Doctrine…

It almost comes off like a dirty word lately…but it shouldn’t.  Doctrine simply means the “teaching” of a particular view.  Justin spends all this time trying to give an overview of Jesus’ doctrine (what He taught)…but then tags it with an intense expectation that doctrine should influence living.  I’m not sure I would be as comfortable making the ipso facto statements about people’s salvation that Justin makes in this chapter, but it certainly gives us an insight as to the values and expectations of the church just a hundred years removed from Christ.

How much does the doctrine of Christ influence our lifestyle?  Do we follow Him with our lives as well as our minds?  If Justin were to time-travel and see the church today…how would he assess us, I wonder?

Chapter XVI.-Concerning Patience and Swearing.

Concerning how we‘re to bear up under hard times, how we are to serve others, and how we need to control our anger, he said this: “If someone hits you on one side of your face, present the other side as well.  If someone steals your coat, don’t chase him down to get it back.  If you live your life all bitter and angry at others you’ll end up being consumed by that inner fire.  If you get forced into doing some work you didn’t sign up for, do that work, and any extra there is.  You want to live in a way that shows off what God has done in your heart.  Let everyone see it, because that’s how they’ll see the invisible Father!”

Our goal is to live in peace with our fellow man; we aren’t trying to force our views on anyone.  He warned us not to follow the lead of those who push people around, but rather through patient humility, show people a different way to live.  Many people who once believed as you do, who violently opposed our faith, found themselves being drawn into our convictions as they witnessed how those they attacked and cheated didn’t respond in kind.  What they saw as we lived out our faith, changed their minds and hearts, and they’ve joined us on our journey.

The reason we don’t swear oaths every time we make a promise is because He told us: “Don’t swear an oath to verify your word.  When you say yes or no, make sure you stick to that.  If you have to swear an oath in order to keep your promise, its proof that your enemy still has a hold of your tongue.”

His words are the reason we feel so strongly that we can’t do anything that participates in worshiping other gods.  He said, “The most important commandment God has given is that we only should worship and serve, with all our desires and strength, the one, true God.

Once, when someone was questioning Him, He was addressed as “Good Master”.  Jesus answered by saying “There is no one deserving of the title ‘good’ except God who made everything.”

You will find that there are some who call themselves Christian who don’t live by these teachings I’ve listed.  Please understand they are not Christians in our view.  We believe Christ came to give us a different life, not just a new rhetoric. 

Jesus said it this way: “Just because a person repeatedly professes that he follows Me, it doesn’t mean he’s really part of the Kingdom of Heaven.  It’s not just a good talk that matters, but a change of purpose; to follow God’s will instead of self-will.  If you hear Me, I mean really hear Me, you’ll set out to put my teachings into practice, and you’ll prove you’ve heard the One who sent Me.  When the story comes to an end, a lot of people will try to crash My party, saying ‘Lord, we were all busy doing your work, we celebrated Your name, we even did some miracles using Your name!’

“I’ll tell them to get out, they aren’t on the guest list, they were just doing their own thing but calling it Mine. There’ll be a howl of anguish coming up on the day when those who’ve been made righteous shine like stars, and those who did their own will are set on fire, forever.

“Many are going to come along claiming to speak for Me, but they‘re just wolves wearing sheepskins as a disguise.  You’ll be able to spot them by how they live their lives.  These will be like diseased fruit trees that can’t give anything good to eat; they’ll be chopped down for firewood, that’s all that’s left for them.”

We can’t defend those who only say they are Christians, whose lives don’t show any evidence of the values of Christ.  You’ll have to do with them whatever you please.

—

Y’know what’s missing from Justin’s discourse?  It dawned on my just this morning as I was re-reading the chapter I’m posting.  There’s no hint of the “self-help gospel” that is so prevalent today.  Justin, just a little over one hundred years from Jesus, quotes Jesus’ teachings with nary a self-oriented spin at all.  He doesn’t defend the faith by saying “If we do this, we get that”, but there is an overriding emphasis on others in his defense.  How we as Christians live differently by loving others, looking after them instead of putting ourselves first. 

I don’t know…the tonal quality of Justin’s gospel is different to me than the tune I presently hear.  It stirs me.

Chapter XV.-What Christ Himself Taught.

