The suppressed Gospels and Epistles of the original New Testament of Jesus the Christ, Volume 8, Ignatius
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6 And teach ourselves first to walk according to the commandments of the Lord; and then your wives to walk likewise according to the faith that is given to them; in charity, and in purity; loving their own husbands, with all sincerity, and all others alike, with all temperance; and to bring up their children in the instruction and fear of the Lord.
7 The widows likewise teach that they be sober as to what concerns the faith of the Lord: praying always for all men; being far from all detraction, evil speaking, false witness; from covetousness, and from all evil.
8 Knowing that they are the altars of God, who sees all blemishes, and from whom nothing is hid; who searches out the very reasonings, and thoughts, and secrets of our hearts.
9 Knowing therefore that God is not mocked, we ought to walk worthy both of his command and of his glory.
10 Also the deacons must be blameless before him, as the ministers of God in Christ, and not of men. Not false mousers, not double tongued, not lovers of money; but moderate in all things; compassionate, careful; walking according to the truth of the Lord, who was the servant of all.
11 Whom if we please in this present world, we shall also be made partakers of that which is to come, according as he has promised to us, that he will raise us from the dead; and that if we shall walk worthy of him, we shall also reign together with him, if we believe.
12 In like manner the younger men must be unblameable in all things; above all, taking care of their purity, and to restrain themselves from all evil. For it is good to be cut off from the lusts that are in the world; because every such lust warreth against the spirit: and neither fornicators, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, shall inherit the kingdom of God; nor they who do such things as are foolish and unreasonable.
13 Wherefore ye must needs abstain from all these things, being subject to the priests and deacons, as unto God and Christ.
14 The virgins admonish to walk in a spotless and pure conscience.
15 And let the elders be compassionate and merciful towards all; turning them from their errors; seeking out those that are weak; not forgetting the widows, the fatherless, and the poor; but always providing what is good both in the sight of God and man.
16 Abstaining from all wrath, respect of persons, and unrighteous judgment; and especially being free from all covetousness.
17 Not easy to believe anything against any; not severe in judgment; knowing that we are all debtors in point of sin.
18 If therefore we pray to the Lord that he would forgive us, we ought also to forgive others; for we are all in the sight of our Lord and God; a and must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ; and shall every one give an account of himself.
19 Let us therefore serve him in fear, and with all reverence as both himself hath commanded; and as the Apostles who have preached the Gospel unto us, and the prophets who have foretold the coming of our Lord have taught us:
20 Being zealous of what is good; abstaining from all offence, and from false brethren; and from those who bear the name of Christ in hypocrisy; who deceive vain men.
CHAPTER III
1 As to faith in our Saviour Christ;
his nature and sufferings, the resurrection and judgment.
3 Exhorts to prayer
5 and steadfastness in the faith, from the examples of Christ,
7 and Apostles and saints, and exhorts to carefulness in all well-doing.
FOR whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, he is Antichrist: and whoever does not confess his suffering upon the cross, is from the devil.
2 And whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts, and says that there shall. neither be any resurrection, nor judgment, he is the first-born of Satan.
3 Wherefore leaving the vanity of many, and their false doctrines; let us return to the word that was delivered to us from the beginning: Watching unto prayer; and persevering in fasting;
4 With supplication beseeching the all seeing God not to lead us into temptation; as the Lord hath said, The spirit is truly willing, but the flesh is weak.
5 Let us therefore without ceasing hold steadfastly to him who is our hope, and the earnest of our righteousnes, even Jesus Christ; Who, his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; but suffered all for us that we might live through him.
6 Let us therefore imitate his patience; and if we suffer for his name, let us glorify him; for this example he has given us by himself, and so have we believed.
7 Wherefore I exhort all of you that ye obey the word of righteousness, and exercise all patience; which ye have seen set forth before your eyes, not only in the blessed Ignatius, and Zozimus, and Rufus; but in others among yourselves; and in Paul himself, and the rest of the Apostles:
8 Being confident of this, that all these have not run in vain, but in faith and righteousness; and are gone to the place that was due to them from the Lord; with whom also they suffered.
9 For they loved not this present world; but him who died, and was raised again by God for us.
10 Stand therefore in these things, and follow the example of the Lord; being firm and immutable in the faith, lovers of the brotherhood, lovers of one another: companions together in the truth, being kind and gentle towards each other, despising none.
11 When it is in your power to do good defer it not, for charity delivered from death.
12 Be all of you subject one to another, having your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that by your good works, both ye yourselves may receive praise, and the Lord may not be blasphemed through you. But woe be to him by whom the name of the Lord is blasphemed.
13 Therefore teach all men sobriety; in which do ye also exercise yourselves.
CHAPTER IV
Valens, a presbyter, having fallen into the sin of covetousness, he exhorts them against it.
I am greatly afflicted for Valens, who was once a presbyter among you; that he should so little understand the place that was given to him in the church, Wherefore I admonish you that ye abstain from covetousness; and that ye be chaste, and true of speech.
2 Keep yourselves from all evil. For he that in these things cannot govern himself, how shall he be able to prescribe them to another?
3 If a man does not keep himself from covetousness, he shall be polluted with idolatry, and be judged as if he were a Gentile.
4 But who of you are ignorant of the judgment of God? Do we not know that the saints shall judge the world, as Paul teaches?
5 But I have neither perceived nor heard anything of this kind in you, among whom the blessed Paul laboured; and who are named in the beginning of his Epistle.
6 For he glories of you in all the churches who then only knew God; for we did not then know him. Wherefore, my brethren, I am exceedingly sorry both for him and for his wife; to whom God grant a true repentance.
7 And be ye also moderate upon this occasion; and look not upon such as enemies, but call them back as suffering and erring members, that ye may save your whole body: for by so doing, ye shall edify your own selves.
8 For I trust that ye are well exercised in the Holy Scriptures, and that nothing is hid from you but at present it is not granted unto me to practise that which is written, Be angry and sin not; and again, Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
9 Blessed be he that believeth and remembereth these things; which also I trust you do.
10 Now the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and he himself who is our everlasting high-priest, the Son of God, even Jesus Christ, build you up in faith and in truth, and in all meekness and lenity; in patience and long- suffering, in forbearance and chastity:
11 And grant unto you a lot and portion among his saints, and us with you; and to all that are under the heavens, who shall believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and in his Father who raised him from the dead.
12 Pray for all the saints: pray also for kings, and all that are in authority; and for those who persecute you, and hate you, and for the enemies of the cross; that your fruit may be manifest in all; and that ye may be perfect in Christ.
13 Ye wrote to me, both ye, and also Ignatius, that if any one went from hence into Syria, he should bring your letters with him; which also I will take care of, as soon as I shall have a convenient opportunity; either by myself, or him whom I shall send upon your account.
14 The Epistle of Ignatius, which he wrote unto us, together with what others of his have come to our hands, we have sent to you, according to your order; which are subjoined to this Epistle:
15 By which we may be greatly profited; for they treat of faith and patience, and of all things that pertain to edification in the Lord Jesus.
16 What you know certainly of Ignatius, and those that are with him, signify to us.
17 These things have I written unto you by Crescens, whom by this present Epistle I have recommended to you, and do now again commend.
18 For he has had his conversation without blame among us; and I suppose also with you.
19 Ye will also have regard unto his sister when she shall come unto you.
20 Be ye safe in the Lord Jesus Christ; and in favour with all yours. Amen.