Epistles of Ignatius

FROM SYRIA ALL THE WAY TO ROME: I fight with beasts. Not that I'm consumed by wild animals, for these, as you know, spared Daniel by the will of God. Rather, it's beasts in the form of men, in whom the merciless wild beast himself hides, pricking and wounding me every day. But none of these hardships "move me, nor do I consider my life dear to myself," in such a way that I would love it more than the Lord. Therefore, I am prepared to face fire, wild beasts, the sword, or the cross, just so I may see Christ my Saviour and God, who died for me. So, I, the prisoner of Christ, who is driven along by land and sea, urge you: "stand firm in the faith," and be steadfast, "for the just shall live by faith;" be unwavering, for "the Lord causes those to dwell in a house who are of one and the same character."

I HAVE LEARNED THAT CERTAIN OF THE MINISTERS OF SATAN HAVE WISHED TO DISTURB YOU: some of them claiming that Jesus was born only in appearance, was crucified in appearance, and died in appearance; others that He is not the Son of the Creator, and others that He is Himself God over all. Others, again, believe that He is merely a man, and others that this flesh is not to rise again, so that our proper course is to live and indulge in a life of pleasure, as this is the chief good for beings who are soon to perish. A multitude of such evils has surrounded us. But you have not “given place by subjection to them, no, not for one hour.” For you are the fellow-citizens as well as the disciples of Paul, who “fully preached the Gospel from Jerusalem, and all around to Illyricum,” and carried “the marks of Christ” in his flesh.

BE AWARE THAT BY ALL MEANS YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT JESUS THE LORD WAS TRULY BORN OF MARY: made from a woman, and was truly crucified. For, as it is said, “God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of the Lord Jesus.” And He truly suffered, died, and rose again. As [Paul] says, “If Christ has indeed suffered and was the first to rise from the dead.” And again, “In that He died, He died to sin once, but in that He lives, He lives to God.” Otherwise, what would have been the point of enduring captivity if Christ had not died? What is the value of patience, or of bearing stripes? And why do events like the following matter: Peter was crucified; Paul and James were killed by the sword; John was exiled to Patmos; Stephen was stoned to death by the Jews who killed the Lord? But, in truth, none of these sufferings were in vain, for the Lord was truly crucified by the ungodly.

AND KNOW: moreover, that He who was born of a woman was the Son of God, and He who was crucified was "the first-born of every creature," and God the Word, who also created all things. For the apostle says, "There is one God, the Father, of whom are all things; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things." And again, "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus;" and, "By Him were all things created that are in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist."

AND THAT HE HIMSELF IS NOT GOD OVER ALL AND THE FATHER: but His Son, He shows when He says, “I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.” And again, “When all things are subdued to Him, then He Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” Therefore, it is one Person who put all things under, and who is all in all, and another Person to whom they were subdued, who also Himself, along with all other things, becomes subject to the first.

HE IS NOT JUST A MERE MAN: through whom and in whom all things were made; for “all things were made by Him.” “When He made the heaven, I was present with Him; and I was there with Him, forming the world along with Him, and He rejoiced in me daily.” How could such words be spoken to a mere man: “Sit at My right hand?” And how could someone claim: “Before Abraham was, I am?” And, “Glorify Me with the glory I had before the world existed?” What man could ever say, “I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me?” And of which man could it be said, “He was the true Light, which gives light to every person coming into the world: He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and yet the world did not recognize Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him?” How could He be merely a man, deriving the start of His existence from Mary, and not rather God the Word, and the only-begotten Son? For “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And elsewhere, “The Lord created Me, the beginning of His ways, for His works. Before the world He established Me, and before all the hills, He begot Me.”

AND THAT OUR BODIES ARE TO RISE AGAIN: He shows when He says, “Truly I say to you, that the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.” And the apostle says, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” And that we must live soberly and righteously, he shows again when he says, “Do not be deceived: neither adulterers, nor effeminate persons, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor fornicators, nor revilers, nor drunkards, nor thieves can inherit the kingdom of God.” And again, “If the dead do not rise, then Christ is not raised; our preaching therefore is in vain, and your faith is also in vain: you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most miserable. If the dead do not rise, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” But if such be our condition and feelings, how shall we differ from donkeys and dogs, who have no care about the future, but think only of eating, and indulging such appetites as follow eating? For they are unacquainted with any intelligence moving within them.

May I have joy in you in the Lord! Be sober. Lay aside, each of you, all malice and beast-like fury, evil-speaking, slander, filthy speaking, lewdness, gossip, arrogance, drunkenness, lust, greed, vanity, envy, and everything similar to these. "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." Presbyters, be subject to the bishop; deacons, to the presbyters; and you, the people, to the presbyters and the deacons. Let my soul be with those who maintain this good order; and may the Lord be with them continually!

