# To the Ephesians 1.3

- Author: [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/ignatius-of-antioch/)
- Work: [To the Ephesians](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-ephesians/) (*Ad Ephesios*)
- Date: ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:174; Kirsopp Lake, ed. and trans., The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1, LCL 24 (London: Heinemann; New York: Macmillan, 1912), 172–277 (Greek text: K. Lake, The Apostolic Fathers (LCL, 1912-1913), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Also in: PG 5:645a (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-ephesians/1/3/

Summary: Ignatius has met the whole church in its bishop, Onesimus.

## Greek text

ἐπεὶ οὖν τὴν πολυπλήθειαν ὑμῶν ἐν ὀνόματι θεοῦ ἀπείληφα ἐν Ὀνησίμῳ, τῷ ἐν ἀγάπῃ ἀδιηγήτῳ, ὑμῶν δὲ ἐπισκόπῳ, ὃν εὔχομαι κατὰ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ὑμᾶς ἀγαπᾶν καὶ πάντας ὑμᾶς αὐτῷ ἐν ὁμοιότητι εἶναι. εὐλογητὸς γὰρ ὁ χαρισάμενος ὑμῖν ἀξίοις οὖσι τοιοῦτον ἐπίσκοπον κεκτῆσθαι.

## English translation (Claude)

Since, then, I have received your whole congregation in God's name in Onesimus, a man of love beyond words and your bishop, I pray that you love him according to Jesus Christ and that all of you be like him. For blessed is he who granted you, being worthy, to have such a bishop.

## Translation notes

- Some have identified this Onesimus with the slave of Paul's letter to Philemon; there is no evidence either way.
- Other editions and older translations (e.g. the Ante-Nicene Fathers, 1885) read “your bishop in the flesh” (ἐν σαρκί); the digital text of Lake used here lacks the phrase.

## Citation (SBL)

Ign. Eph. 1.3 (PG 5:645a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-ephesians/1/3/).