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Theophilus to Autolycus

Theophilus of Antioch

Book 3 · Chapter 9

About this work

Three books addressed to a pagan friend defending the invisible God, creation, resurrection, Christian morality, and the antiquity of the Hebrew Scriptures against Greco-Roman religion and literature.

Author: Theophilus of Antioch
Date: c. AD 180–185
Origin: Antioch
Genre: Apology

Christian Doctrine of God and His Law.

Now we also confess that God exists,

‹ Book 3 · Chapter 8 Book 3 · Chapter 10 ›

but

that

He

is

one

,

the

creator

,

and

maker

,

and

fashioner

of

this

universe

;

and

we

know

that

all

things

are

arranged

by

His

providence

,

but

by

Him

alone

.

And

we

have

learned

a

holy

law

;

but

we

have

as

lawgiver

Him

who

is

really

God

,

who

teaches

us

to

act

righteously

,

and

to

be

pious

,

and

to

do

good

.

And

concerning

piety

He

says

,

“

Thou

shalt

have

no

other

gods

before

me

.

Thou

shalt

not

make

unto

thee

any

graven

image

,

or

any

likeness

of

anything

that

is

in

heaven

above

,

or

that

is

in

the

earth

beneath

,

or

that

is

in

the

water

under

the

earth

:

thou

shalt

not

bow

down

thyself

to

them

,

nor

serve

them

:

for

I

am

the

Lord

thy

God

.

”

And

of

doing

good

He

said

:

“

Honour

thy

father

and

thy

mother

;

that

it

may

be

well

with

thee

,

and

that

thy

days

may

be

long

in

the

land

which

I

the

Lord

God

give

thee

.

”

Again

,

concerning

righteousness

:

“

Thou

shalt

not

commit

adultery

.

Thou

shalt

not

kill

.

Thou

shalt

not

steal

.

Thou

shalt

not

bear

false

witness

against

thy

neighbour

.

Thou

shalt

not

covet

thy

neighbour’s

wife

,

thou

shalt

not

covet

thy

neighbour’s

house

,

nor

his

land

,

nor

his

man

-

servant

,

nor

his

maid

-

servant

,

nor

his

ox

,

nor

his

beast

of

burden

,

nor

any

of

his

cattle

,

nor

anything

that

is

thy

neighbour’s

.

Thou

shalt

not

wrest

the

judgment

of

the

poor

in

his

cause

.

From

every

unjust

matter

keep

thee

far

.

The

innocent

and

righteous

thou

shalt

not

slay

;

thou

shalt

not

justify

the

wicked

;

and

thou

shalt

not

take

a

gift

,

for

gifts

blind

the

eyes

of

them

that

see

and

pervert

righteous

words

.

”

Of

this

divine

law

,

then

,

Moses

,

who

also

was

God’s

servant

,

was

made

the

minister

both

to

all

the

world

,

and

chiefly

to

the

Hebrews

,

who

were

also

called

Jews

,

whom

an

Egyptian

king

had

in

ancient

days

enslaved

,

and

who

were

the

righteous

seed

of

godly

and

holy

men

—

Abraham

,

and

Isaac

,

and

Jacob

.

God

,

being

mindful

of

them

,

and

doing

marvellous

and

strange

miracles

by

the

hand

of

Moses

,

delivered

them

,

and

led

them

out

of

Egypt

,

leading

them

through

what

is

called

the

desert

;

whom

He

also

settled

again

in

the

land

of

Canaan

,

which

afterwards

was

called

judæa

,

and

gave

them

a

law

,

and

taught

them

these

things

.

Of

this

great

and

wonderful

law

,

which

tends

to

all

righteousness

,

the

ten

heads

are

such

as

we

have

already

rehearsed

.

Notes

10
Or, right worship.
11
Ex. xx. 3.
12
Ex. xxiii. 6.