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The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus
The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus is one of the earliest examples of Christian apologetics, and is written to defend Christianity from its accusers.
22 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 150
41 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Mathetes
14 books4 followersThe author known as "Mathetes" has had only one text ascribed to them, and is believed to have been writing around the Second Century.
"Mathetes" is not a proper name; it simply means "a disciple." The writer may be a Johannine Christian, although the name "Jesus" and the expression the "Christ" are not present in the text. The author prefers, rather, to refer to the "son" as "the Word."
The only known manuscript of the work ascribed to "Mathetes" was destroyed in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian war. It is probable that the author of the first ten chapters was not the same as that of the last two as it shows evidence of being around a century later in date (Third Century).
"Mathetes" is not a proper name; it simply means "a disciple." The writer may be a Johannine Christian, although the name "Jesus" and the expression the "Christ" are not present in the text. The author prefers, rather, to refer to the "son" as "the Word."
The only known manuscript of the work ascribed to "Mathetes" was destroyed in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian war. It is probable that the author of the first ten chapters was not the same as that of the last two as it shows evidence of being around a century later in date (Third Century).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
March 10, 2021
Great read. Outside 1st Clement it has the most clear demonstration of justification by faith and double imputation in the ante-Nicene Fathers that I’ve read so far. Really good.
May 22, 2023
I love how the early church writings speak to our current moment. In this anonymous letter we see the beauty of what it means to have true worship. A very practical and worthwhile read for us today.
August 18, 2023
This letter was referenced in Confessions - love a good 1000 year old book rec from St Augustine 🫶
There is nothing new under the sun! This 2nd century piece speaks to our moment in history with color and truth. What a masterful work of apologetics in a time where the Church was new and under intense persecution. Although it is written from an apologetics standpoint it reads as a beautiful invitation to the unbeliever to come and see who this God is! I think we have lost this kind of evangelism today. The saints of old have so much to say and encourage us with about our Lord!
“O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors! Having therefore convinced us in the former time that our nature was unable to attain to life, and having now revealed the Saviour who is able to save even those things which it was [formerly] impossible to save, by both these facts He desired to lead us to trust in His kindness, to esteem Him our Nourisher, Father, Teacher, Counsellor, Healer, our Wisdom, Light, Honour, Glory, Power, and Life, so that we should not be anxious concerning clothing and food.”
When speaking on how Christians live -
“they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life….. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey, the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.”
There is nothing new under the sun! This 2nd century piece speaks to our moment in history with color and truth. What a masterful work of apologetics in a time where the Church was new and under intense persecution. Although it is written from an apologetics standpoint it reads as a beautiful invitation to the unbeliever to come and see who this God is! I think we have lost this kind of evangelism today. The saints of old have so much to say and encourage us with about our Lord!
“O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors! Having therefore convinced us in the former time that our nature was unable to attain to life, and having now revealed the Saviour who is able to save even those things which it was [formerly] impossible to save, by both these facts He desired to lead us to trust in His kindness, to esteem Him our Nourisher, Father, Teacher, Counsellor, Healer, our Wisdom, Light, Honour, Glory, Power, and Life, so that we should not be anxious concerning clothing and food.”
When speaking on how Christians live -
“they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life….. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey, the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.”
August 23, 2024
A wonderful & short read, and an interesting dialogue between a Christian (who may have even been a disciple of the Apostles!)and his pagan friend. Here we see so many great & historic truth's we still hold to the in the Christian faith! The perspicuity of Scripture, Sola Fide, the divinity of Christ, the transforming powers of God's grace, a truly powerful and moving letter.
Free Ebook: https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01/an... & there is a free audio reading on Youtube.
Table of Contents
Chapter I.—Occasion of the epistle.
Chapter II.—The vanity of idols.
Chapter III.—Superstitions of the...
Chapter IV.—The other observances of...
Chapter V.—The manners of the...
Chapter VI.—The relation of...
Chapter VII.—The manifestation of...
Chapter VIII.—The miserable state of...
Chapter IX.—Why the Son was sent so...
Chapter X.—The blessings that will...
Chapter XI.—These things are worthy...
Chapter XII.—The importance of...
Free Ebook: https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01/an... & there is a free audio reading on Youtube.
Table of Contents
Chapter I.—Occasion of the epistle.
Chapter II.—The vanity of idols.
Chapter III.—Superstitions of the...
Chapter IV.—The other observances of...
Chapter V.—The manners of the...
Chapter VI.—The relation of...
Chapter VII.—The manifestation of...
Chapter VIII.—The miserable state of...
Chapter IX.—Why the Son was sent so...
Chapter X.—The blessings that will...
Chapter XI.—These things are worthy...
Chapter XII.—The importance of...
March 5, 2025
Second read
____
WoW. An excellent letter ! The Christians’ doctrine and life as strangers are beautifully portrayed. A GREAT read !
« truly God Himself, who is almighty, the Creator of all things, and invisible, has sent from heaven, and placed among men, [Him who is] the truth, and the holy and incomprehensible Word, and has firmly established Him in their hearts. He did not, as one might have imagined, send to men any servant, or angel, or ruler, or any one of those who bear sway over earthly things, or one of those to whom the government of things in the heavens has been entrusted, but the very Creator and Fashioner of all things—by whom He made the heavens—by whom he enclosed the sea within its proper bounds—whose ordinances all the stars faithfully observe—from whom the sun has received the measure of his daily course […] » (chapter VII)
« As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He Him; as God He sent Him; as to men He sent Him; as a Saviour He sent Him, and as seeking to persuade, not to compel us […] » (Chapter VII)
« He was aware, then, of all things in His own mind, along with His Son, according to the relation subsisting between them. » (Chapter VII)
« He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. » (Chapter IX)
« For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness. » (Chapter IV)
____
WoW. An excellent letter ! The Christians’ doctrine and life as strangers are beautifully portrayed. A GREAT read !
