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Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans

Ignatius of Antioch

Chapter 11

About this work

A letter defending the reality of Christ’s incarnation and suffering, opposing docetic teaching, and connecting the church’s unity, Eucharistic practice, and ministry with embodied Christian confession.

Author: Ignatius of Antioch
Date: c. AD 105–115
Origin: Asia Minor
Genre: Letter

This taxonomy follows the commonly accepted middle-recension collection of seven Ignatian letters.

Chapter XI.—Request to them to send a messenger to Antioch.

Your prayers have reached to the Church of Antioch,

‹ Chapter 10 Chapter 12 ›

and

it

is

at

peace

.

Coming

from

that

place

bound

,

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

[

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

;

so

that

he

,

journeying

into

Syria

,

may

congratulate

them

that

they

are

[

now

]

at

peace

,

and

are

restored

to

their

proper

greatness

,

and

that

their

proper

constitution

has

been

re

-

established

among

them

.

What

appears

to

me

proper

to

be

done

is

this

,

that

you

should

send

some

one

of

your

number

with

an

epistle

,

so

that

,

in

company

with

them

,

he

may

rejoice

over

the

tranquillity

which

,

according

to

the

will

of

God

,

they

have

obtained

,

and

because

that

,

through

your

prayers

,

I

have

secured

Christ

as

a

safe

harbour

.

As

persons

who

are

perfect

,

ye

should

also

aim

at

those

things

which

are

perfect

.

For

when

ye

are

desirous

to

do

well

,

God

is

also

ready

to

assist

you

.

Notes

80
Or, “from any conscience.”
81
Literally, “God-ambassador.”
82
Literally, “body.”
83
Or, “think of.”