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The First Apology

Justin Martyr

Chapter 46

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 XLVI.—The Word in the world before Christ.

But lest some should, without reason, and for

‹ Chapter 45 Chapter 47 ›

the

perversion

of

what

we

teach

,

maintain

that

we

say

that

Christ

was

born

one

hundred

and

fifty

years

ago

under

Cyrenius

,

and

subsequently

,

in

the

time

of

Pontius

Pilate

,

taught

what

we

say

He

taught

;

and

should

cry

out

against

us

as

though

all

men

who

were

born

before

Him

were

irresponsible

—

let

us

anticipate

and

solve

the

difficulty

.

We

have

been

taught

that

Christ

is

the

first

-

born

of

God

,

and

we

have

declared

above

that

He

is

the

Word

of

whom

every

race

of

men

were

partakers

;

and

those

who

lived

reasonably

are

Christians

,

even

though

they

have

been

thought

atheists

;

as

,

among

the

Greeks

,

Socrates

and

Heraclitus

,

and

men

like

them

;

and

among

the

barbarians

,

Abraham

,

and

Ananias

,

and

Azarias

,

and

Misael

,

and

Elias

,

and

many

others

whose

actions

and

names

we

now

decline

to

recount

,

because

we

know

it

would

be

tedious

.

So

that

even

they

who

lived

before

Christ

,

and

lived

without

reason

,

were

wicked

and

hostile

to

Christ

,

and

slew

those

who

lived

reasonably

.

But

who

,

through

the

power

of

the

Word

,

according

to

the

will

of

God

the

Father

and

Lord

of

all

,

He

was

born

of

a

virgin

as

a

man

,

and

was

named

Jesus

,

and

was

crucified

,

and

died

,

and

rose

again

,

and

ascended

into

heaven

,

an

intelligent

man

will

be

able

to

comprehend

from

what

has

been

already

so

largely

said

.

And

we

,

since

the

proof

of

this

subject

is

less

needful

now

,

will

pass

for

the

present

to

the

proof

of

those

things

which

are

urgent

.

Notes

96
μετὰ λόγου, “with reason,” or “the Word.” [This remarkable passage on the salvability and accountability of the heathen is noteworthy. See, on St. Matt. xxv. 32, Morsels of Criticism by the eccentric but thoughtful Ed. King, p. 341. London, 1788].