« truly God Himself, who is almighty, the Creator of all things, and invisible, has sent from heaven, and placed among men, [Him who is] the truth, and the holy and incomprehensible Word, and has firmly established Him in their hearts. He did not, as one might have imagined, send to men any servant, or angel, or ruler, or any one of those who bear sway over earthly things, or one of those to whom the government of things in the heavens has been entrusted, but the very Creator and Fashioner of all things—by whom He made the heavens—by whom he enclosed the sea within its proper bounds—whose ordinances all the stars faithfully observe—from whom the sun has received the measure of his daily course […] » (chapter VII)
« As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He Him; as God He sent Him; as to men He sent Him; as a Saviour He sent Him, and as seeking to persuade, not to compel us […] » (Chapter VII)
« He was aware, then, of all things in His own mind, along with His Son, according to the relation subsisting between them. » (Chapter VII)
« He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. » (Chapter IX)
« For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness. » (Chapter IV)
January 6, 2019
It is hard to say, but this early apology comes across somewhat strange. There are no clear scriptures quoted anywhere within the treatise, which may lend itself to being a very early writing, alongside the author specifically mentioning that he was a disciple of the apostles and now he was a teacher of the Gentiles.
He right off the bat attacks false idols then the Jews and their superstitions (in his mind). This is all used to show that Christianity is nothing like them because God himself gave the Christian his teachings not man.
He relates how Christians are hated and killed yet they get stronger. The allusion I most like is he compares the Christians of the world to the soul in the body. The more you chastise it the greater its power becomes. A rather ascetic bent it seems.
The final chapter though to me is the most confusing and most open it would see for strange teachings coming out of. In it speaks of the body as being a paradise of delight and the tree of life and knowledge has been planted in it. If one is not careful this just opens interpretations up to quite possibly Gnostic doctrine I would think.
On the whole though I am not sure how effective this apology could of been on any level in convincing somebody of the glory of God and the reasons one should be a Christian.
He right off the bat attacks false idols then the Jews and their superstitions (in his mind). This is all used to show that Christianity is nothing like them because God himself gave the Christian his teachings not man.
He relates how Christians are hated and killed yet they get stronger. The allusion I most like is he compares the Christians of the world to the soul in the body. The more you chastise it the greater its power becomes. A rather ascetic bent it seems.
The final chapter though to me is the most confusing and most open it would see for strange teachings coming out of. In it speaks of the body as being a paradise of delight and the tree of life and knowledge has been planted in it. If one is not careful this just opens interpretations up to quite possibly Gnostic doctrine I would think.
On the whole though I am not sure how effective this apology could of been on any level in convincing somebody of the glory of God and the reasons one should be a Christian.
May 2, 2018
A beautiful and short letter from a 2nd century church father. The writer writes about how the essence of Christianity is fundamentally different from that of religion (paganism and Judaism). The writer also touches on the Christian's place in the world, and does so without a hint of moralism. In fact, the writer maintains a tone of wonder throughout the entire letter. I highly recommend this letter to you if you are a Christian.
February 14, 2021
Denna börjar som en stridsskrift mot tillbedjan av det som varken lever eller kan leva, med samma argument som användes av bildstormarna, kalvinisterna och varje annan radikal grupp sedan dess: akta dig för den döda materiens tillbedjan, för genom den blir du som det döda du tillber. Vilket är skitsnack. Detta sagt så är det en välvillig skrift, och författaren verkar försöka tilltala den överintellektualiserade hedningen (mottagaren av brevet) på ett någorlunda respektfullt sätt. Hade inte skriften slutat på det beskäftiga sätt den gör, hade jag rekommenderat den varmt till de som är intresserade av religion.
November 9, 2024
Coming soon to a chapel near you…
Yeah so I’m using this letter to talk about Christian citizenship on Tuesday. It was briefly discussed in my AP government class, and when I heard my teacher quote from the epistle that “every foreign land is as to them (Christians) their native country” I knew I had to read the whole thing.
Yeah so I’m using this letter to talk about Christian citizenship on Tuesday. It was briefly discussed in my AP government class, and when I heard my teacher quote from the epistle that “every foreign land is as to them (Christians) their native country” I knew I had to read the whole thing.
February 5, 2025
I thought this was longer. I also thought this was a book. I won't count it toward my book number. However, this is an excellent read. About as long as 1 Corinthians. It is one of the first apologetics in Christianity in a letter laying out some compelling reasons to believe in Christ. Easy read and free online.
July 1, 2025
This letter is amazing! It depicts Christ as divine yet separate from the father in personage, condemns Pelagius before Pelagius was even born, seeming points to imputation and Christ atoning work done by God alone. If you are a Protestant this letter written 130-200 AD clearly depicts that the reformation was a retrieval of the historic doctrines of the church
July 6, 2019
Quite a moving epistle written from one friend to another inviting him to take a closer look at the true worship of Christianity. Full of much helpful insight into the culture and practices of Christians living during the time of the early church.
August 3, 2024
Scholars believe this was written in 130 AD, making it one of the earliest apologetic letters written to a seeker.
Favorite quote:
He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!
Favorite quote:
He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2025
This letter explains how and why the Christians are so different from culture, yet it shows their necessary placement in it. I love the analogy of body and soul. It has cunning digs and highs of God’s mercy and grace. Great read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2021
The early church is one of my favorite things. It's so exceedingly wonderful to read the works which bridge the gap from the scriptures to the more prominent early church writers and the councils. It becomes glaringly obvious that there's a direct line of transmission (of beliefs) and that there was no "great apostacy" as the Mormons/JW's claim, nor is gnosticism by any means even a remote possibility (this writing is one of the most trinitarian things I've read other than Athanasius).
We unfortunately don't know much about the author or the recipient of this letter, but some speculation says that Diognetus was Marcus Aurelius' tutor. Regardless, this is perhaps the earliest written apologetics letter written. In it we see similar arguments to those made by later and more prominent early church writers, specifically: 1) your roman gods are but mute idols and creations of man, thus cannot be gods 2) the conduct and mores of the christians are enviable and shine as a beacon of love 3) the blood of the martyrs is the seeds of the church.
