The Christian Life
CHAPTER XI
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
Tue Christian life has always to be lived out in concrete historical situations and the virtues which Christians show forth in their lives, while not ultimately determined by the particularities of history, are nevertheless shaped and influenced by 'the changes and chances of this fleeting world'. Different circumstances call forth different facets of a man's character and faith.
Before then considering Justin's view of the Christian life it would be wise to look at the particular problems which the Christian communities faced in his day.
Justin, as we have already seen,! represents Christianity as widely diffused throughout the Roman world of his day. The Church, he believed, was growing in strength and adapting itself to the needs of the various races within the Empire and even beyond its borders. Yet the very success of the Church had caused a bitter enmity to arise and the principal causes of this enmity are given by Justin with remarkable clarity. He complains that the Christians were 'unjustly hated and abused"? and that report charged them with the utmost 'impiety and wickedness'.® It was said that in their secret assemblies hideous crimes were committed—human victims were sacrificed and their blood drunk by the worshippers, and these impious banquets were followed by indulgence in hideous and lustful orgies. These charges show the suspicion and hatred with which the Christians were regarded. Justin complains that the charge of being a Christian was often used as a pretext for wreaking personal revenge.® He mentions three charges in particular which were frequently made against the Christians. The first was that of atheism®—a charge made as long as the traditional deities and beliefs were the nominal ruling power of the State. Yet in Justin's day the gods were denied by philosophers, ridiculed by popular writers and largely neglected by the people. The 1 Pp. 126-7 above.
2 IT Apol. i.
3 JT Apol. xii; I Apol. xxvi; Dial. x.
4 I Apol. vi-xii.
5 JI Apol. i-i.
6 J Apol. vi.
JUSTIN MARTYR
charge of 'atheism' was simply a suitable battle cry to use against any association of people which denied the gods of the State. It was more a chargé of unpatriotic behaviour than of religion as such. But the cry of 'atheism' could be used to kindle mob fury as occasion demanded when the Christians were at the mercy of unbridled passions. They could only logically meet the charge of atheism by patiently showing the folly of worshipping man-made gods in which few people really believed and by declaring boldly that they were, in the true sense, not atheists.?
The second charge was one of wickedness and evil behaviour.?
Justin, in reply, admits that as there are philosophers whose teachings are contradictory so there are nominal Christians; but nevertheless all should not be condemned because of the wrongs committed by some who bear the name. He demands that every accused person be examined, not as to the name he bears, but as to the life he has led. Justin is confident that no orthodox Christian will be found guilty of wrong-doing.®
The third charge was that of disloyalty to the Roman state.* This was more difficult to refute in view of the Christian claim as to the kingship of Christ and the kingdom of God. Moreover the populace was quick to note that Christians refused to offer worship to the genius of the Emperor, that they denied the efficacy of the State deities and so cut themselves off from the political and social duties of the Roman citizen. The Church appeared to them as a diffused secret society whose existence threatened the security of the State. In vain did the Christians reply that they obeyed the laws, prayed for the Emperor, paid taxes and often fought in the army.® In vain did Justin argue that the acceptance of Christianity would make good citizens of all men.® The suspicion remained and when charges of atheism and moral wickedness were added it is evident that popular prejudice could easily explode into acts of violence.
In addition to these formal charges there was a popular impatience with Christians and what they stood for. One cause
1 J Apol. vi, ix, x.
» Justin says: 'But someone will say, "some (Christians) have been arrested and convicted as criminals''.' I Apol. vii.
3 I Apol. vii.
4 T Apol. xi.
5 I Apol. xvii.
8 I Apol. xi.
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THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
of this was their moral purity which acted as a rebuke to contemporary society ;! another was the willingness of the Christian confessors to die rather than deny Jesus Christ which was regarded as hopeless obstinacy. Another was the apparent failure of the Christian God to protect his worshippers.? With such people society had little patience—and when to this was added the alleged danger of the Christian communities to public welfare, fuel was added to the flames of hatred. The Jews in particular led the Gentiles in ridicule and misrepresentation of the Christians and their beliefs.* Justin's allusions to the pagan attitude towards Christians are confirmed by other notices coming from the second century.
Clement of Rome, writing just before the turn of the century, testifies that he and his fellow Christians were 'hated wrongly' while in his great prayer for rulers he proves how law-abiding and loyal they really are.' Pliny, in his celebrated letter to Trajan, betrays the temper of the age—and this in spite of his fair-mindedness—when he states that Christians deserve punishment on account of their obstinacy whatever their character.® It is also surely significant that Plutarch and Dio
Chrysostom, who, in many ways, had much in common with Christianity, preferred to ignore it rather than show any sympathy with it. And Christian writers subsequent to Justin refer to the same hatred and charges against Christians that he himself had referred to. Such is the witness of Athenagoras'
Supplicatio, of Tertullian's Apology and the Octavius of Minucius Felix. Justin's testimony of popular enmity towards the Christians is thus the common testimony of the century to which he belonged. Individual hatred of goodness, the opposition of the Jews, the love of the rabble for witch-hunting, the ill-will of some local magistrates and other causes combined to impute infamous deeds to the Christians and to make them objects of unreasonable hatred. Justin believed that an era of persecution was just beginning and he expected persecution to wax worse and worse until the time of Christ's return.'
Justin's Apology was, in essence, an appeal against a policy which classed Christianity among the number of illegal societies.
