Ante-Nicene Fathers • VOLUME 1
The Apostolic Fathers, Justin Martyr & Irenaeus
SECTION 121
Chapter XVI.--Concerning patience and swearing.
Chapter XVI.--Concerning patience and swearing. And concerning our being patient of injuries, and ready to serve all, and free from anger, this is what He said: "To him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak or coat, forbid not. And whosoever shall be angry, is in danger of …
812 wordsSECTION 122Chapter XVIII.--Proof of immortality and the resurrection.
Chapter XVIII.--Proof of immortality and the resurrection. For reflect upon the end of each of the preceding kings, how they died the death common to all, which, if it issued in insensibility, would be a godsend [1803] to all the wicked. But since sensation remains to all who have ever lived, and eternal punishment is laid up (…
962 wordsSECTION 123Chapter XX.--Heathen analogies to Christian doctrine.
Chapter XX.--Heathen analogies to Christian doctrine. And the Sibyl [1811] and Hystaspes said that there should be a dissolution by God of things corruptible. And the philosophers called Stoics teach that even God Himself shall be resolved into fire, and they say that the world is to be formed anew by this revolution; but we un…
791 wordsSECTION 124Chapter XXII.--Analogies to the sonship of Christ.
Chapter XXII.--Analogies to the sonship of Christ. Moreover, the Son of God called Jesus, even if only a man by ordinary generation, yet, on account of His wisdom, is worthy to be called the Son of God; for all writers call God the Father of men and gods. And if we assert that the Word of God was born of God in a peculiar manne…
786 wordsSECTION 125Chapter XXV.--False Gods abandoned by Christians.
Chapter XXV.--False Gods abandoned by Christians. And, secondly, because we--who, out of every race of men, used to worship Bacchus the son of Semele, and Apollo the son of Latona (who in their loves with men did such things as it is shameful even to mention), and Proserpine and Venus (who were maddened with love of Adonis, and…
800 wordsSECTION 126Chapter XXVII.--Guilt of exposing children.
Chapter XXVII.--Guilt of exposing children. But as for us, we have been taught that to expose newly-born children is the part of wicked men; and this we have been taught lest we should do any one an injury, and lest we should sin against God, first, because we see that almost all so exposed (not only the girls, but also the mal…
863 wordsSECTION 127Chapter XXX.--Was Christ not a magician?
Chapter XXX.--Was Christ not a magician? But lest any one should meet us with the question, What should prevent that He whom we call Christ, being a man born of men, performed what we call His mighty works by magical art, and by this appeared to be the Son of God? we will now offer proof, not trusting mere assertions, but being…
1,210 wordsSECTION 128Chapter XXXIII.--Manner of Christ's birth predicted.
Chapter XXXIII.--Manner of Christ's birth predicted. And hear again how Isaiah in express words foretold that He should be born of a virgin; for he spoke thus: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bring forth a son, and they shall say for His name, God with us.' " [1830] For things which were incredible and seemed impossible w…
1,059 wordsSECTION 129Chapter XXXVI.--Different modes of prophecy.
Chapter XXXVI.--Different modes of prophecy. But when you hear the utterances of the prophets spoken as it were personally, you must not suppose that they are spoken by the inspired themselves, but by the Divine Word who moves them. For sometimes He declares things that are to come to pass, in the manner of one who foretells th…
937 wordsSECTION 130Chapter XL.--Christ's advent foretold.
Chapter XL.--Christ's advent foretold. And hear how it was foretold concerning those who published His doctrine and proclaimed His appearance, the above-mentioned prophet and king speaking thus by the Spirit of prophecy "Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where …
841 wordsSECTION 131Chapter XLII.--Prophecy using the past tense.
Chapter XLII.--Prophecy using the past tense. But when the Spirit of prophecy speaks of things that are about to come to pass as if they had already taken place, --as may be observed even in the passages already cited by me, --that this circumstance may afford no excuse to readers [for misinterpreting them], we will make even t…
1,187 wordsSECTION 132Chapter XLV.--Christ's session in heaven foretold.
Chapter XLV.--Christ's session in heaven foretold. And that God the Father of all would bring Christ to heaven after He had raised Him from the dead, and would keep Him there [1860] until He has subdued His enemies the devils, and until the number of those who are foreknown by Him as good and virtuous is complete, on whose acco…
817 wordsSECTION 133Chapter XLVIII.--Christ's work and death foretold.
Chapter XLVIII.--Christ's work and death foretold. And that it was predicted that our Christ should heal all diseases and raise the dead, hear what was said. There are these words: "At His coming the lame shall leap as an hart, and the tongue of the stammerer shall be clear speaking: the blind shall see, and the lepers shall be…
863 wordsSECTION 134Chapter LI.--The majesty of Christ.