This letter starts off with a blistering attack on the idols of the romans (which are just really too easy to attack, and the author realizes this, deciding to stop because if you understand his point, he needn't go on, and if you won't be moved by his point, he should stop as well). The thing some modern readers are confused about is that they assume the Romans didn't think the idols were really the gods, but that they merely represented them and reminded them of them. I'm no roman historian, but I'd suspect that the Romans were not only much more superstitious than modern readers give them credit for, but I doubt that christian apologists who lived among and most often once were devout roman-god-worshippers would so consistently mis-represent their old faith. They understood how seriously the romans took these little statuettes, and the point among jews and christians has always been that they serve "the living God", not a dead god, not an array of gods. This is another reason the gnostic interpretation doesn't hold any water and is an unwelcome outside insertion. Christians always have seen their religion as a fulfillment and a consummation of Judaism, not an annullment. This author gets closer to the latter than I've seen before, but he does allude to the OT and does affirm Christ's Godhood very clearly (and christ very clearly supports the Old Testament, so you can't get around it).
Mathetes goes on to disparage the ceremonial particularities of the jews which even by that time had often become unbearably complex, legalistic, and ungodly. He uses this to transition into two arenas: 1) the highly moral actions of Christians and 2) the impossibility of ever justifying one's self using those works. He describes how Christians are not an ethnic or cultural group, but a moral group:
"For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly method of life."
The author sets up a series of juxtapositions which show the vibrancy of Christian temperament and outlook on life:
"They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring {footnote: "Lit. cast away feotuses"}. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless;26 they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life;"
We get an explicit condemnation of abortion yet again in here, and I'm baffled as to how Nadia Bolz-Weber could claim that pro-life Christians are a new thing. This work (ca. 130 AD), Athenagoras' plea (ca. 175-180 AD), and even the Didache (ca. 99 AD) are all unanimous.
We next get an explanation of how Christians live "in not of" the world, with a wonderful metaphorical parallel found in the Christian conception of the body and the soul warring (specifically the body warring against the soul and the soul, like the christian, not resisting with force but with love):
"To sum up all in one word—what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world."
He goes on to state something really wonderful:
"The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preservers of the world. The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as sojourners in corruptible [bodies], looking for an incorruptible dwelling in the heavens."
We then move from that bodily analogy to speaking of Christ; the genius of Mathetes is how utterly and inextricably he ties together Christ's Godhood and his salvation. It's much like the three-corded rope which is spoken of in scripture; it cannot be broken:
"He [God] did not, as one might have imagined, send to men any servant, or angel, or ruler, or any one of those who bear sway over earthly things, or one of those to whom the government of things in the heavens has been entrusted, but the very Creator and Fashioner of all things—by whom He made the heavens—by whom he enclosed the sea within its proper bounds—"
"As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He Him; as God He sent Him; as to men He sent Him; as a Saviour He sent Him, and as seeking to persuade, not to compel us; for violence
has no place in the character of God."
Mathetes moves deeper into the Christian conception of God as one who reveals Himself, not one who is found in nature (i.e. is not a created object, but a creator who chose to enter his own creation). Mathetes makes fun of classical philosophers who attempted arguing about which element the gods were made of, or if fire itself was "god". The Christians from the very start understood how philosophically untenable that was, because otherwise it leads to a recursive question of "but who created the fire? Was there not a time before fire was?"
We finally alight upon the good news, the message of the Gospel, that although we are damned in our sins and unable to justify ourselves, Christ came to cancel the debt. I love how much the early church stressed this as a proof of God's mercy, and that God doesn't desire the death of sinners, but patiently puts up with our sin: "the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us". Thank God for "the Saviour who is able to save even those things which it was [formerly] impossible to save," i.e. us.
As we near the end, we get an explanation of how we are to live in light of such wonderful news:
"And do not wonder that a man may become an imitator of God...For it is not by ruling over his neighbours, or by seeking to hold the supremacy over those that are weaker, or by being rich, and showing violence towards those that are inferior, that happiness is found; nor can any one by these things become an imitator of God. But these things do not at all constitute His majesty. On the contrary he who takes upon himself the burden of his neighbour; he who, in whatsoever respect he may be superior, is ready to benefit another who is deficient; he who, whatsoever things he has received from God, by distributing these to the needy, becomes a god to those who receive [his benefits]: he is an imitator of God".
As we near the end we have an allusion to the resurrection but we do not have an explicit claim to it, which is about the only surprising thing about this. We find extremely orthodox theology inside this little letter, and it's an apt summary not only of the approaches that early Christian apologists took, but it also has that ethos which the early church was overflowing with.
The final chapter is a very interesting reflection upon the garden of Eden, and it gives yet another possible interpretation of the garden (and as such we are left to speculate whether this was an interpretation espoused by one of the apostles who Mathetes learned under, or if it was an original interpretation of his):
"For in this place the tree of knowledge and the tree of life have been planted; but it is not the tree of knowledge that destroys— it is disobedience that proves destructive. Nor truly are those words without significance which are written, how God from the beginning planted the tree of life in the midst of paradise, revealing through knowledge the way to life, and when those who were first formed did not use this [knowledge] properly, they were, through the fraud of the Serpent, stripped naked. For neither can life exist without knowledge, nor is knowledge secure without life. Wherefore both were planted close together. The Apostle, perceiving the force [of this conjunction], and blaming that knowledge which, without true doctrine, is admitted to influence life, declares, “Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.” For he who thinks he knows anything without true knowledge, and such as is witnessed to by life, knows nothing, but is deceived by the Serpent, as not loving life. But he who combines knowledge with fear, and seeks after life, plants in hope, looking for fruit."
This language is interesting, as it seems to repudiate the wrongheaded idea that ignorance is somehow godly; it also ties the fruit of the garden of Eden together with the fruits of good works (by their fruits you will know them). This short epistle is certainly something to ponder and return to, and for the uninitiated, it is well worth the price of entry.
We unfortunately don't know much about the author or the recipient of this letter, but some speculation says that Diognetus was Marcus Aurelius' tutor. Regardless, this is perhaps the earliest written apologetics letter written. In it we see similar arguments to those made by later and more prominent early church writers, specifically: 1) your roman gods are but mute idols and creations of man, thus cannot be gods 2) the conduct and mores of the christians are enviable and shine as a beacon of love 3) the blood of the martyrs is the seeds of the church.
