# To the Trallians 11.2

- Author: [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/ignatius-of-antioch/)
- Work: [To the Trallians](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-trallians/) (*Ad Trallianos*)
- Date: ca. 110 (range ca. 105–135) (disputed)
- Source: Lake, LCL 24:222; 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 5:684a (found by text match)
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26
- Canonical URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-trallians/11/2/

Summary: True believers are branches of the cross and members of Christ, their head.

## Greek text

εἰ γὰρ ἦσαν, ἐφαίνοντο ἂν κλάδοι τοῦ σταυροῦ, καὶ ἦν ἂν ὁ καρπὸς αὐτῶν ἄφθαρτος· διʼ οὗ ἐν τῷ πάθει αὐτοῦ προσκαλεῖται ὑμᾶς ὄντας μέλη αὐτοῦ. οὐ δύναται οὖν κεφαλὴ χωρὶς γεννηθῆναι ἄνευ μελῶν, τοῦ θεοῦ ἕνωσιν ἐπαγγελλομένου, ὅ ἐστιν αὐτός.

## English translation (Claude)

For if they were, they would appear as branches of the cross, and their fruit would be incorruptible. Through the cross, in his suffering, he calls you, who are his members. So a head cannot be born by itself without members, since God promises union, which is himself.

## Scripture references

- 1 Cor 12:27: echo, low confidence
- Eph 5:30: echo, low confidence

## Translation notes

- “Through the cross” (διʼ οὗ): literally “through which,” referring back to the cross.

## Citation (SBL)

Ign. Trall. 11.2 (PG 5:684a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/ign-trallians/11/2/).