# To the Ephesians 9.1

- 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 24:182; 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 5:652b (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-ephesians/9/1/

Summary: The Ephesians refused false teaching; they are stones raised into God's temple by the cross.

## Greek text

Ἔγνων δὲ παροδεύσαντάς τινας ἐκεῖθεν, ἔχοντας κακὴν διδαχήν· οὓς οὐκ εἰάσατε σπεῖραι εἰς ὑμᾶς, βύσαντες τὰ ὦτα, εἰς τὸ μὴ παραδέξασθαι τὰ σπειρόμενα ὑπʼ αὐτῶν, ὡς ὄντες λίθοι ναοῦ πατρός, ἡτοιμασμένοι εἰς οἰκοδομὴν θεοῦ πατρός, ἀναφερόμενοι εἰς τὰ ὕψη διὰ τῆς μηχανῆς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅς ἐστιν σταυρός, σχοινίῳ χρώμενοι τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ· ἡ δὲ πίστις ὑμῶν ἀναγωγεὺς ὑμῶν, ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη ὁδὸς ἡ ἀναφέρουσα εἰς θεόν.

## English translation (Claude)

But I have learned that certain people passed through from there with evil teaching, whom you did not allow to sow it among you. You stopped your ears so as not to receive what they were sowing, since you are stones of the Father's temple, prepared for the building of God the Father, hoisted up to the heights by the crane of Jesus Christ, which is the cross, using as a rope the Holy Spirit. Your faith is what lifts you up, and love is the road that leads up to God.

## Scripture references

- Eph 2:20: echo, medium confidence
- 1 Pet 2:5: echo, medium confidence

## Translation notes

- “From there”: the place is not named; perhaps Syria.
- “What lifts you up” (ἀναγωγεύς): a hoist or windlass, continuing the image of building machinery.

## Citation (SBL)

Ign. Eph. 9.1 (PG 5:652b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-ephesians/9/1/).