Chapter IV
1 Commends their faith and piety; exhorts them
to persevere;
10 desires their prayers for himself and the
church at Antioch.
MAY I therefore have joy of
you in all things, if I shall
be worthy of it. For though I am
bound, yet am I not worthy to be
compared to one of you that are at
liberty.
2 I know that ye are not puffed
up; for ye have Jesus Christ in
your hearts.
3 And especially when I commend
you, I know that ye are ashamed,
as it is written, The just man
condemneth himself.
4 Study therefore to be confirmed
in the doctrine of our Lord, and
of his Apostles; that so whatever
ye do, ye may prosper both in body
and spirit, in faith and charity,
in the Son, and in the Father,
and in the Holy Spirit; in the
beginning, and in the end:
5 Together with your most worthy
bishop, and the well-wrought
spiritual crown of your presbytery,
and your deacons, which are
according to God.
6 Be subject to your bishop, and
to one another, as Jesus Christ
was to the Father, according to the
flesh; and the Apostles, both to
Christ, and to the Father; and to
the Holy Ghost: that so ye may
be united both in body and spirit.
7 Knowing you to be full of
God, I have the more briefly
exhorted you.
8 Be mindful of me in your
prayers, that I may attain unto
God, and of the church that is in
Syria, from which I am not worthy
to be called.
9 For I stand in need of your
joint prayers in God, and of your
charity, that the church which is
in Syria may be thought worthy
to be nourished by your church.
10 The Ephesians from Smyrna
salute you, from which place I
write unto you; (being present
here to the glory of God, in like
manner as you are,) who have in
all things refreshed me, together
with Polycarp, the bishop of the
Smyrneans.
11 The rest of the churches in
the honour of Jesus Christ salute
you.
12 Farewell, and be ye strengthened
in the concord of God; enjoying
his inseparable spirit, which
is Christ Jesus.