The First and Second Apologies by Saint Justin Martyr

First transcribed:Apologia prima and Apologia secunda, 147-157 c.e. (English translation, 1877)

Edition(s) used:The First and Second Apologies, translated by Leslie William Barnard. Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist Press, 1997

Genre(s): Nonfiction

Subgenre(s): Didactic treatise; theology

Core issue(s): Death; devotional life; Eucharist; God; Jesus Christ; persecution; service

Overview

In the mid-second century, Christians lived under persecution and wild rumors, and accusations were made about the mysteries they celebrated in their Sunday worship. Saint Justin Martyr, himself a convert from paganism, wrote his two apologies to explain and defend Christianity as a reasonable religion rooted in the truth and practiced in virtue and thus worthy of toleration rather than persecution. All of his writings, including the two apologies, are intended to clarify the belief of Christians, their moral code, and their sacramental rites.

Justin writes his first apology to Emperor Antoninus Pius to demand justice for Christians and to deny the charge that Christians were atheists because they refused to worship pagan gods. He explained that Christians may not worship false gods, but only the one true God. They should not be punished for this, but only for their personal crimes. True Christians do not commit criminal acts, but rather pursue a life of virtue; of living chastely with their families; of loving rather than exposing their children; of praying for all, including enemies; of cultivating gentleness and patience; of offering charity to all in need; and of obeying civil authority in all things, except those laws commanding them to sin.

The Christian, then, behaves as the model citizen in this life, in expectation of eternal life with God. Christians believe not only in the immortality of the soul, as did many pagan philosophers, but also in the resurrection of the body and of judgment of one’s mortal life and of the quality of one’s deeds. The resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God, is the proof of this truth, Justin says. The coming of Jesus into the world, together with his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven are foretold by many writings, including those of Plato and other ancient philosophers, and most important are revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures by the prophets Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah, and Moses as well as in the Psalms of David. Indeed, Jesus redeems all humanity, and so in mysterious ways, his Word has been planted in every human heart. The fulfillment of prophecy is seen in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, who is redeemer and king.

Christian worship is fulfilled in sacraments or mysteries, which only Christians may attend. Although this has led to wild rumors of blood sacrifices and orgies, such charges are completely false. Those persuaded of the Christian truth must pray and fast for the forgiveness of their sins to seek conversion of heart. Those who profess and accept the Christian creed are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as commanded by Christ. Once baptized and received, these new Christians may participate in the Eucharistic rite in which bread and wine are received not as “common” food and drink but as the flesh and blood of Jesus. The Sunday worship of Christians includes readings from the prophets and apostles, an instruction on how to live, prayers, a collection of goods for the poor, an offering and blessing of bread and wine, communion in Christ, and a taking of all the goods offered and collected to the poor, sick, prisoners, and strangers in need.

The second apology is addressed to the Roman Senate and was published after Justin’s death. It echoes and summarizes several of the themes of the first apology, again accusing the Romans of injustice. Justin takes up the case of a woman who converted to Christianity and cast aside her former immoral ways to live in virtue. Her husband accused her in court, but she won legal protection by appeal to the emperor. Her husband then accused her Christian teacher, Ptolemaeus, who admitted to the judge Urbicus that he was a Christian. For this alone, not for any real crime, Urbicus condemned Ptolemaeus, together with a supporter, Lucius, who questioned the justice of such a judgment. Justin expresses his fear that Crescens, his enemy, will subject him to a similar injustice.

After explaining the Christian belief of the three persons in one God, Justin summarizes the Creation and Fall, the mystery of evil, and the role of free will and human responsibility for sin. Eternal punishment for sin flows from our free choice of evil. However, Jesus came for the forgiveness of sin. Unlike the great Socrates, who partially knew the truth of Christ’s teaching, Christ has followers among not only philosophers but also common people, who are willing to die for cleaving to the truth of his teaching. Death is not to be feared by the virtuous, who expect to enjoy God’s mercy and love for eternity.

Indeed, Justin, once a follower of Plato, on seeing the joyful way in which Christians embraced torture and martyrdom, became convinced that they could not be lovers of mere sensual pleasure or cannibalism. Thus he embraced Christian truth, which was at least partially contained in the truth of the philosophers but which was completed in Christ. If for this truth, he, too, must face martyrdom, then he states that he is willing to suffer injustice as the price for entry into eternal glory. In due course, Justin was condemned, and entered into martyrdom, taking in the memory of Christians the name Justin Martyr, in honor of his witness.

Christian Themes

In these two short apologies, Justin offers a very broad summary of the Christian creed, code, and cult. This is aimed foremost at decrying the injustice of persecution of Christians and making an appeal for freedom of conscience and religious belief and practice. He seeks to disabuse detractors of Christianity from the false charges brought against the religion, and so he summarizes the Christian theological understanding of God, especially as revealed in the wisdom and works of his son Jesus, the redeemer, born of a virgin, who suffered, died, was buried, and then rose from the dead and ascended into eternal glory. The creed of Christians calls them to worship God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and to keep the commands of Jesus, which fulfill all truth that has ever been discovered by human philosophical reasoning or revealed and fulfilled in the holy Scriptures, which are completed in the redemptive work of Jesus. This belief must be lived out in practice, and so the Christian is obliged to obey the moral law, to seek virtue, and to avoid vice. The law of charity obliges the Christian to forgive others and to love God and neighbor in complete and fervent charity. To strengthen one’s faith and love, the Christian must worship God with his brethren, being nurtured and spiritually fed by the Eucharist to become an instrument of God’s grace in the world. Thus, through prayer and sacraments, such as baptism, the remission of sins, and Eucharistic communion in Christ, the Christian goes forth to spread God’s love. Faith combined with charity then gives rise to the hope of eternal life, so that death itself is no longer counted the supreme evil but rather as a great doorway into the long-promised reward of eternal life made possible through the redemptive sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.

Justin’s apologies and other writings provide deep insight into the wisdom, works, and worship of the very early Christians, and in them can be seen the seeds and structure of many Christian doctrines, moral teachings, and liturgical practices that have marked Christianity down through the ages.

Sources for Further Study

Justin Martyr, Saint. Dialogue with Trypho. Edited by Michael Slusser. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University Press, 2003. A doctrinal treatise showing Justin’s knowledge of Hebrew Scriptures and their relations to the New Testament.

Quasten, Johanness. Patrology. Vol. 1. Westminster, Md.: Christian Classics, 1993. A fine summary of the saint’s life, works, and teachings with a summary of the apologies.

Roberts, Alexander, and James Donaldson, eds. Justin Martyr and Athenagoras. Whitefish, Mont.: Kessinger, 2004. Inexpensive paperback book that includes translations of all of Justin’s works.