Timeless Faith

#73 The First Apology of Justin - Part 9


Listen Later

By Justin Martyr, from The Ante-Nicene Fathers

Chapter 37 - Words Spoken as the Father

So that this may be clear to you, here are words spoken from the person of the

Father through Isaiah the prophet:

"The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not

know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with
iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken
the LORD."

And elsewhere, the same prophet speaks similarly from the person of the Father:

"Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool:
where is the house that ye build unto me?"

And again, in another place: "Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul

hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread
forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many
prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Is not this the fast
that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens,
and to let the oppressed go free? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and
that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the
naked, that thou cover him?"

What kind of things are taught through the prophets from the person of God, you

can now see.

Chapter 38 - Words Spoken as the Son

When the Spirit of prophecy speaks from the person of Christ, the words are like

this: "I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which
walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts."

And again: "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked

off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will
help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like
a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth
me."

And again, when he says: "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon

my vesture. They pierced my hands and my feet. I laid me down and slept; I
awaked; for the LORD sustained me."

And again, when he says: "All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot

out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would
deliver him: let him deliver him."

All these things happened to Christ at the hands of the Jews, as you can verify.

When He was crucified, they thrust out their lips and wagged their heads,
saying, "Let Him who raised the dead save Himself."

Chapter 39 - Direct Predictions by the Spirit

When the Spirit of prophecy speaks as predicting things to come, he speaks this

way: "For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from
Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people:
and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more."

That this did happen, we can convince you. From Jerusalem, twelve men went out

into the world - uneducated men with no ability in speaking. But by God's power,
they proclaimed to every race that they were sent by Christ to teach everyone
the word of God.

We who formerly murdered one another not only now refuse to make war on our

enemies, but also willingly die confessing Christ rather than lie or deceive our
examiners. For we could imitate that saying, "The tongue has sworn but the mind
is unsworn." But if soldiers enrolled by you, who have taken the military oath,
prefer their loyalty to their own lives, parents, country, and all relatives,
though you can offer them nothing eternal - it would be ridiculous if we, who
earnestly desire immortality, should not endure everything to obtain what we
desire from Him who is able to grant it.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Timeless FaithBy Timeless Faith