1 JI Apol. ii.
2 II Apol. iv.
3 JI Apol. v.
4 Dial. vi, xvii, cxvii.
5 T Clem. Ix—Ixi.
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JUSTIN MARTYR
This is never stated formally but is implied in the defence he makes. He complained—and complained bitterly—against the injustice of condemning men merely for a name. He insisted that every man should be tried on the grounds of moral character and conduct. He appealed for liberty of opinion and worship; that Christianity should be tolerated and protected from attacks of violence. Justin based his demand for toleration on the grounds that Christianity was a philosophy and he joined to this a description of the moral purity of Christians and the innocence and simplicity of their worship which is one of the most valuable testimonies to the Christian life which has come down from the second century.
Justin, in his desire to show the harmlessness of Christianity, represents the two great Christian sacraments as entirely innocent. Baptism was a washing in water 'in the name of God the Father and Master of all, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit'.1 At the weekly Eucharist? the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets were alone read, an exhortation was given by the ruler of the brethren, prayers, celebration of the Eucharist and offerings for the needy followed.
Nothing more. Yet it is Justin's witness to the moral elevation of Christians in their daily lives which illustrates how this sacramental grace bore fruit. He shows us men and women who were without fear of death,? who loved truth more than life,t yet who thought it a duty to preserve life so long as God delayed to take it. These people desired fellowship with God,® rested their hope for the future on God's promises and felt the duty of faithful obedience to him. Justin, in a famous passage, describes the change wrought by Christianity:
Those who once rejoiced in fornication now delight in continence alone; those who made use of magic arts have dedicated themselves to the good and unbegotten God; we who once took most pleasure in the means of increasing our wealth and property now bring what we have into a common fund and share with everyone in need; we who hated and killed one another and would not associate with men of different tribes because of (their different) customs, now, after the manifestation of Christ, live together and pray for our enemies and 1 J Apol. \xi.
2 I Apol. \xvii.
3 I Apol. ii, xi, xlv.
4 I Apol. ii; I Apol. iv.
5 II Apol. iv. ne 8 I Apol. viii, xiv, xxv, xlix.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
try to persuade those who unjustly hate us, so that they, living according to the fair commands of Christ, may share with us the good hope of receiving the same things from God the Master of all.+ Justin then cites examples of Christ's teaching, mainly drawn from the Sermon on the Mount, especially emphasising the directions to be pure in heart, temperate and generous.? He boldly contrasts Christian morality with the vices of pagan society® and speaks of the care of Christians for children,' their solemn estimate of the value of human life,> their peaceableness,® their compassion for their enemies,' their patience and prayers even when persecuted,® and their philanthropy.® Justin states the inherent difference between right and wrong! and man's responsibility for his moral choice." Yet shining through the virtues described by Justin, there is the Christian hope of personal immortality, of divine reward and the final destruction of the devil and the powers of evil. Christianity is no abstract code of conduct but a real change of life, begun in baptism, which issues in a universal brotherhood.
Justin, in common with later Apologists, assails fiercely the immoralities of paganism. He declares paganism to be the work of daemons; he ridicules its idolatry! and contradictions ;!4 he denounces its impure stories!® and shameless rites.1* He even denounces the recent deification of Antinous by Hadrian!'—a bold action—in order to show in contrast the lofty ideal of purity which Christians sought and displayed. Justin was an intense moralist and Christianity for him issued in morality par excellence. Christians were therefore wholly different people from the picture given by the slanderous accusations levelled at them.
They had totally repudiated pagan vices and were seeking holiness.
Universal love was their motif.
Truth, purity, generosity, humility with fearlessness, patience with courage, were their characteristic traits. They had broken down racial
1 T Apol. xiv.
2 T Apol. xv.
3 T Apol. xxvii.
4 I Apol. xxvii.
5 T Apol. xxix.
6 T Apol. xxxix.
? I Apol. \vii; Dial. cxxxiil.
8 Dial. xviii.
2?) Dials -xcul,, ex.
10 JT Apol. vii.
11 [ Apol. x; Dial. cxxiv, cxl.
12 [ Apol. v, xxiii, liv, lxiv; II Apol. v.
18 JT Apol. ix.
14 T Apol. xxiv.
EORTC A DOK 16 JT Apol. xii.
17 J Apol. xxix.
JUSTIN MARTYR
barriers and had risen above the fear of death. They might be slain—but they could not be injured,! since they believed death for Christ's sake to be only a deliverance.
It may well be asked whether the picture presented by Justin is not too idealised. It is of course true that in any age there are many nominal Christians whose conduct and moral level is no different from that of the surrounding non-Christian population.
Yet Justin could hardly have made such a bold claim—and this to the fount of Imperial power—unless the astounding moral change of which he writes was a fact. No amount of special pleading would have availed if the moral power of the new religion had not been slowly pervading society so that its effects could be seen. 'No one trusted in Socrates so as to die for this doctrine,' Justin says, 'but in Christ, who was partially known even by Socrates. ..not only philosophers and scholars believed, but also artisans and people entirely uneducated, despising both glory, and fear, and death.'?
Whence did this morality arise? Justin, in spite of his failure to grasp the corporate nature of sin, was no Pelagian blindly believing in man's innate power to elevate himself. All was due, he says, to the Incarnation of the Son of God. From this
Christianity arose. This was the source of the specifically Christian life and morality. It was the teaching of the incarnate logos which had given men their new ideal. It was the life, words, death and resurrection of Christ which had created their hope and made them fearless and pure. The Christian life was one of communion with God and the logos. At the time of Justin's conversion the aged Christian had said to him, 'Pray that before all else the gates of light may be opened to thee.
For things are not seen nor comprehended of all, save of him to whom God, and his Christ, shall have given understanding'
Christians, Justin believed, possessed the fulness of the Spirit.
This was the source of the moral elevation which had come, like a bright light, into the darkness of contemporary paganism.
Is it possible to believe that all this was a figment of the imagination ?
1 J Apol. ii.
2 II Apol. x.
3 Dial. vii.
Se 156 *