The Church

One Church

25 passages, 7 quoted here · Against: Schism

The Church is one, and Christians are to stay united with it and with its bishops.

2nd century3 passages
3rd century4 passages

What each writer said, earliest first

Ignatius of Antioch Teaches: There is one church gathered to the bishop

d. c. 110 AD · Epistle to the Ephesians 1.5

If I could enjoy such closeness with your bishop in so short a time, a closeness not merely human but spiritual, how much more do I count you blessed, who are as closely united with him as the church is with Jesus Christ, and as Jesus Christ is with the Father, so that all things may be in harmonious unity?

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Greek

Εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἐν μικρῷ χρόνῳ τοιαύτην συνήθειαν ἔσχον πρὸς τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ὑμῶν, οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνην οὖσαν, ἀλλὰ πνευματικήν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς μακαρίζω τοὺς ἐγκεκραμένους οὕτως, ὡς ἡ ἐκκλησία Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, καὶ ὡς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς τῷ πατρί, ἵνα πάντα ἐν ἑνότητι σύμφωνα ᾖ;

Ignatius of Antioch Teaches: There is one church gathered to the bishop

d. c. 110 AD · Epistle to the Magnesians 2.7

The Lord was united with the Father, and so he did nothing without the Father, neither by himself nor through the apostles. In the same way, you must do nothing without the bishop and the council of elders. Do not even try to make anything appear reasonable to you privately.

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Greek

Ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ κύριος ἄνευ τοῦ πατρὸς οὐδὲν ἐποίησεν, ἡνωμένος ὤν, οὔτε δἰ ἑαυτοῦ οὔτε διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων: οὕτως μηδὲ ὑμεῖς ἄνευ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων μηδὲν πράσσετε: μηδὲ πειράσητε εὔλογόν τι φαίνεσθαι ἰδίᾳ ὑμῖν, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ μία προσευχή, μία δέησις, εἷς νοῦς, μία…

Ignatius of Antioch Teaches: There is one church gathered to the bishop

d. c. 110 AD · Epistle to the Philadelphians 5.3

Keep away from the evil plants, which Jesus Christ does not cultivate, because they are not the Father's planting. I did not find division among you, but a filtering out of what is false. For all who belong to God and Jesus Christ are with the bishop.

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Greek

Ἀπέχεσθε τῶν κακῶν βοτανῶν, ἅστινας οὐ γεωργεῖ Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι αὐτοὺς φυτείαν πατρός: οὐχ ὅτι παῤ ὑμῖν μερισμὸν εὗρον, ἀλλ’ ὰποδιῡλισμόν.

Cyprian of Carthage Teaches: There is one church gathered to the bishop

c. 200–258 AD · On the Unity of the Church 23

I want this, dearest brothers, and I both advise and urge it: if it is at all possible, may not a single brother perish, and may our mother, the Church, rejoice as she holds the whole consenting people in her bosom.

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Cyprian of Carthage Teaches: The episcopate is one and undivided

c. 200–258 AD · On the Unity of the Church 5

We must hold and defend this unity firmly, especially we bishops who preside over the Church, so that we may also prove that the episcopate itself is one and indivisible. No one is to deceive the brotherhood with a lie, and no one is to corrupt the truth of the faith with a faithless violation.

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Cyprian of Carthage Teaches: There is one church gathered to the bishop

c. 200–258 AD · On the Unity of the Church 7

The Gospel shows this sacrament of unity and this bond of inseparable concord when it tells us that the tunic of the Lord Jesus Christ was not divided or torn at all. Instead, when the soldiers cast lots to decide who would receive the garment, the whole piece was taken, and the undivided tunic was kept intact.

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Cyprian of Carthage Teaches: Remission of sins is not granted except in the church

c. 200–258 AD · Epistle 69.2

The very interrogation used in Baptism also bears witness to the truth. When we ask, "Do you believe in eternal life and the remission of sins through the holy Church?" we acknowledge that remission of sins is given only within the Church; among heretics, where the Church is not, sins cannot be forgiven.

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Other passages filed here (18)