First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

Chapter 5: Leadership

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of God. They are bound, therefore, to avoid all grounds of accusation as though they were fire. In like manner, let everyone respect the deacons as an appointment of Jesus Christ, the bishop as Jesus Christ, who is the Son of the Father, and the elders as the council of God and assembly of apostles. Apart from these, there is no church. Concerning all this, I am persuaded that you are of the same opinion. For I have received the expression of your love in your bishop, who is still with me. His very appearance is highly instructive and his meekness in itself a power. I imagine even the ungodly must respect him. Because I love you, I will spare you from writing more sharply about this matter. I have not considered myself to have reached such a height of confidence that, even though I am a condemned man, I should issue you commands as if I were an apostle. Unity with Church Leaders I gnatius to the E phesians 2 b : It is therefore proper that you should glorify Jesus Christ, who has glorified you in every way through being perfectly joined together in submission to the bishop and the elders, that you may be sanctified in all respects. I gnatius to the E phesians 20: If Jesus Christ will graciously permit me through your prayer and His will, I will clarify the divine plan to you in a second letter which I will write regarding the new man, Jesus Christ—about His faith and His love, as well as about His suffering and His resurrection. I will do this especially if the Lord makes known to me that each of you personally gather together through grace in one faith and in Jesus Christ—who was of the seed of David according to the flesh, being both the Son of Man