First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

Chapter 5: Leadership

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place of God, and your elders in the place of the assembly of the apostles, along with your deacons, who are most dear to me, who are entrusted with the ministry of Jesus Christ. He was with the Father before the beginning of time and in the end was revealed. Let everyone, then, imitate the same divine conduct and pay respect to one another. Let no one look upon his neighbor after the flesh. Rather, continually love each other in Jesus Christ. Do not let anything exist among you that may divide you, but be united with your bishop, and those that preside over you, as an example and evidence of your blamelessness. Just as the Lord did nothing without the Father, either on His own or with the apostles, for He was united to Him so you too should not do anything without the bishop and elders. Do not try anything that appears reasonable and proper to yourselves apart from the others. Rather, being together in the same place, let there be one prayer, one supplication, one mind, one hope in love and in joy unblemished. There is one Jesus Christ, in whom nothing is more excellent. You all, therefore, move together as one temple of God, as one altar, as one Jesus Christ, who came from one Father and is with the One and has returned to the One. I gnatius to the S myrnaeans 9: Moreover, it is in accordance with reason that we should return to soberness, and while we yet have opportunity, exercise repentance toward God. It is well to respect both God and the bishop. He who honors the bishop has been honored by God. He who conducts matters without the knowledge of the bishop does serve the devil.