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The First Apology

Justin Martyr

Chapter 4

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 IV.—Christians unjustly condemned for their mere name.

By the mere application of a name, nothing is

‹ Chapter 3 Chapter 5 ›

decided

,

either

good

or

evil

,

apart

from

the

actions

implied

in

the

name

;

and

indeed

,

so

far

at

least

as

one

may

judge

from

the

name

we

are

accused

of

,

we

are

most

excellent

people

.

But

as

we

do

not

think

it

just

to

beg

to

be

acquitted

on

account

of

the

name

,

if

we

be

convicted

as

evil

-

doers

,

so

,

on

the

other

hand

,

if

we

be

found

to

have

committed

no

offence

,

either

in

the

matter

of

thus

naming

ourselves

,

or

of

our

conduct

as

citizens

,

it

is

your

part

very

earnestly

to

guard

against

incurring

just

punishment

,

by

unjustly

punishing

those

who

are

not

convicted

.

For

from

a

name

neither

praise

nor

punishment

could

reasonably

spring

,

unless

something

excellent

or

base

in

action

be

proved

.

And

those

among

yourselves

who

are

accused

you

do

not

punish

before

they

are

convicted

;

but

in

our

case

you

receive

the

name

as

proof

against

us

,

and

this

although

,

so

far

as

the

name

goes

,

you

ought

rather

to

punish

our

accusers

.

For

we

are

accused

of

being

Christians

,

and

to

hate

what

is

excellent

(

Chrestian

)

is

unjust

.

Again

,

if

any

of

the

accused

deny

the

name

,

and

say

that

he

is

not

a

Christian

,

you

acquit

him

,

as

having

no

evidence

against

him

as

a

wrong

-

doer

;

but

if

any

one

acknowledge

that

he

is

a

Christian

,

you

punish

him

on

account

of

this

acknowledgment

.

Justice

requires

that

you

inquire

into

the

life

both

of

him

who

confesses

and

of

him

who

denies

,

that

by

his

deeds

it

may

be

apparent

what

kind

of

man

each

is

.

For

as

some

who

have

been

taught

by

the

Master

,

Christ

,

not

to

deny

Him

,

give

encouragement

to

others

when

they

are

put

to

the

question

,

so

in

all

probability

do

those

who

lead

wicked

lives

give

occasion

to

those

who

,

without

consideration

,

take

upon

them

to

accuse

all

the

Christians

of

impiety

and

wickedness

.

And

this

also

is

not

right

.

For

of

philosophy

,

too

,

some

assume

the

name

and

the

garb

who

do

nothing

worthy

of

their

profession

;

and

you

are

well

aware

,

that

those

of

the

ancients

whose

opinions

and

teachings

were

quite

diverse

,

are

yet

all

called

by

the

one

name

of

philosophers

.

And

of

these

some

taught

atheism

;

and

the

poets

who

have

flourished

among

you

raise

a

laugh

out

of

the

uncleanness

of

Jupiter

with

his

own

children

.

And

those

who

now

adopt

such

instruction

are

not

restrained

by

you

;

but

,

on

the

contrary

,

you

bestow

prizes

and

honours

upon

those

who

euphoniously

insult

the

gods

.

Notes

5
Justin avails himself here of the similarity in sound of the words Χριστὸς (Christ) and χρηστὸς (good, worthy, excellent). The play upon these words is kept up throughout this paragraph, and cannot be always represented to the English reader. [But Justin was merely quoting and using, ad hominem, the popular blunder of which Suetonius (Life of Claudius, cap. 25) gives us an example, “impulsore Chresto.” It will be observed again in others of these Fathers.]