|
FORBIDDEN GOSPELS AND EPISTLES - VOLUME 8 - IGNATIUS
FORBIDDEN GOSPELS AND EPISTLES - VOLUME 8 - IGNATIUS ARCHBISHOP WAKE THE EPISTLE OF
IGNATIUS TO THE EPHESIANS.
CHAPTER I.
1 Ignatius commends the brethren for sending
Onesimus and other members of the church to him.
8 Exhorts them to unity;
13 by a due subjection to their bishop;
IGNATIUS who is also called
Theophorus to the church which
is at Ephesus in Asia; most
deservedly happy: being blessed
through the greatness and fullness
of God the Father and predestinated
before the world began; that it
should be always unto an enduring
and unchangeable glory; united and
chosen through his true passion
according to the will of the Father
and Jesus Christ our God; all
happiness by Jesus Christ
and his undefiled grace.
2 I have heard of your name
much beloved in God; which ye
have very justly attained by a
habit of righteousness according
to the faith and love which is in
Jesus Christ our Saviour.
3 How that being followers of
God and stirring up yourselves
by the blood of Christ ye have
perfectly accomplished the work
that was con-natural unto you.
4 For hearing that I came bound
from Syria for the common name
and hope trusting through your
prayers to fight with beasts at
home; so that by suffering I may
become indeed the disciple of him
who gave himself to God an offering
and sacrifice for us; ye hastened
to see me. I received therefore
in the name of God your whole
multitude in Onesimus;
5 Who by: inexpressible love is
ours but according to the flesh
is our bishop; whom I beseech you
pray Jesus Christ to love: and that
you would all strive to be like unto
him. And blessed be God who
has granted unto you who are so
worthy of him to enjoy such an
excellent bishop.
6 For what concerns my fellow
servant Burrhus and your most
blessed deacon in things pertaining
to God; I entreat you that he may
tarry longer both for yours and
your bishop's honour.
7 And Crocus also worthy of
both our God and you whom I
have received as the pattern
of your love has in all things
refreshed me as the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ shall also
refresh him; together with Onesimus
and Burrhus and Euplus and Fronto
in whom I have as to your charity
seen all of you And may always
have joy of you if I shall be
worthy of it.
8 It is therefore fitting that you
should by all means glorify Jesus
Christ who hath glorified you
that by a uniform obedience ye
may be perfectly joined together
in the same mind and in the same
judgment; and may all speak the
same things concerning everything:
9 And that being subject to
your bishop and the presbytery
ye may be wholly and thoroughly
sanctified.
10 These things I prescribe to
you not as if I were somebody
extraordinary: for though I am
bound for his name I am not yet
perfect in Christ Jesus. But now
I begin to learn and I speak to
you as fellow disciples together
with me.
11 For I ought to have been
stirred up by you in faith: in
admonition; in patience; in long-
suffering; but forasmuch as
charity suffers me not to be
silent towards you I have first
taken upon me to exhort you that
ye would all run together
according to the will of God.
12 For even Jesus Christ our
inseparable life is sent by the
will of the Father; as the bishops
appointed unto the utmost bounds of
the earth are by the will of Jesus
Christ.
13 Wherefore it will become you
to run together according to the
will of your bishop as also ye do
14 For your famous presbytery
worthy of God is fitted as exactly
to the bishop as the strings are
to the harp.
15 Therefore in your concord
and agreeing charity Jesus Christ
is sung; and every single person
among you makes up the chorus:
16 That so being all consonant
in love and taking up the song
of God ye may in a perfect unity
with one voice sing to the Father
by Jesus Christ; to the end that
he may both hear you and perceive
by your works that ye are indeed
the members of his son.
17 Wherefore it is profitable for
you to live in an unblameable
unity that so ye may always have
a fellowship with God.
CHAPTER II.
1 The benefit of subjection.
4 The bishop not to be respected the less
because he is not forward in exacting it:
8 warns brethren against heretics; bidding
them cleave to Jesus whose divine and human
mature is declared: commends them for their care
to keep themselves from false teachers:
and shews them the way to God.
FOR if I in this little time have
had such a familiarity with
your bishop I mean not a carnal
but spiritual acquaintance with
him; how much more must I think
you happy who are so joined to him
as the church is to Jesus Christ
and Jesus Christ to the Father;
so that all things may agree in
the same unity.
2 Let no man deceive himself;
if a man be not within the altar
he is deprived of the bread of God.
For if the prayer of one or two
be of such force as we are told;
how much more powerful shall
that of the bishop and the whole
church be?
3 He therefore that does not
come together in the same place
with it is proud and has already
condemned himself; for it is written
God resisteth the proud. Let us take
heed therefore that we do not set
ourselves against the bishop
that we may be subject to God.
4 The more any one sees his
bishop silent the more let him
revere him. For whomsoever the
master of the house sends to be
over his own household we ought
in like manner to receive him as
we do him that sent him. It is
therefore evident that we ought
to look upon the bishop even as
we do upon the Lord himself.
