# To the Ephesians 20.2

- Author: [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/ignatius-of-antioch/)
- Work: [To the Ephesians](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-ephesians/) (*Ad Ephesios*)
- Date: ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:194; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, LCL 24 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1912), 172–277 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912-1913), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Also in: PG 5:661a (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-ephesians/20/2/

Summary: In the one Eucharistic bread, the “medicine of immortality,” the united church shares Christ's life.

## Greek text

μάλιστα ἐὰν ὁ κύριός μοι ἀποκαλύψῃ, ὅτι οἱ κατʼ ἄνδρα κοινῇ πάντες ἐν χάριτι ἐξ ὀνόματος συνέρχεσθε ἐν μιᾷ πίστει καὶ ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, τῷ κατὰ σάρκα ἐκ γένους Δαυείδ, τῷ υἱῷ ἀνθρώπου καὶ υἱῷ θεοῦ, εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν ὑμᾶς τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ καὶ τῷ πρεσβυτερίῳ ἀπερισπάστῳ διανοίᾳ, ἕνα ἄρτον κλῶντες, ὅς ἐστιν φάρμακον ἀθανασίας, ἀντίδοτος τοῦ μὴ ἀποθανεῖν, ἀλλὰ ζῆν ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ διὰ παντός.

## English translation (Claude)

Especially if the Lord reveals to me that you are all, each one of you by name, coming together in common in grace, in one faith and in Jesus Christ, who according to the flesh is of David's line, the Son of Man and Son of God, so that you obey the bishop and the council of presbyters with undivided mind, breaking one bread, which is the medicine of immortality, the antidote against dying, so that we may live in Jesus Christ forever.

## Scripture references

- Rom 1:3: allusion, medium confidence
- John 6:51: echo, medium confidence
- 1 Cor 10:17: echo, medium confidence

## Translation notes

- “Medicine of immortality” (φάρμακον ἀθανασίας): among the most quoted early descriptions of the Eucharist.

## Citation (SBL)

Ign. Eph. 20.2 (PG 5:661a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-ephesians/20/2/).