{"id": "card_n_955e5c1a3a84", "kind": "note", "title": "Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans VIII", "body": "See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic church. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid.", "source": {"label": "Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans (shorter recension; trans. Roberts-Donaldson, 1885)", "url": "/canon.html?ref=ignatius_smyrnaeans_ch8", "ref": "Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans VIII", "authority_tier": "father"}, "shelf": "patristics", "box": "ignatius_smyrnaeans", "bands": ["ignatius_smyrnaeans", "apostolic_fathers", "family", "authority_trust"], "connections": [{"to_card_id": "card_n_ae191758a6db", "relationship": "same_section", "origin": "nesting_2026_06_12"}, {"to_card_id": "card_n_66c39f9d4003", "relationship": "same_section", "origin": "nesting_2026_06_12"}], "author": "engine", "created_at": "2026-05-19T12:41:21.355755+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-05-19T19:57:55.442311+00:00", "visibility": "public", "lifecycle_stage": "public", "volatility": "permanent", "metrics": {"paperclips_count": 0, "helpful_count": 0, "not_helpful_count": 0, "cite_count": 4, "walks_through_count": 0, "flagged_count": 0}, "source_hash": "a7b367d72c1cf04c220b565518006f5887b41cb17089a2efc894ea25794a824a", "witnesses": [{"class": "manuscript_tradition", "label": "Middle Recension — Codex Mediceus Laurentianus 57.7 (10-11th cent)", "ref": "Mediceus"}, {"class": "translation", "label": "Lightfoot, Apostolic Fathers Part II (1885)", "url": "https://www.ccel.org/ccel/lightfoot/fathers/", "ref": "Lightfoot-Ignatius"}, {"class": "translation", "label": "Roberts-Donaldson Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 1", "url": "https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.html", "ref": "ANF-1-Ignatius"}, {"class": "citation_tradition", "label": "Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians — cites Ignatius's letters by name", "ref": "Polycarp-Phil"}], "witness_status": "passed", "witness_status_reason": "4 witnesses across 3 independence classes: ['citation_tradition', 'manuscript_tradition', 'translation']", "surface": "witness"}