5 And indeed Onesimus himself
does greatly commend your good
order in God: that you all live
according to the truth and that
no heresy dwells among you. For
neither do ye hearken to anyone
more than to Jesus Christ
speaking to you in truth.
6 For some there are who
carry about the name of Christ
in deceitfulness but do things
unworthy of God; whom ye must
flee as ye would do so many
wild beasts. For they are raving
dogs who bite secretly; against
whom ye must guard yourselves
as men hardly to be cured.
7 There is one Physician both
fleshy and spiritual; made and
not made; God incarnate; true
life in death; both of Mary and
of God: first passible then
impassible; even Jesus Christ our
Lord.
8 Wherefore let no man deceive
you; as indeed neither are ye
deceived being wholly the
servants of God. For inasmuch as
there is no contention nor strife
among you to trouble you ye
must needs live according to God's
will. My soul be for yours;
and I myself the expiatory
offering for your church of Ephesus;
so famous throughout the world.
9 They that are of the flesh
cannot do the works of the spirit;
neither they that are of the spirit
the works of the flesh; as he
that has faith cannot be an infidel;
nor he that is an infidel have
faith. But even those things
which ye do according to the flesh
are spiritual; forasmuch as ye do
all things in Jesus Christ.
10 Nevertheless I have heard
of some who have passed by you
having perverse doctrine; whom
ye did not suffer to sow among
you; but stopped your ears that
ye might not receive those things
that were sown by them: because
being the stones of the temple of
the Father prepared for his
building; and drawn up on high
by the Cross of Christ
as by an engine;
11. Using the Holy Ghost as the
rope: your faith being your support;
and your charity the way that leads
unto God.
12 Ye are therefore with all
your companions in the same
journey full of God; his spiritual
temples full of Christ and of
holiness: adorned in all things
with the commands of Christ.
13 In whom also I rejoice that
I have been thought worthy by
this present epistle to converse
and joy together with you; that
with respect to the other life ye
love nothing but God only.
CHAPTER III.
1 Exorts them to prayer; to be unblamable.
5 To be careful of salvation;
11 frequent in public devotion;
13 and to live in charity.
PRAY also without ceasing for
other men; for there is hope
of repentance in them that they
may attain unto God. Let them
therefore at least be instructed by
your works if they will be no
other way.
2 Be ye mild at their anger;
humble at their boasting; to their
blasphemies return your prayers
to their error your firmness in
the faith; when they are cruel
be ye gentle; not endeavouring
to imitate their ways.
(3 Let us be their brethren in
all kindness and moderation but
let us be followers of the Lord;
for who was ever more unjustly
used? More destitute? More
despised?).
4 That so no herb of the devil
may be found in you: but ye may
remain in all holiness and sobriety
both of body and spirit in Christ
Jesus.
5 The last times are come upon
us: let us therefore be very
reverent and fear the long-
suffering of God that it be
not to us unto condemnation.
6 For let us either fear the
wrath that is to come or let us
love the grace that we at present
enjoy; that by the one or other of
these we may be found in Christ
Jesus unto true life.
7 Besides him let nothing be
worthy of you; for whom also I
bear about these bonds; those
spiritual jewels in which I would
to God that I might arise through
your prayers.
8 Of which I entreat you to
make me always partaker that I
may be found in the lot of the
Christians of Ephesus who have
always agreed with the Apostles
through the power of Jesus Christ.
9 I know both who I am and
to whom I write: I a person
condemned; ye such as have
obtained mercy; I exposed
to danger; ye confirmed
against danger.
10 Ye are the passage of
those that are killed for God;
the companions of Paul in the
mysteries of the Gospel; the
holy the martyr the deservedly
most happy Paul: at whose feet
may I be found when I shall have
attained unto God; who throughout
all his epistles makes mention
of you in Christ Jesus.
11 Let it be your care therefore
to come more fully together to
the praise and glory of God;
for when ye meet fully together
in the same place the powers of
the devil are destroyed and his
mischief is dissolved by the unity
of your faith.
12 And indeed nothing is better
than peace by which all war both
spiritual and earthly is abolished.
13 Of all which nothing is hid
from you if ye have perfect faith
and charity in Christ Jesus which
are the beginning and end of life.
14 For the beginning is faith;
the end is charity. And these two
joined together are of God; but
all other things which concern a
holy life are the consequences of
these.
15 No man professing a true
faith sinneth; neither does he
who has charity hate any.
16 The tree is made manifest
by its fruit; so they who profess
themselves to be Christians are
known by what they do.
17 For Christianity is not the
work of an outward profession;
but shows itself in the power of
faith if a man be found faithful
unto the end.
18 It is better for a man to hold
his peace and be; than to say he
is a Christian and not to be.
19 It is good to teach; if what
...
|
