4. Scientific, or "Systematic Period" (200-254)
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr gathered believers around him in a "philosophic" school. He published as he taught, recognizing all the while that storm clouds of persecution were building across the Roman
Empire's vast reaches. The Christian faith was not legal then, nor was it tolerated. The worship of several gods was instituted as law.
Pressure mounted, forcing Christians to recant or die. i — Classical Apology About the year 150, Justin knew the time was right to defend Christianity's right to exist. He wrote two treatises demanding a fair hearing
Classical apology has nothing to do with feeling remorse for wrongdoing and seeking restitution.
Instead, itis a vigorous and noble work. An apologist gives a formal written or spoken defense or justification of some for those who followed the teachings of Christ.
Refusing to flinch at the probable backlash, he boldly addressed these to the senate and the emperor of Rome himself. In these documents,
Justin defended both the right of Christianity to exist and the beliefs held by Christians. Justin is the first Christian apologist after the apostolic era. idea, faith, religion, or philosophy.
CHRISTIAN LITERATURE
For purposes of this study, apologists were writers whose mission was to defend the faith. There were other Christian authors from the early church as well. Generally, the writings of this period are classified into four categories:
1. Edificatory, or "Devotional" (c.100—150) 2. Apologetic, or "Christianity on the Defense" (150-200) 3. Polemical, or "Christianity on the Attack"
(185-225) 4. Scientific, or "Systematic Period" (200-254) The Devotional period consisted of informal writings of faith. These authors used no pagan philosophy, no attacks against nonbelievers.
These were simple, practical, discipleship materials used by the church for training and
Introduction encouragement in the Christian way. They are important historical documents, showing how the churches of that era practiced their faith.
Writers from this period were generally Church leaders: First Epistle of Clement of Rome to the Corinthian Church (c. 95-97); Epistle of Barnabas
(c. 119); Epistle of Ignatius of Antioch (c. 107); Shepherd of Hermas (c. 140); and the anonymously authored Didache (c. 70-120).
The Apologetic period writers were more confrontational in their expression. They were all trained in classical philosophy and used philosophical categories to explain the Christian faith eae to a pagan world. They were often addressed to Aristides, called a philosopher of Athens, addressed his Apology to Emperor Antonius Pius. Aristides'
Apology attacked the gods of the Egyptians and Greeks and criticized Greek morality. Second, the Apology developed the rudiments of natural theology to be used in defense of the Christian faith.
Aristides called his readers' attention to the careful design of the world and to the fact of motion. He observed that whatever moves is stronger than what is moved. If we follow the chain of motion back to its source, we encounter the first mover. Aristides identified this first mover and designer of the world as the God who is revealed in Christ. the state authorities, defending Christians against false charges. They emphasized the teachings of Christ but undergirded their arguments with Old Testament Scripture.
Marcianus Aristides was the first writer of the period. He wrote his Apology in the 140s. Justin
Martyr was the second and best known of the group. His two apologies and Dialogue will be the subject of this study.
The third writer, Tatian, was Justin Martyr's student. Tatian was radically opposed to Hellenism, the Greek culture; and his writings reflect this animosity. His Oration to the Greeks was published about 172, and Diatesseron, the first four-Gospel harmony, around 150-60. After Justin's death, Tatian's teachings veered from the true faith somewhat, and he became suspect by the church.
Other apologists were Athenagoras of Athens, who wrote an apology to Marcus Aurelius about 177, and Theolphilus of Antioch.
i— Tatian was a Syrian who was educated in Greek literature and philosophy. Tatian taught that we can know God from His creation. He developed a doctrine of the logos. After Justin's death, Tatian's teachings veered from the true faith, founding a sect, the Encratites. Tatian became a severe ascetic, denouncing marriage as fornication.
The Polemical period was a time when Christian thinkers went on the offensive against heresies and heretics. In the context of the time, this was imperative in order to maintain pure doctrine.
The Roman Empire was awash in a complex, eclectic mix of mythology, mystery religions, pantheons, and empire gods. The religious culture borrowed elements from Christianity and mixed it with non-Christian beliefs and practices. Confusion often reigned.
Polemicists, therefore, aimed toward eliminating heresy. These third-generation writers, most of whom were born pagans, brought with them a strong understanding of other belief systems.
The New Testament was emphasized here, and a greater consensus arose as to what constituted
"orthodox" Christian thought.
Four writers stand out in this category: Irenaeus of Lyons, Five Books Against Heresies (c. 185);
Hippolytus, student of Irenaeus, Refutation of All Heresies (c. 200); Tertullian, first to write in Latin and called Father of Western Theology,
Prescription Against the Heretics (c. 197); and Cyprian of Carthage, On the Unity of the Catholic
Church (c. 255). i — Clement agreed with Justin Martyr on a couple of points: (1) Greek philosophy is a preparation for Christian faith. (2) The Greeks borrowed from the Old Testament, at times distorting what they borrowed. Clement saw Greek philosophy as a tool Christians can use to understand what they believe.
The last of the four periods is the Scientific, whose writers attempted to present Christianity systematically. The first of these was Titus Flavius Clemens, best known as Clement of Alexandria. Clement was born about 150. Some believe he was born in Athens. He came to Alexandria shortly after 200 where he lived until his death in 219.
A second theologian of this period, Origen of Alexandria, was born around A.D. 185 and died in 255. Origen's volumes number more than six thousand. He wrote the first systematic theology
Introduction of the church, called On First Principles, and a combination of polyglot, multicolumn versions of Scripture.
WHY STUDY JUSTIN MARTYR?
Justin Martyr is rightly considered the best of the early church apologists. Many of his writings have survived intact from the period immediately following John's Revelation and, therefore, are critical second-century links to the thought and practices of the New Testament church. Justin is not only a defender, however.
He was also a definer, who articulated theological concepts for the church when there was as yet no accepted canon of Scripture. He strongly influenced how second-century Christians defined key theological terms.
He was a describer, opening the windows of second-century churches to observation. Christian worship and the services connected with the rites of baptism and Communion were described with vivid detail, allowing twenty-first century Christians the opportunity to observe the life and development of the church in the second century.
Zs of If you were to write, would you write as a defender, a describer, or a dialoguer? Could you defend the Christian doctrine and rights of believers against today's antagonism? Would you be able to record vivid descriptions of church celebrations in worship today? Do you have an autobiographical account of an interfaith encounter to share?
He was a dialoguer—one who interacted with the world in which he lived. He taught, wrote, and witnessed of Christ, sometimes in unusual ways. His Dialogue with Trypho the Jew is perhaps the first autobiographical account of an interfaith encounter outside of the New Testament writings. Justin shared his personal testimony and argued intelligently from Scripture with a Jewish man concerning matters of faith and practice. His readers come along with him and hear his eloquent, passionate heart for evangelism.
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr Finally, Justin was defiant. His later years were bold and challenging. Openly resistant to the empire's unjust attitudes about, and sentencing a So of, Christians, Justin proclaimed himself one of those who are "unjustly hated and wantonly abused." His goal was to defend the cause of Christ to the death. And that he did. In the year
How does the situation of the church today differ from the situation Justin faced in the second century? Why is a well-informed defense of the Christian faith needed in our time?
165 he, with six of his friends, was denounced as a believer and taken before the Prefect of Rome, who demanded that he recant.
He would not. Proclaiming Christ until the sword severed his head from his body, Justin defiantly refused to bend his knee to any but his Lord
Jesus. For this conviction the church called him Justin Martyr.
PURPOSE AND FORMAT OF STUDY
The purpose of this study is to examine the life and writings of Justin Martyr. The first phase will sketch his life and times, his philosophical background, and those writings which are attributed to him: the First Apology, the Second
Apology, and Justin's Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, a different genre of literature altogether.
Gl maer The continuing miracle of Christianity was stated by Peter in the first century: "You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy.
Your reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls" (1 Pet. 1:8-9, NLT).
The second century was a critical testing ground for Christianity. By this time, all of the firsthand witnesses of Jesus' life, death, and Resurrection were dead. What would happen with those who had received the gospel but who weren't firsthand witnesses? From a merely human point of view, Christianity's survival seemed unlikely.
From God's perspective, the Holy Spirit had been given and was silently taking roots in the hearts of faithful men and women, many of whom, like Justin, would give their lives in service to Christ.
Introduction — Tit Pax Romana
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
World Events. Justin Martyr appeared first on the stage of Christian history about the year
114, in an age of geographic and intellectual conquest. In the Mediterranean Basin, Trajan annexed (116) the empires of Romania, AraIn the first century, the political unity of the Roman Empire was based on Roman law and Hellenistic, or Greek, culture. For almost two hundred years (27 B.C.-A.D. bia, and the Parthians. Hadrian settled (117) his Roman frontiers and finished plans for his wall to be built across Britain's landscape
(122-27). Closer to home, Judea was soon to become Palestine, and all Jews were to be banished from Jerusalem.
180) there was relative peace in the land that stretched northward from Egypt to Britain.
Well-guarded roads, like the Appian Way, made travel safe; the Greek language fostered a common communication system; and trade flourished, allowing Christianity to spread quickly.
With the advance of armies and colonizing of vast new territory came the dispersion of groups of people. Roman soldiers established settlements in distant provinces.
Captives were pressed into slavery. Families were uprooted and sent to inhabit new colonies. Jews were once again banished from long-held lands. In the face of these unsettling times, the Roman government sought to strengthen its empire by setting up two new state religions which, it believed, all persons could accept. Old ways would slip away, the government reasoned; and in their places would stand new, imperial gods, and new ways of thinking. In the years ahead, mee tii Religious Syncretism this two-pronged strategy would cause Christians great suffering.
Religious syncretism is the haphazard mixing of religious elements from various religions. During this era, anon-Christian or non-Jewish family might worship any number of regional gods for fertility, agricultural, financial success, and physical protection.
The first scheme was to mix together a kind of "religious stew," composed of all of the gods from each region of the empire. These, along with the Roman Pantheon, were represented in Rome's temple, and citizens were encouraged to worship them all. This gradually became accepted as people, holding dozens of religions and philosophies, mingled in the streets and marketplaces. It became fashionable to worship
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr i— Taurobolism several gods at once, something true Christians and Jews simply could not do.
To complicate matters, "mystery religions" arose as people adopted personal gods and were initiated into secret rites for cult membership. These
Taurobolism was an initiation rite associated with more than one of the mystery religions.
During this ceremony, the recipient descended into a pit, above which was led a bull; the animal was then slain. The blood of the bull showered down on the initiate, who then "bathed" in cults often centered around myths about the origins of the world and the deities which, they believed, gave and sustained life. Some of the more popular cults were: Mithraism, a mystery religion that originated in Persia and was Christianity's greatest rival for almost five hundred years. Magna Mater, also known as the "Great
Mother" religion, appealed particularly to males, and included the strange initiation rite called Taurobolism. Still others focused on such emphases as fertility rites (Dionysius Cult) or it. This practice became well known during the second century. strict self-denial (Orpheus Cult).
The other plan for religious unity involved emperor worship. When Emperor Domitian assumed the throne in the year 81, he became convinced that he was a god and took for himii
Twisted Ruler self the title Dominus et Deus (Lord and God).
Roman citizens were then required to worship his image at least once a year at one of many shrines newly built for this event. Throwing incense into the fire and uttering the phrase
"Caesar is Lord" earned the worshiper a "libelDomitian held the throne of the Roman Empire from 81 to 96.
Although reputed to be a good administrator, this despot enjoyed stabbing flies with his pen and watching gladiatorial fights between dwarfs and women. The early historian, Pliny, described him as the beast from hell that sat in its den, licking blood. John's Revelation uses many of the same word-pictures. lus," a stamped certificate indicating the citizen was in good standing.
Refusing to burn incense before the emperor's image was an act of disloyalty or treason against the empire. Many Christians stubbornly resisted the emperor's demand for worship, testifying of their faith in Christ instead. Their confession that "Jesus Christ is Lord" was often their first step toward death. And yet death was never far from the thoughts of these firstand second-
Introduction century Christians and churches. They had witnessed persecution often; and, since their Lord had experienced death on the cross, they accepted and even embraced physical suffering as a way of following Him.
Many issues had faced the church since the close of the New Testament period. An overview of church life, from Acts to the second century, will help put this study of Justin Martyr into perspective.
The State of the Church. After the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the small band of disciples went to a mountain near Galilee, where they received
Great Commission the Great Commission, given by Christ Himself, to take the gospel into all of the world "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything | have commanded you. And surely | will be with you always, to the very end of the age"
(Matt. 28:18-20, NIV).
(Matt. 28:16—20).
Soon thereafter, men and women gathered in the upper room for prayer and experienced
Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to them in mighty power (Acts 2). The church expanded as God added Gentiles to its numbers. Countless followers of Christ, whose names are no longer known and who traveled because of missionary calling, business, or fleeing persecution, planted churches in major cities all across the Roman Empire.
These new churches preached the gospel of Christ, discipled new converts in the way of obedience, and sought advice from the apostles, whose missionary journeys helped to clarify the practical aspects of living as Christians in the world and with one another. The early church was made up of Jews and Gentiles alike, in unity and love. The church experienced both glorious days, because of God's unique presence in its midst, and difficult days. The political climate was turning increasingly dark for Christians.
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr i — Not long after the Ascension of Christ, many of His followers experienced death at the hands of the Jews or the Roman government.
