Bad Teachers

Εἰώθασιν γάρ τινες δόλῳ πονηρῷ τὸ ὄνομα περιφέρειν, ἄλλα τινὰ πράσσοντες ἀνάξια Θεοῦ· οὒς δεῖ ὑμᾶς ὡς θηρία ἐκκλίνειν· εἰσὶν γὰρ κύνες λυσσῶντες, λαθροδῆκται· οὓς δεῖ ὑμᾶς φθλάσσεσθαι ὄντας δυσθεραπεύτος. Eἷς ἰατρός ἐστιν, σαρκικός τε καὶ πνευματικός, γεννητὸς καὶ ἀγέννητος, ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ Θεός, ἐν θανάτῳ ζωὴ ἀληθινή, καὶ ἐκ Μαρίας καὶ ἐκ Θεοῦ, πρῶτον παθητὸς καὶ τότε ἀπαθής, Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ Kύριος ἡμῶν. Μὴ οὖν τις ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατάτω, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἐξαπατᾶσθε, ὅλοι ὄντες Θεοῦ. ὅταν γὰρ μηδεμία ἔρις ἐνήρεισται ἐν ὑμῖν ἡ δυναμένη ὑμᾶς βασανίσαι, ἄρα κατὰ Θεὸν ζῆτε. περίψημα ὑμῶν καὶ ἁγνίζομαι ὑμῶν Ἐφεσίων, ἐκκλησίας τῆς διαβοήτου τοῖς αἰῶσιν. Oἱ σαρκικοὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ πράσσειν οὐ δύναται, οὐδὲ οἱ πνευματικοὶ τὰ σαρκικά, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἡ πίστις τὰ τῆς ἀπιστίας οὐδε ἡ ἀπιστία τὰ τῆς πίστεως. Ἃ δὲ καὶ κατὰ σάρκα πράσσετε, ταῦτα πνευματικά ἐστιν· ἐν Ἰησοῦ γὰρ Χριστῷ πάντα πράσσετε. Ἔγνων δὲ παροδεύσαντάς τινας ἐκεῖθεν, ἔχοντας κακὴν διδαχήν· οὓς οὐκ εἰάσατε σπεῖραι εἰς ὑμᾶς, βύσαντες τὰ ὦτα, εἰς τὸ μὴ παραδέξασθαι τὰ σπειρόμενα ὑπ’ αὐτῶν, ὡς ὄντες λίθοι ναοῦ Πατρός, ἡτοιμασμένοι εἰς οἰκοδομὴν θεοῦ Πατρός, αναφερόμενοι 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. Ἐστὲ οὖν καὶ σύνοδοι πάντες, θεοφόροι καὶ ναοφόροι, χριστοφόροι, ἁγιοφόροι, κατὰ πάντα κεκοσμημένοι ἐντολαῖς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· οἷς καὶ ἀγαλλιώμενος ἠξιώθην δι’ ὧν γράφω προσομιλῆσαι ὑμῖν καὶ συγχαρῆναι, ὅτι κατ’ ἄλλον βίον οὐδὲν ἀγαπᾶτε εἰ μὴ μόνον τὸν θεόν. Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ἐπιστολή Προς Ἐφεσιους Source: Migne PG 5.649b-653a

For some with wicked guile carry about the name but do things unworthy of God, whom you must flee as wild beasts, for they are rabid dogs, biters in secret, whom you must guard against since they are so difficult to cure. There is one physician of flesh and spirit, made and unmade, God in man, true life in death, from Mary and God, first passible and then impassible, Jesus Christ our Lord. Let no one deceive you, as you are not deceived being wholly of God. For when there is no strife raging among you that is able to grieve you, you are certainly living according to God. As an offscouring I require sanctification by your Church of Ephesus, so renowned for the ages. Those who are carnal cannot do spiritual things, nor can they that are spiritual do carnal things, just as faith cannot accomplish the works of unbelief, nor unbelief the works of faith. But even the things you do according to the flesh are spiritual things, for you do all things in Jesus Christ. But I have learnt that some with evil teaching came from elsewhere, whom you did not allow to sow among you, but you stopped your ears so that you might not receive the things sown by them, like stones of the temple of the Father, prepared for the building of God the Father, 1 and drawn up on high by the device of Jesus Christ, which is the cross, making use of the Holy Spirit as a rope, and your faith was how you ascended, and your love was the way which led to God. You, therefore, and all who travel with you, are God-bearers, temple-bearers, Christ-bearers, bearers of holiness, adorned all over with the commandments of Jesus Christ, in whom I also exult, I who have been found worthy through what I write to converse and rejoice with you, because according to your different way of life you love nothing but God alone. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, from the Letter to the Ephesians 1 1 Pet 2.5

