Justin was most likely ordained a deacon, since he preached, did not marry, and gave religious instruction in his home. He is best known as the author of early apologetic works which argued for the Catholic faith against the claims of Jews, pagans, and non-Christian philosophers.
What is St Justin Martyr known for?
St. Justin Martyr, (born c. 100, Flavia Neapolis, Palestine [now Nāblus]—died c. 165, Rome [Italy]; feast day June 1), one of the most important of the Greek philosopher- Apologists in the early Christian church. His writings represent one of the first positive encounters of Christian revelation with Greek philosophy and laid the basis for a ...
Why did Justin Martyr take his newfound faith to the people?
The truth had been hidden from him by this fear of theirs. And he believed there were many others like him. He exhorted them that Christians had an obligation to speak of their faith, to witness to others about their faith and their mysteries. So Justin took his newfound faith to the people.
What did Justin Martyr say about teaching?
Throughout his work, Justin repeatedly uses the expression, “We have been taught… .” He was not the teacher; he was simply relating what he and other Christians had learned. One of the more impressive things about Justin is his thorough knowledge of Scripture.
What happened to Justin Martyr?
A group of philosophers plotting against him had him arrested and sentenced to death. Choosing to die rather than to renounce Christ, Justin was executed in about 165 A.D. After his death, he became known as Justin the Martyr, or simply Justin Martyr.
What is Justin Martyr's first apology?
Justin Martyr, in his First Apology (c. 155) and Dialogue with Trypho (c. 160), sometimes refers to written sources consisting of narratives of the life of Jesus and quotations of the sayings of Jesus as "memoirs of the apostles " ( Greek: ἀπομνημονεύματα τῶν ἀποστόλων; transliteration: apomnêmoneúmata tôn apostólôn) and less frequently as gospels (Greek: εὐαγγέλιον; transliteration: euangélion) which, Justin says, were read every Sunday in the church at Rome ( 1 Apol. 67.3 – "and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are being read as long as it is allowable").
What is Justin's primary source?
He refers to Justin's primary source for demonstrating scriptural proofs in the First Apology and parallel passages in the Dialogue as a "kerygma source". A second source, which was used only in the Dialogue, may be identical to a lost dialogue attributed to Aristo of Pella on the divine nature of the Messiah, the Dialogue of Jason and Papiscus (c. 140). Justin brings in biblical quotes verbatim from these sources, and he often appears to be paraphrasing his sources very closely, even in his interpretive remarks.
What is Justin's attitude toward the Pauline epistles?
Reflecting his opposition to Marcion, Justin's attitude toward the Pauline epistles generally corresponds to that of the later Church. In Justin's works, distinct references are found to Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians, and possible ones to Philippians, Titus, and 1 Timothy. It seems likely that he also knew Hebrews and 1 John.
What Gospels did Justin use?
Justin uses material from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) in the composition of the First Apology and the Dialogue, either directly, as in the case of Matthew, or indirectly through the use of a gospel harmony, which may have been composed by Justin or his school.
What did Justin think of the Greek philosophers?
Justin, like others, thought that the Greek philosophers had derived, if not borrowed, the most essential elements of truth found in their teaching from the Old Testament. But at the same time he adopted the Stoic doctrine of the "seminal word," and so philosophy was to him an operation of the Word—in fact, through his identification of the Word with Christ, it was brought into immediate connection with him.
Where did the whole unit come from?
The entire unit is a carefully composed harmony of parallel texts from Matthew and Luke. This unit is part of a larger collection of sayings found in 1 Apol. 15–17 that appear to have originated from a catechism used by Justin's school in Rome, which may have had a wide circulation.
When was Justin Martyr discovered?
After this medieval period in which no authentic works of Justin Martyr were in widespread circulation, a single codex containing the complete works of Justin Martyr was discovered and purchased by Guillaume Pellicier, around 1540 in Venice.
What is Justin's purpose in the Bible?
In them, Justin intends above all to illustrate the divine project of creation and salvation, which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Logos , that is, the eternal Word, eternal Reason, creative Reason.
What was Justin's work?
Overall, the figure and work of Justin mark the ancient Church’s forceful option for philosophy, for reason, rather than for the religion of the pagans. With the pagan religion, in fact, the early Christians strenuously rejected every compromise.
What was the purpose of the apologetics?
Thus, the apologists had a twofold concern: that most properly called “apologetic”, to defend the newborn Christianity (apologhía in Greek means, precisely, “defence”), and the pro-positive, “missionary” concern, to explain the content of the faith in a language and on a wavelength comprehensible to their contemporaries.
What is the story of Justin?
The story foretells the crucial episode in Justin’s life: at the end of a long philosophical journey, a quest for the truth, he arrived at the Christian faith. He founded a school in Rome where, free of charge, he initiated students into the new religion, considered as the true philosophy.
What is the purpose of the word "apologist"?
The word “apologist” designates those ancient Christian writers who set out to defend the new religion from the weighty accusations of both pagans and Jews, and to spread the Christian doctrine in terms suited to the culture of their time.
Who beheaded Justinian?
For this reason he was reported and beheaded in about 165 during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor to whom Justin had actually addressed one of his Apologia. These – the two Apologies and the Dialogue with the Hebrew, Tryphon – are his only surviving works.
How many Bible verses does Justin quote?
One of the more impressive things about Justin is his thorough knowledge of Scripture. In his First Apology alone, Justin quotes more than 155 Bible verses. That may not seem very remarkable, except that he quotes entirely from memory. Justin’s grasp of the Bible is almost unbelievable. In his apology, he deftly rattles off prophecy ...
What does Justin mean by philosophy?
Philosophia (philosophy) simply means “love of wisdom.”. So when Justin tells the rulers they should make a decision based on philosophy, he is not referring to some school of thought. Instead, he means that the rulers’ decision about Christians should be based on love of wisdom , not on hearsay or fear of the crowds.
What did the old man ask Justin?
The old man then began to ask Justin some soul-searching questions, helping Justin to see the deficiency of human philosophy.
Why did Justin Martyr wear the philosopher's robe?
Justin Martyr. After becoming a Christian, Justin continued to wear his philosopher’s robe to symbolize that he had found the one true philosophy. In fact, he became an evangelist; especially to pagan philosophers. He proved to be a gifted evangelist, bringing many Romans—learned and unlearned—to conversion.
What is Jesus's rational power?
In other words, Jesus is the embodiment of God’ s all-pervasive, rational power. The early Christians recognized that God is the source of all reason and knowledge. So they believed that any reasonable person would want to serve the Reason (Logos) of God. Justin emphasizes this theme throughout his First Apology.
What is Justin's grasp of the Bible?
Justin’s grasp of the Bible is almost unbelievable. In his apology, he deftly rattles off prophecy after prophecy from the Old Testament. Even though quoting from memory, he nearly always attributes these prophecies to the correct persons.
When did Justin the Martyr die?
Choosing to die rather than to renounce Christ, Justin was executed in about 165 A.D. After his death, he became known as Justin the Martyr, or simply Justin Martyr. Apart from the inspired New Testament writings, Justin’s 1st Apology is perhaps the single most valuable work of early Christianity. It furnishes detailed descriptions ...
