The First Apology

Presented in this episode is The First Apology by Justin Martyr. This document was written by Justin to the Emperor of Rome in order to defend Christians from persecution. His general argument is fairly straightforward: despite leading lives as model citizens, Christians were being put to death simply for their allegiance to Christ. 

Because of the intended audience, the First Apology provides insight to the relationship between church and state during the early history of Christianity. In the work one finds references to periods of persecution and respite. It appears that the primary argument against Christians was that they were “atheists” because they denied the existence of the Roman pantheon. In the eyes of their persecutors, by denying these beings their due worship, Christians caused natural disasters such as earthquakes.

Second, one finds much of early Christian belief and practice interwoven throughout this letter to the emperor of Rome. Of particular note are the descriptions of the Church’s weekly worship service and ceremonies surrounding baptism. This gives a sense of how the early church lived out the commands in Scripture to gather and live in community.

Finally, at the end of the apology, Justin has appended a letter from a previous emperor declaring that Christians should not be persecuted. The emperor, engaged in war in Germany, saw Christians praying. In response, God sent a storm that led to a Roman victory. Such power and piety not only convinced the Emperor of the existence of God, but also endures as a reminder today that prayer can be an effective witness to the watching world.

If you would like to read more of the writings of the Early Christian Fathers, please visit ccel.org to view the full collection.