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The First Apology

Justin Martyr

Chapter 44

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 XLIV.—Not nullified by prophecy.

And the holy Spirit of prophecy taught us this,

‹ Chapter 43 Chapter 45 ›

telling

us

by

Moses

that

God

spoke

thus

to

the

man

first

created

:

“

Behold

,

before

thy

face

are

good

and

evil

:

choose

the

good

.

”

And

again

,

by

the

other

prophet

Isaiah

,

that

the

following

utterance

was

made

as

if

from

God

the

Father

and

Lord

of

all

:

“

Wash

you

,

make

you

clean

;

put

away

evils

from

your

souls

;

learn

to

do

well

;

judge

the

orphan

,

and

plead

for

the

widow

:

and

come

and

let

us

reason

together

,

saith

the

Lord

:

And

if

your

sins

be

as

scarlet

,

I

will

make

them

white

as

wool

;

and

if

they

be

red

like

as

crimson

,

I

will

make

them

white

as

snow

.

And

if

ye

be

willing

and

obey

Me

,

ye

shall

eat

the

good

of

the

land

;

but

if

ye

do

not

obey

Me

,

the

sword

shall

devour

you

:

for

the

mouth

of

the

Lord

hath

spoken

it

.

”

And

that

expression

,

“

The

sword

shall

devour

you

,

”

does

not

mean

that

the

disobedient

shall

be

slain

by

the

sword

,

but

the

sword

of

God

is

fire

,

of

which

they

who

choose

to

do

wickedly

become

the

fuel

.

Wherefore

He

says

,

“

The

sword

shall

devour

you

:

for

the

mouth

of

the

Lord

hath

spoken

it

.

”

And

if

He

had

spoken

concerning

a

sword

that

cuts

and

at

once

despatches

,

He

would

not

have

said

,

shall

devour

.

And

so

,

too

,

Plato

,

when

he

says

,

“

The

blame

is

his

who

chooses

,

and

God

is

blameless

,

”

took

this

from

the

prophet

Moses

and

uttered

it

.

For

Moses

is

more

ancient

than

all

the

Greek

writers

.

And

whatever

both

philosophers

and

poets

have

said

concerning

the

immortality

of

the

soul

,

or

punishments

after

death

,

or

contemplation

of

things

heavenly

,

or

doctrines

of

the

like

kind

,

they

have

received

such

suggestions

from

the

prophets

as

have

enabled

them

to

understand

and

interpret

these

things

.

And

hence

there

seem

to

be

seeds

of

truth

among

all

men

;

but

they

are

charged

with

not

accurately

understanding

[

the

truth

]

when

they

assert

contradictories

.

So

that

what

we

say

about

future

events

being

foretold

,

we

do

not

say

it

as

if

they

came

about

by

a

fatal

necessity

;

but

God

foreknowing

all

that

shall

be

done

by

all

men

,

and

it

being

His

decree

that

the

future

actions

of

men

shall

all

be

recompensed

according

to

their

several

value

,

He

foretells

by

the

Spirit

of

prophecy

that

He

will

bestow

meet

rewards

according

to

the

merit

of

the

actions

done

,

always

urging

the

human

race

to

effort

and

recollection

,

showing

that

He

cares

and

provides

for

men

.

But

by

the

agency

of

the

devils

death

has

been

decreed

against

those

who

read

the

books

of

Hystaspes

,

or

of

the

Sibyl

,

or

of

the

prophets

,

that

through

fear

they

may

prevent

men

who

read

them

from

receiving

the

knowledge

of

the

good

,

and

may

retain

them

in

slavery

to

themselves

;

which

,

however

,

they

could

not

always

effect

.

For

not

only

do

we

fearlessly

read

them

,

but

,

as

you

see

,

bring

them

for

your

inspection

,

knowing

that

their

contents

will

be

pleasing

to

all

.

And

if

we

persuade

even

a

few

,

our

gain

will

be

very

great

;

for

,

as

good

husbandmen

,

we

shall

receive

the

reward

from

the

Master

.

Notes

89
Deut. xxx. 15, 19.
90
Isa. i. 16, etc.
91
Plato, Rep. x. [On this remarkable passage refer to Biog. Note above. See, also, brilliant note of the sophist De Maistre, Œuvres, ii. p. 105. Ed. Paris, 1853.]
92
[On the Orphica and Sibyllina, see Bull, Works, vol. vi. pp. 291–298.]