Stephen was stoned by order of the Sanhedrin about the year 35, after which Christians fled
Peter's Unusual Death Perhaps the most historically reliable account of an apostle's death is that of Peter, who died during the Neronic persecution.
According to several writers of the first and second centuries, Peter was crucified upside-down, refusing in his humility to be killed in the same manner as his Lord. ae to Damascus, beyond the borders of Judea, to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (Acts 9; 11).
Within just a few years James, the brother of John, was beheaded by Herod Agrippa I in Jerusalem in the year 44 (Acts 12:2). The other
James, the brother of Jesus, was put to death in the same city about 62, just prior to the executions of Peter and Paul, which took place in Rome a couple of years later.
Distinctions between Jews and Christians became apparent as Jewish uprisings against Rome surfaced.
Christians, who distanced themselves from this growing nationalism, were Nero's Cruelty Toward Christians, A.D. 64 finally recognized as a separate group from the Jews and were perceived as a threat to the empire on the basis of their numerical growth.
Seen as an illegal, heretical sect, Christians were accused of treason and other crimes against the "Nero set up as the culprits and punished with the utmost refinement of cruelty a class hated . .
. who are commonly called Christians. . .
. [T]hey were Clad in the hides of beasts and torn to death by dogs; others were crucified, others set on fire to serve to illuminate the night when daylight failed.
Nero had thrown open his grounds for the display, and was putting on a show in the circus, where he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or drove about in his chariot.'—Tacitus Annuals, xv. 44.
State, even though they were primarily poor and powerless.
They were considered uncompromising and stubborn, even "atheists," refusing to worship visible Roman gods. They were pronounced guilty of licentiousness and immorality, a misrepresentation of the agape feasts and the use of phrases like brothers and sisters. Accused of cannibalism when they partook of the Lord's Supper and haters of humanity when they did not participate in social customs associated with pagan worship, Christians were hunted, off and on, for the next two and a half centuries, beginning with Nero's reign (54-68) and ending with Constantine's (312-37).
Introduction These isolated attacks of hatred against the Christians intensified. In the second and part of the third centuries, occasional waves of persecuIgnatius of Antioch tion, like those of Domitian and Marcus Aurelius, swept across areas of the empire. However, although Christianity was illegal, no systematic plan of extermination took place during the "Now | begin to be a disciple... . Let fire and cross, flocks of beasts, broken bones, dismemberment, .
. come upon me, so long as | attain to Jesus Christ'—Pastor of the church at Antioch, who was martyred in Rome about 107.
100s. Local authorities and the good will of neighbors primarily determined the fate of most
Christians during this period.
In the second century, some Christians took up the task of pleading with the authorities for the legal right to exist. They refuted misconceptions and rumors about their beliefs and practices and made their case for Christianity in a world which defined its realities in philosophical terms. These thinkers and writers were the "apologists," who engaged in warfare of a different kind. Theirs were battles of the mind.
One of the charges leveled against the Christians most difficult to refute was that of intellectual weakness.
Christianity was full of contradictions, nonbelievers claimed. The idea of a transcendent, yet immanent God was unreasonable, as was the Jewish-Christian teaching of the resurrection of the body. Some of the roots of such questioning came from the philosophical systems which supported the On Agape Feasts Agape feasts or love feasts were fellowship meals the Christian community celebrated joyfully together with their celebration of the Lord's Supper. For further information on Agape feast, see Holman Bible Dictionary, "Love Feast," pp. 898-9.
Hellenistic worldview.
For more than four hundred years the teachings of Socrates and Plato had continued to hold wide appeal and to attract new generations of thinkers. Platonism and its adherence to perfection, found only in the invisible realm, helped to explain many of Christianity's most abstract beliets. ll
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr Christian writers of Justin's day used Platonism and Stoicism to interpret faith to non-Christians. As time went by, however, philosophy began to influence how even Christians understood their own faith.
Justin Martyr is the outstanding Christian apologist of the second century. His writings are considered to be the first of their kind in-seeking to reconcile the claims of faith and reason. Eventually scourged and beheaded, his official court death record survives to bear witness to the price he willingly paid to follow Christ. Just as significant are his works, written almost nineteen hundred years ago, which even today challenge believers to engage in an intelligent defense of the Christian faith.
BIOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND
Almost all that is known about the life of Justin Martyr is found in his own writings. He was born in Flavia Neapolis (modern Nablus), near the ruins of the ancient city of Shechem, close to Jacob's Well, in Syria-Palestine. Flavia Neapolis was named after the Emperor Vespasian (69-79), the ruler who gained control of the empire after Nero's suicide, and it was here that the child Justin was born. His grandfather, Bacchius, whose name is Greek, and his father,
Priscus, whose name is Latin, gave to this young son the Latin name, Justin, meaning "justice."
By his own account, Justin called himself a Samaritan, although nothing in his writings gives reason to believe that he was familiar with Samaritan customs or religion. His ancestors may have settled in the area soon after Flavia
Neapolis was established, about the year 70. For the date of his birth there is little concrete evidence. Much debate centers on the contradic-
Introduction —— i A Peripatetic was an itinerant philosopher from the Greek school of Aristotle (382-322 B.C.), one-time student of Plato. The name came from the Greek word, peripateo, which means "to walk about," and referred to Aristotle's practice of Strolling in the covered Lyceum as he taught.
Aristotle was tutor to Alexander the Great and opened a school rivaling that of Plato's Academy in Athens.
Aristotle's school specialized in biology, created the science of logic and the theory of causation, and collected a vast library. ae A Pythagorean follows the school of tory accounts of his age at the time of his death, somewhere between 162 and 167, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. He must, therefore, have been born either late in the first century or early in the second.
Justin was raised a Gentile. He said he was uncircumcised, knowing nothing of Moses or the prophets. He received a Greek education and was drawn to the study of philosophy at an early age. In the early chapters of his Dialogue,
Justin related his youthful journey through the many philosophical schools which abounded in that day. He sat at the feet of several teachers, each of whom gathered around him students eager to learn new ways of thinking about life.
JUSTIN'S INTELLECTUAL PILGRIMMAGE
Stoic Peripatetic Pythagorean Platonist Pythagoras (Born c.
5/0 B.C.), a philosopher, mathematician, and mystic from Samos, a Greek island off the western coast of Turkey.
Pythagoreanism's main beliefs concerned astronomy, the transmigration of the soul (or reincarnation), the concept of "stellar music," and the idea that numbers are the ultimate elements of the universe.
While Justin was studying with his Platonist teacher, he was impressed with the concept of immaterial things, which "gave wings to my mind," he said. Full of this new discovery, Justin went alone one day to the sea to think. There he became a believer in Jesus Christ, through a conversation with a gentle old man, and found the reason for his existence.
Many scholars believe Justin's conversion took place about 130. This was a dramatic turning point in his life. We have little information about the period following Justin's conversion
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr ii —— Platonism and baptism. Historians think he was in Ephesus and Rome for a time, perhaps instructing at various schools, as did other teachers of that day. These traveling teachers, like Valentinus or Lucian, for example, often toured the provinces
Platonism is the study of the teachings of the philosopher Aristocles (427-347 B.c.), known as Plato because of his broad shoulders. Plato, student and defender of Socrates, began a school in Athens, called the Academy, which specialized in mathematics, ethics, and dialogue. Plato developed the Theory of Forms that contrasts the world of sense and everyday experience with a truer and higher, invisible world of ideas. or lingered for a time in Alexandria or Cyprus, anywhere students would gather to learn. It's probable that Justin would have done the same.
As time went by, Justin's reputation for defending the faith grew. Eusebius wrote, "But Justin was the most noted of those that flourished in those times, who, in the guise of a philosopher, preached the truth of God, and contended for the faith, also, in his writings." Eusebius told of Justin's second visit to Rome and the training sessions that took place in the home of Martinus, who resided over the bath of Timotinus.
Several of those who followed Justin to their deaths in later years were part of these groups of early scholar-evangelists who specialized in defending the faith.
One of Justin's pupils was Tatian, a brilliant apologist from Assyria, who authored the first cage full harmony of the Gospels, called the Diatesseron. Scholars think it is possible that Justin's school published a body of literary work upon which later writings, like this harmony, were founded, although no known corpus exists today.
Conversion in the Sand Dunes "Straightway a flame was kindled in my soul; and a love of the prophets, and of those men who are friends of Christ, possessed me. ...| found this philosophy alone to be safe and profitable.
Thus, and for this reason, lama philosopher'—Justin Martyr, Dialogue, 8.
After more than three decades of teaching the truth of God, Justin was denounced as a Christian, along with six of his friends: Chariton, Charito, Euelpistus, Hierax, Paeon, and Liberianus.* This denunciation took place at the instigation of a man named Crescens, the cynic philosopher Justin had routed publically in debate. Both The Acts of the Christian Martyrs and a surviving official
Introduction court document recount their deaths. The Chron Paschale records that his death took place in the year 165.
They were brought before Rusticus, the prefect of Rome, and were commanded to sacrifice to the gods. Justin refused, replying that "no one who is rightly minded turns from true belief to false." While being interrogated, Justin testified of the truth of Christianity's claims and admitted to holding meetings in the house of Martinus.
After repeatedly refusing to sacrifice, Justin was threatened with death. He answered, "If we are punished for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, we hope to be saved." They were then sentenced
Justin on Death "You are able to kill us, but not to hurt us'—Justin Martyr, First Apology, 2, addressed to Emperor Marcus Aurelius. to scourging with rods and beheading, all of which was quickly carried out. As they died, they praised God, confessing Christ as Savior.
Afterwards, friends secretly stole away their bodies for Christian burial.
TIME LINE
SUMMED NIAAA
SHEE
ESDSSISSADES ESOS
Ne c. 95?
John the apostle is exiled to Patmos and the book of Revelation written.
Emperor Domitian (81-96) decrees emperor worship; he also executes or exiles several Christian family members on charges of "atheism"; he is himself murdered.
90-100 Jewish Christians are excluded from synagogue services.
98-117 Trajan becomes emperor, the first ruler to persecute Christians separately from the Jews. c.100
Justin Martyr is born in Flavia Neapolis (Nablus). c.100
Rumors begin to circulate that Christians are cannibals. c.110
Ignatius, pastor of Antioch, is martyred in Rome.
105-6 The Roman Empire reaches its greatest extent following the Dacian (modern Romania) Wars.
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr
TIME LINE
sven meteor snananannenaatnnenentrrencwmmrnmnentencsuihuneaeette Emperor Hadrian builds a wall across Britain and secures boundaries of the empire.
117-38 Population of Rome exceeds one million.
Second Clement is the earliest extant Christian sermon. e125 Justin Martyr is converted after conversing with an old man c.130 on a beach.
; Justin founds his philosophical schools in Ephesus and 130-65 Rome and has his dialogue with Trypho the Jew (c.135), which he later publishes under the same name.
Second Jewish War led by Bar Kokhba.
132-5 Emperor Antoninus Pius takes the throne, to whom Justin 138-61 later writes his first treatise.
140-60 Heretic Marcion and Gnostic teacher Valentinus are active in Rome; church leaders write against their teachings.
Polycarp, student of Irenaeus, who was a student of John the Apostle, is martyred.
S35} Justin Martyr writes his First Apology, addressed to Antoninus 150-55 Pius.
Justin writes his Second Apology, addressed to the Roman (@ylI5)) Senate.
161-80 When Emperor Marcus Aurelius takes the throne, anti-Christian literature abounds, resulting in horrible executions of Christians, including Justin and his six friends in 165 and the 48 martyrs of Lyons and Vienne in 177.
Fifteen-year plague breaks out in the Roman Empire.
Justin Martyr and six of his friends are beaten savagely and beheaded.
JUSTIN MARTYR'S THOUGHT
For Justin Martyr, there was no clear distinction between philosophy and theology. These two were combined in the perfect revelation of Jesus
Christ; therefore, the best that philosophy
Introduction — i.
Philosophy in Scripture offered was but a preparation for the gospel.
The treatment and death of Socrates, for example, was a parallel of what was to come in the life of Christ. Just as Socrates tried to bring others to the truth and for his trouble was put to death as The only place the word "philosophy" is used in the biblical text is in Colossians
2:8 (NIV):
"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." an atheist, followers of Christ were convicted on the same charge when bringing His truth to others. In this way, the work of Socrates was an anticipation of Christ's coming and subsequent work (First Apology, 5).
On Philosophers. Justin read Christian ideas into Plato. He inferred the doctrine of a personal logos from Plato's World-Soul; he held that Moses' teaching in Genesis 1:2 corresponded with Plato's doctrine that God made the world from formless matter and argued that many of Plato's ideas were, in fact, taken from the Old
Testament (First Apology, 59-60).
The Platonism that Justin held seemed to be a jumble of philosophies and theologies more properly called Middle Platonism. He, along with others like Eudorus of Alexandria (c.25) and Plutarch (b.45), echoed the transitional thinking that linked Platonism and Neoplatonism, the latter of which became the final philosophical achievement of the ancient world.
Barnard has shown that after Justin's lifetime, educated converts no longer felt they had to throw away their previously held philosophical insights but, instead, readily used these as a means to convey theological truth.* This shift was not universally regarded as a positive influence, however, as Tertullian soon pointed out in De Anima, declaring that Plato was "the sauce
(condiment) used by all the heretics."