Here are some of the things that Jesus taught us concerning how we should live: “If you look at someone wishing you could have sex with him or her, you’ve already committed a sexual sin in God’s sight.”  And, “If you can’t control what you look at, you’d be better off putting out your best eye if that’s what it takes.  It’s better to be one-eyed in heaven than have both eyes in hell.” 

 “Whoever divorces their spouse just so they can marry someone else is really committing legalized adultery.”

He also said, “There are some people who have stayed single because circumstances or other people have forced them into that situation.  Some stay single because they are naturally suited to that lifestyle.  Still others will take up a single and celibate lifestyle in order to devote their whole life to the Kingdom of Heaven.  There won’t be many of these people; it takes a special person to commit like that.”

Because of the things Jesus taught, we believe it’s wrong for a man to have two wives, even if the law permits it, since it violates God’s original intention for marriage.  His teachings are also our motive for having pure thoughts and not dwelling on sexuality, since God is able to know our thoughts, not just our actions.  There are some among us who, in desiring to remain solely committed to Christ, have never been married.  Both men and women of various ethnic backgrounds who have remained celibate their whole lives; some of which are advanced to their sixties and seventies, who have remained single in their devotion to God.

They are the exception.  The rest, untold numbers of us, are people like you who have had our lives reformed by the teachings of Christ.  Don’t get the mistaken idea that God only wants the “good” people, or the people who have everything together.  Not at all.  God goes out of His way to look for the godless, promiscuous, wastes.  His own words were, “I didn’t come to try and rescue people who think their good enough already, but to rescue those who know they’re bad.”  God’s priority is not to punish people, but to help them, to rescue them.  Those of us who follow Him learn to love the same way He does.

He said, “Anyone can love people who love them first, that’s easy.  Even really bad people are able to muster that up.  I want you to pray for your enemies; when people hate you, repay them by loving them.  If they cuss you out, praise something good about them.  If they cheat you, pray for them, don’t try to get even.”

He taught us to help the poor, but not as a way to show off; not as a way to make people think we’re generous.  He taught us to be generous.  He said “Give what you can to those who ask for help.  If someone needs help to make ends meet, don’t turn away from them.  If you only help those who can pay interest on a loan, or make timely payments, how are you any different from all the loan sharks out there?  Don’t hoard money or become stingy on this earth.  All the stuff of this earth either gets lost, stolen or rots over time, it has no eternal value.  Money shouldn’t be a motivating issue for you, you’re real treasure is found in spiritual things, in heaven!  You could win the lottery and have all the money in the world, but if you don’t have your soul bound for heaven, what good can money do you?  What would you pay for the knowledge that your soul won’t end up in hell?  Money is a trap; invest in heavenly things, forever things that don’t get stolen or fade over time.”

“Think good thoughts and do good things for people who sometimes treat you badly, just like your Father up in heaven does for you!  He isn’t kind just to those who deserve it, but a sunny day warms a good man and a bad man just the same.”  “Don’t worry about what you’re going to eat or what you’re going to wear.  You’re much more important to God than the birds and wild animals, and yet He makes sure they have food and warm feathers and fur.  Don’t worry about food or clothing, your Dad knows you have needs; He’ll take care of you.  Instead, put all your energy into following the way of the Kingdom of Heaven, into the journey home.  As you concentrate on that, all the stuff the earthlings stress about will be provided for you, and you won’t have to worry at all. We become obsessed with the stuff we place our highest value on.  Let that be heaven.”

“Religion is dangerous territory.  If you start practicing my teachings just to look like really spiritual people to others, you’ll be wasting your time; your Father won’t fall for it.  Live for Him, not for people’s approval of you.”

—

Our Western worldview is one of the few (maybe the only one?) worldviews that completely rejects the idea of a supernatural realm.  Empirical evidence is our mandate.  If it can’t be measured, touched, dissected…it doesn’t exist. 

I love that Justin can be so free in his culture to identify where the struggles of this life originate.  He makes no qualms about assigning the opposition to Christianity to demons and dark, spiritual forces.  That’s a given, in his world.  In our culture, I think we struggle with believing in the devil as much, or more, than we struggle to believe in God.  It seems to me that we are prone to extremes when it comes to spiritual warfare.  We either obsess over it, seeing demons behind and influencing everything (I even knew a guy who believed farts were signs of demonic activity…not his own, of course, he didn’t think his stank)…OR, we dismiss or ignore the reality of a spiritual force in opposition to the kingdom of God.