HUSBANDS: love your wives; and wives, your husbands. Children, respect your parents. Parents, raise your children with the nurture and instruction of the Lord. Honor those who remain in virginity, as the priestesses of Christ; and the widows who maintain seriousness in behavior, as the altar of God. Servants, serve your masters with respectful fear. Masters, give orders to your servants with kindness. Let no one among you be idle; for idleness leads to need. I do not command these things as a person of any importance, though I am in bonds for Christ; but as a brother, I remind you of them. The Lord be with you!

May I benefit from your prayers! Pray that I may reach Jesus. I commend to you the Church which is at Antioch. The Churches of Philippi, from where I am also writing to you, greet you. Philo, your deacon, to whom I also give thanks as one who has zealously served me in all things, greets you. Agathopus, the deacon from Syria, who follows Christ with me, greets you. “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” I greet you all, both men and women, who are in Christ. Farewell in body, soul, and in one Spirit; and do not forget me. The Lord be with you!

THE LORD HAS MADE MY BURDENS LIGHT AND EASY SINCE I LEARNED THAT YOU ARE IN PEACE: living in harmony both physically and spiritually. "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received," guarding against the heresies of the wicked one that have invaded us, leading to the deception and destruction of those who accept them; but that you pay attention to the doctrine of the apostles, and believe both the law and the prophets: that you reject every Jewish and Gentile error, and neither introduce a multitude of gods nor deny Christ under the pretense of maintaining the unity of God.

MOSES: the faithful servant of God, when he said, “The Lord your God is one Lord,” and thus declared that there was only one God, also acknowledged our Lord when he said, “The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah fire and brimstone from the Lord.” Again, “And God said, Let Us make man in our image: and so God made man, in the image of God He made him.” Furthermore, “In the image of God He made man.” And that [the Son of God] was to become man is shown by Moses when he says, “The Lord will raise up a prophet for you from your brethren, like me.”

THE PROPHETS: when they speak as if in the person of God, saying, "I am God, the first, and I am also the last, and besides Me there is no God," speak about the Father of the universe and also about our Lord Jesus Christ. They say, "A Son has been given to us, on whose shoulder the government rests; and His name is called the Angel of great counsel, Wonderful, Counselor, the strong and mighty God." Concerning His incarnation, they proclaim, "Behold, a virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son; and they shall call His name Immanuel." Regarding the passion, they declare, "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before her shearers is silent, I also was an innocent lamb led to be sacrificed."

THE EVANGELISTS: too, when they declared that the one Father was "the only true God," did not leave out what concerned our Lord, but wrote: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." And concerning the incarnation: "The Word," says the Scripture, "became flesh and lived among us." And again: "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." And those same apostles, who said "that there is one God," also said that "there is one Mediator between God and men." Nor were they ashamed of the incarnation and the passion. For what does one say? "The man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself" for the life and salvation of the world.

WHOEVER: therefore, declares that there is only one God, merely to deny the divinity of Christ, is a devil and an enemy of all righteousness. He also who confesses Christ, yet not as the Son of the Creator of the world, but of some other unknown being, different from the one the law and the prophets have proclaimed, this person is a tool of the devil. And he who rejects the incarnation and is ashamed of the cross for which I am in bonds, this person is antichrist. Moreover, he who claims Christ to be just a man is accursed, according to the prophet's declaration, since he does not place his trust in God, but in man. Therefore, he is also unfruitful, like the wild myrtle tree.

I WRITE THESE THINGS TO YOU: new olive tree of Christ, not because I'm aware you hold any such opinions, but to warn you, as a father does his children. Therefore, beware of those who rush to cause trouble, those "enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose glory is in their shame." Beware of those "mute dogs," those trailing serpents, those scaly dragons, those asps, basilisks, and scorpions. For they are clever wolves and apes that mimic the appearance of humans.

You have been the disciples of Paul and Peter; do not lose what was entrusted to you. Remember Euodias, your deservedly-blessed pastor, into whose hands the apostles first entrusted the leadership over you. Let us not bring disgrace upon our Father. Let us prove ourselves His true-born children, and not illegitimate ones. You know how I have acted among you. The things which I spoke to you when I was present, I now write to you while absent. "If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema." Be followers of me. My soul be for yours when I attain to Jesus. Remember my bonds.

YOU PRESBYTERS: "feed the flock which is among you," until God reveals who is to lead you. For "I am now ready to be offered," that I "may win Christ." Let the deacons understand the dignity of their position and strive to be blameless so they may follow Christ. Let the people be subject to the presbyters and the deacons. Let the virgins be aware of whom they have consecrated themselves to.

LET HUSBANDS LOVE THEIR WIVES: remembering that, at creation, one woman, and not many, was given to one man. Let wives honor their husbands, as their own flesh, and let them not presume to address them by their names. Let them also be chaste, considering their husbands as their only partners, to whom they have been united according to the will of God. You parents, provide a holy training to your children. You children, "honor your parents, that it may be well with you."

YOU MASTERS: do not treat your servants arrogantly, but imitate patient Job, who says, “I did not disregard the cause of my male servant or my female servant when they argued with me. For what will I do in that case when the Lord examines me?” And you know what follows. You servants, do not provoke your masters to anger in anything, lest you become the authors of incurable troubles for yourselves.