This letter starts off with a blistering attack on the idols of the romans (which are just really too easy to attack, and the author realizes this, deciding to stop because if you understand his point, he needn't go on, and if you won't be moved by his point, he should stop as well). The thing some modern readers are confused about is that they assume the Romans didn't think the idols were really the gods, but that they merely represented them and reminded them of them. I'm no roman historian, but I'd suspect that the Romans were not only much more superstitious than modern readers give them credit for, but I doubt that christian apologists who lived among and most often once were devout roman-god-worshippers would so consistently mis-represent their old faith. They understood how seriously the romans took these little statuettes, and the point among jews and christians has always been that they serve "the living God", not a dead god, not an array of gods. This is another reason the gnostic interpretation doesn't hold any water and is an unwelcome outside insertion. Christians always have seen their religion as a fulfillment and a consummation of Judaism, not an annullment. This author gets closer to the latter than I've seen before, but he does allude to the OT and does affirm Christ's Godhood very clearly (and christ very clearly supports the Old Testament, so you can't get around it).
Mathetes goes on to disparage the ceremonial particularities of the jews which even by that time had often become unbearably complex, legalistic, and ungodly. He uses this to transition into two arenas: 1) the highly moral actions of Christians and 2) the impossibility of ever justifying one's self using those works. He describes how Christians are not an ethnic or cultural group, but a moral group:
"For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly method of life."
The author sets up a series of juxtapositions which show the vibrancy of Christian temperament and outlook on life:
"They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring {footnote: "Lit. cast away feotuses"}. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless;26 they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life;"
We get an explicit condemnation of abortion yet again in here, and I'm baffled as to how Nadia Bolz-Weber could claim that pro-life Christians are a new thing. This work (ca. 130 AD), Athenagoras' plea (ca. 175-180 AD), and even the Didache (ca. 99 AD) are all unanimous.
We next get an explanation of how Christians live "in not of" the world, with a wonderful metaphorical parallel found in the Christian conception of the body and the soul warring (specifically the body warring against the soul and the soul, like the christian, not resisting with force but with love):
"To sum up all in one word—what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world."
He goes on to state something really wonderful:
"The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preservers of the world. The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as sojourners in corruptible [bodies], looking for an incorruptible dwelling in the heavens."
We then move from that bodily analogy to speaking of Christ; the genius of Mathetes is how utterly and inextricably he ties together Christ's Godhood and his salvation. It's much like the three-corded rope which is spoken of in scripture; it cannot be broken:
"He [God] did not, as one might have imagined, send to men any servant, or angel, or ruler, or any one of those who bear sway over earthly things, or one of those to whom the government of things in the heavens has been entrusted, but the very Creator and Fashioner of all things—by whom He made the heavens—by whom he enclosed the sea within its proper bounds—"
"As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He Him; as God He sent Him; as to men He sent Him; as a Saviour He sent Him, and as seeking to persuade, not to compel us; for violence
has no place in the character of God."
Mathetes moves deeper into the Christian conception of God as one who reveals Himself, not one who is found in nature (i.e. is not a created object, but a creator who chose to enter his own creation). Mathetes makes fun of classical philosophers who attempted arguing about which element the gods were made of, or if fire itself was "god". The Christians from the very start understood how philosophically untenable that was, because otherwise it leads to a recursive question of "but who created the fire? Was there not a time before fire was?"
We finally alight upon the good news, the message of the Gospel, that although we are damned in our sins and unable to justify ourselves, Christ came to cancel the debt. I love how much the early church stressed this as a proof of God's mercy, and that God doesn't desire the death of sinners, but patiently puts up with our sin: "the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us". Thank God for "the Saviour who is able to save even those things which it was [formerly] impossible to save," i.e. us.
As we near the end, we get an explanation of how we are to live in light of such wonderful news:
"And do not wonder that a man may become an imitator of God...For it is not by ruling over his neighbours, or by seeking to hold the supremacy over those that are weaker, or by being rich, and showing violence towards those that are inferior, that happiness is found; nor can any one by these things become an imitator of God. But these things do not at all constitute His majesty. On the contrary he who takes upon himself the burden of his neighbour; he who, in whatsoever respect he may be superior, is ready to benefit another who is deficient; he who, whatsoever things he has received from God, by distributing these to the needy, becomes a god to those who receive [his benefits]: he is an imitator of God".
As we near the end we have an allusion to the resurrection but we do not have an explicit claim to it, which is about the only surprising thing about this. We find extremely orthodox theology inside this little letter, and it's an apt summary not only of the approaches that early Christian apologists took, but it also has that ethos which the early church was overflowing with.
The final chapter is a very interesting reflection upon the garden of Eden, and it gives yet another possible interpretation of the garden (and as such we are left to speculate whether this was an interpretation espoused by one of the apostles who Mathetes learned under, or if it was an original interpretation of his):
"For in this place the tree of knowledge and the tree of life have been planted; but it is not the tree of knowledge that destroys— it is disobedience that proves destructive. Nor truly are those words without significance which are written, how God from the beginning planted the tree of life in the midst of paradise, revealing through knowledge the way to life, and when those who were first formed did not use this [knowledge] properly, they were, through the fraud of the Serpent, stripped naked. For neither can life exist without knowledge, nor is knowledge secure without life. Wherefore both were planted close together. The Apostle, perceiving the force [of this conjunction], and blaming that knowledge which, without true doctrine, is admitted to influence life, declares, “Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.” For he who thinks he knows anything without true knowledge, and such as is witnessed to by life, knows nothing, but is deceived by the Serpent, as not loving life. But he who combines knowledge with fear, and seeks after life, plants in hope, looking for fruit."
This language is interesting, as it seems to repudiate the wrongheaded idea that ignorance is somehow godly; it also ties the fruit of the garden of Eden together with the fruits of good works (by their fruits you will know them). This short epistle is certainly something to ponder and return to, and for the uninitiated, it is well worth the price of entry.