On the Logos. Another contribution to the philosophy and theology of his day was Justin's da
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr i— Stoicism unique use and application of the term "logos spermatikos," or "germinative" Word. The term logos was well known in Stoic circles, as it was in Jewish and Christian theology. Yet with Justin's
Stoicism, slightly younger than Platonism, held strongly to the laws of nature and humankind's duty to obey and adjust to them. One of the natural laws is reason, Stoics claimed, and wisdom consists in subduing the extremes of human passion to universal reason so that one is left with the four virtues: moral insight, courage, self-control, and justice. new definition, Christianity became as old as Creation. Whatever was good or true in the writings of the pagans derived from the logos in them. This argument was aimed at the philosophers who had claimed that Christidnity was merely borrowing from their sources.
For Justin, only in Jesus Christ could the entirety of the logos be found. The eternal
Christ, however, was "sowing the seeds" of Himself in people throughout history, like the Gospel parable of the sower. As the seeds of truth were sown in their hearts and individuals conformed themselves to that truth, they reaped a harvest of right living and right knowledge, a bounty of religious and moral illumination (Second Apology 6, 8, 10, 13). This explains, according to Justin, why there were Christians before Christ and how active and divine potential existed in humankind before the time of Jesus."
This is considered by scholars to be exceptionally original thought.
Cpe On the Trinity. All things considered, however, Justin was not a systematic theologian as such.
No Easy Discovery His doctrinal views must be pieced from his writings. His concept of God was monotheistic, grounded in the religion of Israel. Still, after his conversion, it was somewhat Platonistic, with God as transcendent and unknowable. God was
"It is neither easy to find the Father and Maker of all, nor, having found Him is it safe to declare Him to all."—Justin Martyr, Second Apology, 10, quoting Timaeus, Plato's theory of physics. the Unmoved First Cause, distant and unreachable, who worked solely through the logos to communicate with humankind (Dialogue, 127).
Justin expounded no clear doctrine of the Trinity in his Apologies. Although each person of
Introduction the Trinity is worthy of worship, he seems to have written no clear exposition of the relationship between each person of the Godhead. His theology, rather, seems to have been born out of Christian experience and worship in the church. He spoke of the Spirit, who inspired prophets and gives gifts to the church and the guide of all spiritual work. He spoke of the ei The Logos Son, the logos, divine bridge between God and human beings. He spoke of the Father, supreme in the Universe (First Apology, 13, 61,
63, 65, 67; and Second Apology, 6). His terms for the Trinity are traditional formulas; demonstrating, perhaps, how church life impacted his language and thought here more than any other influence.
The Greek term, logos, is used by John in the prologue of his Gospel. Here Christ is the divine expression of God—God's speech, mode of communication, the "Word of the Lord" in the Old Testament, and the use of "word" for the gospel in the On the Church and Sacraments. Justin believed himself to be a traditionalist in his view of ecclesiology. Staunchly avowing that the church had been founded by the Apostles in the name of Christ, church doctrine and polity, like Communion and baptism rites, followed the pattern he believed had been faithfully handed down.
His explanations of these rites are fully developed and are the most complete to survive from the second century.
New Testament. John may also have had in mind the personification of wisdom in Jewish thought, the surrogate term for God in the Targums, and the Reason which governs the universe, which the Stoics and Philo understood. Yet John here boldly dared to combine God and the historical person of Jesus into the same term—the Logos.
Baptism, Justin believed, should take place only after a period of thorough discipleship and preparation. By his accounts, it seems the church was holding annual baptismal services, perhaps at Easter, when those newly baptized could celebrate the entire gospel story in its fullest. As the candidate was washed three times in water, at each washing the name of each person of the Trinity was spoken over him. Baptism took place in the name of the Trinity; and a confession, perhaps of Christ's death and belief in
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr ii — Luke 12:4-5 the Trinitarian nature of the Godhead, was made (First Apology, 61, 65).
Baptism also signified new birth. Justin quoted John 3:3: "I tell you the truth, no one can see
"| tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But | will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, | tell you, fear him" (Luke the kingdom of God unless he is born again"
(NIV), and made a point to connect illumination of the logos with baptism (First Apology,
61). For Justin, the candidate is enabled to live an obedient, moral life at the point of baptism which, if he or she is careful to make a true home for the resident Spirit of God, will result in increasing godliness. Right living, then, is the 12:4-5, NIV). Justin's view of death demonstrates both biblical understanding and knowledge of the Stoics, who also believed that external evil could not hurt a truly righteous person. real measure of faith.
Likewise, the Lord's Supper, or Eucharist, as Justin called it, was celebrated at two occasions in the life of the church. The first was following baptism, in the presence of the church and the witnesses, when the newly baptized received for the first time the wine and water and the bread.
A prayer was said for the new members and Christians all over the world, followed by a kiss of peace. As each candidate received the elements, he or she offered praise to the Father of the universe through the name of the Son and the Holy Spirit. This was followed by the candidate's public thanksgiving, after which the congregation joined in with a joyous amen.
The other practice of the Eucharist celebration in the church took place each Sunday morning during worship. At these times, the people heard a portion of Scripture read, followed by an exposition of the text, and then the congregation prayed while standing. Then the deacons brought the elements to the "Ruler," who offered a prayer and thanksgiving. The wine and bread were then given to those present.
Finally, a voluntary offering was taken for
Introduction those in need (orphans, widows, sick, visitors), to be distributed by the Ruler. Justin interestingly noted that in both of the Communion services the deacons took the elements to those who were absent, the earliest reference to this practice (First Apology, 65-67).
In Justin's thought, Christ was present in the wine and wafer. Through further action of the logos, the elements become united with the logos and thereby becomes the flesh and blood of the Incarnate Jesus. By the use of an analogy, Justin questioned why it is difficult to understand this spiritual transformation that takes place in the Eucharist when the body's natural process of food digestion results in the production of actual flesh and blood (First Apology, 66). eae Demons Pervert the Truth "From what has been said you can understand how the demons, in imitation of what was said through Moses, contrived also to raise up the image of the so-called Kore over the springs of the waters saying that she was a daughter of Zeus. For Moses said, as he wrote before: 'In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth. And the earth was invisible and unfurnished, and the Spirit of God moved over the waters.' In imitation, then, of whatis said of the Spirit of God moving on the water they spoke of Kore, daughter of Zeus'—Justin Martyr, First Apology, 64.
On Demons. On a somewhat darker and final note, one of Justin's underlying theological presuppositions, his view of the demonic, should perhaps be addressed. Like his contemporaries in Greek philosophical and Jewish circles, Justin believed in the existence of fallen angels, who had sinned with women and produced demon children. These demons, in turn, had propagated a whole race of evil warriors upon the earth, whose goal it was to win control of the universe through the souls of men and women.
Their activity could be readily demonstrated.
They were responsible for leading astray pagan poets and mythologists who mistook them for gods, for perverting Christian ordinances into pagan temple worship and purification rites, for instigating the injury of anyone responding to the logos in times past, and especially for persecuting the Christians of his day (First Apology,
62). In Justin's thought, Christians could exercise control over these evil ones through the rite
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr of exorcism, which in itself was symbolic of the final victory of the Second Coming of Christ
(Second Apology, 5). As Justin defended his faith to the Greek world, these beliefs both helped to define his thought and motivated his zeal for ultimate triumph.
WRITINGS ATTRIBUTED TO HIM
Justin Martyr's works are considered to be among the most important of the materials which have survived from the second century.
These may be classified into three categories: those which are undisputedly his, those whose authorship has been debated, and those which claim to be his but are unquestionably not.
The first grouping includes just three works.
Justin authored two volumes entitled Apology.
Some scholars believe that there may have been at one time three such books or portions of books. Eusebius spoke of two volumes, one written in the reign of Antoninus Pius, and one written under Marcus Aurelius. Perhaps what is now considered to be First Apology and Second
Apology were once one volume, and the original second volume has been lost. Perhaps Eusebius made a mistake in his citation of which emperor was in power at the time of writing.
At any rate, the first source constitutes the bulk of what is known about how Christians and non-Christians related to each other in those days. It also attempts, for the first time, to reconcile the claims of faith and reason. The second volume primarily defends specific charges against Christians.
The third book in the category is called Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, the first detailed exposition of why Christ should be considered to be the Messiah of the Old Testament. It also exposes
First Apology the changing nature of the Old Covenant and its laws; it identifies the logos with the God of the Old Testament; and it sets forth the argument that Gentiles (here, Christians) are the true heirs of God's promises to Israel.
The second grouping of books, whose authorship is still sometimes debated, consists of An Address to the Greeks, A Hortatory Address to the Greeks, On the Monarchy of God, An Epistle to Diognetus, fragments from a work on the Resurrection, and other fragments. Most scholars feel that these all date from the late second and third centuries and are spurious.
The final category of writings that bore his name has also proven to be false. These PseudoJustinian works, including An Exposition of the True Faith, Replies to the Orthodox, Christian
Questions to Gentiles, Gentile Questions to Christians, Epistle to Zenas and Serenus, and A Refutation of Certain Doctrines of Aristotle, seem to be from a single author from the fourthor fifth-century Aristotelian school.
An examination of Justin Martyr's three most important works will now follow. Attention will be given to each volume in turn, beginning with a look at date, purpose, and audience, followed by a summary and notes on each section. The first volume will be Justin's First Apology.
FIRST APOLOGY
"So you, then, since you are called pious and philosophers and guardians of justice and lovers of culture, listen in every way; and it will be shown if you are such" (ch. 2).
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr
DATE, PURPOSE, AND AUDIENCE
The dating of the Apologies is one of the intriguing aspects of Justin Martyr studies. Unless further information comes to light, this puzzle may remain a mystery. The first volume, addressed to the "Emperor Titus Aelius Adrianus Antoninus Pius, Augustus Caesar; and to his son Verissimus the philosopher, and to Lucius the philosopher" is plainly intended for Emperor
Antoninus and his two sons. Antoninus followed Hadrian to the Roman throne in 138 and reigned until 161, when his son Marcus Aureii —
Marcion lius succeeded him.
Marcion was a wealthy shipowner from the region of Pontus. He came to Rome around A.D. 140 and became a part of the Christian church.
Marcion was excommunicated around 144. He rejected the Old Testament and viewed the God of the Old Testament, the Demiurge, as inferior to the God revealed in Jesus Christ. Marcion accepted as Scripture ten letters of Paul, excluding Hebrews and 1, 2 Timothy and Titus. He further edited even these writings he accepted as Scripture.
The First Apology also contains a reference to Marcionism, a Gnostic sect, as the greatest heresy of the age. Historians place Marcion in Rome during the reign of Hyginus, between 139 and 142. These and other internal data suggest that the years 151 to 155 would be a correct period for the publication of this timely document. The more problematic dating of the second volume will be taken up in the next chapter.
The purpose of the First Apology is clearly defined as well. The first salvo strikes an appeal for justice and follows quickly with a refutation of anti-Christian slander. Justin's intentions are indisputable. His first aim was to win from the government of Rome a hearing—ultimately, the right for Christianity to exist as a coherent, logical, reasonable, and legal religion. Second, Justin explained the Christian faith, its teachings, practices, and rationale to the Greek world.
The audience of First Apology is urbane, cosmopolitan, intelligent, and powerful. His intended readers are despots, whose whims determine the fate of individuals without guarantee of a fair hearing. Justin knew that his life hung in the 2A
First Apology oe balance, that he had cast his lot with a despised people. His writings, while not known for their polish or style, do resound with heroic pleadings and undaunted courage.
Justin's Opinion of a Heretic "The wicked demons have put forward Marcion of Pontus, who is even now teaching people to deny that God is the Maker of all things in heaven and earth, and that the Christ predicted through his prophets is His Son, and proclaims another god besides the Demiurge of all and likewise another son. Many are persuaded by him as if he alone knew the truth, and laugh at us, though they have no proof of the things they say, but are snatched away irrationally as lambs by awolf, and become the prey of godless teaching and of demons' (ch. 58).
FIRST APOLOGY AT A GLANCE
Chapters 1-2 Salutations and an Appeal for Justice Slanders Chapters 3-12 Refutation of Anti-Christian Chapter 13 Christian Worship Chapters 14-20 Christian Teaching Versus Nature and Philosophy Chapters 21-22 Pagan Fables Versus Rational Belief in Christ Chapter 23 Divinity of Christ Explained Chapters 24-29 Intolerance of Impostors Implored Chapters 30-53 Proofs of Prophecy Fulfilled Chapters 54-58 Mythology and Christ Plato, Moses, and the Creation Story Chapters 59-60 Chapters 61-67 Christian Baptism and Communion Chapter 68 Conclusion
CHAPTERS 1-2: SALUTATIONS AND AN
APPEAL FOR JUSTICE
The opening paragraph of First Apology contains Justin Martyr's address to the Emperor Antoninus Pius, Augustus Caesar, and his two sons.
Justin referred to the boys as "philosophers," a term often used for young children. He also saluted the "Sacred Senate" and the Roman
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr i — Roman Senate people on behalf of those of every nation who are "unjustly hated and grossly abused, .
