The ancient Greek word
"μαργαρίτης" ≈ "pearl" is rarely used outside the
GNT (Greek New Testament). Early church father Ignatius uses the word once.
English: Let nothing appeal to you apart from him, in whom I carry around these chains (my spiritual pearls!), by which I hope, through your prayers, to rise again. (Holmes, 2007, p. 193)
Greek: χωρὶς τούτου μηδὲν ὑμῖν πρεπέτω, ἐν ᾧ τὰ δεσμὰ περιφέρω, τοὺς πνευματικοὺς μαργαρίτας, ἐν οἷς γένοιτό μοι ἀνατῆναι τῇ προσευχῇ ὑμῶν… Ignatius to the Ephesians [11.2]
Ignatius uses the ancient Greek word
"δεσμός" ≈ "bond, fetter" which is translated as
"chains" since it was known from context that Ignatius was in
"chains". The ancient Greek word
"ἅλυσις" ≈ "chain, link in chain mail".
The meaning of
"pearl" in the
GNT appears to be that of an enabling access mechanism and not a restricting mechanism. Perhaps Ignatius meant that the physical restraining mechanism was a spiritual enabling mechanism.
Michal W. Holmes in "The Apostolic Fathers" has translated many writings of the early church fathers.
Early church father Ignatius of Antioch first uses the phrase "catholic" "church" in his letter to the Smyrnaians in about 175 AD.
James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: [kjv]
James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: [kjv]
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. [kjv]
Ignatius, in his letter to the Ephesians (part 16), warns not to be misled by bad (or evil) teachers (underlining added).