The ease in which Justin identifies the problem, and moves on is something I admire.  I’d like to have that kind of aplomb in that realm.

Chapter XIII.-Christians Serve God Rationally.

It’s plain to see that we are not, in fact, atheists.  We are worshippers of the God who made the universe, and we worship Him the way He taught us to.  Not with rivers of blood from sacrificed animals, not with rites of drunkenness or with intoxicating incense.  God wants us to worship Him with our lives.  We worship Him by talking to Him about everything, by singing songs and expressing our gratitude to Him for making all things and providing everything we have need of.  Since God made all things, we don’t need to offer those things back to Him.  We ourselves use the things He created for us, to provide for our own needs and for the needs of those who are poorer than us.  We live a life of gratitude to God for our health, our food, this planet and the seasons and the beauty around us; as well as a life that extends beyond this present one by our faith in Him.

We have learned to worship this way from the teachings of Jesus the Christ.  He was born into the world for this purpose, to show us the way to God.  He was crucified under the command of Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea at that time (this was back during the reign of Tiberius Caesar).  We worship Him based on our belief that He is the Son of the one, true God.  This has been made known to us by those who were with Him, and through prophecies which have been given by the Spirit of God.  It is His teaching which we want to make clear to you.  We’ve been accused of being insane because it’s said we worship and esteem as God an ordinary man who was crucified.  They are stating this from a place of ignorance about our beliefs.  I’m sure it looks very mysterious to those observing us, but we can make our faith plain to you and clear up these misconceptions.  My hope is that you’ll pay close attention and hear our position. 

Chapter XIV.-The Demons Misrepresent Christian Doctrine.

Since we believe there is a spiritual battle raging here, it’s quite possible that you’ll find yourself distracted from reading our whole appeal, or listening to our entire defense.  Please don’t let that happen.  There are dark forces at work that have a powerful influence in this world, holding so many people hostage to their will.  Sometimes they influence through dreams, sometimes they speak through the mouths of the priests or magicians, but their whole purpose is to beguile weak willed souls and keep them from finding salvation.

This is the main reason we keep away from magical arts and the various ways in which deceiving spirits can manipulate people.  We follow Jesus Christ alone, not demons anymore.  Once we followed them.  Once we lived terrible lives of abandon to all kinds of bad behavior.  Now, where we used to find our identity in sexual conquests, we find ourselves in Christ, enjoying a life free of the consequences of promiscuity.  We used to practice magic arts, but now we’ve put that aside and spend our time praying to the true God.  Where once we spent all our time and energy trying to make more money and buy more stuff, we now make sure everyone around us is taken care of, we give our excess to the poor.  We used to live off our hatred for others and fear of people different from us, but now, in Christ, there is no one we won’t embrace and call friend.  We love our enemies, and those who are prejudiced against us and hate us for no reason, we seek all the more to show them the truth so that they may have the same hope we have in Christ.

In case we seem to be using a tactic of confusing rhetoric to bog you down and tangle you up in endless rabbit chases, I want provide some specific examples of what Jesus Christ taught.  This way you can see for yourself what kind of doctrine we follow, and what kind of lives we live because of Him.  He taught very simple concepts, easy to understand for the common man, yet powerful as the very word from God.

—

What is our message as the church?  Is it church growth?  Is it to convince people that we’re right and they are wrong? Is it social issues such as anti-war or support of political parties?  Is it to end hunger?  Is it to stop terrorism and spread democracy?

In Justin’s time, the message was about “the Kingdom”.  His definition of the kingdom mirror’s Jesus’…but does it mirror ours?  Do we live like we belong to another kingdom…like Someone bigger than us is watching?  Just wondering.

Chapter XI.-What Kingdom Christians Look for.

All our talk about looking for a kingdom has some people worried, but if you would have just asked us, we could have explained everything clearly.  When we talk about a kingdom, we aren’t threatening Rome, and we certainly aren’t thinking of ourselves as insurgents who will overthrow the Roman government.  Please listen to us; we are not talking about a kingdom on this earth, a human kingdom.  We are talking about God’s realm, a kingdom in heaven.  That’s why those who confess to being Christians (even when it means their life) can be so brave, because we believe we will go to that kingdom when we leave this earth.  If we deny Christ to keep from being killed, we run the risk of not getting into the kingdom we’ve been looking for all this time.  We aren’t so concerned with our present life because we are all going to die someday.  For that reason, we place a greater emphisis on what happens after death. 

