THE STORY OF CHRISTIANITY THE EARLY CHURCH TO THE DAWN OF THE REFORMATION The Defense of the Faith We do not seek to flatter you…but request that you judge on the basis of a proper and through investigation. Justin Martyr Throughout the second century, and well into the third, there was no systematic persecution of Christians. It was illegal to be a Christian; but those who followed the new faith were not sought out by the authorities. Persecution and martyrdom depended on local circumstances, and particularly on the good will of neighbors. If for any reason someone wished to harm a Christian, all that had to be done was to present an accusation. Such may well have been the case with Justin, who seems to have been accused by his rival, Crescentius. At other times, as in Lyons and Vienne, it was a mob, fired by all sorts of rumors about Christians, that demanded that they be arrested and punished. Given such circumstances, Christians felt the need to refuse rumors and misconceptions regarding their beliefs and practices. Even if their arguments did not convince others of the truth of Christianity thinkers and writers, known as the “apologists”—that is, defenders. Some of their arguments have been in continuous usage through the centuries. Many of the rumors that the apologists sought to dispel were based on misunderstandings of Christian practice of teaching. Thus, for instance, Christians gathered every week to celebrate what they called a “love feast.” This was done in private, and only the initiates (those who had being baptized) were admitted. Furthermore, Christians called each other “brother” and “sister,” and there were many who spoke of their spouses as their “sister” or “brother.” Joining these known facts, non—Christian worship as an orgiastic celebration filled with Christians eating and drinking to excess, then is it perhaps that he knows, but is incapable of doing anything about evil unless he does it in person?” Also, these Christians preach—and truly believe—that they will rise again after death. It is on the basis of that they face death with an almost incredible obstinacy. But it makes no sense to leave this life, which is certain for the sake of another, which is at best uncertain. And the doctrine of a final resurrection itself is the high point of Christian nonsense. What will happen to those whose bodies were destroyed by fire, or eaten by beasts or by fish? Will God scout the world after bits and pieces of each body? What will God do with those parts of matter that have belonged to more than one body? Will they be given to their first owners? Such arguments, and many similar ones, could not be set aside by mere denial. It was necessary to offer solid refutation. This was the task of the apologists. THE MAIN APOLOGISTS The task of responding to such criticism resulted in some of the most remarkable theological works of the second century, a tradition that continued for many years thereafter. At this point, however, it will suffice to deal with the apologists of the second century and the beginning of the third. Probably the earliest surviving apology is the letter to Diognetus, whose unknown author—perhaps a certain Quadratus mentioned by ancient historians—seems to have lived early in the second century. Shortly thereafter, before 138, Aristides wrote an apology that has been rediscovered in modern times. But the most famous of the earliest apologist was Justin, to whose martyrdom reference was made in the preceding chapter, and who is also one of our earliest sources describing Christian worship—to which we shall return later. Justin had lived through a long spiritual pilgrimage, from school to school, until he found in Christianity what he called “the true philosophy.” Three of his works are extant: two apologies—which are really two parts of a single work—and a Dialogue with Trypho, a Jewish rabbi. One of Justin disciples, Tatian, wrote an Adress to the Greeks, and at about the same time Athenagoras composed A Plea for the Christians and a treatise On the Resurrection of the Dead. Later in the century, Theophilus, bishop of Antioch, wrote three books To Autolycus, which dealt with the doctrine of God, the interpretation of scripture, and Christian life. All these apologies of the second century were written in Greek, as was also the refutation Against Celsus, which Origen wrote in the third century. In Latin, the two earliest apologies are Octavious, by Minicious Felix, and Tertulian’s Apology. To this day, scholars are not agreed as to which of these two apologies was written first, although it is clear that whoever wrote the later one was indebted to his predecessor. By reading all of these apologies, historians can discern the main objections that pagans raised against Christianity, as well as the manner in which the most cultured members of the church responded to them, and how Christian theology developed in the very act of responding to pagan objections. TO BE CONTINUE…
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 22:12:23 +0000
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