May 11, 2018
What sets apart Christians from the surrounding culture? Not language, dress, or food. Rather godly conduct:
"They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They
have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.
"They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They
have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.
July 4, 2017
Good to know Christianity hasn't change
If you would like a quick fix on what this thing called Christian is, you have your answer in this book, from the second century.
The ideal hasn't changed at all.
If you would like a quick fix on what this thing called Christian is, you have your answer in this book, from the second century.
The ideal hasn't changed at all.
November 9, 2014
I really liked Mathetes style of writing. Here are the passages that caught my attention. My favorite passages are the ones on how Christians were reported to live, which gives quite a beautiful portrait of their life in the world. I also really liked what he wrote concerning God's kind loving and non-violent character. His reflections on the the atonement and becoming a Christian were interesting. This is an excellent little book.
Concerning idolatry
“Are not all these of corruptible matter? Are they not fabricated by means of iron and fire? Did not the sculptor fashion one of them, the brazier a second, the silversmith a third, and the potter a fourth? Was not every one of them, before they were formed by the arts of these [workmen] into the shape of these [gods], each in its own way subject to change? Would not those things which are now vessels, formed of the same materials, become like to such, if they met with the same artificers? Might not these, which are now worshipped by you, again be made by men vessels similar to others? Are they not all deaf? Are they not blind? Are they not without life? Are they not destitute of feeling? Are they not incapable of motion? Are they not all liable to rot? Are they not all corruptible? These things ye call gods; these ye serve; these ye worship; and ye become altogether like to them. For this reason ye hate the Christians, because they do not deem these to be gods.”
Concerning the practice of the Jews
“But as to their scrupulosity concerning meats, and their superstition as respects the Sabbaths, and their boasting about circumcision, and their fancies about fasting and the new moons, which are utterly ridiculous and unworthy of notice,—I do not think that you require to learn anything from me. For, to accept some of those things which have been formed by God for the use of men as properly formed, and to reject others as useless and redundant,—how can this be lawful? And to speak falsely of God, as if He forbade us to do what is good on the Sabbath-days,—how is not this impious? And to glory in the circumcision of the flesh as a proof of election, and as if, on account of it, they were specially beloved by God,—how is it not a subject of ridicule? And as to their observing months and days, as if waiting upon the stars and the moon, and their distributing, according to their own tendencies, the appointments of God, and the vicissitudes of the seasons, some for festivities,and others for mourning,—who would deem this a part of divine worship, and not much rather a manifestation of folly?”
How the Christians lived
“They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.”
Reflections on the Soul's relation to the Body and Christians Relation to the World.
Chapter VI.—The relation of Christians to the world. To sum up all in one word— what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world. The invisible soul is guarded by the visible body, and Christians are known indeed to be in the world, but their godliness remains invisible. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it, though itself suffering no injury, because it is prevented from enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians, though in nowise injured, because they abjure pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preserversof the world. The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as sojourners in corruptible [bodies], looking for an incorruptible dwelling in the heavens. The soul, when but ill-provided with food and drink, becomes better; in like manner, the Christians, though subjected day by day to punishment, increase the more in number. God has assigned them this illustrious position, which it were unlawful for them to forsake.
Christ was sent to Persuade, not to Compel and God's Character
“As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He Him; as God, He sent Him; as to men He sent Him; as a Saviour He sent Him, and as seeking to persuade, not to compel us; for violence has no place in the character of God. As calling us He sent Him, not as vengefully pursuing us; as loving us He sent Him, not as judging us. For He will yet send Him to judge us, and who shall endure His appearing?… Do you not see them exposed to wild beasts, that they may be persuaded to deny the Lord, and yet not overcome? Do you not see that the more of them are punished, the greater becomes the number of the rest? This does not seem to be the work of man: this is the power of God; these are the evidences of His manifestation.”
“For God, the Lord and Fashioner of all things, who made all things, and assigned them their several positions, proved Himself not merely a friend of mankind, but also long-suffering [in His dealings with them]. Yea, He was always of such a character, and still is, and will ever be, kind and good, and free from wrath, and true, and the only one who is [absolutely] good and He formed in His mind a great and unspeakable conception, which He communicated to His Son alone.”
On the Atonement (Parts are similar to Romans 3)
“As long then as the former time endured, He permitted us to be borne along by unruly impulses, being drawn away by the desire of pleasure and various lusts. This was not that He at all delighted in our sins, but that He simply endured them; nor that He approved the time of working iniquity which then was, but that He sought to form a mind conscious of righteousness, so that being convinced in that time of our unworthiness of attaining life through our own works, it should now, through the kindness of God, be vouchsafed to us; and having made it manifest that in ourselves we were unable to enter into the kingdom of God, we might through the power of God be made able.”
“...But when our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward, punishment and death, was impending over us; and when the time had come which God had before appointed for manifesting His own kindness and power, how the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us, He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!Having therefore convinced us in the former time that our nature was unable to attain to life, and having now revealed the Saviour who is able to save even those things which it was [formerly] impossible to save, by both these facts He desired to lead us to trust in His kindness, to esteem Him our Nourisher, Father, Teacher, Counsellor, Healer, our Wisdom, Light, Honor, Glory, Power, and Life, so that we should not be anxious concerning clothing and food.
On Becoming a Christian
If you also desire [to possess] this faith, you likewise shall receive first of all the knowledge of the Father. For God has loved mankind, on whose account He made the world, to whom He rendered subject all the things that are in it, to whom He gave reason and understanding, to whom alone He imparted the privilege of looking upwards to Himself, whom He formed after His own image, to whom He sent His only-begotten Son, to whom He has promised a kingdom in heaven, and will give it to those who have loved Him. And when you have attained this knowledge, with what joy do you think you will be filled? Or, how will you love Him who has first so loved you? And if you love Him, you will be an imitator of His kindness. And do not wonder that a man may become an imitator of God. He can, if he is willing. For it is not by ruling over his neighbours, or by seeking to hold the supremacy over those that are weaker, or by being rich, and showing violence towards those that are inferior, that happiness is found; nor can any one by these things become an imitator of God. But these things do not at all constitute His majesty. On the contrary he who takes upon himself the burden of his neighbor; he who, in whatsoever respect he may be superior, is ready to benefit another who is deficient; he who, whatsoever things he has received from God, by distributing these to the needy, becomes a god to those who receive [his benefits]: he is an imitator of God.
