Eulogy: The First Apology By Justin Martyr

Following Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, the early Christian Church saw explosive growth throughout the world, especially as it expanded west into the Roman Empire. With that growth came questions from the authorities and societies into which the Christians expanded, often resulting in misunderstanding. Second century Roman authorities held many misconceptions about Christianity and, since it was illegal, many Christian experienced arrest and persecution. In response, Christian writers began to write apology’s in defense of their religion. Justin Martyr is one of the first apologists to emerge from this time. Due to his scholarly background, Justin addresses his First Apology to the Roman authorities in philosophical terms to address

Introducing himself in Chapter 1, he relates that he is “son of Priscus, son of Baccheios, from Flavia Neapolis of Syria Palestina.” His name, and that of his parents, reveal a Greco-Roman heritage and his hometown was a Roman outpost in what was previously known as Samaria. As a young man, Justin became a student of philosophy in search of truth, studying Stoic, peripatetic, Pythagorean and Platonic philosophies; however, he found shortcomings in each of these schools of philosophy. He eventually studied the Jewish prophets at the urging of a stranger and was converted when he found in Christianity what he called “the true philosophy.” This knowledge of scripture and philosophy were used as a means of evangelism as Justin eventually opened the first Christian school in Rome and then began writing in defense of Christianity. Justin did not reject the pagan philosophies that he learned but instead used what he knew to appeal to the intellect rather than to the emotions of critics, persuading by use of logic and

Justin uses the idea of Logos to explain Christ in philosophical terms to his audience who was well versed in the concept. Logos means “word” and “reason” in Greek, relating to universal truths. Justin Scholar Paul Parvis explains that this was a key term, especially for the Stoics who thought “‘Logos’ and ‘God’ were interchangeable terms, though by it they meant an impersonal force, diffused throughout the material world and giving it structure and order.” Justin asserts in Chapter 46 that Christ is the “Reason of which every race of man partakes.” He goes on to say that those who live in accordance with Reason are Christians, even godless men, such as Socrates and other philosophers as well as Jews before Jesus’ time such as Abraham and Elijah. This concept helped bridge the gap between Christian faith and pagan