Chapter LI.--The majesty of Christ. And that the Spirit of prophecy might signify to us that He who suffers these things has an ineffable origin, and rules His enemies, He spake thus: "His generation who shall declare? because His life is cut off from the earth: for their transgressions He comes to death. And I will give the wi…
731 wordsSECTION 135Chapter LIII.--Summary of the prophecies.
Chapter LIII.--Summary of the prophecies. Though we could bring forward many other prophecies, we forbear, judging these sufficient for the persuasion of those who have ears to hear and understand; and considering also that those persons are able to see that we do not make mere assertions without being able to produce proof, li…
1,122 wordsSECTION 136Chapter LV.--Symbols of the cross.
Chapter LV.--Symbols of the cross. But in no instance, not even in any of those called sons of Jupiter, did they imitate the being crucified; for it was not understood by them, all the things said of it having been put symbolically. And this, as the prophet foretold, is the greatest symbol of His power and role; as is also prov…
784 wordsSECTION 137Chapter LVIII.--And raise up heretics.
Chapter LVIII.--And raise up heretics. And, as we said before, the devils put forward Marcion of Pontus, who is even now teaching men to deny that God is the maker of all things in heaven and on earth, and that the Christ predicted by the prophets is His Son, and preaches another god besides the Creator of all, and likewise ano…
873 wordsSECTION 138Chapter LXI.--Christian baptism.
Chapter LXI.--Christian baptism. I will also relate the manner in which we dedicated ourselves to God when we had been made new through Christ; lest, if we omit this, we seem to be unfair in the explanation we are making. As many as are persuaded and believe that what we teach and say is true, and undertake to be able to live a…
767 wordsSECTION 139Chapter LXIII.--How God appeared to Moses.
Chapter LXIII.--How God appeared to Moses. And all the Jews even now teach that the nameless God spake to Moses; whence the Spirit of prophecy, accusing them by Isaiah the prophet mentioned above, said "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know Me, and My people do not understand." [1898]…
746 wordsSECTION 140Chapter LXIV.--Further misrepresentations of the truth.
Chapter LXIV.--Further misrepresentations of the truth. From what has been already said, you can understand how the devils, in imitation of what was said by Moses, asserted that Proserpine was the daughter of Jupiter, and instigated the people to set up an image of her under the name of Kore [Cora, i.e., the maiden or daughter]…
1,061 wordsSECTION 141Chapter LXVII.--Weekly worship of the Christians.
Chapter LXVII.--Weekly worship of the Christians. And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day…
800 wordsSECTION 142Epistle of Antoninus to the common assembly of Asia. [1917]
Epistle of Antoninus to the common assembly of Asia. [1917] The Emperor Cæsar Titus Ælius Adrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, Supreme Pontiff, in the fifteenth year of his tribuneship, Consul for the third time, Father of the fatherland, to the Common Assembly of Asia, greeting: I should have thought that the gods themselves woul…
1,245 wordsSECTION 143Chapter I.--Introduction.
Chapter I.--Introduction. Romans, the things which have recently [1922] happened in your city under Urbicus, [1923] and the things which are likewise being everywhere unreasonably done by the governors, have compelled me to frame this composition for your sakes, who are men of like passions, and brethren, though ye know it not,…
1,054 wordsSECTION 144Chapter III.--Justin accuses Crescens of ignorant prejudice against the Christians.
Chapter III.--Justin accuses Crescens of ignorant prejudice against the Christians. I too, therefore, expect to be plotted against and fixed to the stake, by some of those I have named, or perhaps by Crescens, that lover of bravado and boasting; [1930] for the man is not worthy of the name of philosopher who publicly bears witn…
874 wordsSECTION 145Chapter VI.--Names of God and of Christ, their meaning and power.
Chapter VI.--Names of God and of Christ, their meaning and power. But to the Father of all, who is unbegotten, there is no name given. For by whatever name He be called, He has as His elder the person who gives Him the name. But these words, Father, and God, and Creator, and Lord, and Master, are not names, but appellations der…
776 wordsSECTION 146Chapter VIII.--All have been hated in whom the Word has dwelt.
Chapter VIII.--All have been hated in whom the Word has dwelt. And those of the Stoic school--since, so far as their moral teaching went, they were admirable, as were also the poets in some particulars, on account of the seed of reason [the Logos] implanted in every race of men--were, we know, hated and put to death,--Heraclitu…
889 wordsSECTION 147Chapter XI.--How Christians view death.
Chapter XI.--How Christians view death. But neither should we be put to death, nor would wicked men and devils be more powerful than we, were not death a debt due by every man that is born. Wherefore we give thanks when we pay this debt. And we judge it right and opportune to tell here, for the sake of Crescens and those who ra…
847 wordsSECTION 148Chapter XIII.--How the Word has been in all men.