Truth And Lies

Κωφώθητε οὖν, ὅταν ὑμῖν χωρὶς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ λαλῇ τις, τοῦ ἐκ γένους Δαυείδ, τοῦ ἐκ Μαρίας, ὃς ἀληθῶς ἐγεννήθη, ἔφαγέν τε καὶ ἔπιεν, ἀληθῶς ἐδιώχθη ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου, ἀληθῶς ἐσταυρώθη καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ ὑποχθονίων. Ὄς καὶ ἀληθῶς ἠγέρθη ἀπό νεκρῶν, ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, κατὰ τὸ ὁμοίωμα ὃς καὶ ἡμᾶς τοὺς πιστεύοντας αὐτῷ οὕτως ἐγερεῖ ὁ Πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, οὗ χωρὶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ζῆν οὐκ ἔχομεν. Εἰ δέ, ὥσπερ τινὲς ἄθεοι ὄντες, τουτέστιν ἄπιστοί, λέγουσιν, τὸ δοκεῖν πεπονθέναι αὐτόν, αὐτοὶ ὅντες τὸ δοκεῖν, ἐγὼ τί δέδεμαι, τί δὲ καὶ εὔχομαι θηριομαχῆσαι; δωρεὰν οὖν ἀποθνήσκω. ἄρα οὖν καταψεύδομαι τοῦ Kυρίου. Φεύγετε οὖν τὰς κακὰς παραφυάδας τὰς γεννώσας καρπὸν θανατηφόρον, οὗ ἐὰν γεύσηταί φυτεία πατρός. Eἰ γὰρ ἦσαν, ἐφαίνοντο ἂν κλάδοι τοῦ σταυροῦ, καὶ ἦν ἂν ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῶν ἄφθαρτος· δι’ οὗ ἐν τῷ πάθει αὐτοῦ προσκαεῖται ὑμᾶς ὄντας μέλη αὐτοῦ. Oὐ δύναται οὖν κεφαλὴ χωρὶς γεννηθῆναι ἄνευ μελῶν, τοῦ θεοῦ ἕνωσιν ἐπαγγελλομένου, ὅ ἐστιν αὐτός. Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Προς Τραλλιανοίς Επιστολή Source: Migne PG 5.681b-684a

Be deaf, then, to anyone who speaks to you without Christ, He who was born of David, from Mary, He who truly was born, and who ate and drank, and suffered beneath Pontius Pilate, and was truly crucified and buried and placed under the earth, and who was really raised from the dead, being raised by His Father, in which likeness those who are faithful to Him will by raised by the Father in Jesus Christ, since without Him we have no true life. And if His sufferings were mere appearance, as some godless folk say, that is, those without faith, people who are themselves mere appearance, why am I now in chains, why do I pray to contend with the beasts? For then I die for nothing. Then I tell lies about the Lord. 1 Flee then these evil deadly outgrowths from which fatal fruit is born, they who are not of the planting of the Father. 2 For if they were His, they would appear as branches of the cross and there would be no corruption in their fruit. It is through His passion that He calls you to be His members. A head cannot exist without its members, but the promise of God is unity, and it is Himself. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, from the Letter to the Tralllians 1 1 Cor 15.13-20 2 Mt 15.13

