesus Christ, and in 
His flesh and blood, in His passion and resurrection, both corporeal and 
spiritual, in union with God and you.(4) Grace, mercy, peace, and patience, 
be with you for evermore!

CONCLUSION.

I salute the families of my bretheren, with their wives and children, and 
the virgins who are called widows.(5) Be ye strong, I pray, in the power of 
the Holy Ghost. Philo, who is with me, greets you. I salute the house of 
Tavias, and pray that it may be confirmed in  faith  and love, both 
corporeal and spiritual. I salute Alce, my well-beloved,(6) and the 
incomparable Daphnus, and Eutecnus, and all by name.  Fare ye well in the 
grace of God.