Chapter XIII.--How the Word has been in all men. For I myself, when I discovered the wicked disguise which the evil spirits had thrown around the divine doctrines of the Christians, to turn aside others from joining them, laughed both at those who framed these falsehoods, and at the disguise itself, and at popular opinion; and …
1,269 wordsSECTION 149Chapter II.--Justin describes his studies in philosophy.
Chapter II.--Justin describes his studies in philosophy. "I will tell you," said I, "what seems to me; for philosophy is, in fact, the greatest possession, and most honourable before God, [1955] to whom it leads us and alone commends us; and these are truly holy men who have bestowed attention on philosophy. What philosophy is,…
742 wordsSECTION 150Chapter III.--Justin narrates the manner of his conversion.
Chapter III.--Justin narrates the manner of his conversion. "And while I was thus disposed, when I wished at one period to be filled with great quietness, and to shun the path of men, I used to go into a certain field not far from the sea. And when I was near that spot one day, which having reached I purposed to be by myself, a…
822 wordsSECTION 151Chapter IV.--The soul of itself cannot see God.
Chapter IV.--The soul of itself cannot see God. " Is there then,' says he, such and so great power in our mind? Or can a man not perceive by sense sooner? Will the mind of man see God at any time, if it is uninstructed by the Holy Spirit?' " Plato indeed says,' replied I, that the mind's eye is of such a nature, and has been g…
730 wordsSECTION 152Chapter V.--The soul is not in its own nature immortal.
Chapter V.--The soul is not in its own nature immortal. " These philosophers know nothing, then, about these things; for they cannot tell what a soul is.' " It does not appear so.' " Nor ought it to be called immortal; for if it is immortal, it is plainly unbegotten.' " It is both unbegotten and immortal, according to some w…
841 wordsSECTION 153Chapter VII.--The knowledge of truth to be sought from the prophets alone.
Chapter VII.--The knowledge of truth to be sought from the prophets alone. " Should any one, then, employ a teacher?' I say, or whence may any one be helped, if not even in them there is truth?' " There existed, long before this time, certain men more ancient than all those who are esteemed philosophers, both righteous and bel…
836 wordsSECTION 154Chapter IX.--The Christians have not believed groundless stories.
Chapter IX.--The Christians have not believed groundless stories. "I excuse and forgive you, my friend," I said. "For you know not what you say, but have been persuaded by teachers who do not understand the Scriptures; and you speak, like a diviner, whatever comes into your mind. But if you are willing to listen to an account o…
1,276 wordsSECTION 155Chapter XII.--The Jews violate the eternal law, and interpret ill that of Moses.
Chapter XII.--The Jews violate the eternal law, and interpret ill that of Moses. I also adduced another passage in which Isaiah exclaims: " Hear My words, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given Him for a witness to the people: nations whic…
1,183 wordsSECTION 156Chapter XIV.--Righteousness is not placed in Jewish rites, but in the conversion of the heart given in baptism by Christ.
Chapter XIV.--Righteousness is not placed in Jewish rites, but in the conversion of the heart given in baptism by Christ. "By reason, therefore, of this laver of repentance and knowledge of God, which has been ordained on account of the transgression of God's people, as Isaiah cries, we have believed, and testify that that very…
1,106 wordsSECTION 157Chapter XVI.--Circumcision given as a sign, that the Jews might be driven away for their evil deeds done to Christ and the Christians.
Chapter XVI.--Circumcision given as a sign, that the Jews might be driven away for their evil deeds done to Christ and the Christians. "And God himself proclaimed by Moses, speaking thus: And circumcise the hardness of your hearts, and no longer stiffen the neck. For the Lord your God is both Lord of lords, and a great, mighty,…
944 wordsSECTION 158Chapter XVIII.--Christians would observe the law, if they did not know why it was instituted.
Chapter XVIII.--Christians would observe the law, if they did not know why it was instituted. "For since you have read, O Trypho, as you yourself admitted, the doctrines taught by our Saviour, I do not think that I have done foolishly in adding some short utterances of His to the prophetic statements. Wash therefore, and be now…
1,146 wordsSECTION 159Chapter XXI.--Sabbaths were instituted on account of the people's sins, and not for a work of righteousness.
Chapter XXI.--Sabbaths were instituted on account of the people's sins, and not for a work of righteousness. "Moreover, that God enjoined you to keep the Sabbath, and impose on you other precepts for a sign, as I have already said, on account of your unrighteousness, and that of your fathers,--as He declares that for the sake o…
1,354 wordsSECTION 160Chapter XXIII.--The opinion of the Jews regarding the law does an injury to God.
Chapter XXIII.--The opinion of the Jews regarding the law does an injury to God. "But if we do not admit this, we shall be liable to fall into foolish opinions, as if it were not the same God who existed in the times of Enoch and all the rest, who neither were circumcised after the flesh, nor observed Sabbaths, nor any other ri…
702 wordsSource & rights
Historical text source: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. The downloaded text itself records Public Domain.