. myself being one of them." He then simply signed his name Justin, son of Priscus and grandson of Bacchius, from Flavia Neapolis in Composed of 300 of the true aristocracy, the Roman Senators held their seats for Syria-Palestine. life, unless proven to have been dishonorable. The decisions of the Senate were made on behalf of the people of Rome. Justin's salutation, then, recognized this aspect of the Senate's vast power.
Chapter 2 lays the foundation for Justin's plea for understanding. He appealed first to those who love truth and honor, on the basis of reason and piety, to render decisions based on a fair hearing. He denounced those who would judge according to superstition, flattery, prejudice, irrational impulse, or evil rumors. If his hearers are guardians of justice and lovers of culture, then listen accordingly, he said, and the outcome will prove what kind of men they really are.
Capea:
Justice Demanded
CHAPTERS 3-12: REFUTATION OF
ANTI-CHRISTIAN SLANDERS
"Reason dictates that those who are truly pious and philosophical should honor and love only the truth, declining to follow the opinions of the ancients, if they are worthless...
. But itis for you, as reason demands, to listen [to us] and to be found good judges. For if, having learned the truth, you fail to do what is righteous, you have no defense before God" (ch. 2-3).
The request for investigation follows in chapter 3. Justin logically stated that if, after the inquiry is finished, the charges have been proved to be true, then the Christians should be punished according to their crimes. If not, he cautioned, reason forbids wronging innocent people. He quoted Plato, who said: "Unless both rulers and the ruled love wisdom, it is impossible to make cities prosper" (ch. 3).
Justin took exception to the practice of punishing Christians merely for bearing that name. He argued that if someone denies he is a Christian he is then set free because no evil has been found in him. On the other hand, if someone claims the name of Christ, then he is punished, whether his life is blameless or sinful. Justin challenged his listeners to inquire into the life of both and let the life of each determine his own
First Apology fate. He acknowledged that in Christianity, just as in philosophy, there are those who live counmee
Carpocracians terfeit to the faith they claim. Therefore, each person should be judged individually according to his deeds.
Justin was aware, no doubt, of the sect known as Carpocracians (a group sometimes confused with the Egyptian cult of Harpocrates). The followers of Carpocrates of Alexandria preached a license to sin, or antinomianism. This teaching suggests, however wrongly, that Christians are by grace set free from the need to observe any moral law; therefore, sin is no longer accounted to the individual. He also taught the transmigration of souls (reincarnation) and that Jesus was born of natural birth.
This sect survived until the fourth century.
In chapter 5, Justin explained how demons corrupt men and women, strike fear into them, and delude their understanding. This is what happens when men are ruled by passion rather than reason. Justin expressed concern that those to whom he was appealing would recognize the demonic influence lurking behind their unjust judgment of Christians.
These demons, whose leader is Satan, were proclaimed gods; and all evil is ascribed to their agency. Then Socrates, through reason and evidence, sought to help illuminate the people to see the truth but was charged as an atheist and killed for his noble teaching. Logos revealed this truth not only to the Greeks through Socrates but to foreigners and others as well.
In chapters 6-8, Justin answered the specific charges of atheism, immorality, and disloyalty.
He admitted that Christians are atheists with reference to the pantheon of deities. But as for the one true God, He is worshiped and adored, together with his Son "who came from Him, and taught us these things," (ch. 6) and the prophetic Spirit, to whom is given honor in reason and truth.
He confessed that Christians do not honor with sacrifices and garlands of flowers the deities people have made and set in the temples. He thought it preposterous that artisans ply their trades in the fashioning of temple idols by their
"planning and cutting, casting, and hammering"
(ch. 9). No one even questions, he said, the Zk
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr notion that God cannot be copied or shaped by the hands of man: "What stupidity, that dissolute people should be said to fashion and make gods for public worship, and that you should appoint such people the guardians of temples,
=c]aenaet ... not recognizing that it is unlawful even to think or say that people are the guardians of gods" (ch. 9).
Justin's appeal here has parallel with Paul's apology on Mars' Hill: "Ye men of Athens, | perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as | passed by, and beheld your devotions, | found an altar with this inscription, TO THE
UNKNOWN GOD.
Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare | unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing"
(Acts 17:22-25, KJV).
Instead, chapter 10 explains, God does not need material possessions. Indeed, He alone is the giver of all things. God is the one who created everything out of unformed matter. If human beings choose what is pleasing to Him and align their lives to His design, then they become worthy to reign with Him. God both persuades and leads people to faith by means of the rational powers He gives freely and by the Logos. Justin observed that there is something within human beings—the lust of wickedness—which resists the work of the Logos and the exercise of reason.
This lust of wickedness is encouraged and strengthened by demons.
Chapter 11 carefully defines what kingdom Christians seek. Others had charged that Christians look for another kingdom, perhaps fearing that they would disturb the Pax Romana. Justin revealed his deep respect for Christian martyrs when he said that the kingdom Christians seek is one with God. If they wanted to overthrow the government, they would hide their allegiance and try to escape detection. But since they do not seek a human kingdom, Christians willingly testify to their faith, even though they know such a confession will bring death.
The final chapter in this section assures his hearers that Christians are proponents of peace.
They live openly under the sight of God, know-
First Apology ing that it is impossible for "the wicked, the coyetous, the conspirator, and the virtuous" (ch.
12) to escape God's notice. If all persons understood this, Justin asserted, then no one would choose wickedness even for a little while. Eternal destiny is determined by character, and this is demonstrated by how one lives. With tongue in cheek Justin suggested, "But you seem to fear lest all people become righteous, and you no longer have any to punish. This would be the concern of public executioners, not of good princes" (ch. 12). He concluded by restating that God will bring about the prophecies foretold and that all things given and taught by Jesus
Christ are indeed true and may be trusted. mere My Kingdom Is Not Your Kingdom "Jesus said, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.'
'You are a king, then!' said Pilate.
Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying | am a king. In fact, for this reason | was born, and for this | came into the world, to testify to the truth.
Everyone on the side of truth listens to me"
(John 18:36-37, NIV).
"NU COMMENTARY
Plea for a Fair Hearing. In these first two major divisions, readers are introduced to the remarkably courageous Justin Martyr.
Although many Christians in Rome and other cities may have known him, there are no extant sources to suggest that the Roman authorities knew him personally. Therefore, when Justin took up his pen to write these words, he consciously chose to place his life in jeopardy and to suffer whatever consequences such an action might bring. It is the decision to move away from the crowd in the shadows, to step into the spotlight alone, to become public defender.
The details of Justin Martyr's life are few. No sources indicate whether Justin had a wife or children. Nothing is written of his mother, siblings, or extended family. Of his particular interests and hobbies, the serendipities of life that delighted his soul, nothing is recorded. What is
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr a known is this: He was born; he trained in philosophy; and he was converted. He taught for some twenty-five years that the gospel was the only way to salvation and that Christianity was
So Reputation for Faithfulness the one completely valid philosophy. He was brutally murdered for refusing to sacrifice to Sometimes we Christians live with tunnel vision, not remembering that so many faithful ones have gone before us or that we are like links in a chain for those who will come after. Each of us has but one life with which to serve God. When this life has gone, others will fill the pages of the kingdom's history.
Now is the time to impact eternity. You are the player on this stage today. How you decide to obey God, or to reject Him, will determine how kingdom history is recorded. God can impact eternity with just one life totally idols. He was buried in an unknown place by those who loved him.
What would cause a man of Justin's obvious talent and training to choose this journey for himself? The opening statements of First Apology answer this question without hesitation. These bold declarations reveal his passion, his uncompromising stance, even his "in your face" contempt of danger. Readers snatch a glimpse, for the first time, of Justin Martyr's mind at work.
One wonders what reactions raced across the faces of the senators and authorities who first read the treatise. That Justin aligned himself with the "unjustly hated and grossly abused" (ch. 1) shoots to the heart of his illustrious audience.
There is no mistaking with whom he stands. yielded to Him. Will those who come behind you write of your faithfulness?
Next on Justin's agenda was to present a clear argument for intentional justice, which he did in appealing to reason and truth. After all, he asked, are these not the foundations of anyone who claims to be pious and a lover of all that is righteous (both true goals of philosophy)? What follows is a cataloguing of the rumors and slanders of which Christians have been accused, and evidence is given for their dismissal. He seems to have prioritized the lies according to their severity and almost dismissed as misunderstandings the more simple of the list. The severe charges he dealt with separately: atheism, immorality, and treason. These touch upon theological issues, and so he used this window
First Apology
Two Lists of the Faithful of opportunity to teach his readers about what true Christians believe.
Worshiping the one, true God alone was interpreted by the Roman authorities as atheism. Justin redefined for them the terms god and atheist here, saving a discussion about what constitutes true worship for the following chapter. He introduced his readers to the only God, the Father of righteousness, His Son and Holy
In Hebrews 11, known as the Faith chapter, God commends two lists—the recitation of those recognized names of the Old Testament faithful and the many whose names are unrecorded who suffered for their faith:
"Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison.
They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword.
They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them" (Heb.
Spirit, and offered freely the transforming gospel message to any who would hear.
He addressed the serious charge of immorality because righteous living is, for Justin, the mark of true faith. Nonbelievers were pointing to the wickedness of those who claimed to be Christians as evidence that Christianity was false. Justin took great exception to this charge. He rightly stated that in any faith or philosophical system there are those who claim the name but whose lives fall short of the standard. A person who claims to be a believer but whose life does not bear out the claims of Christ, however, does not invalidate Christianity, Justin argued, anymore than does the ignorance of those who merely claim to be philosophers invalidate the given philosophical system. Modern readers identify well with this point.
11:35-38, NIV).
It is always troublesome when people claiming to belong to Christ break the law, exist for self, and pervert the truth. Nonbelievers will accept no testimony of Christ's transforming power from a corrupt witness. This is only right. Justin shut the argument down when he shifted the focus from defining a person not by what he says, but by who he is revealed in what he does.
Justin reasonably asserted that action defines character, not mere words. True Christians will
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr be identified by their obedient lives. This is a message the church needs to hear today. cae The charge of disloyalty, or treason, was also in need of redefinition. Christians were some of the best citizens of the Roman Empire, Justin
"If we looked for a human kingdom, we would deny it, that we might not be slain; and we would try to escape detection, that we might obtain the things we look for. But since we do not have our hope on the present, we do not heed our executioners"
(ch. 11). noted. Lovers of peace, seekers of truth, finders of genuine faith, Christians lived under the watchful eyes of God, as did the rest of the realm. The kingdom of Christ was a spiritual domain, not a human kingdom. Here Justin's respect for the martyrs shines in his statements about the Christians' fearlessness in the face of death. Justin challenged the authorities to do what they felt was needful but warned them that they would not ultimately succeed.
CHAPTER 13: CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
Justin began the second major section of his First Apology by presenting how Christians live and what they believe to be true. The opening
Coe ) section, chapter 13, tells his readers that Christians worship the one, true God, who is the Maker of all things. This God does not desire burned offerings, blood, poured wine, or other forms of worship common to the Roman Empire. Instead, Christians believe that God desires hearts of thankfulness expressed in prayer and hymns and testimony. Believers thank Him for creation, for health, for the changing seasons, and answered prayer. Chris- "Our teacher of these things is Jesus Christ, who was also born for this purpose, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judaea, in the time of Tiberius Caesar; and... that we worship Him rationally, having learned that He is the Son of the true God Himself, and holding Him in the second place, and the prophetic Spirit in the third" (ch. 13) tians look to a future with God beyond this world—beyond corruption. Faith in Christ is the door to this future.
"NU COMMENTARY
Christian Worship. Justin said that if reasonable men will look at the behavior of Christians
First Apology they will conclude that they aren't atheists but worship the living God, Maker of the universe.
CHAPTERS 14-20: CHRIST'S TEACHING
VERSES NATURE AND PHILOSOPHY
Chapters 14-20 explain the power Christians have for moral victory. This takes place in spite of the efforts of evil ones who strive to conquer human beings. These demons, Justin said, through dreams or magical arts, seek to subdue all who have not claimed the power of Christ and His Word. Justin invited his readers to see the specific ways that Christ has transformed the believers:
¢ those who formerly delighted in sexual Madness of Christians debauchery were now chaste; "For they charge our madness to consist in this, that we give to a crucified man second place after the unchangeable and eternal God, begetter of all things, for they do not know the mystery involved in this, to which we ask you to give heed as we expound it to you"
(ch. 13) ¢ those who practiced sorcery now dedicated themselves wholly to the "good and unbegotten God" (ch. 14);
¢ those who once valued above all else the gaining of wealth and possessions now take joy in sharing and in giving away to those in need; ¢ those who once hated and destroyed one another and would not share the same hearth with people of a different race, background, or customs now live "familiarly with them, and pray for our enemies"
(ch. 14), so that they, too, might come to know Christ.
Justin then related the reason believers live so differently now. The teachings of Jesus, who was "no sophist" but whose "word was the power of God" (ch. 14), guides His followers into new ways of thinking and acting. Justin recounted some of these teachings, beginning in chapter 15.
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr On chastity, Justin cited several of Jesus' remarks about sexual behavior, promiscuity, and divorce and remarriage, beginning with Matthew 5:28; that "whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (ch. 15). Justin added "before God" to the end of this phrase, perhaps trying to remind his pagan readers that God sees all. He followed up with Matthew
5:29-30:
Matthew 18:9: Mark 9:47; Luke 16:18; and Matthew 19:11—12.
