# To the Magnesians 7.1

- Author: [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/ignatius-of-antioch/)
- Work: [To the Magnesians](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-magnesians/) (*Ad Magnesios*)
- Date: ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:202; 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 5:668b–668c (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-magnesians/7/1/

Summary: As Christ did nothing without the Father, the church should do nothing without its bishop and presbyters.

## Greek text

Ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ κύριος ἄνευ τοῦ πατρὸς οὐδὲν ἐποίησεν, ἡνωμένος ὤν, οὔτε διʼ ἑαυτοῦ οὔτε διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων· οὕτως μηδὲ ὑμεῖς ἄνευ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων μηδὲν πράσσετε· μηδὲ πειράσητε εὔλογόν τι φαίνεσθαι ἰδίᾳ ὑμῖν, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ μία προσευχή, μία δέησις, εἷς νοῦς, μία ἐλπὶς ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν τῇ χαρᾷ τῇ ἀμώμῳ, ὅ ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, οὗ ἄμεινον οὐδέν ἐστιν.

## English translation (Claude)

So, just as the Lord did nothing without the Father, being united with him, either by himself or through the apostles, so you must do nothing without the bishop and the presbyters. Do not try to make anything appear right to you on your own; but let there be, in common, one prayer, one petition, one mind, one hope, in love, in blameless joy, which is Jesus Christ, than whom nothing is better.

## Scripture references

- John 5:19: allusion, medium confidence
- John 8:28: echo, medium confidence

## Citation (SBL)

Ign. Magn. 7.1 (PG 5:668b–668c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-magnesians/7/1/).