NO ONE WHO IS ADDICTED TO IDLENESS SHOULD EAT: so they don't become a wanderer and a whoremonger. Let drunkenness, anger, envy, reviling, clamor, and blasphemy "not even be mentioned among you." Widows should not live a life of pleasure, or they may turn against the word. Be subject to Caesar in everything that poses no spiritual danger. Do not provoke those who rule over you to anger, so that you do not give an opportunity to those who are looking for one. It is unnecessary to write to you about practices like magic, impure love of boys, or murder, as such vices are forbidden even by the Gentiles. I am not issuing commands on these points as if I were an apostle; rather, as your fellow servant, I remind you of them.

I GREET THE HOLY PRESBYTERY: I greet the sacred deacons, and that person most dear to me, whom may I see, through the Holy Spirit, occupying my place when I reach Christ. My soul be in place of his. I greet the sub-deacons, the readers, the singers, the doorkeepers, the laborers, the exorcists, the confessors. I greet the keepers of the holy gates, the deaconesses in Christ. I greet the virgins betrothed to Christ, of whom may I have joy in the Lord Jesus. I greet the people of the Lord, from the smallest to the greatest, and all my sisters in the Lord.

I GREET CASSIAN AND HIS PARTNER IN LIFE: and their very dear children. Polycarp, that most worthy bishop, who is also deeply concerned for you, sends his greetings; I have also commended you to him in the Lord. The whole Church of the Smyrnæans remembers you in their prayers to the Lord. Onesimus, the pastor of the Ephesians, sends his greetings. Damas, the bishop of Magnesia, sends his greetings. Polybius, bishop of the Trallians, sends his greetings. Philo and Agathopus, the deacons, my companions, send their greetings. "Greet one another with a holy kiss."

I WRITE THIS LETTER TO YOU FROM PHILIPPI: May He who is alone unbegotten keep you steadfast both in spirit and in flesh, through Him who was begotten before time began! And may I see you in the kingdom of Christ! I greet the one who is to rule over you in my place: may I have joy in him in the Lord! Farewell in God and in Christ, being enlightened by the Holy Spirit.

I URGE YOU IN GOD TO INCREASE YOUR SPEED IN YOUR JOURNEY AND TO UPHOLD YOUR DIGNITY: Be careful to maintain harmony with the saints. Support the weak so that "you may fulfill the law of Christ." Dedicate yourself to fasting and prayer, but not excessively, lest you harm yourself. Do not completely avoid wine and meat, for these are not to be despised, as the Scripture says, "You shall eat the good things of the earth." And again, "You shall eat meat as herbs." And again, "Wine makes the heart of man glad, and oil exhilarates, and bread strengthens him." But all these should be used in moderation, as they are gifts from God. "For who will eat or who will drink without Him? For if anything is beautiful, it is His; and if anything is good, it is His." Pay attention to reading, so that you may not only know the laws yourself but also explain them to others, as a dedicated servant of God. "No one involved in military service entangles himself with the affairs of this life, so he may please the one who chose him to be a soldier; and if a person competes for success, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully." I, who am in confinement, pray that my soul may be in place of yours.

ANYONE WHO TEACHES ANYTHING BEYOND WHAT IS COMMANDED: even if he is considered trustworthy, even if he is accustomed to fasting, even if he lives in self-restraint, even if he works miracles, even if he has the gift of prophecy, let him be seen by you as a wolf in sheep's clothing, working for the destruction of the sheep. If anyone denies the cross and is ashamed of the passion, let him be to you as the adversary himself. "Even if he gives all his goods to feed the poor, even if he removes mountains, even if he gives his body to be burned," let him be regarded by you as abominable. If anyone makes light of the law or the prophets, which Christ fulfilled at His coming, let him be to you as antichrist. If anyone says that the Lord is a mere man, he is a Jew, a murderer of Christ.

"Honor widows who are truly widows." Be a friend to orphans, for God is "the Father of the fatherless, and the Judge of the widows." Do nothing without the bishops, for they are priests, and you are a servant of the priests. They baptize, offer sacrifice, ordain, and lay on hands, but you minister to them, as the holy Stephen did at Jerusalem to James and the elders. Do not neglect the sacred meetings of the saints; inquire after each one by name. "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers, both in word and behavior."

DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF SERVANTS: for we share the same nature with them. Do not despise women, for they have given you birth and raised you. It is right, therefore, to love those who were the authors of our birth (but only in the Lord), as a man cannot have children without a woman. It is right, therefore, that we should honor those who have contributed to our birth. "Neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man," except in the case of those who were first formed. For the body of Adam was made from the four elements, and that of Eve from the side of Adam. And, indeed, the unique birth of the Lord was from a virgin alone. This happened not because the lawful union of husband and wife is abominable, but such a birth was fitting for God. For it was appropriate for the Creator not to use the ordinary method of generation, but one that was unique and extraordinary, as being the Creator.