Justin then gave a personal witness of knowing many men and women, "who have been Christ's disciples from childhood, have preserved their purity at the age of sixty or seventy years; and | am proud that I could produce such from every race of men and women." What is to account for this tuming from intemperance to righteousness, asked Justin?
Better yet, what is to account for the affection Christians have for others? Believers pray for enemies, bless those that curse them, share with the needy, lend without thought of return, and lay up treasure in heaven instead of on earth.
They are kind and merciful; do not worry about daily provisions, since they know that the Father will supply their needs; and do good deeds out of simple love of God, not to be seen of men. Justin cited Sermon on the Mount passages that teach these truths.
Concerning patience, servant-heartedness, and the love of peace, Justin quoted Christ's teachings on offering the other cheek to those that smite, giving the cloak as well as the shirt to those that ask, and traveling two miles when just one is required. Believers should not quarrel; neither should they imitate wicked people;
She
First Apology they should never swear or speak deceitfully; they should fulfill the first commandment to "worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve with all your heart and all your strength, the Lord who made you" (ch. 16).
Good Works Shine "You are the light of the world. A city ona hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matt.
5:14-16, NIV).
He reminded his readers that not every one who confesses to be a Christian is truly of Christ, for believers' lives must bear testimony of His transforming power. Justin quoted several verses to justify these last two positions:
Matthew 7:15-19, 22-24; 10:40; 24:5; Luke 6:46ff, 10:16; 13:26-27; 21:8; and Mark 13:6. All word pictures, the passages teach believers to go beyond what is asked in order to demonstrate gentle-heartedness. They also warn that not all persons will belong to Christ in eternity. It was important for Justin's readers to understand the motives that propelled believers to action or reaction in their daily lives.
—ii In chapter 17 Justin explained why, when Christians worship God alone, they still faithfully pay their taxes and assessments when
Innocent Victims The writings of Cicero's Oration in levied. He cited the time Jesus answered the question of allegiance by replying, "Give therefore to Caesar the things that are CaeVatinium, Socrates's
Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History, and Pseudo-Clementine Recognitions all suggest that children were sometimes taken prematurely from the womb and slaughtered and their entrails inspected for omens of the future.® sar's, and to God the things that are God's"
(Matt. 22:15-22). He assured the Roman authorities that believers gladly serve them in all other aspects besides worship, even praying that their imperial power will eventuate in sound judgment.
If, however, they chose not to regard the prayers of believers, he told them, then it did not matter.
Justin explained that every person will give account for his or her actions according to the abilities that were given by God: "To whom God has given more, from him more will be
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr required" (Luke 12:48) (ch. 17). This will happen after life, as it is now known, has ended.
Chapter 18 speaks to this life after death. Justin demonstrated ways his contemporaries accepted that consciousness from "beyond the grave" existed. These examples were in their own literature. He cited necromancy, or "oracles of the dead," claiming to foretell the future by allegedly communicating with the dead; divinations practiced through innocent children; and the "invoking of departed .
. souls, .
. magi, dream-senders and familiars." ini — The Roman Empire's "Familiar Spirits"
Justin cited those who were "seized and torn by the spirits of the dead" and the oracles of Amphilocus, Dodona, Pytho, and many others
In Justin Martyr's day, most people believed in survival after death.
They also believed that one could communicate with the departed; and many employed conjurors, or "contact persons," who specialized in such trade. The Oneiropompoi is a term used generally for spirits who operated through dreams. The Paredroi were spirits sent to watch over particular persons to keep them from harm—hence, "familiar." The Bible warns against associations of these kind: "The cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur" (Rev.
21:8, NIV).
(ch. 18). He rolled through the litany of authors whose works told of this consciousness:
Empedocles, Pythagoras, Plato, and Socrates, even Homer's Inferno and the descent of Odysseus. Justin argued that Christians believe in the one true God more than all of these. Why should his readers scoff at the Christian belief of life after death? Believers should be heard, therefore, and their teachings accorded at least as much credence as were the beliefs of these authors and cults.
Chapter 19 is a case for the certainty of Christian resurrection. The logical problems associated with the bodily and _ incorruptible resurrection of believers had caused pagans to scoff at Christianity. Justin Martyr postulated that this idea is not at all illogical. His argument was that it is just as impossible to conceive of a full-grown human being when first confronted with the human "seed," as it is to think that a person may rise again when his body has "dis-
First Apology solved" in the grave. One would think both to be entirely contrary to reason.
Yet human beings do grow from the seed of two parents. Just because his readers had never seen a dead man rise again does not mean that it is not possible, Justin said. To say that resurrection is impossible says more about their concept of God than it does about them. Justin said that believers do better to "believe things impossible to our own nature and to men and women, than aera | Oracles and Grove Worship to disbelieve like the rest of the world" (ch. 19).
Once again, Justin argued from contemporary literature and philosophy that a final destruction was imminent. Sibyl and Hystaspes both mentioned a destruction by fire of corruptible things, as did the Stoics, who believed that the world and God Himself would be destroyed by Amphilocus was the son of Amphiarus, whose oracle was located at Mallos in Cilicia and mentioned by Pausanias about 180. Dodona was the oracle of Zeus that operated in the groves of oak and beech and Pytho was the famous oracle of Apollo at Delphi. Oracles, in Greek and Roman culture, were places where deities were consulted. Often small temples or altars were erected near a stream, ona mountaintop, or in a grove, where people came to worship or offer sacrifices of blood or libation, or to burn incense to the deity. The word was also used for a person who was believed to be the agency of communication with the god. fire, only to be reborn into a new form.
Why are Christians silenced, when they claim some of the same things as philosophers and poets, whom his readers honor? Justin asked. If believers state that all things have been ordered and made by God, they sound much like Plato; when they say that the world will be destroyed by fire, they appear to be like Stoics. Christians, who have many similar beliefs, even adding points of clarification and proof beyond the poets and philosophers, should not be unjustly hated but be accorded the same tolerance, even
State protection, as do these other belief systems (ch. 20).
"NU COMMENTARY
Faith and Life of Christians. In the section above, Justin began a careful exposition of what motivates Christians toward righteous living. Such ow
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr a view begins with a statement about who God is. This is always the best place to start. Christians have their being in and through God, who is the Giver and Maker of all things.
Therefore, a right response to Him is adoration and worship, hymn singing and spoken witness to His greatness and mercy.
Thereafter, Justin concerned himself with the practical application of the teachings of Christ.
He systematically covered the topics of transformed lives in the areas of chastity, of returning good for evil, of giving to the needy, of showing mercy, of trusting God's provision. He showed how Christians live out patient, servant-hearted, and gentle lives; how Christians pay their taxes and pray for their government.
Some scholars believe that Justin may have used at least one harmony when he wrote this section of his Apology. This source, perhaps many such sources, are not now extant but may have been widely available to other church fathers, upon which works their writings seem to be similarly based.° During the time Justin taught in Rome, it seems he wrote catechisms for his students, manuals of instruction against heresies, and harmonies of the synoptic Gospel texts.
Justin's source quotations are generally based on the Sermon on the Mount, with additional related material from other parts of Matthew,
Mark, and Luke. Justin seems to have used little or no direct quotations from John's work. While no organic link has been proven to have existed between the two schools, other works like these were used in the Alexandrian school some years after Justin's death. Clement and Origen, both of Alexandria, Irenaeus of Lyons, and the
First Apology Pseudo-Clementine Homilies all depended on a ——i A Harmony of Scripture literary tradition which Justin also used.
So it may be safe to surmise that some of these catechisms and church manuals were written by Justin and his pupils there in Rome for the purA harmony is a specific genre of literature that arranges parallel passages of different authors so as to bring out corresponding ideas, qualities, and nuances of meaning.
In Justin's limited harmony, he used Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but not the Gospel of John. The first three Gospels are called "synoptic Gospels," as distinguished from the fourth, because they present the life of Christ from a similar point of view. pose of teaching the faith to new converts. One of Justin's most famous pupils, Tatian, was also an apologist. His Diatessaron is the first known complete harmony of the four Gospels, including that of John. Tatian must have enjoyed his study of a selection of limited harmonies; after Justin's death he published his new work.
There is much to be said for a simple catechism in church life. Many evangelical traditions incorporate a period of catechism for new converts. In the early church, those preparing for Christian baptism underwent an often lengthy period of training. They attended services of Bible reading and theological instruction. They learned early on in their journey of faith how the church worshiped, how Christians lived, and what was expected of believers. After this process, the "catechumen" would become a regular participant in church life.
Twenty-first century Christians need the same training in Christian discipleship as did their brothers and sisters of the first and second centuries. Churches need to take precautions that church membership is not based upon a mere verbal "statement,"
"transfer of letter," or request for membership alone. How churches view new converts says volumes about their view of the church and, ultimately, the kingdom of God. It reveals what they believe about God
Himself. Of what sort of persons is the church to consist? The New Testament is clear that the
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr church is made up of those who are redeemed in Christ.
Jesus' kingdom principles run counter to every formula for worldly success. How does one get ahead in business? How does one respond when wronged? How does one get rich in this life?
How does one best spend time, money, talents?
How does one prepare for the future? How does one deal with sorrow? unfair treatment? others who are difficult to live with? those whose aim
—— So Is "evangelism" perhaps so difficult these days because the world sees such is to inflict harm? little evidence of victorious, deeply satisfying, and joyous life in Christ? Would we truly need all the programs, training, special events, and outreach efforts if, in fact, lives in the church were powerfully transformed?
These dynamic principles, made real in the life of the believer through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, cause followers of Christ to respond oppositely to expectations of the world. When
Christians react to the day-in-day-out difficulties of life according to the teachings of their
Savior, the world stops to take notice.
Justin's arguments for Christian living, the result of the transforming power of God in and through the life of the believer, is a powerful reminder to, and indictment on, today's church.
Could Justin, if he were here today, say of this generation, "And many, both men and women, who have been Christ's disciples from childhood, have preserved their purity at the age of sixty or seventy years; and I am proud that I could produce such from every race of men and women" (ch. 15)?
CHAPTERS 21-22: PAGAN FABLES
VERSUS RATIONAL BELIEF IN CHRIST
In chapters 21-29, Justin proved the irrationality of paganism when compared with Christianity. The first section deals with pagan fables.
Justin's first agenda was to address the question of Jesus Christ's conception and subsequent birth without sexual union, a matter questioned
First Apology by his readers. In his answer, Justin said that ae Christian belief is more rational than the fables to which all of them currently ascribe.
Tried but...
He cited several examples: Hermes, Asclepius, "It is not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting, but that Christianity has been found difficult, and not tried at all."—G. K.
Chesterton Dionysus, Heracles, Dioscori, Perseus, and Bellerophon, the latter of which, though born of mortal union, rose into heaven on a horse. Others among the group ascended into heaven or committed themselves to flames to escape the pains of mortality. Ariadne was placed among the stars. It was even alleged that emperors rose into heaven from their funeral pyres.
In citing these examples from their own beliefs, Justin made clear that Christianity is not irrational from their own standpoint. What is dramatically different about Christ, however, is His sinless life when compared with the likes of Zeus, for example. The tales of Zeus include wanton degradation of others, the love of evil, and generations of children who killed their parents. How can Zeus represent holiness and virtue? Justin reminded his hearers that those who live unjustly and do not change their ways
"are punished in eternal fire" (ch. 21).
Justin's next step was to show the superiority of Christ over other gods. Jesus was better than
Hermes, said to be the announcing word from God; He was better than the sons of Zeus who suffered different kinds of cruel deaths, even though His was by Crucifixion; He was better than Perseus, said to have been born of a virgin; and He was better than Asclepius, who was said to have healed the lame, the paralytic, and the blind. How was He better? His deeds clearly set
Him apart (ch. 22).
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr
CHAPTER 23: DIVINITY OF CHRIST
Justin focused on the three reasons Christ is above the rest. First, the story of Jesus Christ was prophesied long before the other fables were written, and His story has been proven to be true. Second, the Savior alone was "real begotten as Son by God, being His Word and First-begotten and Power." He became man because of His own will for the conversion of the human race. Third, before Christ came to earth, there was demonic activity that blinded the hearts of people so that myths were established, which even Justin's readers now believed to be true (ch. 23). These demons also spread scandalous reports against Christians, which Justin refuted in the following section. ii —— Unwanted Children
CHAPTERS 24-29: INTOLERANCE OF
IMPOSTERS IMPLORED
Here Justin names the unproven accusations against Christians. First, followers of Christ are hated for their name alone and are put to death
Early Christian and pagan literature abound with references to the practice of discarding unwanted children.
Sometimes infants were aborted; sometimes children were exposed to die after they were born and their sex was determined. Some of these died. Others were snatched up by those who raised them for purposes of prostitution and other "unspeakable iniquities." A note written by a husband to his wife in year A.D. as sinners even though they have done no wrong. Others, Justin noted, worship trees, rivers, mice, cats, crocodiles, and other "irrational animals" and are not put to death, even though none of these is equally honored. Yet Christians are put to death for not worshiping the same gods as other empire citizens. Justin said this is ludicrous! All empire citizens do not worship the same gods (ch 24)!