A Warning Against Defilement

Οὐδὲν λανθάνει τὸν Κύριον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ κρυπτὰ ἡμῶν ἐγγυς αὐτῷ ἐστιν, πάντα οὖν ποιῶμεν ὡς αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν κατοικοῦντος, ἵνα ὦμεν αὐτοῦ ναοὶ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν θεὸς ἡμῶν· ὅπερ καὶ ἔστιν καὶ φανήσεται πρὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν, ἐξ ὧν δικαίως ἀγαπῶμεν αὐτον. Μὴ πλανᾶσθε, ἀδελφοί μου· οἱ οἰκοφθόροι βασιλείαν θεοῦ οὐ κληρονομήσουσιν. εἰ οὖν οἱ κατὰ σάρκα ταῦτα πράσσοντες ἀπέθανον, πόσῳ μᾶλλον, ἐὰν πίστιν θεοῦ ἐν κακῇ διδασκαλίᾳ φθείρῃ, ὑπὲρ ἧς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐσταυρώθη; ὁ τοιοῦτος ῥυπαρὸς γενόμενος, εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἄσβεστον χωρήσει, ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ ἀκούων αὐτου. Διὰ τοῦτο μύρον ἔλαβεν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ ὁ Κύριος, ἵνα πνέῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀφθαρσίαν. Μὴ ἀλείφεσθε δυσωδίαν τῆς διδασκαλίας τοῦ ἄρχοντος τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, μὴ αἰχμαλωτίσῃ ὑμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ προκειμένου ζῆν. Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ἐπιστολή Προς Ἐφεσιους Source: Migne PG 5.657a-b

Nothing is hidden from the Lord, but even our secrets are near to Him. Let us then do all things as if we had Him dwelling in us, that we may be His temples and He may be in us our God, as indeed He is, and He will be shown before us, whence we rightly love Him. Do not be deceived, my brethren, corrupters of households will not inherit the kingdom of God. If, then, those who do these things in the flesh have died for it, how much more shall it be if someone corrupts the faith of God with wickedness, for which Jesus Christ was crucified? He who is defiled in such a way shall go into everlasting fire and likewise those who listen to him. For this the Lord received the ointment on His head, that He might breathe incorruption into the Church. Do not be anointed with the foul odour of the teaching of the prince of this world, let him not lead you away captive from the life set before you. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, from the Letter to the Ephesians

A Bishop's Counsel To A Bishop

Καλοὺς μαθητὰς ἐὰν φιλῇς, χάρις σοι οὐκ ἔστιν· μᾶλλον τοὺς λοιμοτέρους ἐν πραότητι ὑπότασσε. Οὐ πᾶν τραῦμα τῇ αὐτῇ ἐμπλάστρῳ θεραπεύεται. Τοὺς παροξυσμοὺς ἐμβροχαῖς παῦε. Φρόνιμος γίνου ὡς ὁ ὄφις ἐν ἅπασιν καὶ ἀκέραιος εἰς ἀεὶ ὡς ἡ περιστερά. Διὰ τοῦτο σαρκικὸς εἶ καὶ πνευματικός, ἵνα τὰ φαινόμενά σου εἰς πρόσωπον κολακεύῃς· τὰ δὲ ἀόρατα αἴτει ἵνα σοι φανερωθῇ, ὅπως μηδενὸς λείπῃ καί παντὸς χαρίσματος περισσεύῃς. Ὁ καιρὸς ἀπαιτεῖ σε, ὡς κυβερνῆται ἀνένους καὶ ὡς χειμαζόμενος λιμένα, εἰς τὸ θεοῦ ἐπιτυχεῖν. Νῆφε, ὡς θεοῦ ἀθλητής· τὸ θέμα ἀφθαρσία καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος, περὶ ἧς καὶ σὺ πέπεισαι. Κατὰ πάντα σου ἀντιψυχον ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ δεσμά μου, ἃ ἠγάπησας. Οἱ δοκοῦντες ἀξιόπιστοι εἶναι καὶ ἑτεροδιδασκαοῦντες μή σε καταπλησσέτωσαν. στῆθι ἑδραῖος ὡς ἄκμων τυπτόμενος. Μεγάλου ἐστιν ἀθλητοῦ τὸ δέρεσθαι καὶ νικᾶν. Μάλιστα δὲ ἕνεκεν θεοῦ πάντα ὑπομένειν ἡμᾶς δεῖ, ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς ὑπομένῃ. πλέον σπουδαῖος γίνου οὗ εἶ. Τοὺς καιροὺς καταμάνθανε. τὸν ὑπὲρ καιρὸν προσδόκα, τὸν ἄχρονον, τὸν ἀόρατον, τὸν δι’ ἡμᾶς ὁρατόν, τὸν ἀψηλάφητον, τὸν ἀπαθῆ, τὸν δι’ ἡμᾶς παθητόν, τὸν κατὰ πάντα τρόπον δι’ ἡμᾶς ὑπομείναντα. Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ἐπιστολή Προς Πολύκαρπον