AVOID ARROGANCE: "for the Lord resists the proud." Hate falsehood, for as the Scripture says, "You will destroy all who speak lies." Guard against envy, for its author is the devil, and his successor is Cain, who envied his brother and out of envy committed murder. Encourage my sisters to love God and remain faithful to their own husbands. Similarly, encourage my brothers to remain faithful to their own wives. Protect the virgins as the precious treasures of Christ. Be patient, so that you may be great in wisdom. Do not neglect the poor, especially if you are prosperous. For "by alms and fidelity sins are purged away."

KEEP YOURSELF PURE AS THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD: You are the temple of Christ. You are the instrument of the Spirit. You know how I have raised you. Although I am the least of men, seek to follow me; be an imitator of my conduct. I do not glory in the world, but in the Lord. I exhort Hero, my son: "Let him who glories, glory in the Lord." May I find joy in you, my dear son, whose guardian may be the only unbegotten God, and the Lord Jesus Christ! Do not believe everyone; do not place confidence in all; nor let anyone deceive you with flattery. For many are the ministers of Satan, and "he who is quick to believe is light of heart."

KEEP GOD IN REMEMBRANCE: and you shall never sin. Be not double-minded in your prayers; for blessed is he who does not doubt. For I believe in the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in His only-begotten Son, that God will show me, Hero, upon my throne. Therefore, hasten your course. I charge you before the God of the universe, and before Christ, and in the presence of the Holy Spirit, and of the ministering ranks of angels, to keep safe that deposit which I and Christ have committed to you, and do not judge yourself unworthy of those things which have been shown by God to me concerning you. I hand over to you the Church of Antioch. I have commended you to Polycarp in the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE BISHOPS: Onesimus, Bitus, Damas, Polybius, and everyone from Philippi (where I have also written to you), greet you in Christ. Greet the presbytery worthy of God: greet my holy fellow-deacons, of whom I may have joy in Christ, both in the flesh and in the spirit. Greet the people of the Lord, from the smallest to the greatest, each one by name; whom I entrust to you as Moses did the Israelites to Joshua, who became their leader after him. And don't consider what I have said as presumptuous on my part; for although we are not like they were, yet we at least pray that we may be, since indeed we are the children of Abraham. Be strong, therefore, O Hero, like a hero, and like a man. For from now on you shall lead in and out the people of the Lord that are in Antioch, and so "the congregation of the Lord shall not be like sheep who have no shepherd."

GREET CASSIAN: my host, and his serious-minded partner in life, and their very dear children, to whom may God grant mercy of the Lord on that day, because of their services to us, whom I also commend to you in Christ. Greet by name all the faithful in Christ who are at Laodicea. Do not neglect those at Tarsus, but look after them consistently, strengthening them in the Gospel. I greet in the Lord, Maris, the bishop of Neapolis, near Anazarbus. Also greet Mary, my daughter, distinguished both for seriousness and learning, as well as "the Church which is in her house." May my soul be in place of hers: she is a model of pious women. May the Father of Christ, through His only-begotten Son, preserve you in good health and high reputation in all things, to a very old age, for the benefit of the Church of God! Farewell in the Lord, and pray that I may be perfected.

MINDFUL OF YOUR LOVE AND ZEAL IN CHRIST: which you have shown towards us, we thought it appropriate to write to you, who display such a godly and spiritual love to the brethren, to remind you of your Christian path, "that you all speak the same thing, being of one mind, thinking the same thing, and walking by the same rule of faith," as Paul advised you. For if there is one God of the universe, the Father of Christ, "of whom are all things;" and one Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord, "by whom are all things;" and also one Holy Spirit, who worked in Moses, and in the prophets and apostles; and also one baptism, which is administered so that we should share in the death of the Lord; and also one chosen Church; there should likewise be but one faith in respect to Christ. For "there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is through all, and in all."

THERE IS THEN ONE GOD AND FATHER: and not two or three; one who is; and there is no other besides Him, the only true God. For "the Lord your God," says [the Scripture], "is one Lord." And again, "Has not one God created us? Do we not all have one Father? And there is also one Son, God the Word. For "the only-begotten Son," says [the Scripture], "who is in the bosom of the Father." And again, "One Lord Jesus Christ." And in another place, "What is His name, or what His Son’s name, that we may know?" And there is also one Paraclete. For "there is also," says [the Scripture], "one Spirit," since "we have been called in one hope of our calling." And again, "We have drunk of one Spirit," with what follows. And it is clear that all these gifts [possessed by believers] "are worked by one and the self-same Spirit." There are not then either three Fathers, or three Sons, or three Paracletes, but one Father, and one Son, and one Paraclete. Therefore also the Lord, when He sent forth the apostles to make disciples of all nations, commanded them to "baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," not into one [person] having three names, nor into three [persons] who became incarnate, but into three possessed of equal honor.

