First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

Chapter 6: The Church

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I gnatius to the E phesians 13: Be eager to gather together regularly to give thanks and praise to God. For when you gather often in the same place, the powers of Satan are destroyed and the destruction at which he aims is prevented by the unity of your faith. Nothing is more precious than peace, by which all war, both in heaven and earth, is brought to an end. I gnatius to P olycarp 4: Do not let widows be neglected. After the Lord, you are their protector and friend. Do not let anything be done without your consent. Neither should you do anything without the approval of God, as indeed you do not. You are unwavering. Assemble together frequently. Seek out everyone by name. Do not despise either male or female slaves, yet neither let them be puffed up with conceit. Rather, let them submit themselves all the more for the glory of God so that they may obtain a better liberty from God. They should not long to be set free at the public expense so that they do not become slaves to their own desires. B arnabas 19 c : You will not be hasty with your tongue, for the mouth is a snare of death. As far as possible, you will be pure in your soul. Do not be ready to stretch out your hands to take while you withdraw them from giving. You will love as the apple of your eye everyone who speaks to you the word of the Lord. Night and day you will remember the day of judgment. Every day you will seek out the presence of the saints, either by working together in the word and going to encourage them while considering how to save a soul by the word, or by work with your hands for the redemption of your sins. You will