Second, Justin called attention to the Christians who were converted out of Greek or Roman pantheon worship, who used to sacrifice to dei1 said, "If you are delivered of a male child, let it live; if of a female, expose it" ties with uncontrolled sexual passions, or greed, or murderous hatred. He bid his readers look at Christ, who never "was goaded by lust for Antiope, or such other women, or of Ganymede, nor was He delivered of that hundred-handed mon- (Oxyrhynchus Papyri, 4,744),
First Apology ster" over the matter of a concubine. Justin said he pitied those who worship these ineffective gods (ch. 25).
In the following section, Justin argued that many false teachers have gained followers, some of whom have even been recognized by the Roman authorities.
One such teacher was Simon, who went about with his formerly pubSimon Rebuked by Peter When Simon, the magician from Samaria, tried to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit from Peter and John, Peter answered him sternly, "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For | see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin" (Acts 8:18-23, NIV). This man spawned a new term for the sale of ecclesiastical posts, or the profit made in selling sacred things, or trying to buy the conferring of the Holy Spirit—simony. lic prostitute, Helena, together with their disciple,
Menander.
Simon of Samaria was mentioned briefly in Acts 8:9-25, where he professed to believe in Christ when Philip was preaching. Afterwards, he tried to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit from Peter and John.
Marcion is another that Justin mentioned in this paragraph, who teaches that there is a greater god than the "Maker of this Universe."
Justin's point in this litany was to say that not all persons who claim to be of Christ actually belong to Him, one of Justin's recurring themes. These false teachers give nonbelievers misinformation about what true Christians believe. And yet, even these are not put to death for their beliefs (ch. 27).
There are, however, beliefs associated with pagans that Christians abhor. These Justin enumerated. He first pointed to the common custom of "exposing children," which he associated with murder.
If the children lived, it often resulted in both girls and boys growing up into prostitution. Justin used strong words to demonstrate his disgust for these and other pagan practices, some with regard to their own children and wives, including the mutilation of one's children for the purposes of homosexualigcchy 27):
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr Justin next spoke of the association pagan worship had with snakes and the revolt that Christians felt toward worship of this creature.
Since the snake represents to Christians the person of Satan, they knew him to be "the leader of the evil demons" and the source of all wickedness (ch. 28).
The last topic of this section deals with Christian marriage. One of its purposes, said Justin, is for the procreation and nurturing of children. Promiscuity is not a Christian practice. In fact, many Christians choose not to marry and live
| perfectly content as virgins. He cited as an example one young man that recently petitioned Felix, Prefect in Alexandria, for permission so that local physicians could make him a voluntary eunuch. He did this sincerely in order iri — Origen's Decision to be Chaste Origen (c. 185-254) of Alexandria was born to Christian parents. His father, Leonidas, was martyred in 202, after which Origen taught in the catechetical school there. When he was a young man, Origen emasculated himself, misinterpreting Matthew 19:12 ina to follow what he perceived to be Christ's command in Matthew 19:12, an issue with which Origen also dealt. In this case, says Justin, Felix denied the request, whereupon the youth was content "with the testimony of his own conscience" (ch. 29).
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literal sense. He founded a famous school in Caesarea, where he taught and preached. One of the most prolific writers of the church fathers and author of the first systematic theology, called On First Principles, he was persecuted under Decius in 250 and died as the result of his prolonged torture not long thereafter.
Superiority of Christianity over Paganism. Justin clearly used these chapters to extol the virtues of Christianity by painting two pictures—one of comparison and the other of contrast. He left little of paganism's ugliness covered here. With broad strokes of his pen, Justin painted the truth about inconsistency, wickedness, and deception which were evident in pagan thought and practice.
Justin's knowledge of mythology was essential for his role as defender of the Christian faith.
First Apology With keen ability and shrewd insight, Justin pointed to those areas of comparison with pagan religions. He showed where other pagan deities are reported to be virgin-born, descended from gods, tortured to death in dif_ = of ferent ways, ascended to heaven, or descended into the pit of flames. Almost all of the facts of the gospel story have been counterfeited, said
Justin, and are reproduced in the multiple A thoughtful response to Justin's arguments calls for soul-searching on the part of contemporary Christians. In America, Christians are protected by law from physical persecution because of choosing a particular creed or faith. Rarely do followers of Christ give up their lives for the gospel on home turf. Yet what if all true Christians began a wholesale, combined effort to confront behavior that was morally and biblically wrong? Would there be any backlash against Christians?
What about the modern equivalents of "exposure" and prostitution? These practices were considered unconscionable for Christians of the second century.
Justin's words cut through the intervening centuries to speak to this generation as it deals with many of the same evils. myths created by Satan and his demons to confuse human beings. After making this point clear, Justin drove home his point that these beliefs in and of themselves do not merit punishment unto death. Indeed, pagans are encouraged and honored for holding such beliefs.
What makes Christians any different?
The second tactic Justin took was to show the superiority of Christianity by way of contrast.
Pagans lived such degraded lives, he stated. The treatment of children and the powerless were held as examples of such depravity, while Christian virtues were held up in stark relief. Justin's last thrust concerning the recently departed
Antinous, whose dubious relationship with Hadrian had been the cause of much speculation, is most significant.
At the untimely drowning of his close favorite in 130, Hadrian had built a new city on the site of his death and initiated a cult for his worship.
The cult of Antinous had grown rapidly in the two decades since, giving rise to Justin's jab,
"And it is not out of place, we think, to mention here Antinous, who was recently alive, and whom everybody .
. hastened to worship as a god, though they knew both who he was and what was his origin" (ch. 29). Following as it does the story of the chaste youth who was content to remain a virgin, Justin's remarks here
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr were no accident. This is an audacious public challenge from Justin to Antoninus Pius, son of Hadrian, who knew of his father's attachment to the youth.
CHAPTERS 30-53: PROOFS OF
PROPHECY FULFILLED
Justin set the stage for the next section by asking the logical questions that might be in the minds of his readers: What keeps the man we call Christ from being a mere dabbler in magical arts? How do His followers know that He was indeed who He claimed to be? These answers, Justin asserted, may be found in ancient prophecy, the "strongest and surest ii — Famous Library at Alexandria evidence" (ch. 30).
Alexandria was the second city of the Roman Empire, a center of both Hellenistic and Jewish culture. It was home to the largest community of Jews in the world. Ptolemy Philadelphus
(285-246 B.C.)
desired a copy of the Hebrew Law for his great library at Alexandria. He sent word to Herod of Judea; it was promptly delivered. Next, Ptolemy needed translators, and so 72 were sent, hence the name, LXX. Over the next hundred years, the Septuagint was translated. This was the version of the Old Testament used by the early church. New Testament writers quoted from it. As an interesting side note, Paul never preached in Alexandria.
Justin shared his love of history in this passage.
The prophetic Spirit of God came upon many Jewish prophets, who foretold events of the gospel story, Justin explained. These Jews preserved the prophecies in their collected writings, handing down the books to successive generations. When Ptolemy collected these writings and sent for translators, the prophecies came into the Greek language and were found there. These predictions came to pass: the virgin birth; growing to manhood; healing diseases; raising the dead; being hated, unrecognized, and crucified; dying and rising again; ascending into heaven; and "both being and being called
Son of God." Justin told his readers that prophecies regularly came—at five thousand, three thousand, two thousand, one thousand, and eight hundred years before Christ (ch. 31).
Chapter 32 centers on Moses' statements in Genesis 49:10-11 about the Messiah coming from the house of Judah, and washing his garments in the blood of the grape. Chapter 33
First Apology focuses on the virgin birth from Isaiah 7:14, repeated in Matthew 1:23. Chapter 34 deals with Micah's prophecy concerning Bethlehem as the birthplace of Christ in Micah 5:2, echoed
"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, in Matthew 2:6. As to the prophecies of Jesus' growth to manhood, Justin quoted and Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. explained the passage in Isaiah 9:6, "For unto us a child is born" (ch. 35).
In chapters 36-42, Justin demonstrated how the prophetic voice speaks. The writers themHe ties his foal to the vine, selves had no words of their own, but the "divine Word" moved through them. Sometimes God the Father spoke; sometimes it was
Christ, and still other times it was "the people answering the Lord or His Father." Justin then gave by example the places where each of these occurs in Scripture, citing no references but summarizing the texts.
And his donkey's colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes."
(Gen. 49:10-11, NASB).
Chapter 43 denies what some questioned to be simple, inevitable destiny. He argued for free choice in decision making. Unless the human race has power by free choice to avoid evil and to choose good, there is no responsibility for actions, whatever kind they may be. Indeed, he is clear on this point: "But this we assert is irrevocable destiny, that those who choose the good have deserved rewards, and those who choose the opposite have their just punishment."
The subject of good and evil follows in the next chapter, as Justin reviewed the prophets' statements about the choice between choosing blessing and cursing. First with Moses, and next with Isaiah, Justin pointed to the truths which, in later years, philosophers picked up and explained in their reasoning (ch. 44).
The final emphasis of this argument is that Christ would sit at the right hand of the Father.
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr Here Justin pictured Christ as the resurrected
Victor, whose power and authority are unquestioned from prophecy. In this moment, Justin allowed himself the opportunity to reiterate the fate of those who, knowing the truth, refuse to accept it. He said, "And if you also will read these words in a hostile spirit, you can do no more, as we said before, than kill us; which indeed does no harm to us, but to you and all who unjustly are enemies, and do not repent, brings eternal punishment by fire" (ch. 45).
Ceseete A new question arises in chapter 46. In fact, Justin anticipated the logical thesis that there must have been no salvation for those who lived
Human Beings Are Not Trees before the time of Christ. Here Justin made the cogent argument that there were indeed Chris- "For God did not make aman ora woman like other things, such as trees and animals, which cannot act by choice; for neither would he be worthy of rewards or praise if he did not choose the good of himself, having been born so; nor, if he were evil, would he be worthy of punishment, not being evil himself, but being unable to be anything other than that for which he was born"
(Ch. 43). tians before Christ and states his case through the lenses of his logos concept. According to Justin, anyone who "lived with the logos are Christians," even if they were formerly considered atheists. He pointed to Greeks, such as Socrates and Heraclitus, and to Abraham, Ananias, Asarias, Mishael, the latter three Hebrews, who were given Babylonian names and thrown into the fiery furnace. This cluster refers to persons Justin believed to have renounced idolatry. They must, then, be accounted with those who were persecuted for the sake of righteousness.
Chapters 47-51 continue the theme of prophecies fulfilled. The land of Judah would be lain waste; Christ would heal diseases; the Jews would not recognize Christ as their long-awaited Messiah; He would endure sufferings and dishonor; He would rise from the dead; He would bear away the sins of the world; and, someday, He would return triumphant.
First Apology Justin saved chapter 52 for the ringing confidence that since many prophecies foretold have already come to pass it follows that those which remain will also surely be fulfilled. The prophets told of two comings. The first has already happened. This leaves the second, which will take place just as fully as has been predicted. When this occurs, the living and the dead will be judged. The worthy will be clothed with incorruption (see 1 Cor. 15:53), and the wicked, eternally conscious, will spend eternity with the wicked demons.
The last segment summarizes all that Justin said about prophecy. His closing words speak to the huge numbers of Gentiles who have fulfilled the prophecies concerning those who would become followers of the Christ. Citing Isaiah, but correctly meaning Jeremiah 9:26, Justin quoted, "Israel is uncircumcised in heart, but the Gentiles are uncircumcised [in the flesh]."
He believed that all of these many things are sufficient to implant conviction and faith in those who welcome the truth, who are not governed by their passions and egos (ch. 53).
"NU COMMENTARY
Arguments for Prophecy. This treatise on fulfilled prophecy is the longest running argument of First Apology. Justin began with Moses and covered the elements of the gospel topically, almost chronologically.
The fulfilled prophecies surrounding Christ's lineage, purpose, birth, nationality, obscurity, authority, manner of death, glorious Resurrection, and soon coming mount an impressive body of evidence against those who would deprecate the faith Justin represented.
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr The insertion of Trinitarian voices into the litany shows his clear distinction between the persons of the Trinity, although no relationship is explained. His purpose, however, is to demonstrate how the Old Testament sings forth an audible refrain of the coming Messiah. This he does admirably, although he is quick to say that the Jews did not have ears to hear its song.
Instead, the Gentiles heard and responded as, indeed, had been foretold.
This is significant, for Justin hit a chord that has resounded throughout the history of the church since the Resurrection. That the gospel is for all persons everywhere, regardless of nationality, financial status, color, or gender, is perhaps the greatest wonder of all. The message of Christ crosses over all boundaries; it is the only one of its kind. Gentiles have responded.
Today, almost two thousand years later, two billion of the earth's five billion inhabitants claim to be Christian.' The Roman authorities would perhaps have been in awe to consider the staggering numbers that would one day profess the same faith they were trying, in Justin's age, to silence.
CHAPTERS 54-58: MYTHOLOGY AND
CHRIST Justin took the offense in this section, showing that the myths of pagan religions not only have no proof to offer youths but also are untenable in and of themselves. These myths, Justin believed, have been created for the human race by demons so that men might be deceived and kept from recognizing and following Christ.
