# To the Philadelphians 5.1

- 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 24:242; 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 5:700b (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-philadelphians/5/1/

Summary: Ignatius relies on the gospel and the apostles, and asks prayer to be made perfect.

## Greek text

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 translation (Claude)

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.

## Translation notes

- “The gospel as … the flesh of Jesus”: whether “the gospel” here means a written Gospel or the preached message is debated.

## Citation (SBL)

Ign. Phld. 5.1 (PG 5:700b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-philadelphians/5/1/).