If you love good scholars, it is no grace to you. Rather bring the more difficult to submission by gentleness. Not every wound is healed by the same salve. Allay sharp pains by infusions. Be as shrewd as the serpent in all things and always innocent as the dove. 1 For this you are flesh and spirit, that you may gain the favour of the things which appear before your face, and as for the invisible things, pray that they may be revealed to you, that you may lack in nothing and be rich in every spiritual gift. The season summons you, as pilots require winds, and as those beset by storms a haven, to attain to God. Be sober, as an athlete of God, for the prize is incorruption and life eternal, concerning which you are convinced. In all things I am bound to you, I and my bonds which you loved. Let not those that seem worthy of trust and yet teach strangely strike you down. Stand firm, as an anvil smitten. It is the part of a great athlete to receive blows and conquer. But especially it is necessary for us to endure all things for God's sake, that He also may endure us. Be more zealous than you are. Attend to the times. Expect the one above any time, the eternal, the invisible, He who for us became visible, the impalpable, the impassible, who suffered for us, who endured in every way for us. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, from the Letter to Saint Polycarp 1 Mt 10.16

A Martyr's Company

Τί δὲ καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἔκδοτον δέδωκα τῷ θανάτῳ, πρὸς πῦρ, πρὸς μάχαιραν, πρὸς θηρία; ἀλλ’ ἐγγυς μαχαίρας ἐγγὺς θεοῦ, μεταξὺ θηρίων μεταξὺ Θεοῦ· μόνον ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς τὸ συμπαθεῖν αὐτῷ πάντα ὑπομένω, αὐτοῦ με ἐνδυναμοῦντος τοῦ τελείου ἀνθρώπου.   Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ἐπιστολή Προς Σμύρναιοις

And why have I also given myself over to death, to fire, to the sword, to wild beasts? To be near the sword is to be near to God; he who is in the company of wild beasts is in company with God; provided only I undergo all this in the name of Jesus Christ that I may suffer  with Him, 1 He the perfect man strengthening me. 2 Saint Ignatius of Antioch, from the Letter to the Smyrneans 1 Rom 8:17 2 Phil 4:13

Eucharistic Disputers

Εὐχαριστίας καὶ προσευχῆς ἀπέχονται, διὰ τὸ μὴ ὁμολογεῖν τὴν εὐχαριστίαν σάρκα εἶναι τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν παθοῦσαν, ἣν τῇ χρηστότητι ὁ θεοῦ συζητοῦντες ἀποθνήσουσιν· συνέφερεν δὲ αὐτοῖς ἀγαπᾶν, ἵνα καὶ ἀναστῶσιν. Πρέπον ἐστὶν ἀπέχθαι τῶν τοιούτων καὶ μήτε κατ’ ἰδίαν περὶ αὐτῶν λαλεῖν μήτε κοινῇ, προσέχειν δὲ τοῖς προφήταις, ἐξαιρέτως δὲ τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ, ἐν ᾧ τὸ πάθος ἡμῖν δεδήλωται καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις τετελείωται. Τοὺς δὲ μερισμοὺς φεύγετε ὡς ἀρχὴν κακῶν. Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ἐπιστολή Προς Σμύρναιοις

From the Eucharist and from prayer they abstain, because they do not confess the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ which suffered for our sins, in which  goodness of God disputing they die. Better it would be for them to love that they might rise. And better it is that one abstain from such people and not speak about them in private or in public, but give heed to the Prophets, and above all, to the Gospel, in which the passion has been revealed to us, and the resurrection achieved. Flee all divisions as the beginning of evil. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, from the Letter to the Smyrneans