Chapter XII.-Christians Live as Under God’s Eye.

We are on your side when it comes to being peaceful citizens obeying the law (probably more than any other people group).  Our belief that God is watching everything we do and will hold us accountable if we are stealing or working against lawful authorities.  That becomes our motive for right living because we want our lives to match up with the salvation we hope to receive.  If people only knew what was coming when this life is over, they would restrain themselves and follow God’s way of living.  If they knew what judgment awaits the wicked, they’d bail on the way they’ve been living without a second thought.

Laws and punishments don’t really stop people from committing crimes anyway.  They are only obstacles to sneak by for those who are intent on breaking the law.  Criminals know that laws are enforced by finite people; they know they can get away with crimes because you can’t be everywhere and you can’t see everything.  But if those who commit crimes only knew the truth, that God sees everything, not only the stuff that is actually carried out but the crimes committed in the mind and heart as well, they’d be the best citizens you have in the Empire.  You have to admit, the fear of God’s judgment is a powerful inhibiter when it comes to crime.

Yet knowing this, you still arrest us.  It’s as though you’re worried you’ll be out of a job if everyone starts obeying the laws of the land.  I could see bounty hunters being concerned about a drop in the crime rate, but not good civil servants such as you.  It only serves to confirm our conviction that this present hatred is being stirred up by evil, spiritual forces behind the scenes, the same kind of forces that demand homage and sacrifices from the gullible masses.  You, however, are known for pursuit of the truth, so I assume you won’t go along with this unreasonable hatred just because the crowds are.

If you still are more persuaded by tradition than the facts, I fear you undermine your royal estate.  Those who make rulings to appease popular opinion as a means of maintaining their power base have more in common with mobsters than royalty.

God’s Word to us, Jesus, has promised us that no matter what you do, you will not succeed in destroying us.  That’s why we serve Him, because we consider Him to be the best King of all. No sensible person would follow their father’s footsteps if they knew that the way he lived leads to certain poverty.  That’s why we refuse the way of life we used to live, and now we live for the Good King.  Everything that is happening to us now, He told us would happen.  He could see it coming because He the Son of God, the Messenger of God who is Ruler over all things.  He is Jesus, the Christ and we follow Him (which is why you call us Christians)!  Since this prejudice against us has come to pass, just as He told us it would, we are all the more convinced that everything else He told us is true.  Surely you can understand our conviction in light of His accurate forecast of our future.

I could end my defense here, since I believe I’ve supplied enough of an argument that we only want to be heard, and afforded our lawful rights.  That should be enough to convince you that this issue needs far more consideration than is presently being given.  Yet I also know that it’s not easy to change someone’s mind once they are convinced of something.  So for those who are interested in really knowing the truth about us, I will continue this letter and add more evidence to my case, hoping that an illumination of the facts will bring this time of ignorance to an end.

—

Justin’s sarcasm will come through pretty strongly in chapter 9 as he describes the origins of Roman idols.  His argument against materialism in worship is as sound today as it was two thousand years ago.  We still seem to wrestle with the concept that God wants our lives, not the stuff we can do for Him or the stuff we can give to Him (as though He needs anything anyway).  As Eugene Peterson paraphrases Psalm 50:

” But why should I want your blue-ribbon bull,
      or more and more goats from your herds?
   Every creature in the forest is mine,
      the wild animals on all the mountains.
   I know every mountain bird by name;
      the scampering field mice are my friends.
   If I get hungry, do you think I’d tell you?
      All creation and its bounty are mine. …
  “Spread for me a banquet of praise,
      serve High God a feast of kept promises, …”

Chapter IX.-Folly of Idol Worship.

It’s true; you won’t see us laying garlands of flowers on, or bringing offerings to the shrines of your gods.  We just don’t believe they are representing any form of God. They’re just statues to us, lifeless works of art.   We don’t believe God is in the form of the things men have carved with their hands.  As we said, we believe there are spiritual powers behind those things, but demonic entities, not gods.