THERE IS ONLY ONE WHO BECAME INCARNATE: and it was not the Father or the Paraclete, but the Son alone, who became so not in appearance or imagination, but in reality. For "the Word became flesh." For "Wisdom built for herself a house." And God the Word was born as man, with a body, of the Virgin, without any man's involvement. For it is written, "A virgin shall conceive in her womb, and bring forth a son." He was truly born, truly grew up, truly ate and drank, was truly crucified, and died, and rose again. Whoever believes these things as they truly happened is blessed. Whoever does not believe them is as accursed as those who crucified the Lord. For the prince of this world rejoices when anyone denies the cross, since he knows that the confession of the cross is his own destruction. For that is the trophy raised against his power, which makes him shudder when he sees it and afraid when he hears of it.

AND INDEED: before the cross was set up, he (Satan) was eager for this to happen; and he worked towards this end in the children of disobedience. He worked in Judas, in the Pharisees, in the Sadducees, in the old, in the young, and in the priests.

But when it was about to be set up, he was troubled, and instilled regret in the traitor, directing him to a rope to hang himself, and taught him to die by strangulation.

He also terrified the foolish woman, disturbing her with dreams; and he, who had tried in every way to have the cross prepared, now tried to stop its erection; not because he felt repentance for his great crime (for then he would not be completely depraved), but because he saw his own destruction approaching. For the cross of Christ marked the beginning of his condemnation, the start of his demise, the onset of his destruction.

Therefore, he also works in some to make them deny the cross, be ashamed of the passion, call the death an illusion, distort and dismiss the birth from the Virgin, and slander the human nature itself as being detestable.

He fights with the Jews to deny the cross, and with the Gentiles to slander Mary, who are heretical in claiming that Christ had only a phantasmal body. For the leader of all wickedness takes on many forms, deceiver of humanity as he is, inconsistent, and even contradictory, proposing one path and then following another. He is wise in doing evil, but he is completely ignorant of what good might be.

Indeed, he is full of ignorance due to his voluntary lack of reason: for how can he be considered anything else when he does not recognize reason even when it is right before him?

IF THE LORD WERE JUST A MAN WITH ONLY A SOUL AND BODY: why do you downplay and alter His birth with human nature? Why do you claim the passion was merely an appearance, as if any strange thing were happening to a mere man? And why do you consider the death of a mortal to be simply an imaginary death? But if He is both God and man, why do you claim it is wrong to call Him "the Lord of glory," who is by nature unchangeable? Why do you say it is wrong to declare of the Lawgiver, who has a human soul, "The Word was made flesh," and was a perfect man, not just one dwelling in a man? But how did this magician come to be, who long ago formed all nature, both seen and understood, according to the will of the Father, and who, when He became incarnate, healed every kind of disease and infirmity?

AND HOW CAN HE NOT BE GOD: who raises the dead, heals the lame, cleanses lepers, restores sight to the blind, and either multiplies or transforms existing substances, like the five loaves and the two fishes, and the water that became wine, and who defeats your entire host with just a word? And why do you insult the nature of the Virgin and call her body disgraceful, when you used to display such things in public processions, ordering them to be shown naked, males in front of females, and females to provoke the uncontrolled desire of males? But now you consider these things disgraceful and pretend to be full of modesty, you spirit of fornication, not knowing that things become disgraceful only when polluted by wickedness. When sin is absent, none of the things that have been created are shameful or evil, but all are very good. Yet, because you are blind, you speak against these things.

AND HOW: again, does Christ not at all appear to you to be of the Virgin but to be God over all and the Almighty? Then tell me, who sent Him? Who was Lord over Him? And whose will did He obey? And what laws did He fulfill, since He was subject to neither the will nor power of anyone? And while you deny that Christ was born, you claim that the unbegotten was begotten, and that He who had no beginning was nailed to the cross, by whose permission I can't say. But your changeable tactics don't escape me, nor am I unaware that you often walk with slanting and uncertain steps. And you are unaware of who really was born, you who pretend to know everything.

MANY THINGS ARE UNKNOWN TO YOU: the virginity of Mary, the miraculous birth, who became incarnate, the star that guided those in the East, the Magi who brought gifts, the greeting of the archangel to the Virgin, the miraculous conception of her who was betrothed, the announcement by the child-forerunner about the son of the Virgin, and his leaping in the womb due to foresight; the songs of the angels over Him who was born, the good news announced to the shepherds, Herod's fear of losing his kingdom, the command to kill the infants, the journey into Egypt and the return from that land to the same region; the infant swaddling clothes, the human registration, the nourishment by milk, the name of "father" given to Him who did not father Him; the manger because there was no room elsewhere; the lack of human preparation for the Child; His gradual growth, human speech, hunger, thirst, journeys, weariness; the offering of sacrifices, and then circumcision, baptism; the voice of God over Him who was baptized, declaring who He was and where He came from; the testimony of the Spirit and the Father from above; the voice of John the prophet when he signified the passion by calling Him "the Lamb"; the performing of various miracles and healings; the Lord's command over both the sea and the winds; evil spirits expelled; you yourself subjected to torment, and when afflicted by the power of Him who had appeared, not having the power to do anything.