A Star Shone Forth

Καὶ ἔλαθεν τὸν ἄρχοντα τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἡ παρθενία Μαρίας καὶ ὁ τοκετὸς αὐτῆς, ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ θάνατος τοῦ Κυρίου· τρία μυστήρια κραυγῆς, ἅτινα ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ θεοῦ ἐπράχθη. Πῶς οὖν ἐφανερώθη τοῖς αἰῶσιν; Ἀστὴρ ἐν οὐρανῷ ἔλαμψεν ὑπὲρ πάντας τοὺς ἀστέρας, καὶ τὸ φῶς αὐτοῦ ἀνεκλάλητον ἦν καὶ ξενισμὸν παρεῖχεν ἡ καινότης αὐτοῦ, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ πάντα ἄστρα ἅμα ἡλίῳ καὶ σελήνῃ χορὸς ἐγένετο τῷ ἀστέρι, αὐτὸς δὲ ἦν ὑπερβάλλων τὸ φῶς αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ´πάντα· ταραχή τε ἦν,  πόθεν ἡ καινότης ἡ ἀνόμοιος αὐτοῖς. Ὅθεν ἐλύετο πᾶσα μαγεία καὶ´πᾶς δεσμὸς ἠφανίζετο κακίας· ἄγνοια καθῃρεῖτο, παλαιὰ βασιλεία διεφθείρετο θεοῦ ἀνθρωπίνως φανερουμένου εἰς καινότητα ἀϊδίου ζωῆς· ἀρχὴν δὲ ἐλάμβανεν τὸ παρὰ θεῷ ἀπηρτισμένον.  Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ἐπιστολή Προς Ἐφεσιους

And hidden from the prince of this world was the virginity of Mary, and her child, and the death of the Lord; three loud crying mysteries, in silence wrought by God. How, then, was He manifested to the world? A star shone forth in heaven brighter than all the other stars, the light of which was inexpressible, and its strangeness and its novelty. And all the rest of the stars, with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to this star, and its light was greater than them all. And there was agitation as to whence this new and unfamiliar thing came. Hence every kind of bewitchment was destroyed and every bond of wickedness disappeared; ignorance was washed away and the old kingdom ruined, God being manifested as man for the renewal of eternal life, and now that took a beginning which by God had been prepared. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians

Caring For Others

Καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἄλλων δὲ ἀνθρώπων ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύχεσθε, ἔστιν γὰρ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐλπὶς μετανοίας , ἵνα θεοῦ τύχωσιν. Ἐπιτρέψατε οὖν αὐτοῖς κἂν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ὑμῖν μαθητευθῆναι. Πρὸς τὰς ὀργὰς αὐτῶν ὑμεῖς πραεῖς , πρὸς τὰς μεγαλορημοσύνας αὐτῶν ὑμεῖς ταπεινόφρονες, πρὸς τὰς βλασφημίας αὐτῶν ὑμεῖς τὰς προσευχάς, πρὸς τὴν πλάνην αὐτῶν ὑμεῖς ἑδραῖοι τῇ πίστει, πρὸς τὸ ἄγριον αὐτῶν ὑμεῖς ἥμεροι, μὴ σπουδάζοντες ἀντιμιμήσασθαι αὐτούς. ἀδελφοὶ αὐτῶν εὑρεθῶμεν τῇ ἐπιεικείᾳ· μιμηταὶ δὲ τοῦ κυρίου σπουδάζωμεν εἶναι, τίς πλέον ἀδικηθῇ, τίς ἀποστερηθῇ, τίς ἀθετηθῇ· ἵνα μὴ τοῦ διαβόλου βοτάνη τις εὑρεθῇ ἐν ὑμῖν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν πάσῃ ἁγνείᾳ καὶ σωφροσύνῃ μένητε ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ σαρκικῶς καὶ πνευματικῶς. Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ἐπιστολή Προς Ἐφεσιους

And for others pray without ceasing, 1 for there is in them hope of repentance that they may come to God. See, then, that they be instructed by your works. To their anger be meek, to their boasting be humble, give prayers for their blasphemies, against their error be firm in faith, 2 and to their cruelty be gentle, carefully not imitating their conduct. Let us be found their brethren in all goodness, and let us seek to be imitators of the Lord, compared to whom no one was more unjustly treated, no one more rejected, no one more condemned, so that no plant of the devil may be found in you, but that you may remain in all holiness and self control in Jesus Christ, in flesh and in spirit. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians 1 1 Thess 5.17 2 Col 1:23

