To the Philadelphians 5.1
Summary: Ignatius relies on the gospel and the apostles, and asks prayer to be made perfect.
Greek text · Lake, LCL 24:242
Ἀδελφοί μου, λίαν ἐκκέχυμαι ἀγαπῶν ὑμᾶς καὶ ὑπεραγαλλόμενος ἀσφαλίζομαι ὑμᾶς· οὐκ ἐγὼ δέ, ἀλλʼ Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ἐν ᾧ δεδεμένος φοβοῦμαι μᾶλλον, ὡς ἔτι ὢν ἀναπάρτιστος· ἀλλʼ ἡ προσευχὴ ὑμῶν εἰς θεόν με ἀπαρτίσει, ἵνα ἐν ᾧ κλήρῳ ἠλεήθην ἐπιτύχω, προσφυγὼν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ὡς σαρκὶ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ὡς πρεσβυτερίῳ ἐκκλησίας.
English · Claude translation
My brothers, I am overflowing with love for you, and rejoicing greatly I try to make you secure; not I, but Jesus Christ, in whom I am in chains and am the more afraid, since I am not yet perfected. But your prayer to God will make me perfect, so that I may attain the lot in which I have received mercy, taking refuge in the gospel as in the flesh of Jesus, and in the apostles as in the council of presbyters of the church.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- “The gospel as … the flesh of Jesus”: whether “the gospel” here means a written Gospel or the preached message is debated.
Cite this passage
Ign. Phld. 5.1 (PG 5:700b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-philadelphians/5/1/).
Plain text
Ign. Phld. 5.1 (PG 5:700b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-philadelphians/5/1/).
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