SEEING THESE THINGS: you were in utter perplexity. And you were unaware that it was a virgin who should give birth; but the angels’ song of praise astonished you, as well as the adoration of the Magi and the appearance of the star. You reverted to your state of willful ignorance because all the circumstances seemed trivial to you; for you considered the swaddling clothes, the circumcision, and the nourishment by means of milk contemptible: these things appeared unworthy of God to you.

Again, you saw a man who went forty days and nights without eating human food, with ministering angels at whose presence you shuddered, when at first you had seen Him baptized like a common man, and did not know the reason for it.

But after His extended fast, you again assumed your usual audacity, and tempted Him when hungry, as if He were an ordinary man, not knowing who He was. For you said, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.” Now, this expression, “If you are the Son,” indicates ignorance.

For if you had real knowledge, you would have understood that the Creator can with equal ease both create what does not exist and change what already exists. And you tempted Him through hunger, who nourishes all that require food. And you tempted the very “Lord of glory,” forgetting in your malevolence that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” For if you had known that He was the Son of God, you would have also understood that He who had kept his body from feeling any want for forty days and just as many nights, could also have done so forever.

Why, then, does He suffer hunger? To prove that He had taken on a body subject to the same feelings as those of ordinary men. By the first fact, He showed that He was God, and by the second that He was also man.

DO YOU DARE: then, who fell "like lightning" from the highest glory, to say to the Lord, "Cast yourself down from here" to Him to whom things that are not are considered as if they are, and to provoke a display of vanity in Him who was free from all ostentation? And did you pretend to read in Scripture concerning Him: "For He has given His angels charge concerning You, and in their hands they shall bear You up, lest You dash Your foot against a stone?" At the same time, did you pretend to be ignorant of the rest, secretly hiding what Scripture predicted about you and your servants: "You shall tread upon the adder and the basilisk; the lion and the dragon you shall trample underfoot."

IF: therefore, you are trampled under the feet of the Lord, how do you tempt Him who cannot be tempted, forgetting that commandment of the lawgiver, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God?” Yes, you even dare, most accursed one, to claim the works of God as your own, and to declare that the dominion over them was given to you. And you set forth your own fall as an example to the Lord and promise to give Him what is really His own if He would bow down and worship you.

And how do you not shudder, you spirit more wicked through your malevolence than all other wicked spirits, to speak such words against the Lord? Through your appetite, you were overcome, and through your vainglory, you were brought to dishonor: through avarice and ambition, you now lead others to ungodliness. You, O Belial, dragon, apostate, crooked serpent, rebel against God, outcast from Christ, alien from the Holy Spirit, exile from the ranks of the angels, reviler of the laws of God, enemy of all that is lawful, who rose up against the first-formed of men, and drove forth from obedience to the commandment of God those who had in no way injured you; you who raised up against Abel the murderous Cain; you who took arms against Job: do you say to the Lord, “If You will bow down and worship me?” Oh, what audacity! Oh, what madness! You runaway slave, you incorrigible slave, do you rebel against the good Lord? Do you say to so great a Lord, the God of all that either the mind or the senses can perceive, “If You will bow down and worship me?”

BUT THE LORD IS PATIENT AND DOES NOT DESTROY THE ONE WHO IGNORANTLY DARES TO SPEAK SUCH WORDS: Instead, He calmly replies, "Go away, Satan." He does not say, "Get behind Me," because it is not possible for Satan to be converted. Rather, He says, "Begone, Satan," to follow the path you have chosen. "Begone" to those things to which your malice has called you. For I know Who I am, by Whom I have been sent, and Whom I am meant to worship. For "you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve." I know the one God; I am familiar with the only Lord from whom you have become an apostate. I am not an enemy of God; I acknowledge His supremacy; I know the Father, who is the source of my being.

THESE THINGS: brothers, out of the affection I have for you, I have felt compelled to write, urging you for the glory of God, not as if I were a person of any consequence, but simply as a brother. Be subject to the bishop, the presbyters, and the deacons. Love one another in the Lord, as you are the images of God. Take heed, husbands, to love your wives as your own bodies. Wives also, love your husbands, as being one with them by virtue of your union. If anyone lives in chastity or self-restraint, let him not be prideful, lest he lose his reward. Do not underestimate the festivals. Do not disregard the period of forty days, as it is an imitation of the conduct of the Lord. After the week of the passion, do not neglect to fast on the fourth and sixth days, while also giving from your abundance to the poor. If anyone fasts on the Lord’s Day or on the Sabbath, except on the paschal Sabbath only, he is a murderer of Christ.

OFFER YOUR PRAYERS TO THE CHURCH OF ANTIOCH: from where I am being taken as a prisoner to Rome. I greet the holy bishop Polycarp; I greet the holy bishop Vitalius, the sacred presbytery, and my fellow servants, the deacons; may my soul be found in their place. Once more, I bid farewell to the bishop and the presbyters in the Lord. If anyone celebrates Passover with the Jews or accepts the symbols of their feast, they are sharing in the actions of those who killed the Lord and His apostles.

