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The First Apology

Justin Martyr

Chapter 45

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 XLV.—Christ’s session in heaven foretold.

And that God the Father of all would bring

‹ Chapter 44 Chapter 46 ›

Christ

to

heaven

after

He

had

raised

Him

from

the

dead

,

and

would

keep

Him

there

until

He

has

subdued

His

enemies

the

devils

,

and

until

the

number

of

those

who

are

foreknown

by

Him

as

good

and

virtuous

is

complete

,

on

whose

account

He

has

still

delayed

the

consummation

—

hear

what

was

said

by

the

prophet

David

.

These

are

his

words

:

“

The

Lord

said

unto

My

Lord

,

Sit

Thou

at

My

right

hand

,

until

I

make

Thine

enemies

Thy

footstool

.

The

Lord

shall

send

to

Thee

the

rod

of

power

out

of

Jerusalem

;

and

rule

Thou

in

the

midst

of

Thine

enemies

.

With

Thee

is

the

government

in

the

day

of

Thy

power

,

in

the

beauties

of

Thy

saints

:

from

the

womb

of

morning

have

I

begotten

Thee

.

”

That

which

he

says

,

“

He

shall

send

to

Thee

the

rod

of

power

out

of

Jerusalem

,

”

is

predictive

of

the

mighty

,

word

,

which

His

apostles

,

going

forth

from

Jerusalem

,

preached

everywhere

;

and

though

death

is

decreed

against

those

who

teach

or

at

all

confess

the

name

of

Christ

,

we

everywhere

both

embrace

and

teach

it

.

And

if

you

also

read

these

words

in

a

hostile

spirit

,

ye

can

do

no

more

,

as

I

said

before

,

than

kill

us

;

which

indeed

does

no

harm

to

us

,

but

to

you

and

all

who

unjustly

hate

us

,

and

do

not

repent

,

brings

eternal

punishment

by

fire

.

Notes

93
So, Thirlby, Otto, and Trollope seem all to understand the word κατέχειν; yet it seems worth considering whether Justin has not borrowed both the sense and the word from 2 Thess. ii. 6, 7.
94
Or, “before the morning star.”
95
Ps. cx. 1, etc.