The origin of these images isn’t some big mystery.  You know where they come from, you see artists carving them in the marketplace.  You know exactly what kind of tools they use, hammers, chisels, metal-working molds. You also know they can take a piece of scrap metal, a discarded end-piece of wood or a chipped stone, and rework it to be in the shape of what you end up calling a god.  That’s nonsense to us.  Doesn’t it seem like a true God would be insulted by using scrap materials to represent him, when he is ineffable in his beauty?  Seriously, think about it; God is resplendent in his glory, and yet you worship bits of stone that constantly have to have pigeon poop washed off them, or pieces glued back on.  Doesn’t that seem wrong?

Not only that, but look at the lifestyle of the artists who craft these images!  You know very well that the artist communities have a reputation for their promiscuous lifestyles.  The girls that work for them are no different, all of them given over to lust.  How does that make any sense?  People who can’t even control their own lives are able to create gods that you submit your lives to. Doesn’t that seem odd?  You even set these sex crazed people up as guardians of your temples (not to mention the ludicrous notion that mere men need to be guardians of the gods).

Chapter X.-How God is to Be Served.

What we’ve learned is that God is the one who made all things, who provides all things to us; He doesn’t want or need the offerings of material things you offer to your gods.  What we’ve been taught has thoroughly convinced us that the offering God wants from us is our life; that we live in a way that is harmonious with His nature of self control, justice, care for others and all the other good qualities that belong to the invisible God.  Our belief is that God is the one who created everything material out of nothing, including mankind.  What God is doing is restoring us to our original purpose, to be in relationship with Him, and to be delivered from the corruption of this broken world.  We have the choice to follow Him or not, to fellowship with Him or not.  If we choose to follow Him, we believe we are given a never ending life with Him.

We didn’t bring ourselves into the world, and we had no capacity to save ourselves from the corruption this world has fallen into.  All we could do is say ‘yes’ to God’s offer of salvation, and from there, He is the one who leads and molds us as we continue believing in Him.  We do believe in Him, and have such confidence in Him that we want everyone to know about Him like we do.

What human laws and regulations could never achieve through forcing good behavior, God by His Word, has produced in us by changing us from the inside out.  We think everyone would see the truth of this, if it weren’t for the dark and powerful forces at work to stop us from getting the word out.  There is a war on, and people who are following their own will are unwittingly being used by our spiritual enemy to spread lies and rumors about us that are far from reality.

—-

There’s no doubt about it, the early church firmly believed in a day of judgment.  I’m finding that premise sprinkled all through Justin’s writings.  But it wasn’t just the early church.  Justin will point to Plato’s theology, and his views on a day of judgment in the afterlife.  While I certainly don’t side with those who are saying that the preaching of hell is the most effective way to reach the lost…I definitely can’t embrace the new wave of universalism that’s sweeping the emerging church (‘sweeping’ may be a bit strong of a term…I should say ‘the latest fascination’).

There is no way around the fact that the early church, and I would say even the ancient world, believed in a day of judgment.  What does that say to us today?

Chapter VI.-Charge of Atheism Refuted.

When it comes to the Roman gods, we’ll admit it, we are atheists.  We don’t believe they are gods at all.  But we’re not atheists concerning the one true God, who is the Father of everything that’s right and true and good.  We’ve been taught to believe in Him through the Son who was sent from Him, and through the messengers who follow Him and are being made like Him.  These things have been taught to us by the Spirit, through oracles and illuminated teachings.  We are worshipers of this God, whom we believe to be the origin of all truth.  We have nothing to hide in this; we’ll share this knowledge with anyone who wants to hear it!

Chapter VII.-Each Christian Must Be Tried by His Own Life.

Now, we’ve heard  this scenario proposed:  “We’ve arrested some who claim to be Christians who turned out, as we investigated their lives, to be involved in criminal activity.  If Christians are such good folks why are we finding criminals in their midst?”

Listen, we have said again and again, investigate our lives.  If you find individuals among the large number of people you’ve been arresting that are guilty of criminal activity, put them in jail!  We aren’t asking that they be set free.  They’re criminals; they should be convicted as criminals.  But that’s the point, isn’t it?  As we’ve said, just because a person is labeled “philosopher” it doesn’t mean he really is one, or at least a good one.  There are those who may claim the title ‘Christian’ whose lives don’t match the teaching of our faith.  That’s why we are demanding that you investigate our lives, judge us on the basis of how we conduct ourselves, not on the mere basis of a name.  If a person is guilty of committing crimes, let him be punished for that, not for having the name Christian.  Being called a Christian is breaking no law that I’m aware of.

