Apocrypha
Ignatius to the Ephesians
Apostolic Father
21 chapters · read and listen
Reading note
An apocryphal or pseudepigraphal text — outside the canon of the Western churches, yet widely circulated among ancient Jews and Christians. Published here from a public-domain translation, edited for continuous reading.
Chapters
Dossier
The longest of the letters Ignatius wrote on his way to execution: praise for the church at Ephesus and a plea that they stay tuned to their bishop like the strings of a harp.
Where this text comes from
Greek, around AD 107-110, written while Ignatius was being transported from Antioch to Rome to be killed. The short recension is accepted as authentic; expanded versions also exist, the work of later hands.
Why it is not in the Bible
Patristic literature, never proposed for the canon. Ignatius writes as a bishop and a martyr about to die, not as an apostle.
What you will find
- The image of the community as a tuned choir singing in one voice — the origin of a vocabulary of unity the church still uses.
- The reference to the three mysteries hidden from the prince of this world: Mary's virginity, the birth, and the death of the Lord.
- Ignatius asks for prayer for outsiders, hoping they will be converted by the deeds of Christians.
Frequently asked questions
- How many letters of Ignatius are there?
- Seven in the collection accepted as authentic: Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallians, Romans, Philadelphians, Smyrnaeans and Polycarp. All are in this collection.