# To the Philadelphians 6.1

- 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 24:244; 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 5:701a–701b (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-philadelphians/6/1/

Summary: Do not listen to those who teach Judaism instead of Christ.

## Greek text

Ἐὰν δέ τις ἰουδαϊσμὸν ἑρμηνεύῃ ὑμῖν, μὴ ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ. ἄμεινον γάρ ἐστιν παρὰ ἀνδρὸς περιτομὴν ἔχοντος χριστιανισμὸν ἀκούειν, ἢ παρὰ ἀκροβύστου ἰουδαϊσμόν. ἐὰν δὲ ἀμφότεροι περὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μὴ λαλῶσιν, οὗτοι ἐμοὶ στῆλαί εἰσιν καὶ τάφοι νεκρῶν, ἐφʼ οἷς γέγραπται μόνον ὀνόματα ἀνθρώπων.

## English translation (Claude)

But if anyone expounds Judaism to you, do not listen to him. For it is better to hear Christianity from a man who is circumcised than Judaism from one who is uncircumcised. But if either of them does not speak about Jesus Christ, they are to me tombstones and graves of the dead, on which only the names of men are written.

## Translation notes

- “Judaism … from one who is uncircumcised”: apparently Gentile Christians urging Jewish practices.

## Citation (SBL)

Ign. Phld. 6.1 (PG 5:701a–701b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-philadelphians/6/1/).