Doubts of a Martyr

Πολλὰ φρονῶ ἐν θεῷ, ἀλλ’ ἐμαυτὸν μετρῶ, ἵνα μὴ ἐν καυχήσει απόλωμαι. Νῦν γὰρ με δεῖ πλέον φοβεῖσθαι καὶ μὴ προσέχειν τοῖς φυσιοῦσίν με. οἱ γὰρ λέγοντές μοι μαστιγοῦσίν με. ἀγαπῶ μὲν γὰρ τὸ παθεῖν, ἀλλ’ οὐκ οἶδα, εἰ ἄξιός εἰμι. τὸ γὰρ ζῆλος πολλοῖς μὲν οὐ φαίνεται, ἐμὲ δὲ πλέον πολεμεῖ. χρῄζω οὖν πραότητος, ἐν ᾗ καταλύεται ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου. Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ἐπιστολή Προς Τραλλιανοις Source: Migne PG 5.667c

Much I have thought on account of God but I take my measure that I not be destroyed by vaunting. Now it is necessary to fear and not to turn my mind to those who flatter me, for by what they say they scourge me. I would love to suffer but I do not know if I am worthy of it. To many these things are not apparent but for me it makes the struggle greater. Thus I have need of meekness, that by it I might destroy the prince of this world. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Trallians

Silence And Action

Ἄμεινόν ἐστιν σιωπᾷν καὶ εἶναι, ἤ λαλοῦντα μὴ εἶναι. Καλὸν τὸ διδάσκειν, εἄν ὁ λέγων ποιῇ. Εἶς οὖν διδάσκαλος, ὄς εἶπεν, καὶ ἐγένετο· καὶ ἄ σιγῶν δὲ πεποίηκεν, ἄξια τοῦ Πατρός ἐστιν. Ὅ λόγον Ἰησου κεκτημένος ἀληθῶς δύναται καὶ τῆς ἡσυχίας αὐτοῦ ἀκούειν, ἵνα τέλειος ᾗ, ἵνα δι' ὦν λαλεῖ πράσσῃ, καὶ δι' ὦν σιγᾷ γινωσκητα. Οὐδὲν λανθάνει τὸν Κύριον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ κρυπτὰ ἥμῶν ἐγγὺς αὐτῷ ἐστιν. Πάντα οὐν ποιῶμεν, ὡς αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν κατοικοῦντος, ἵνα ὦμωεν αὐτοῦ ναοὶ, καὶ αὐτὸς ᾖ ἐν ἡμῖν Θεὸς ἡμῶν· ὅπερ καὶ ἔστιν καὶ φανήσεται πρὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν· ἐξ ὦν δικαίως ἀγαπῶμεν αὐτόν. Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ἐπιστολή Προς Ἐφεσιους

Better it is to be silent and be than to speak and not be. Beautiful it is to teach if one acts as one speaks. One the teacher, then: 'He who spoke and it was,' and what He did being silent is worthy of the Father. He who is truly able to grasp the word of Jesus and hear his silence, thus being perfect, that which he speaks he does and by his silence is knowledge. Nothing is hidden from the Lord but even the hidden things of ours are present to him, so whatever it is that we do, let it be as He were dwelling in us, we being His temples, and indeed He shall be manifest to our eyes insofar as we rightly love Him. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians

Two Things are Set Before Us

Έπεὶ οὖν τέλος τὰ πρὰγματα ἔχει, καὶ πρόκειται τὰ δύο ὁμοῦ, ὅ τε θάνατος καὶ ἡ ζωή, καὶ ἕκαστος εἰς τὸν ἴδιον τόπον μέλλει χωρεῖν. ὥσπερ γάρ ἐστιν νομίσματα δύο, ὅ μὲν θεοῦ, ο δε κόσμου, καὶ ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἴδιον χαρακτῆρα ἐπικείμενον ἕχει, οἱ ἄπιστοι τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, οἱ δὲ πιστοὶ ἐν ἀγάπη χαρακτῆρα θεοῦ πατρὸς διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι’ οὖ ἐὰν μή αὐθαιρέτως ἔχωμεν τὸ ἀποθανεῖν εἰς τὸ αὐτοῦ πάθος, τὸ ζῆν αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐστιν ἐν ἡμῖν. Ἅγιος Ἰγνάτιος Ἀντιοχείας, Ἐπιστολή Μάγνησιευσιν

Since then everything has an end, two things likewise are set before us, death and life, and each shall go to his place; for it is as there are two coins, one of God and one of the world and each has its special character impressed on it. The faithless are of this world and the faithful have in love the character of God the Father through Jesus Christ, by whom if we are not ready to die in his suffering, his life is not in us. Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Magnesians