As for any counter demands of asking for punishment for those who have falsely accused us, we will require no such action.  It’s our belief that a hopeless, rotten life outside the knowledge of God is punishment enough.

Chapter VIII.-Christians Confess Their Faith in God.

This unwarranted prejudice has compelled me to write to you and set the record straight.  We have the option to deny that we are Christians in order to save our skins, but if you knew anything about our faith, you’d know that we strive to live in honesty.  In fact, our whole goal in life is to live in a way that characterizes the goodness and righteousness of God. We do this because we love Him.  That is the motive and the ethic that guides us.  This is what Christ instructed us to do in His teachings.

Plato taught that Rhadamanthus and Minos would judge those who lived selfishly and without concern for what’s right.  We believe the same thing; it’s just that we believe the true judge of all mankind will be Christ.  In fact, we believe the consequences of rejecting God’s way will be eternal ones, unlike Plato who thought a thousand years would be the limit of suffering for those judged as wicked.  We do believe there is a judgment day coming.You may pass this off as nonsense, that’s your right.  It’s what we believe. If it’s not hurting anyone else, how is it any of your business what we believe in?

It’s interesting to read Justin’s defense.  He was living in a pre-modern world, where a metaphysical argument carried as much weight as an argument of empirical evidence.  He can glide between judicial logic and theories about demons in one breath, and not be dismissed as a ‘fanatic’ because of it.  Yet when I think about what’s at stake for him, it causes a certain amount of introspection on my part.  Justin’s words are bold and uncompromising in his loyalty to Jesus.  He faced the sentence of death yet loudly proclaimed his faith.  I face a little bit of name calling, and sometimes shrink away from praying out loud or admitting to my place in the church. 

I still ask thequestion….what can Justin say to us from the mists of history?   -R.

Chapter IV.-Christians Unjustly Condemned for Their Mere Name.

The labels we have in society don’t really define us, unless that label is describing some sort of behavior that’s unlawful or detrimental to society as a whole.  Yet the name, or label, we go by is that of a good, law-abiding Man, which should then, by implication, make us good, law-abiding people.

But we’re not asking you to acquit us based on a name.  Our life and behavior in society should be the basis of any judgment of us.  If we engage in criminal activity, it doesn’t matter what name we go by, we deserve punishment.  To convict us solely on the basis of a name is inconceivable, yet that’s the only evidence you use against us. Unlike any other person accused of a crime, you dole out punishment on us as soon as you hear the name; we don’t even get to be convicted in court first. How is it reasonable to be prejudiced against a group of people just because of the name they identify themselves with?  It’s more reasonable to prosecute those who are stirring up trouble against us just because we are known as Christians.

On the other hand, if someone recants, and denies that he’s associated with the name Christian, you acquit him saying you have no evidence against him.  Because of a name!  But the moment someone says he is a Christian, you say you have the evidence you need, and condemn him.  It’s ludicrous.

Please, I’m asking you to be reasonable.  You have to observe how a person acts, how they behave, what their history is to really know what kind of person they are.  Have you investigated the lives of those who bring accusations against us?  What kind of people are they?  Just because they are opposing Christianity they seem to have credibility with you, but how is that fair?  How is it right to condemn us simply because we don’t see things the same way you do?  Look down through history!  There are a lot of differing ideas about life and death and the gods, yet all those who wrote on these subjects are all called by the name ‘philosopher’.  They don’t all agree with each other.  Some you accept and some you reject, some are good philosophers and some are hacks, but you allow for their differing opinions.  In the field of entertainment you have a great deal of leniency. Some of the latest comedy writers even mock the gods and religion of Rome, but they’re winning awards and getting big salaries, they aren’t being thrown in prison or killed.  How is this inequity justified in your minds? 

Chapter V.-Christians Charged with Atheism.

To set the record straight, we actually acknowledge the gods of Rome, but we don’t see them as something to be worshiped.  We believe they are real, but part of an evil rebellion against the one true God of heaven.  We consider the gods to be representations of fallen angels, the force of evil that does all kinds of destructive work in the earth.  We think they really did manifest themselves to mankind. We think these encounters frightened people so badly they considered these demonic manifestations to be the gods.  Socrates saw it this way too, and tried to introduce these same concepts to the philosophy of his day, but was put to death for his efforts.  He was accused, like we have been, of being an atheist and of introducing new religions.  We believe the same evil forces that stopped him from bringing the truth to light are working against us, the Christians, now.

