Justin Martyr, "Apology I and II"

Justin Martyr. Apology I and II. in Ancient Christian Writers. New York: Newman Press, 1997.

SUMMERY

Justin Martyr has set forth an excellent defense of the gospel, especially in light of the context in which he wrote. Writing in the 2nd Century, the Church being less than 2 years old, Martyr writes his Apologies to the then Caesar defending the gospel and seeking justice. These are the two main purpose of his writing.

First, Martyr defends the gospel. He does so by explaining some of the misunderstandings about Christianity. To do so, he states what Christians are being accused of, explains what they do, why they do it, and how it lines up with current Greek thought, common sense, and revelation from common grace.

One of the things he discusses is the argument that Christians are atheist because they don’t worship the Roman gods or Caesar himself. This was an early accusation against Christians all rooted in the assumption that since they don’t worship the traditional gods, they must therefore be atheists and not worship any God.

Martyr sets the record straight. They are not atheists, they are monotheists. He makes it clear why they do not worship Roman gods and Caesar, but then sets forth his defense of who they do worship. They worship the Creator of the universe and His Song Jesus Christ who was executed and raised from the dead.

come from of their teaching of the kingdom. It was assumed that Christians seeking to set up an earthly kingdom, overthrow Caesar, and rule the world. Such a belief is dangerous to all government powers, and many argued that Christians were dangerous because of it.
But Martyr points out that this is a misunderstanding of what Christians believed. They do not seek a human kingdom, but God’s. He points out that if they were seeking a human kingdom, they would deny it in order to save their lives so that they could accomplish their goals. But since they do deny it and proclaim what sort of kingdom they seek, which is not human, and do not try to save their own lives, it goes against reason to say that they are seeking a human kingdom.

The other purpose of the book is to seek justice from the Roman government. Since it’s birth, the Christian Church had been persecuted and everyday Christians were being executed. Christians were considered enemies of the state and Justin Martyr seeks to explain that Christians are not criminals, and they are not the enemies of the State, but rather are obedient (unless it contradicts their moral code) to the laws.

Martyr makes it clear that the execution of Christians is unjust and wrong. Christians do no wrong (true Christians that is), and the State has no reason to suspect them of wrongdoing. Martyr is essentially seeking justice from his government. Why are Christians being chased down and murdered without ever committing a crime. Christians are innocent, and should therefore be left alone and not treated as criminals.

PERSONAL ENGAGEMENT

Justin Martyr’s approach to apologetics and meeting the needs of his situation is appropriate. Much of what he says and his approach to apologetics is still useful today. We must, therefore, look closer to what he has written, how he defends Christainity, and see if we can still follow the same format today.

One thing I really enjoyed about Martyr was the simplicity of his argument. Martyr does not spend his time trying to sound smart, rather he is trying to convert Caesar! Therefore, he uses words, illustrations, examples, and rhetoric that his readers would understand.

The gospel is simple, and if we make it difficult (by using large words, etc.) we loose the profound simplicity of the gospel. Martyr manages to show this simplicity of the gospel through Jesus Christ. He walks us through sin, and how his accusers and everyone else are guilty of it, the punishment of sin in hell, and the free grace of Jesus Christ offered to all those who repent.
Not only is he simple in his presentation of the gospel, he is simple in his defense of the gospel. From the beginning, Martyr takes the accusations make against Christianity, states them, and then explains the truth. Such accusations include atheism, immorality, disloyalty, and others. He states the issue, explains how his accusers are wrong, and then explains what they truly believe.
As the reader follows his argument, he is amazed at how simple and straightforward Christianity is. The accusers are wrong in making their accusations, while the Christians are a group of believers in a risen Savior who serve Him and His commandments. They are a moral, unrebellious people. And as he makes this clear, he does it so plainly that it is impossible to miss his point.

Another thing that we could use today is how he put Christianity in the context of his readers. Martyr is writing during the reign of the Roman Empire. He understands what Romans appropriate. Much of what he says and his approach to apologetics is still useful today. We must, therefore, look closer to what he has written, how he defends Christainity, and see if we can still follow the same format today.

One thing I really enjoyed about Martyr was the simplicity of his argument. Martyr does not spend his time trying to sound smart, rather he is trying to convert Caesar! Therefore, he uses words, illustrations, examples, and rhetoric that his readers would understand.

The gospel is simple, and if we make it difficult (by using large words, etc.) we loose the profound simplicity of the gospel. Martyr manages to show this simplicity of the gospel through Jesus Christ. He walks us through sin, and how his accusers and everyone else are guilty of it, the punishment of sin in hell, and the free grace of Jesus Christ offered to all those who repent.
Not only is he simple in his presentation of the gospel, he is simple in his defense of the gospel. From the beginning, Martyr takes the accusations make against Christianity, states them, and then explains the truth. Such accusations include atheism, immorality, disloyalty, and others. He states the issue, explains how his accusers are wrong, and then explains what they truly believe.
As the reader follows his argument, he is amazed at how simple and straightforward Christianity is. The accusers are wrong in making their accusations, while the Christians are a group of believers in a risen Savior who serve Him and His commandments. They are a moral, unrebellious people. And as he makes this clear, he does it so plainly that it is impossible to miss his point.

Another thing that we could use today is how he put Christianity in the context of his readers. Martyr is writing during the reign of the Roman Empire. He understands what Romans believe and where they are coming from, and uses that to his advantage.

He does so by quoting Greek philosophers like Socrates and Plato, and by using Greek/Roman mythology as a starting point for defending Christian beliefs. But he doesn’t simply say, God is like Zeus and leave it at that. Rather, he points out the difference, and why the Christian God is better, bigger, and true.