PHILO AND AGATHOPUS: the deacons, send their greetings to you. I greet the company of virgins and the order of widows, in whom may I find joy! I greet the people of the Lord, from the least to the greatest. I have sent you this letter through Euphanius the reader, a man honored by God and very faithful, whom I happened to meet in Rhegium just as he was about to board a ship. Remember my bonds so that I may be made perfect in Christ. Farewell in body, soul, and spirit, as you think of perfect things and turn away from the workers of wickedness, who corrupt the word of truth, and are strengthened inwardly by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

MARIA: a follower of Jesus Christ, to Ignatius Theophorus, most blessed bishop of the apostolic Church which is at Antioch, beloved in God the Father and Jesus: Happiness and safety. We all pray for your joy and health in Him.

CHRIST HAS: to our amazement, been revealed among us as the Son of the living God, and has become man in these recent times through the Virgin Mary, from the lineage of David and Abraham, as was foretold about Him and through Him by the group of prophets. We therefore plead and request that, by your wisdom, our friend Maris, the bishop of our native Neapolis near Zarbus, along with Eulogius and Sobelus the presbyter, be sent to us so we are not without leaders over the divine word, as Moses also says, "Let the Lord God choose a man who shall guide this people, so the congregation of the Lord shall not be like sheep without a shepherd."

REGARDING THE YOUNG MEN WE HAVE MENTIONED: do not, blessed one, have any worries. I want you to know that they are wise about the flesh and are not swayed by its passions, shining with the dignity of old age due to their own intrinsic merits, even though they have only recently been called as young men to the priesthood. Now, engage your thoughts through the Spirit God has given you by Christ, and you will remember that Samuel, even as a little child, was called a seer and counted among the prophets. He reproved the elder Eli for his transgression because Eli had honored his wayward sons above God, the author of all things, allowing them to go unpunished when they mocked the office of the priesthood and acted violently toward your people.

MOREOVER: the wise Daniel, while still a young man, judged certain vigorous old men, showing them to be abandoned wretches, and not worthy to be called elders, and that, though Jews by birth, they were Canaanites in practice. And Jeremiah, when he declined the role of a prophet given to him by God because of his youth, was told: “Do not say, I am a youth; for you shall go to all those to whom I send you, and you shall speak according to all that I command you; because I am with you.” And the wise Solomon, at just twelve years old, had the wisdom to resolve the important issue about the children of the two women, when it was unknown to whom they belonged; so that the whole people were astonished at such wisdom in a child, and revered him as not merely a youth, but a full-grown man. He also solved the difficult questions of the queen of the Ethiopians, which had benefits as the streams of the Nile bring fertility, so much so that the woman, wise as she was, was beyond measure astonished.

JOSIAH: beloved of God, when he could barely speak clearly, convicts those possessed by a wicked spirit as being false in their speech and deceivers of the people. He also reveals the deceit of the demons and openly exposes those that are not gods. Indeed, while still a child, he kills their priests, overturns their altars, defiles the places where sacrifices were offered with dead bodies, demolishes the temples, cuts down the groves, breaks the pillars into pieces, and opens the tombs of the ungodly, so that not a relic of the wicked might remain. He showed such zeal for godliness and proved himself a punisher of the ungodly, even while he spoke with the faltering speech of a child. David, too, who was both a prophet and a king, and the root of our Savior according to the flesh, was anointed by Samuel to be king while still a youth. For he himself says in a certain place, “I was small among my brothers, and the youngest in the house of my father.”

BUT TIME WOULD FAIL ME IF I TRIED TO LIST ALL THOSE WHO PLEASED GOD IN THEIR YOUTH: having been entrusted by God with the roles of prophet, priest, or king. The ones I have mentioned should be enough to bring the subject to your remembrance. I ask you not to consider me presumptuous or showy in writing as I have. I have presented these statements not to instruct you, but simply to remind my father in God. I know my own position and do not compare myself to you. I greet your holy clergy and your Christ-loving people who are guided under your care as their pastor. All the faithful with us greet you. Pray, blessed shepherd, that I may be in health with respect to God.

SIGHT IS INDEED BETTER THAN WRITING: since, being one of our senses, it not only strengthens friendships by sharing evidence of them, but also, by receiving these in return, it enhances the desire for better things. But the second safe harbor, as the saying goes, is the act of writing, which we have received, as a convenient haven, through your faith, from such a great distance, since through a letter we have come to know the excellence within you. For the souls of the good, O wisest of women, are like fountains of the purest water; they entice passers-by to drink from them with their beauty, even if they are not thirsty. Your intelligence invites us, as if by command, to partake in those divine drafts that flow so abundantly from your soul.