Justin began again with Moses, "older than all writers," to begin his task. When Moses wrote that Jesus would wash His garments in the
First Apology blood of the vine, the demons created a myth of & Dionysius, the god of wine, who would ascend into heaven. When Moses wrote that He would
Anti-Christian Graffiti come mounted on a foal, a myth stated that it Ann :
The earliest known Wi was Bellerophon who rode his horse, Pegasus, 74 Christian graffiti into the clouds. When Isaiah foretold that — (c. 200) comes from Christ would be born of a virgin, Perseus _ {he Palatine, the i, h | ae largest of Rome's ecame the pure one of legendary fame. When seven hills. The Psalm 19:5 described Christ as a "giant to run symbol Bue there his course," the myth of Heracles arose; and ane eihode when it was prophesied that He would heal all pe donkey's : d : ead. The inscription diseases, the demons ascribed this work to Asclreads, "Alexamenos epius (ch. 54). worships his god."
In the next passage, Justin drew a fascinating parallel. It centers on the single universal symbol of Christianity—the cross. Justin found the cross figure in every aspect of the cosmos, as if God undergirded the universe with this visual reminder of history's pivotal event. Justin found the cross in a mast and sail, as a boat skims its way across the water; in the tools of the farmer or artisan, who digs the earth and carves the wood; in the human form itself, arms outstretched and head erect; in the planes of the face, where the nose draws the breath of life and the line of the eyes and brows bisects its length. Yet nowhere did the myths replicate the story of the cross, pointed out Justin. This, then, "is the greatest symbol of His power and rule, as also is shown from the things which fall under view" (ch. 55).
The wicked demons continued their despoiling, creating counterfeit miracle-workers like Simon the magician, who so deceived the people that even the Roman Sacred Senate was taken in and erected a statue to his honor. Justin called for the statue to be destroyed. He noted that Menander and Marcion are two more deceivers
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr like Simon, who cause others to fall prey to godless teachings and that evil plots to kill the followers of Christ eventuate from the same depraved work (ch. 56-58). People listen to their irrational teaching and, like lambs snatched away by wolves, are led astray.
CHAPTERS 59-60: PLATO, MOSES, AND
THE CREATION STORY
In chapter 59, Justin plainly stated*that Plato "took his statement that God made the Universe by changing formless matter" from Moses: "In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth. And the earth was invisible and unfurnished, and darkness was over the abyss; and the Spirit of God moved over the waters. And God said, let there be light. And it was so." In this way Justin said that he himself, Plato, and anyone else can learn that the whole universe came into being by the Word of God out of the substratum spoken of by Moses.
Plato's Timaeus gathered its physiological discussion of the Son of God from Moses as well,
Justin claimed. From the story of Moses' lifting up the rod in the wilderness, causing the poisonous snakes to die, Plato identified the Chi power which, he said, "was placed Chi-wise in the universe." Plato, therefore, had a seed of the logos as he wrote and thought. Plato's writings can point people to Christ, for even the ignorant echo the truth found in the prophecies about Him.
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Paganism's Imitation of Christianity. In the section above, the last discussion of paganism in Justin Martyr's First Apology, the writer wrote
First Apology _ Se of convincingly of the deficiencies of the mythological stories. By tracing the partial shadows of the Christ-story in the pagan legends, Justin demonstrated how people have been blinded by evil design. Herein lies a simple but proWhat are some contemporary half-truths that have the potential of leading people away from Christ? found message. Half-truths always lead away from truth, not toward it; yet somehow human beings seem to prefer the lie.
This is a cold assessment of the human condition in a fallen world. For all that the latest technology and scientific discovery have brought to the globe, it is no less fallen today than it was when Justin wrote so poignantly of humankind's refusal to recognize Christ as Savior in his day. Nevertheless, he pointed his readers away from half-lies to the whole truth compacted in the cross of Christ.
Justin's word pictures about the Cross have staggering impact. When one begins to look for the Cross, it may be found everywhere. Even though his Middle Platonistic worldview is hard
Paul, writing to the Galatians said, "As for me, God forbid that | should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago, and the world's interest in me is also long dead" (Gal. 6:14, NLT). to miss here, Justin reduced the essence of the Christian experience into just one word—the Cross. Upon the Cross, then, the entire centrality of the gospel message hinges. It is the irreducible core of Christianity. No wonder Justin remarked that its message has never been duplicated. Impossible for a nonbeliever to understand, this symbol of gruesome, agonizing, and violent death is the focal point of history. This is what makes the interactive narrative between God and humans truly His-story.
CHAPTERS 61-67: CHRISTIAN BAPTISM
AND COMMUNION
Justin's final series of topics deal with the subject of Christian observances, ordinances, or sacraments. So that there would be no mistake,
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr Justin explained what Christians do when they ii — Baptismal Questions gather together. There were no "mystery rites" here, no foundation for speculation.
Chapter 61 explains how the body of believers accepted new converts.
When someone believed "that the things we say and teach are Hippolytus (c. 215) reported the following queries, while the candidate was in the water:
Question: "Dost thou believe in God, the Father Almighty?" true," and wished to live accordingly, they prayed and fasted, asking God to forgive past sins. Fellow believers also prayed -and fasted with her. Then the new convert, after a period of catechism, was brought away to the place of baptism, where she was baptized, signifying her new birth. This took place in the name of "God
Answer: "Il believe;" and the candidate was baptized once.
Next question: "Dost thou believe in Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who was born by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, was dead and buried, and rose again the third day, alive from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, and will come to judge the quick and the dead?" the Father and Master of all, and of our Savior,
Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit." At this time, Justin believed, the new convert is illuminated with the transforming power of God unto good works which, if nurtured and obeyed, will result in righteous living.
Justin then wrote a parenthesis, as if a new thought crossed his mind, about the pagan rites which followed from this Christian rite of baptism. Temple worship consisted of pouring libations, ritual cleansing, sprinkling, and removing
Answer: "I believe;" then the candidate was immersed a second time. shoes; the latter practice, Justin said, came from the story of Moses and the burning bush (ch.
62-63). He reiterates his view that the pagan goddess Kore, daughter of Zeus, was taken from the creation story of the Spirit of God moving
Third question: "Dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost, in the holy church, and the resurrection of the flesh?" over the waters, and that Athena, another daughter of Zeus, was called the "first thought"
Final answer: "| believe;" whereupon the candidate was baptized the third time. after the concept of logos in Scripture (ch. 64).
After the new convert has been baptized, Justin continued with his previous line of thought, she is brought before the gathered believers, who welcome her and pray for the whole assembly and for "all others everywhere." They exchange aa
First Apology a kiss of peace, after which the new believer receives Communion for the first time. The "Ruler" receives the bread and the cup of mixed water and wine, says a lengthy prayer of gratitude, and all of the people say "Amen." The deacons then distribute the bread and cup to all who are present, then take it to those who are absent (ch. 66).
An Early Easter Hymn In Justin's day, the church likely interspersed the chanting of psalms among the different Scripture readings.
Congregational prayer sometimes took the form of chanting as well. This one, celebrating Easter, was written by Melito, Bishop of Sardis (d. 190):
"The mystery of the Pasch is new and old, eternal and temporal, corruptible and incorruptible, mortal and immortal...
Bornas Son, led like a lamb, sacrificed like a sheep, buried as a man, he rises from the dead as God, being by nature both God and man.
He is all things: when he judges, he is law; when he teaches, word; when he saves, grace; when he begets, father; when he is begotten, son; when he suffers, lamb; when he is buried, man; when he arises, God.
Such is Christ! To him be glory forever!
Amen."
Justin defined the nature of the "food [which] is called among us Eucharist" (ch. 66). No persons are allowed to partake of the bread and wine except those who believe in Christ and His teachings, who have received Christian baptism, and who have shown themselves to be obedient to Him. Justin referred to the initiation rites of Mithraism, which also included the taking of bread and water, with secret words said over them.
After the Communion rite, the more wealthy of their number share their material possessions with the poor. On Sundays, believers gather to hear the Scripture read aloud, which Justin called "the memoirs of the Apostles " and "the writings of the prophets," (ch. 67). Then the Ruler delivers "a discourse [which] instructs and exhorts [the listeners] to the imitation of these good things." Then all stand up together and offer prayer, followed by the rite of Communion as described above.
The deacons also carry the elements to the absent members on Sundays. An offering is taken up for the poor, which is distributed to the orphans, widows, those who are sick, in need, "in bonds," or who are strangers in their midst. Justin said this "first day" service on Sunday takes place to celebrate the Creation of the world and the Resurrection of Christ.
CHAPTER 68: CONCLUSION
In his closing remarks, Justin bid his readers to respect First Apology if it seems reasonable and true.
If it seems nothing but nonsense, he begged the authorities to treat it as such and not to decree death to those who believe it. His tone then changed somewhat, reminding them that they would not escape the judgment of Almighty God if they persist in their injustice.
While Christians could demand a formal hearing, based on a decree handed down by Emperor Hadrian, which Justin appended to this treatise, Christians wish first to explain their position in hopes that tolerance, even protection, be afforded them (ch. 68).
"NU COMMENTARY
Church Ordinances and Order. If Justin could have invited the Roman emperor, his top staff, state administrators, senators, and all other notables to church, they could have observed what he described in detail in his final paragraphs. Here his readers get a glimpse of the early church as it conducted its services, received new converts, baptized, and received the Lord's Supper. Justin did not record for his readers what hymns were sung or what speii —
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread Soon after Justin Martyr's era, Christians in North Africa took one step further the practice of delivering Communion to the homes of those who were absent. Church members began taking home the bread so they could celebrate the Lord's Supper every day.
Squabbles soon erupted as people began to misuse this practice. cific Scripture passages were read. He defined neither "ruler" nor "deacon." Yet this is one of the earliest accounts of church life outside the New Testament.
This view of second-century church order is important, for it is one of the few extant sources which reveal how the early church "did church." Because of this account, contemporary Christians have the opportunity to compare their own practices with those of Justin's
First Apology day. Is baptism still for those who are believers only? Does the rite of baptism follow a period of thorough instruction? Does the church family pray and fast with the catechumen prior to the baptismal service? Does the service end with thanksgiving and praise, followed by the Lord's Supper?
QUESTIONS TO GUIDE YOUR STUDY
> of 1. What do you think compelled Justin to be the spokesman for Christianity in his day?
Justin also gave clear expectations for those receiving the Communion rite. His three are these prerequisites—faith, baptism, and obedience to Christ.
Are these still valid today? Does the church family today hear the Scriptures read aloud followed by a sermon that spurs the fellowship to "imitate good things"?
Do the people of God 2. What qualified him for the task?
3. Is there a need for such a stand today?
Who could be that voice?
4. In our day there are hundreds of belief systems parading as the truth. What can Justin Martyr teach us about the importance of knowing what others believe?
5. Why should accurate communication of the gospel message be a priority for believers? still offer up prayer and thanksgiving "to the best of their ability"? Is an offering distributed to those who are widows, orphans, needy, sick, strangers, and in prison? Does the body of Christ still meet on the first day to signify Creation and the Resurrection?
After reading Justin, these and other questions prompt Christians to examine afresh their own expressions of faith.
6. In explaining Christianity to nonbelievers, Justin Martyr felt free to borrow cultural language and ideas from his world.
Is this a valid premise for effective dialogue? If so, what might be some cultural commonalties that might effectively communicate theological truth to nonbelievers? What might be the dangers in adaptation?
7. What elements of Christian worship were most significant for Justin Martyr? If you were asked to summarize, in three paragraphs, an account of your worship, baptismal, and Communion services, what details would you include? Why?
| SECOND APOLOGY
"And we therefore ask you to publish this petition, appending what you think right, that our opinions may be known to others" (ch. 14).
DATE, AUDIENCE, AND PURPOSE
Dating the Second Apology is more problematic than the First Apology. It cannot have' been written much after 151-55, since Justin Martyr said in Second that the First was newly written. He also referred to Anoninus Pius as emperor and spoke of Marcus Aurelius as a pious philosopher.
The problem arises when Eusebius mentioned (Sou that Justin had written two Apologies, one during the reign of Antoninus Pius and the other under his son, Antoninus Verus, or Marcus
Aurelius. Yet Second Apology notes that AntoniEusebius on Justin "This Justin has left us many monuments of a mind well stored with learning, and devoted to sacred things, replete with matter profitable in every respect. To these we shall refer our readers, only indicating as we proceed, those that have come to our knowledge...
. These we deemed necessary to state, in order to stimulate the studious likewise to the diligent perusal of these books. And thus much respecting Justin.'—Eusebius of Caesarea, Historian, Ecclesiastical History, 18. nus Pius was sole emperor at the time, just as he had been when First was written. It seems probable that either Eusebius made a mistake in citing Pius, rather than Verus, as emperor or that another work was written later, which is now no longer extant.
This would be logical, especially since Eusebius quoted from what are now called First and Second Apology but described these as both coming from First Apology. It seems then, that what is now called First and Second Apology Eusebius knew as First Apology and that the second volume of which he spoke has been lost. Was the Second Apology a preface to the First? Was it perhaps an appendage to the end? This seems most likely. It was common in Justin Martyr's day for writers to attach several smaller works together and publish them as one volume.
Second Apology As to audience, Second Apology has no other salutation than that which appears at its head:
"Addressed to the Roman Senate." The Second Apology is a different genre of literature than the First. Its prose expresses Justin's outrage with the injustices about which he has been hearing.
Apparently, a recent indignity had been inflicted upon a Christian teacher named Ptolemaeus. This is a passionate appeal for action, an angry response to a specific event.
