# To the Smyrnaeans 7.1

- Author: [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/ignatius-of-antioch/)
- Work: [To the Smyrnaeans](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-smyrnaeans/) (*Ad Smyrnaeos*)
- Date: ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:258; 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 5:713a (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-smyrnaeans/7/1/

Summary: The docetists avoid the Eucharist because they deny it is Christ's flesh.

## Greek text

Εὐχαριστίας καὶ προσευχῆς ἀπέχονται, διὰ τὸ μὴ ὁμολογεῖν τὴν εὐχαριστίαν σάρκα εἶναι τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν παθοῦσαν, ἣν τῇ χρηστότητι ὁ πατὴρ ἤγειρεν. οἱ οὖν ἀντιλέγοντες τῇ δωρεᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ συζητοῦντες ἀποθνήσκουσιν· συνέφερεν δὲ αὐτοῖς ἀγαπᾶν, ἵνα καὶ ἀναστῶσιν.

## English translation (Claude)

They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins and which the Father raised in his goodness. So those who speak against the gift of God die in their disputing. It would be better for them to love, so that they might also rise.

## Translation notes

- “To love” (ἀγαπᾶν): perhaps also “to take part in the love feast” (see 8.2).

## Citation (SBL)

Ign. Smyrn. 7.1 (PG 5:713a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-smyrnaeans/7/1/).