The Divinity of Christ
He sent the Word, that He might be manifested to the world; and He, being despised by the people [of the Jews], was, when preached by the Apostles, believed on by the Gentiles. This is He who was from the beginning, who appeared as if new, and was found old, and yet who is ever born afresh in the hearts of the saints. This is He who, being from everlasting, is to-day called the Son; through whom the Church is enriched, and grace, widely spread, increases in the saints, furnishing understanding, revealing mysteries, announcing times, rejoicing over the faithful, giving
On Knowledge without Love
but it is not the tree of knowledge that destroys— it is disobedience that proves destructive. Nor truly are those words without significance which are written, how God from the beginning planted the tree of life in the midst of paradise, revealing through knowledge the way to life, and when those who were first formed did not use this [knowledge] properly, they were, through the fraud of the Serpent, stripped naked. For neither can life exist without knowledge, nor is knowledge secure without life. Wherefore both were planted close together. The Apostle, perceiving the force [of this conjunction], and blaming that knowledge which, without true doctrine, is admitted to influence life, declares, “Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.” For he who thinks he knows anything without true knowledge, and such as is witnessed to by life, knows nothing, but is deceived by the Serpent, as not loving life. But he who combines knowledge with fear, and seeks after life, plants in hope, looking for fruit. Let your heart be your wisdom; and let your life be true knowledge inwardly received. Bearing this tree and displaying its fruit, thou shalt always gather in those things which are desired by God, which the Serpent cannot reach, and to which deception does not approach; nor is Eve then corrupted, but is trusted as a virgin; and salvation is manifested, and the Apostles are filled with understanding, and the Passover of the Lord advances, and the choirs are gathered together, and are arranged in proper order, and the Word rejoices in teaching the saints,—by whom the Father is glorified: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Concerning idolatry
“Are not all these of corruptible matter? Are they not fabricated by means of iron and fire? Did not the sculptor fashion one of them, the brazier a second, the silversmith a third, and the potter a fourth? Was not every one of them, before they were formed by the arts of these [workmen] into the shape of these [gods], each in its own way subject to change? Would not those things which are now vessels, formed of the same materials, become like to such, if they met with the same artificers? Might not these, which are now worshipped by you, again be made by men vessels similar to others? Are they not all deaf? Are they not blind? Are they not without life? Are they not destitute of feeling? Are they not incapable of motion? Are they not all liable to rot? Are they not all corruptible? These things ye call gods; these ye serve; these ye worship; and ye become altogether like to them. For this reason ye hate the Christians, because they do not deem these to be gods.”
Concerning the practice of the Jews
“But as to their scrupulosity concerning meats, and their superstition as respects the Sabbaths, and their boasting about circumcision, and their fancies about fasting and the new moons, which are utterly ridiculous and unworthy of notice,—I do not think that you require to learn anything from me. For, to accept some of those things which have been formed by God for the use of men as properly formed, and to reject others as useless and redundant,—how can this be lawful? And to speak falsely of God, as if He forbade us to do what is good on the Sabbath-days,—how is not this impious? And to glory in the circumcision of the flesh as a proof of election, and as if, on account of it, they were specially beloved by God,—how is it not a subject of ridicule? And as to their observing months and days, as if waiting upon the stars and the moon, and their distributing, according to their own tendencies, the appointments of God, and the vicissitudes of the seasons, some for festivities,and others for mourning,—who would deem this a part of divine worship, and not much rather a manifestation of folly?”
How the Christians lived
“They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.”
Reflections on the Soul's relation to the Body and Christians Relation to the World.
Chapter VI.—The relation of Christians to the world. To sum up all in one word— what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world. The invisible soul is guarded by the visible body, and Christians are known indeed to be in the world, but their godliness remains invisible. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it, though itself suffering no injury, because it is prevented from enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians, though in nowise injured, because they abjure pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preserversof the world. The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as sojourners in corruptible [bodies], looking for an incorruptible dwelling in the heavens. The soul, when but ill-provided with food and drink, becomes better; in like manner, the Christians, though subjected day by day to punishment, increase the more in number. God has assigned them this illustrious position, which it were unlawful for them to forsake.
Christ was sent to Persuade, not to Compel and God's Character
“As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He Him; as God, He sent Him; as to men He sent Him; as a Saviour He sent Him, and as seeking to persuade, not to compel us; for violence has no place in the character of God. As calling us He sent Him, not as vengefully pursuing us; as loving us He sent Him, not as judging us. For He will yet send Him to judge us, and who shall endure His appearing?… Do you not see them exposed to wild beasts, that they may be persuaded to deny the Lord, and yet not overcome? Do you not see that the more of them are punished, the greater becomes the number of the rest? This does not seem to be the work of man: this is the power of God; these are the evidences of His manifestation.”
“For God, the Lord and Fashioner of all things, who made all things, and assigned them their several positions, proved Himself not merely a friend of mankind, but also long-suffering [in His dealings with them]. Yea, He was always of such a character, and still is, and will ever be, kind and good, and free from wrath, and true, and the only one who is [absolutely] good and He formed in His mind a great and unspeakable conception, which He communicated to His Son alone.”
On the Atonement (Parts are similar to Romans 3)
“As long then as the former time endured, He permitted us to be borne along by unruly impulses, being drawn away by the desire of pleasure and various lusts. This was not that He at all delighted in our sins, but that He simply endured them; nor that He approved the time of working iniquity which then was, but that He sought to form a mind conscious of righteousness, so that being convinced in that time of our unworthiness of attaining life through our own works, it should now, through the kindness of God, be vouchsafed to us; and having made it manifest that in ourselves we were unable to enter into the kingdom of God, we might through the power of God be made able.”