God was trying to reach the Greeks through Socrates.  He was trying to speak through him, to reveal His Word through him.  But God’s loudest word to set the record straight came from among the people you call Barbarians.  The Word, Reason Himself, took shape and came to earth as a man, whom we call Jesus Christ.  Because of what we’ve learned from Him, we not only deny that the gods of Rome are really gods, but we believe that they are a force of evil in the world today. We substantiate our claims based on the contrast between the goodness of Jesus and the depravity of the Roman gods.

—

He was sort of the Jay Sekulow of his day, although “his day” was almost two thousand years ago.  His name was Justin, and all we know about him are the pieces of his history he shared in the three main works he wrote which are preserved for us today.  He was born in Palestine, a Greek with a good education.  Following the discipline of a philosopher, he studied various schools of thought in
Alexandria and Ephesus looking for answers to his questions.

 

One day, he had a chance encounter with an old man at the beach who told him the story of Jesus.  Justin was enthralled, and gave his life to Christ.  Interestingly, he didn’t abandon his ‘philosopher’s robe’, but continued to identify himself as a philosopher and teacher, just that his truth was now found in Christ.  He even took a different track concerning the accepted philosophies of his day, saying that they weren’t wholly wrong, but only partially right.  Philosophy was a grasp for truth, in his mind, and could serve as a “schoolmaster to bring us to Christ”. 

 

Justin was killed for his faith, somewhere around 160-165 AD.  During the intense persecutions that broke out against Christians in the
Roman Empire, Justin became the first recorded voice of those who would try to defend the Christian faith against attacks.  He is our first “apologist”. 

 

I’m fascinated with Justin.  I’ve been reading his works lately, asking the question, “What can Justin say to us today?”  For that reason, I’ve taken up a little project:  to paraphrase Justin Martyr’s “First Apology”.  It was his first defense written to the Roman Emperor as an appeal to reason during a terrible persecution which had been stirred up by the Cynic Crescens.  In this work, we find the voice and heart of the early church… or, at least, of one outspoken man of the early church.  To know that I’m connected to him through two millennia is stirring.  I’ve come to love Justin.  I can’t wait to meet him.

 

Following are the first few sections of Justin’s First Apology.  I don’t know if it will interest you, but I’ll put it up in sections over the next few weeks.  Let me know if it is interesting or helpful to you.  I’d love to talk about Justin with someone.

 

Chapter I.-Address.

To: His Majesty, Emperor Titus Aelius Adrianus Antonius Pius Augustus Ceaser,

CC to: Verissimus the Philosopher and son of Caesar, Lucius the Philosopher and natural son of Caesar, adopted son of Pius, who is also an avid student.

CC to: the Sacred Senate, and the Roman people et al.           

Let me introduce myself, I am Justin, son of Priscus and grandson of Bacchius, who were natives of Flavia Neapolis in Palestine.  I’m presenting this petition and address on behalf of myself, and all oppressed people of every nation who are being targeted during this time of unwarranted hatred. 

Chapter II.-Justice Demanded.

You are all reasonable men, and I know you have the intellectual honesty to seek the truth and abandon traditional opinion if it’s proven to be faulty.  Reason dictates that if someone is trying to persuade you to accept an ideology that is proven false, you’d refuse to be influenced by that person.  Those who have a high regard for what’s right would die before they would advance a lie instead of truth.

Since you men are so adamant about doing what’s right and learning the truth, I ask you to pay special attention to my case.  You will prove yourselves to be true philosophers and scholars if you do so.

I didn’t set out to stroke your egos or try to manipulate you into siding with us.  I’ve written to sincerely beg you to thoroughly investigate our case, don’t be quick in passing judgment.  It won’t be easy, given the current climate of prejudice against us, but I ask you to be objective in your assessments, not buying every rumor or bit of hearsay that floats around.As far as we’re concerned, the charges and judgments against us are unlawful, unless someone can prove that we’ve actually broken the laws of the Empire.  Yet regardless of your response, our view is, though you may have the power to kill us, you have no power to hurt us. 

Chapter III.-Claim of Judicial Investigation.