One example of him using the Roman worldview and religion was his treatment on hell. He pointed to Greek philosophers teaching on hell, and even turns to Homer’s Odyssey as an illustration. From there, he explains the Christian doctrine of hell and why it is necessary and true.

Martyr’s approach is similar to Paul’s in Athens in Acts 17. There, Paul used general revelation in order to lead them to special revelation and the gospel. Martyr essentially does the same thing here. By quoting philosophers and the great writers of their time, he is able to show the logic of Christianity, and why his readers must put paganism behind and come to Christ.
We can do the same today. Believers in America understand the cultural context in which they live. Instead of living in a world of deep theology and the words that come with it, we need to return to the profound simplicity of the gospel (without compromising the message). This means we need to get on their level, meet them where they are, and share the saving message of the gospel.

Likewise, we must not be afraid of general revelation. Even in our society where evolution is accepted and creationism is rejected, starting with general revelation is still affective. And as we take this approach, we must use general revelation for the sole purpose of leading the hearer to special revelation, to Christ, and ultimately to the gospel. This is what Paul and Martyr did, and we can do the same today.

appropriate. Much of what he says and his approach to apologetics is still useful today. We must, therefore, look closer to what he has written, how he defends Christainity, and see if we can still follow the same format today.

One thing I really enjoyed about Martyr was the simplicity of his argument. Martyr does not spend his time trying to sound smart, rather he is trying to convert Caesar! Therefore, he uses words, illustrations, examples, and rhetoric that his readers would understand.

The gospel is simple, and if we make it difficult (by using large words, etc.) we loose the profound simplicity of the gospel. Martyr manages to show this simplicity of the gospel through Jesus Christ. He walks us through sin, and how his accusers and everyone else are guilty of it, the punishment of sin in hell, and the free grace of Jesus Christ offered to all those who repent.
Not only is he simple in his presentation of the gospel, he is simple in his defense of the gospel. From the beginning, Martyr takes the accusations make against Christianity, states them, and then explains the truth. Such accusations include atheism, immorality, disloyalty, and others. He states the issue, explains how his accusers are wrong, and then explains what they truly believe.
As the reader follows his argument, he is amazed at how simple and straightforward Christianity is. The accusers are wrong in making their accusations, while the Christians are a group of believers in a risen Savior who serve Him and His commandments. They are a moral, unrebellious people. And as he makes this clear, he does it so plainly that it is impossible to miss his point.

Another thing that we could use today is how he put Christianity in the context of his readers. Martyr is writing during the reign of the Roman Empire. He understands what Romans believe and where they are coming from, and uses that to his advantage.

He does so by quoting Greek philosophers like Socrates and Plato, and by using Greek/Roman mythology as a starting point for defending Christian beliefs. But he doesn’t simply say, God is like Zeus and leave it at that. Rather, he points out the difference, and why the Christian God is better, bigger, and true.

One example of him using the Roman worldview and religion was his treatment on hell. He pointed to Greek philosophers teaching on hell, and even turns to Homer’s Odyssey as an illustration. From there, he explains the Christian doctrine of hell and why it is necessary and true.

Martyr’s approach is similar to Paul’s in Athens in Acts 17. There, Paul used general revelation in order to lead them to special revelation and the gospel. Martyr essentially does the same thing here. By quoting philosophers and the great writers of their time, he is able to show the logic of Christianity, and why his readers must put paganism behind and come to Christ.
We can do the same today. Believers in America understand the cultural context in which they live. Instead of living in a world of deep theology and the words that come with it, we need to return to the profound simplicity of the gospel (without compromising the message). This means we need to get on their level, meet them where they are, and share the saving message of the gospel.

Likewise, we must not be afraid of general revelation. Even in our society where evolution is accepted and creationism is rejected, starting with general revelation is still affective. And as we take this approach, we must use general revelation for the sole purpose of leading the hearer to special revelation, to Christ, and ultimately to the gospel. This is what Paul and Martyr did, and we can do the same today.

Another thing about Martyr’s approach to apologetics that is needed today is use of Scripture. Martyr could have easily defended his faith without Scripture, as so many apologests do today, but to do so would not be Christianity. He shows his readers that we have nothing worth saying, and we must therefore be driven by the Scriptures and use the Scripture in our defense.
Every subject he discusses, he always provides quotes from the Gospels, the Old Testament, and the Epistles. He wants to make it clear where he is coming from, why Christians believe what they believe, and why. All of that comes from a correct understanding of the Scripture.
Furthermore, he isn’t afraid to exegete the passage right before his readers. He assumes that they are capable to understand the text and walks us through them. He does this especially with the Old Testament prophecies about Christ and eschatology, but he also does it with the New Testament.

This helps us to understand how we must present the Scriptures. We must not quote the text in order to sound smart, but in order to utilize the text to make the gospel clear. We must, therefore, understand the text ourselves and how to apply it to ourselves and to others. Martyr never quotes the Scripture without explaining it. He shows how it is relevant and what it says about the gospel, the Christian, and life.

We can learn a lot from this great Christian apologists from almost two millennium’s ago. Martyr’s approach to apologetics and how he defended the gospel and took a stand for the Church is significant. We must take his approach and apply it to our current context. Are we willing to defend the gospel so vehemently like Martyr? And if we are, how do we do it? That question can be answered by diving into Justin Martyr’s two Apologies and follow his model.
The defense of the gospel is essential to sharing the gospel. We must be willing to defend the faith, not to just win arguments, but to lead people to Christ. And the model set forth by example from Martyr may just the model we should mimic in our own ministry of evangelism
and apologetics.