“...But when our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward, punishment and death, was impending over us; and when the time had come which God had before appointed for manifesting His own kindness and power, how the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us, He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!Having therefore convinced us in the former time that our nature was unable to attain to life, and having now revealed the Saviour who is able to save even those things which it was [formerly] impossible to save, by both these facts He desired to lead us to trust in His kindness, to esteem Him our Nourisher, Father, Teacher, Counsellor, Healer, our Wisdom, Light, Honor, Glory, Power, and Life, so that we should not be anxious concerning clothing and food.
On Becoming a Christian
If you also desire [to possess] this faith, you likewise shall receive first of all the knowledge of the Father. For God has loved mankind, on whose account He made the world, to whom He rendered subject all the things that are in it, to whom He gave reason and understanding, to whom alone He imparted the privilege of looking upwards to Himself, whom He formed after His own image, to whom He sent His only-begotten Son, to whom He has promised a kingdom in heaven, and will give it to those who have loved Him. And when you have attained this knowledge, with what joy do you think you will be filled? Or, how will you love Him who has first so loved you? And if you love Him, you will be an imitator of His kindness. And do not wonder that a man may become an imitator of God. He can, if he is willing. For it is not by ruling over his neighbours, or by seeking to hold the supremacy over those that are weaker, or by being rich, and showing violence towards those that are inferior, that happiness is found; nor can any one by these things become an imitator of God. But these things do not at all constitute His majesty. On the contrary he who takes upon himself the burden of his neighbor; he who, in whatsoever respect he may be superior, is ready to benefit another who is deficient; he who, whatsoever things he has received from God, by distributing these to the needy, becomes a god to those who receive [his benefits]: he is an imitator of God.
The Divinity of Christ
He sent the Word, that He might be manifested to the world; and He, being despised by the people [of the Jews], was, when preached by the Apostles, believed on by the Gentiles. This is He who was from the beginning, who appeared as if new, and was found old, and yet who is ever born afresh in the hearts of the saints. This is He who, being from everlasting, is to-day called the Son; through whom the Church is enriched, and grace, widely spread, increases in the saints, furnishing understanding, revealing mysteries, announcing times, rejoicing over the faithful, giving
On Knowledge without Love
but it is not the tree of knowledge that destroys— it is disobedience that proves destructive. Nor truly are those words without significance which are written, how God from the beginning planted the tree of life in the midst of paradise, revealing through knowledge the way to life, and when those who were first formed did not use this [knowledge] properly, they were, through the fraud of the Serpent, stripped naked. For neither can life exist without knowledge, nor is knowledge secure without life. Wherefore both were planted close together. The Apostle, perceiving the force [of this conjunction], and blaming that knowledge which, without true doctrine, is admitted to influence life, declares, “Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.” For he who thinks he knows anything without true knowledge, and such as is witnessed to by life, knows nothing, but is deceived by the Serpent, as not loving life. But he who combines knowledge with fear, and seeks after life, plants in hope, looking for fruit. Let your heart be your wisdom; and let your life be true knowledge inwardly received. Bearing this tree and displaying its fruit, thou shalt always gather in those things which are desired by God, which the Serpent cannot reach, and to which deception does not approach; nor is Eve then corrupted, but is trusted as a virgin; and salvation is manifested, and the Apostles are filled with understanding, and the Passover of the Lord advances, and the choirs are gathered together, and are arranged in proper order, and the Word rejoices in teaching the saints,—by whom the Father is glorified: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
October 22, 2024
A fantastic and favorite patristic read of mine. The author defends Christian faith against the teachings of Gentile religions and Jewish religious beliefs. He also explains the relationship of the Christian to the world and the significance of the incarnation. There is a remarkable explanation of the deity of Christ in this work. The author does have a bit of a low anthropology characteristic of many patristic writers—going so far as to describe the soul as “imprisoned in the body,” but in context the writer is speaking in a metaphorical manner. I have copied some of my favorite insights from this epistle below:
“For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. 2 Corinthians 10:3 They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Philippians 3:20 They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. 2 Corinthians 6:9 They are poor, yet make many rich; 2 Corinthians 6:10 they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; 2 Corinthians 4:12 they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.”
“He did not, as one might have imagined, send to men any servant, or angel, or ruler, or any one of those who bear sway over earthly things, or one of those to whom the government of things in the heavens has been entrusted, but the very Creator and Fashioner of all things — by whom He made the heavens — by whom he enclosed the sea within its proper bounds — whose ordinances all the stars faithfully observe — from whom the sun has received the measure of his daily course to be observed — whom the moon obeys, being commanded to shine in the night, and whom the stars also obey, following the moon in her course; by whom all things have been arranged, and placed within their proper limits, and to whom all are subject — the heavens and the things that are therein, the earth and the things that are therein, the sea and the things that are therein — fire, air, and the abyss — the things which are in the heights, the things which are in the depths, and the things which lie between.”
“For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. 2 Corinthians 10:3 They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. Philippians 3:20 They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. 2 Corinthians 6:9 They are poor, yet make many rich; 2 Corinthians 6:10 they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; 2 Corinthians 4:12 they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.”
“He did not, as one might have imagined, send to men any servant, or angel, or ruler, or any one of those who bear sway over earthly things, or one of those to whom the government of things in the heavens has been entrusted, but the very Creator and Fashioner of all things — by whom He made the heavens — by whom he enclosed the sea within its proper bounds — whose ordinances all the stars faithfully observe — from whom the sun has received the measure of his daily course to be observed — whom the moon obeys, being commanded to shine in the night, and whom the stars also obey, following the moon in her course; by whom all things have been arranged, and placed within their proper limits, and to whom all are subject — the heavens and the things that are therein, the earth and the things that are therein, the sea and the things that are therein — fire, air, and the abyss — the things which are in the heights, the things which are in the depths, and the things which lie between.”
June 24, 2025
A beautiful exposition of the Christian faith.
