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The First Apology

Justin Martyr

Chapter 22

About this work

Justin addresses Roman rulers on behalf of Christians, challenging accusations against them while explaining Christian ethics, worship, baptism, Eucharist, prophecy, and belief in Christ in his own day.

Author: Justin Martyr
Date: c. AD 150–155
Origin: Rome
Genre: Apology

Chapter XXII.—Analogies to the sonship of Christ.

Moreover, the Son of God called Jesus, even

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if

only

a

man

by

ordinary

generation

,

yet

,

on

account

of

His

wisdom

,

is

worthy

to

be

called

the

Son

of

God

;

for

all

writers

call

God

the

Father

of

men

and

gods

.

And

if

we

assert

that

the

Word

of

God

was

born

of

God

in

a

peculiar

manner

,

different

from

ordinary

generation

,

let

this

,

as

said

above

,

be

no

extraordinary

thing

to

you

,

who

say

that

Mercury

is

the

angelic

word

of

God

.

But

if

any

one

objects

that

He

was

crucified

,

in

this

also

He

is

on

a

par

with

those

reputed

sons

of

Jupiter

of

yours

,

who

suffered

as

we

have

now

enumerated

.

For

their

sufferings

at

death

are

recorded

to

have

been

not

all

alike

,

but

diverse

;

so

that

not

even

by

the

peculiarity

of

His

sufferings

does

He

seem

to

be

inferior

to

them

;

but

,

on

the

contrary

,

as

we

promised

in

the

preceding

part

of

this

discourse

,

we

will

now

prove

Him

superior

—

or

rather

have

already

proved

Him

to

be

so

—

for

the

superior

is

revealed

by

His

actions

.

And

if

we

even

affirm

that

He

was

born

of

a

virgin

,

accept

this

in

common

with

what

you

accept

of

Perseus

.

And

in

that

we

say

that

He

made

whole

the

lame

,

the

paralytic

,

and

those

born

blind

,

we

seem

to

say

what

is

very

similar

to

the

deeds

said

to

have

been

done

by

Æsculapius

.