# To the Philadelphians 3.1

- Author: [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/ignatius-of-antioch/)
- Work: [To the Philadelphians](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-philadelphians/) (*Ad Philadelphenses*)
- Date: ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:240; 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 5:700a (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-philadelphians/3/1/

Summary: Avoid false teachers; Ignatius found the church purified, not divided.

## Greek text

Ἀπέχεσθε τῶν κακῶν βοτανῶν, ἅστινας οὐ γεωργεῖ Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι αὐτοὺς φυτείαν πατρός· οὐχ ὅτι παρʼ ὑμῖν μερισμὸν εὗρον, ἀλλʼ ἀποδιυλισμόν.

## English translation (Claude)

Keep away from evil plants, which Jesus Christ does not cultivate, because they are not the Father's planting. Not that I found division among you, but rather a filtering.

## Scripture references

- Matt 15:13: allusion, high confidence

## Translation notes

- “A filtering” (ἀποδιυλισμόν): the church had strained out the troublemakers (compare Ign. Rom. 0).

## Citation (SBL)

Ign. Phld. 3.1 (PG 5:700a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-philadelphians/3/1/).