Although Second Apology is much shorter than First, only fifteen chapters as compared to sixty-eight, Justin Martyr's purpose is clear. In the face of mounting pressure, Justin was convinced that believers should stand firm against hatred without retreat. This, for him, was the essential Christian quality.
SECOND APOLOGY AT A GLANCE
Chapters 1-2 Situation in Rome Explained Chapter 3 Malice of Those Who Hate Christians Chapters 4—9 Answers to Questions About Christianity Chapters 10-12 Christians and Suffering Chapter 13 Christianity as Completed Philosophy Chapters 14-15 Authorization of Writings
CHAPTERS 1-2: SITUATION IN ROME
EXPLAINED
In his opening statements, Justin addressed the Romans inclusively. Under the prefect Urbicus, some dreadful injustice had been committed, compelling Justin to enter a strong protest with
the authorities. He hastened to explain himself (ch. 1). Apparently, a formerly intemperate woman had become a believer and had learned to live soberly. She began persuading her nonbelieving husband about his need to live rightly and assuring him of impending eternal punishment should he not conform his life to the teachings of Christ and right reason. ii — Divorce in Rome This angered the husband, who continued to alienate his wife by his extravagances. She, in turn, feeling it morally wrong to live any longer
Contrary to Jewish law, which allowed men to divorce their wives but not vice versa, Roman law allowed women to divorce their husbands. The church had its own law concerning divorce, which was not recognized if the marriage was consummated. as a wife with such a husband, wished to be divorced from him.
Her Christian friends begged her to stay with him that he might one day experience conversion.
Meanwhile, the husband went to Alexandria and conducted himself worse than ever before. The wife, feeling that to continue to share his table and bed would cause her to be guilty of the same profligacy by association, presented him with a bill of divorcement and was separated from him.
The husband responded by charging her publicly with the crime of being a Christian. The wife petitioned Emperor Antoninus Pius for time to settle her affairs and then prepare a defense against the charge. Both requests were granted. In the meantime, the husband turned his wrath on the Christian teacher Ptolemaeus, his wife's discipler in the faith. Ptolemaeus was thrown into prison and kept there for some time, where he was repeatedly questioned about whether he was a Christian. Ptolemaeus always answered that he was.
When Urbicus had Ptolemaeus put in prison, Lucius, who was a Christian himself, accused
Urbicus of injustice: "Why have you punished this man, not as an adulterer, nor fornicator, nor
murderer, nor thief, nor robber, nor convicted of any crime at all, but as one who has only confessed that he is called by the name of Christian?" Lucius concluded by charging that the judgment did not reflect well on Emperor Pius, the Sacred Senate, or Marcus Aurelius. At this point, Urbicus suspected Lucius' leanings and asked him if he was a Christian also. "Most certainly I am," he replied. Then Lucius was led away to punishment along with a third who had come forward (ch. 2).
Ignorance Exposed
CHAPTER 3: MALICE OF THOSE WHO
HATE CHRISTIANS
"|...am expecting to be plotted against and fixed toarack... perhaps by Crescens, that lover of bravado and boasting. For the man is unworthy of the name philosopher who publicly bears witness against us in matters which he does not understand, saying that Christians are godless and impious, and doing so to win favor with the deluded mob. .
. For if he runs us down without having read the teachings of Christ, he is thoroughly evil, and far worse than the inexperienced people, who often refrain from discussing or bearing false witness about matters they do not understand" (ch. 2).
In the next section, without further explanation * to the above story, Justin revealed that he felt certain of impending arrest and punishment on the rack. This might be at the hands of some of these already named, he said, or a man named
Crescens, who was a foolish aspirant to philosophy. Justin admitted to having trounced the Cynic Crescens in public debate and offered to do so again before the authorities, should Crescens bring to them any accusation (ch. 3).
"NU COMMENTARY
Hatred Against Christians. Justin's first words recall the salutation of Socrates: "O Romans," he hailed, heralding the emperor, senate, soldiers, and citizenry in the single term. In the first two sections, Justin Martyr showed remarkable calm in relating both an event that had already taken place and one he felt was forthcoming.
The story Justin related is an interesting one, opening the windows to a second-century marriage and showing the intricacies involved in
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr relationship problem solving. Almost behind the scenes, readers learn how one family was unable to come to a biblical resolution in the short term. Justin also revealed two aspects of state intervention—one with just results, the emperor's judgment in favor of the wife; and the other without justice, the decisions against believers. Without remarking on the situation,
Justin recounted the tale dispassionately, concerned primarily that his readers learn the fates of Ptolemaeus and Lucius. This had already happened. The other event was still to come.
—— Justin Martyr knew his days were short, although he did not share how he became aware
°o of this. Like other church leaders to follow, such What is the response of today's believers toward ignorance resulting in hatred of Christians? What is your personal response? as Polycarp, Perpetua, and Saturus, Justin had been forewamed of his approaching death. He knew it would be bearable, however, and set his face to finish his course until that time arrived.
Together, these two sections demonstrate the increasing antagonism of the Roman State against Christians and the injustice accorded them once they were accused. Through simple testimony of a neighbor, family member, or enemy, Christians could be brought to punishment, even death, without a fair trial.
CHAPTERS 4-9: ANSWERS TO
QUESTIONS ABOUT CHRISTIANS
Justin anticipated the question of a weary consul in his next paragraph: "But lest anyone should say, 'Go then all of you and commit suicide, and pass even now to God, and do not trouble us, —I will tell you why we do not do so." Justin reminded his readers that God made the world for the human race. He wishes His people to live good and pure lives unto Him. If the Christians should perish, said Justin, then they would in
Second Apology ee tact be removing the cause for God's blessing to remain on the Earth. In effect, Christians live so that others may be blessed and so that this gosOn Christian
Influences pel message might spread (ch. 4).
To the suggestion that Christians should pray to God for help, so that punishments should cease,
Justin reiterated his belief that demons cause the "They are crocuses in the winter of a fallen world.'—Hendrikus Berkhof. wickedness perpetrated against them.
This takes place according the natural order that God instituted at Creation (ch. 5). In opposition to this evil design stands the eternal logos, who came to set men free from their deeds.
Chapter 6 deals again with Justin's theme of logos, the Son of God, the Christ and Sower of the logos, who was present at Creation and reveals God to humankind. Through His power
Christians regularly exorcise demons from captive humanity, said Justin, and bid his readers to recognize this power and watch to see how believers heal the sick in Christ's name.
If Christians did not live upon the Earth, Justin argued, the fire of judgment would descend and dissolve all things. The seedlings of the logos may be found in the believers, and through them preservation and life extend to others on the planet. Stoics do not have the right idea; no fate governs the world. Instead, "this is the nature of all that is made—to be capable of vice and virtue." People must choose to live rightly; else they will experience destruction, just as did the generation killed by the great Flood (ch. 7).
For Justin, the seeds of the logos may also be discerned in all former philosophers who were persecuted for seeking after virtue and shunning vice. Justin mentioned two in this discourse:
Heraclitus and Musonius, the latter of whom was killed in Justin's lifetime. Some may think,
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr said Justin, that the prospect of eternal destruction for the wicked is nothing more than a scare tactic. This is most assuredly not so. The evil ones make men vacillate as to what is considered right and wrong, confusing laws and standards for righteousness. Judgment is coming nonetheless, he reminded his hearers, and humankind's required accountability before God does not change with the notions of men (ch. 8-9).
CHAPTERS 10-12: CHRISTIANS AND
SUFFERING
In chapter 10, Justin called Christ the "whole rational principle .
., who appeared for our sake, body, and reason, and soul." Before He assumed the human nature, anything "uttered well" by former lawgivers or philosophers contained seeds of the logos, even though such persons could not contemplate or investigate fully who Christ was. But when Christ came in the flesh, scholars, artisans, peasants, educated and base, believed in Him because He was God's logos fully revealed.
Justin moved on in the next section to consider death, the "debt due from every person who has been born." He related the story of Heracles found in Xenophon and his three choices. Vice compelled him to follow her seductive pleasure where all would be splendor and beauty. Virtue, a woman "of squalid look and dress," promised that to choose her would ensure not passing beauty but "everlasting and precious graces." Justin made the point that vice often deceives, enslaving people to a lie. They think vice will bring to them only that which truly belongs to virtue. Virtue brings everlasting beauty and incorruptibility, and_ therefore death holds no power over the believer. People
Second Apology suffer because discipline and probation bring blessedness (ch. 11).
=) In chapter 12, the last of this theme, Justin related the amazing peace Christians show in the face of death. Indeed, they would rather leave this life than give a false report to save it: they would state their allegiance to Christ rather than purchase their freedom with a lie. Horrible
Shouting Down the Enemy "But would that... someone would mount a lofty rostrum, and shout with a tragic voice, 'Be ashamed, be ashamed, you who charge the guiltless with those deeds which you yourselves openly commit, and who ascribe things which refer to yourselves, and to your gods to those who have no part in them. Be converted, become wise"
(ch. 13). evils became associated with Christianity because of the work of evil ones, who tortured children or weaker female slaves, forcing from them false confessions. Yet even when Christians were unjustly put to death for these ludicrous crimes, Justin said, they showed no fear.
They were athletes, who prove their virtue by flaunting death.
"NU COMMENTARY
Questions, Suffering, and Death. Justin found noble themes in this section; his questions deal with Christians' views about life and death. He portrayed Christians as having no fear, the perfect foil for all who would falsely accuse them of wrongdoing. This is his crystallizing point. For Justin, facing hatred, accusers, or even death, without flinching, was the mark of true Christianity.
This theme of Christian persecution runs deep throughout the writings of Justin Martyr.
Indeed, he is conscious that ultimately this may be his own experience. He was right. Yet Justin projected in the second century what would be borne out in the long centuries ahead. Martyrdom has been the ever-present reality for much of the church right up until the present day.
During the reign of Emperor Diocletian
Shepherd's Notes, The Writings of Justin Martyr (284-305), believers experienced what has been called The Age of the Martyrs. Thousands of Christ's followers died in an empire-wide pogrom that lasted several years.
Throughout the Middle Ages and Reformation period, waves of persecution swept the church.
It did not stop there. In Russia (Bolshevik Revolution), China (Boxer Rebellion and Cultural
Revolution), Africa, the Sudan, Asia, the Near East, and in dozens of other territories the church has suffered or continues to do so. In the a last decade of the twentieth century alone there have been upwards of 150,000 Christians killed globally each year." Such shocking statistics remind believers that Christ promised His church that it, too, would suffer (see Matt.
5:10-13, 39; Luke 6:27—29; John 15:20; Acts 9:5*Gal..220° 1Pet.4:713; Reve 12:11);
Present-day Martyrs David Barrett of the World Evangelization Research Center reported, "In one part of the globe, over As Christians move into the twenty-first cen10,000 Christians have been killed every year since 1950, due to clashes with anti-Christian mobs, infuriated relatives, state-organized death squads, and so on." The ever-present probability of persecution for many Christians globally demands a response.
What will yours be?
"Persecuted Christians Today,"
Christian History, vol.
27, p. 36. tury, the reality of global persecution will be an issue with which they will grapple. What is the responsibility of brothers and sisters in Christ to others in the body? What do Scriptures mean that teach about sharing in the sufferings of Christ? What brand of Christianity is demonstrated by apathy and silence, when believers in other countries cry out for tolerance, legal recognition—indeed, life itself? Justin Martyr is perhaps more timely today than ever before for two reasons: He shows the church how to stand to its feet and speak, and he also shows Christians how to die well.
CHAPTER 13: CHRISTIANITY AS
COMPLETED PHILOSOPHY
In this chapter, Justin spoke of the logos a final time, returning to theme of the logos who sowed seeds into the thoughts and actions of human-
Second Apology be) kind through the ages. Here Justin called on the philosophers once again to exemplify the picture of God's partial revelation. Each lacks the possession of the full-orbed "hidden understandings and irrefutable knowledge" found in the person of Christ. All of these writers, Justin said, were only able to see realities darkly. Imitation is not the thing itself. Only in Him, who "Whatever things were rightly said among all people, are the property of us Christians. For next to God, we worship and love the logos who is from the unbegotten and ineffable God, since also He became man for our sakes, that, becoming a partaker of our sufferings, He might also bring us healing.
For all the writers were able to see realities darkly through the presence in them of an implanted seed of logos. For the seed and imitation of something, imparted according to capacity, is one thing, and another is the thing is from the "unbegotten and ineffable God" may philosophy be made complete.
CHAPTERS 14-15: AUTHORIZATION OF
WRITINGS _ As Justin Martyr closed this volume, he asked the authorities to publish the work, appending what they thought was right, so that people might know what Christians believe. Since all persons judge between good and evil in their own minds, even when they are not in possession of all the facts, Christians are often mislabeled and punished unjustly (ch. 14). If this is going to prevail, asked Justin, why even attempt itself, ..
. of which is effected according to the grace coming from Him" (ch. 13). to have law courts?
Justin's parting shot reminds his readers that these Christian beliefs are more lofty and noble than every human philosophy. They are infinitely better than other poets or historians or playwrights, so there should be no hesitation in making them available. If permission is granted to publish, then these teachings will be broadcast widely that all may read and judge for themselves. He closed with these words, "And from now on we will be silent, having done as much as we could, and having added the prayer that all people everywhere may be counted worthy of the truth. And would that you also, in a manner becoming piety and philosophy, would for your own sakes judge justly" (ch. 15).