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

Additional and Disputed Ignatian Letters

Attributed to Ignatius

Chapter I.—Occasion of the epistle

Since Christ has, to our wonder, 1356 been made known among us to be the Son of the living God, and to have become man in these last times by means of the Virgin Mary, 1357 of the seed of David and Abraham, according to the announcements previously made regarding Him and through Him by the company of the prophets, we therefore beseech and entreat that, by thy wisdom, Maris our friend, bishop of our native Neapolis, 1358 which is near Zarbus, 1359 and Eulogius, and Sobelus the presbyter, be sent to us, that we be not destitute of such as preside over the divine word as Moses also says, "Let the Lord God look out a man who shall guide this people, and the congregation of the Lord shall not be as sheep which have no shepherd." 1360

Notes

  1. Or, "wonderfully." ↩
  2. The ms. has, "and." ↩
  3. The ms. has 'Emelapes, which Vossius and others deem a mistake for hemedapes, as translated above. ↩
  4. The same as Azarbus (comp. Epist. to Hero, chap. ix.). ↩
  5. Num. xxvii. 16, 17. ↩

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