Early Church Writings — historically valuable Christian documents, presented as noncanonical writings rather than Scripture.

Epistle to the Romans

Ignatius

Chapter I.—As a prisoner, I hope to see you

Through prayer 822 to God I have obtained the privilege of seeing your most worthy faces, 823 and have even 824 been granted more than I requested; for I hope as a prisoner in Christ Jesus to salute you, if indeed it be the will of God that I be thought worthy of attaining unto the end. For the beginning has been well ordered, if I may obtain grace to cling to 825 my lot without hindrance unto the end. For I am afraid of your love, 826 lest it should do me an injury. For it is easy for you to accomplish what you please; but it is difficult for me to attain to God, if ye spare me.

Through prayer to God I have obtained the privilege of seeing your most worthy faces, 827 even as I earnestly begged might be granted me; for as a prisoner in Christ Jesus I hope to salute you, if indeed it be the will [of God] that I be thought worthy of attaining unto the end. For the beginning has been well ordered, if I may obtain grace to cling to 828 my lot without hindrance unto the end. For I am afraid of your love, 829 lest it should do me an injury. For it is easy for you to accomplish what you please; but it is difficult for me to attain to God, if ye do not spare me, 830 under the pretence of carnal affection.

Notes

  1. Some read, "since I have," leaving out the following "for," and finding the apodosis in "I hope to salute you." ↩
  2. Literally, "worthy of God." ↩
  3. Some read, "which I much desired to do." ↩
  4. Literally, "to receive." ↩
  5. He probably refers here, and in what follows, to the influence which their earnest prayers in his behalf might have with God. ↩
  6. Literally, "worthy of God." ↩
  7. Literally, "to receive." ↩
  8. He probably refers here, and in what follows, to the influence which their earnest prayers in his behalf might have with God. ↩
  9. Some read ge instead of me, and translate as in shorter recension. ↩

Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume I, edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson; revised by A. Cleveland Coxe. Public domain. Electronic text courtesy of CCEL.