Our demand is not unreasonable, and we are not promoting anarchy.  We submit, rather demand, that a full investigation be made of all who have been accused of wrong-doing.  If the charges against an individual can be substantiated, we agree that he or she should be punished as the law requires (in fact, we feel so strongly about this, we’ll punish them if you’d like).  But is it justice to convict innocent people simply on hearsay or unsubstantiated rumors?  You would do yourself an injustice by ruling the affairs of Rome based on the current hysteria, rather than an examination of the facts.

Any reasonable person would consider it only fair to let those accused give their side of the story.  And it’s only reasonable that those who judge these matters would come to their conclusions based on the facts of the case, not the prevailing emotional state of the mob.  In that way everyone is kept safe, both prosecutor and prosecuted.  There’s an old quote, I forget who said it, “Unless both rulers and citizens decide a matter according to the facts, peace is impossible to achieve.”

Our goal is to set all the facts before you, give a full disclosure of who we are and what we believe so it can counter all the rumors spread by those who know virtually nothing about us.  All we ask is that you give us a fair hearing, and judge us according to what is lawful and reasonable.  If you hear our case and still find fault in us, I’ll have to leave that between you and God.

 

“It happen’d one Day about Noon going towards my Boat, I was exceedingly surpriz’d with the Print of a Man’s naked Foot on the Shore, which was very plain to be seen in the Sand: I stood like one Thunder-struck, or as if I had seen an Apparition; I listen’d, I look’d round me, I could hear nothing, nor see any Thing, I went up to a rising Ground to look farther, I went up the Shore and down the Shore, but it was all one, I could see no other Impression but that one, I went to it again to see if there were any more, and to observe if it might not be my Fancy; but there was no Room for that, for there was exactly the very Print of a Foot, Toes, Heel, and every Part of a Foot; how it came thither, I knew not, nor could in the least imagine.” – Robinson Crusoe, chapter 18 

In Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel “Robinson Crusoe”, there is this famous scene where the main character, Crusoe, stumbles upon a human footprint in the sand.  He had thought, up until this point, that he was alone on the island on which he was stranded.  His reaction to this find is one of dismay and fear.  First he runs and hides in his cave/shelter for three days, fearful of what such a find meant to him.  But after the initial shock wore off, he became bolder, and began the adventure of trying to find the foot that made the print.

 

It makes me think about the Bible.

 

(Doesn’t everything?)

 

(No!….I don’t know, maybe.  Stay out of this!)

 

As human beings, we are a lot like Robinson Crusoe.  By and large, we start our conscious life with a sense of isolation.  We wander through the wreckage of the fall, wondering how we will survive, hardly thinking that there is anything outside our own thoughts and procedures. 

Then one day, we stumble upon The Footprint.  We work to ignore it…we are, if honest, somewhat frightened by it, and especially the implication it brings…that we are not alone.  The Word of God is the footprint in the sand of this earth that reveals to us that we are not alone.

 

The Footprint itself is quite revealing.  To study the footprint we can learn a lot of things…how many toes, how large or small the stride, how deep the imprint is informs of weight.  We can even tell how fast or slow the movement was when the footprint was made.  But we must not stop there.

 

What if Crusoe had discovered the footprint, and become obsessed with it as an end in itself?  What if Crusoe had measured and studied the print, then built barricades around it to preserve it from being tampered with.  What if he’d measured how far his dwelling was from the print, and moved his dwelling to a closer proximity to the print, in order to be more aware of its presence?  What if Crusoe had become so familiar with that footprint that he could reproduce it over and over…where he could carve an image of it in wood or stone.  What if he had made a motif from its likeness, and wore it on his clothing or hung it around his neck.  What if he spent all of his spare time examining the footprint, trying to discover more details about the print he may have missed?

 

What if he had done all of those things……..but NEVER went to look for the FOOT?  His story would have been a mere tedium, and all the adventures that later ensued would have been missed.

 

The danger which is inherent in a modern endeavor to study the Bible (an endeavor you surely know by now that I passionately encourage) is that we must always remember that we are not trying to catalogue information about the print…..we are looking for The Foot!  The Footprint provides some very important information that is helpful to us, but the most important information of all is what direction we should go when setting off on our adventure to find the Foot.

 

To learn about the Bible, but never live what the Bible reveals, results in a life of religious tedium and its no wonder we seem so short supplied in joy.  Let’s look at The Footprint and get our direction….then lets go on the adventure of finding The Foot!

 

 

(By the by, thanks to all who have expressed such kind thoughts to me during my time away. It goes a long way toward helping an insecure guy feel loved-thank you!)