BUT I: O blessed woman, not being now as much my own master but in the power of others, am driven along by the varying wills of many adversaries, being in one sense in exile, in another in prison, and in a third in chains. But I pay no attention to these things. Yes, through the injuries inflicted on me by them, I become even more of a disciple, so that I may attain to Jesus Christ. May I embrace the torments prepared for me, knowing that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

I HAVE GLADLY ACTED AS REQUESTED IN YOUR LETTER: having no doubt about those people whom you proved to be men of worth. For I am sure that you testified to them with godly judgment, and not through the influence of human favor. Your numerous quotations of Scripture passages greatly delighted me, and after reading them, I had no more doubts about the matter. I did not think these things should just be glanced over, as you provided such undeniable evidence. May I be in place of your soul, because you love Jesus, the Son of the living God. Therefore, He Himself says to you, “I love those who love Me; and those who seek Me shall find peace.”

NOW IT OCCURS TO ME TO MENTION THAT THE REPORT I HEARD ABOUT YOU WHILE YOU WERE IN ROME WITH THE BLESSED FATHER LINUS IS TRUE: The deservedly-blessed Clement, a listener of Peter and Paul, has now succeeded Linus. By this time, you have greatly enhanced your reputation, and may you, O woman, continue to increase it. I greatly desired to come to you so that I might find rest with you; but, "the way of man is not in himself." The military guard [under which I am kept] prevents my journey and does not allow me to go further. In my current state, I cannot do or endure anything. Therefore, considering writing to be the second best option for friends to encourage each other, I greet your sacred soul, asking you to continue strengthening your vigor. Our current labor is but small, while the expected reward is great.

AVOID THOSE WHO DENY THE PASSION OF CHRIST AND HIS BIRTH IN THE FLESH: there are many today who suffer from this issue. But it would be pointless to advise you on other matters, as you are perfect in every good work and word and capable of encouraging others in Christ. Greet all who are like-minded with you and who hold firmly to their salvation in Christ. The presbyters and deacons, and above all the holy Hero, send their greetings to you. Cassian, my host, sends his greetings to you, as well as my sister, his wife, and their very dear children. May the Lord sanctify you forever in both physical and spiritual health, and may I see you in Christ obtaining the crown!

WE ARE DEEPLY GRIEVED BY YOUR DELAY IN STRENGTHENING US WITH YOUR WORDS AND COMFORT: If your absence continues, many of us will be disappointed. Please come quickly, as we believe it is necessary. Many of our women here are eager to see Mary, the mother of Jesus, and wish daily to leave us and come to you, so they may meet her, touch the breasts that nursed the Lord Jesus, and inquire about some rather secret matters. Salome, the daughter of Anna, whom you love, who stayed with her for five months in Jerusalem, and some other well-known individuals, say that she is full of all graces and virtues, like a virgin, rich in virtue and grace.

As they report, she is cheerful in persecutions and hardships, free from complaining in the midst of poverty and want, grateful to those who wrong her, and rejoices in troubles: she sympathizes with the wretched and afflicted, sharing in their sufferings, and is quick to help them.

Moreover, she shines gloriously as she fights the battle of faith against the harmful conflicts of vicious principles or conduct. She is the lady of our new religion and repentance, and a helper among the faithful in all works of piety.

She is truly devoted to the humble, humbling herself more than others, and is wonderfully esteemed by all, though she suffers criticism from the Scribes and Pharisees. Besides these points, many tell us numerous other things about her.

However, we do not believe everything entirely, nor do we mention everything to you. But, as informed by those worthy of belief, there is in Mary, the mother of Jesus, an angelic purity of nature combined with human nature. Such reports have greatly stirred our emotions and urge us eagerly to see this (if it be lawful to say) heavenly wonder and sacred marvel.

Please, hurry to fulfill our wish; and farewell. Amen.

IF YOU WILL ALLOW ME: I wish to go up to Jerusalem and see the faithful saints who are there, especially Mary the mother, who is said to be admired and loved by all. For who would not rejoice to see and speak with her who bore the true God from her own womb, if he is a friend of our faith and religion? Similarly, I wish to see the venerable James, known as Just, who is said to be very like Christ Jesus in appearance, life, and conduct, as if he were a twin brother from the same womb. They say that if I see him, it is as if I see Jesus Himself, in all His features and appearance. Moreover, I wish to see the other saints, both male and female. Alas! Why do I delay? Why am I held back? Kind teacher, urge me to hasten to fulfill my wish, and farewell to you. Amen.

YOU SHOULD HAVE COMFORTED AND CONSOLED ME: who am a neophyte and a disciple of your beloved John. For I have heard wonderful things to tell about your son Jesus, and I am astonished by such a report. I desire with my whole heart to obtain information concerning the things I have heard from you, who were always intimate and allied with Him, and who were acquainted with all His secrets. I have also written to you another time, and have asked you about the same things. Farewell; and let the neophytes who are with me be comforted by you, and through you, and in you. Amen.

THE THINGS YOU HAVE HEARD AND LEARNED FROM JOHN ABOUT JESUS ARE TRUE: Believe them, cling to them, and hold firmly to the profession of that Christianity which you have embraced, and align your habits and life with your profession. Now, I will come along with John to visit you and those with you. Stand firm in the faith, and show yourself as a man; do not let the intensity of persecution move you, but let your spirit be strong and rejoice in God your Savior. Amen.