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The First Apology

Justin Martyr

Chapter 42

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 XLII.—Prophecy using the past tense.

But when the Spirit of prophecy speaks of things

‹ Chapter 41 Chapter 43 ›

that

are

about

to

come

to

pass

as

if

they

had

already

taken

place

,

—

as

may

be

observed

even

in

the

passages

already

cited

by

me

,

—

that

this

circumstance

may

afford

no

excuse

to

readers

[

for

misinterpreting

them

]

,

we

will

make

even

this

also

quite

plain

.

The

things

which

He

absolutely

knows

will

take

place

,

He

predicts

as

if

already

they

had

taken

place

.

And

that

the

utterances

must

be

thus

received

,

you

will

perceive

,

if

you

give

your

attention

to

them

.

The

words

cited

above

,

David

uttered

1500

years

before

Christ

became

a

man

and

was

crucified

;

and

no

one

of

those

who

lived

before

Him

,

nor

yet

of

His

contemporaries

,

afforded

joy

to

the

Gentiles

by

being

crucified

.

But

our

Jesus

Christ

,

being

crucified

and

dead

,

rose

again

,

and

having

ascended

to

heaven

,

reigned

;

and

by

those

things

which

were

published

in

His

name

among

all

nations

by

the

apostles

,

there

is

joy

afforded

to

those

who

expect

the

immortality

promised

by

Him

.

Notes

87
A chronological error, whether of the copyist or of Justin himself cannot be known.