“Having thus planned everything already in His mind with His Son, He permitted us during the former time to be borne along by disorderly impulses as we desired, led astray by pleasures and lusts, not at all because He took delight in our sins, but because He bore with us, not because He approved of the past season of iniquity, but because He was creating the present season of righteousness, that, being convicted in the past time by our own deeds as unworthy of life, we might now be made deserving by the goodness of God, and having made clear our inability to enter into the kingdom of God of ourselves, might be enabled by the ability of God. And when our iniquity had been fully accomplished, and it had been made perfectly manifest that punishment and death were expected as its recompense, and the season came which God had ordained, when henceforth He should manifest His goodness and power (O the exceeding great kindness and love of God), He hated us not, neither rejected us, nor bore us malice, but was longsuffering and patient, and in pity for us took upon Himself our sins, and Himself parted with His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy for the lawless, the guileless for the evil, the just for the unjust, the incorruptible for the corruptible, the immortal for the mortal. For what else but His righteousness would have covered our sins? In whom was it possible for us lawless and ungodly men to have been justified, save only in the Son of God? O the sweet exchange, O the inscrutable creation, O the unexpected benefits; that the iniquity of many should be concealed in One Righteous Man, and the righteousness of One should justify many that are iniquitous! Having then in the former time demonstrated the inability of our nature to obtain life, and having now revealed a Saviour able to save even creatures which have no ability, He willed that for both reasons we should believe in His goodness and should regard Him as nurse, father, teacher, counsellor, physician, mind, light, honour, glory, strength and life.”
~ The Epistle to Diognetus, 9.
“Having thus planned everything already in His mind with His Son, He permitted us during the former time to be borne along by disorderly impulses as we desired, led astray by pleasures and lusts, not at all because He took delight in our sins, but because He bore with us, not because He approved of the past season of iniquity, but because He was creating the present season of righteousness, that, being convicted in the past time by our own deeds as unworthy of life, we might now be made deserving by the goodness of God, and having made clear our inability to enter into the kingdom of God of ourselves, might be enabled by the ability of God. And when our iniquity had been fully accomplished, and it had been made perfectly manifest that punishment and death were expected as its recompense, and the season came which God had ordained, when henceforth He should manifest His goodness and power (O the exceeding great kindness and love of God), He hated us not, neither rejected us, nor bore us malice, but was longsuffering and patient, and in pity for us took upon Himself our sins, and Himself parted with His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy for the lawless, the guileless for the evil, the just for the unjust, the incorruptible for the corruptible, the immortal for the mortal. For what else but His righteousness would have covered our sins? In whom was it possible for us lawless and ungodly men to have been justified, save only in the Son of God? O the sweet exchange, O the inscrutable creation, O the unexpected benefits; that the iniquity of many should be concealed in One Righteous Man, and the righteousness of One should justify many that are iniquitous! Having then in the former time demonstrated the inability of our nature to obtain life, and having now revealed a Saviour able to save even creatures which have no ability, He willed that for both reasons we should believe in His goodness and should regard Him as nurse, father, teacher, counsellor, physician, mind, light, honour, glory, strength and life.”
~ The Epistle to Diognetus, 9.
December 27, 2021
An early Christian apologetics letter written to show the falsehood of Paganism and Judaism, and the superior teaching of Christianity.
4/5
"For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity... [yet] they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers."
"What the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world... The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preservers of the world."
"The one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us, He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal."
"It is not the tree of knowledge that destroys - it is disobedience that proves destructive."
"He who combines knowledge with fear, and seeks after life, plants in hope, looking for fruit. Let your heart be your wisdom; and let your life be true knowledge inwardly received."
4/5
"For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity... [yet] they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers."
"What the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world... The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preservers of the world."
"The one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us, He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal."
"It is not the tree of knowledge that destroys - it is disobedience that proves destructive."
"He who combines knowledge with fear, and seeks after life, plants in hope, looking for fruit. Let your heart be your wisdom; and let your life be true knowledge inwardly received."
February 11, 2021
Interesting Read
The original writer and his audience is unknown. Chapter 10 ends abruptly due to the loss of that part of the manuscript. These first 10 chapters put forth a great defense of the Christian faith. The last 2 chapters seem to have been written by someone else. The change is noticeable but doesn't affect the importance of the original message. If you want to know what the early believers thought this is a good place to start.
The original writer and his audience is unknown. Chapter 10 ends abruptly due to the loss of that part of the manuscript. These first 10 chapters put forth a great defense of the Christian faith. The last 2 chapters seem to have been written by someone else. The change is noticeable but doesn't affect the importance of the original message. If you want to know what the early believers thought this is a good place to start.
April 23, 2025
Books that are written by such early Christians are always interesting to ponder and this book is no different. To see people in the early church address concerns of idol worship, free will, circumcision, and many other topics, is very beneficial for modern day Christians to see and consider. The issues that we face today are similar to the issues faced by the early Christian church and we can see through this work how those issues were addressed.
December 30, 2020
Great description of Christians' pilgrim spirituality; could perhaps be described as an early iteration of a missional Ecclesiology. Must return to this stuff in the future for early descriptions of faithful presence as the form of Christian witness.
Lots more here too in this short letter. A great early letter to mine for its wisdom.
Lots more here too in this short letter. A great early letter to mine for its wisdom.
July 7, 2024
Good. Mathetes writes an apologetic for Christianity, primarily explaining Christianity but also briefly refuting pagan idolatry and Judaism. Particularly wonderful was his clear statement of double imputation, climaxing in what my translation rendered "O sweet exchange!".
March 23, 2017
Nas notas introdutórias de "ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus", Philip Schaff entende que se trata de uma carta próxima de Clemente de Roma, porém pelo conteúdo não constatei isso. Há um vocabulário e problemas muito mais próximos do contexto de Tertuliano e Agostinho.
Concordo, então, com outras interpretações que a colocam na virada do século II para o III d.C.
Concordo, então, com outras interpretações que a colocam na virada do século II para o III d.C.
May 28, 2017
Excellent example of the faith of the Early Church
This ancient work is a great example of the vibrant faith held and defended by the Early church Fathers. Warmly recommended.
This ancient work is a great example of the vibrant faith held and defended by the Early church Fathers. Warmly recommended.
July 30, 2020
Important piece of apologetics
November 20, 2020
Utterly sublime.
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