First Apology 1–20

To the Emperor Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius Augustus Caesar, and to his son Verissimus the Philosopher, and to Lucius the Philosopher, the son of Caesar by nature and of Pius by adoption, a lover of learning, and to the sacred Senate and the whole Roman people: on behalf of those of every race of people who are unjustly hated and abused, I, Justin, son of Priscus, son of Bacchius, of Flavia Neapolis in Syria Palestine, myself one of them, have made this address and petition.

Reason directs those who are truly pious and philosophers to honor and love only what is true, declining to follow the opinions of the ancients if they are worthless. For sound reason directs not only that we should not follow those who did or taught anything unjustly, but that the lover of truth must by all means, and even before his own life, choose to say and do what is right, even if death is threatened. You, then, hear yourselves everywhere called pious and philosophers and guardians of justice and lovers of learning; but whether you really are will be shown. For we have come, not to flatter you by these writings, nor to speak to win favor, but to ask you to judge according to strict and searching reason, not held back by prejudice or by a wish to please superstitious people, nor by irrational impulse and long-standing evil rumor, to pass sentence against yourselves. For we have reckoned that we can suffer no harm from anyone, unless we are convicted as workers of evil or proved to be wicked; you can kill us, but you cannot harm us.

But so that no one may think this an unreasonable and reckless saying, we ask that the charges against them be examined, and, if they are proved to be so, that they be punished as it is fitting to punish those convicted. But if no one can prove anything, true reason does not direct you to wrong innocent people because of an evil rumor, or rather yourselves, who think fit to handle matters by passion and not by judgment. Everyone of sound mind will declare this the fair and only just challenge: that subjects should give an irreproachable account of their life and teaching, and that rulers likewise should give their verdict following, not violence and tyranny, but piety and philosophy; for so both rulers and subjects would enjoy the good. For one of the ancients said somewhere, “Unless both rulers and subjects become philosophers, cities cannot be happy.” It is our task, then, to offer all an inspection of our life and teachings, so that we may not ourselves incur the penalty for those who think they are ignorant of our ways, for the faults they commit in their blindness; and it is yours, as reason demands, when you have heard, to be found good judges. For hereafter, having learned, you will have no excuse before God if you do not do what is just.

By the mere designation of a name nothing is judged good or bad apart from the actions implied by the name; indeed, as far as the name with which we are accused goes, we are most excellent. But since we do not think it just to ask to be released because of the name, if we are convicted as evildoers, so again, if we are found to do no wrong either in the designation of the name or in our conduct, it is your concern to take care lest, by unjustly punishing those who are not convicted, you yourselves incur punishment from justice. For neither praise nor punishment could reasonably come from a name, unless something virtuous or base could be shown through deeds. For those accused before you, you do not punish before they are convicted; but in our case you take the name as proof, although, as far as the name goes, you ought rather to punish the accusers. For we are accused of being Christians; but it is not just to hate what is excellent. And again, if one of the accused denies it with his voice, saying he is not a Christian, you release him, as having nothing to convict him of wrongdoing; but if anyone confesses that he is, you punish him because of the confession; when you ought to examine the life both of the one who confesses and of the one who denies, so that by his actions it may be seen what kind of person each is. For just as some, having learned from the teacher Christ not to deny when examined, urge others likewise, so in the same way some who live wickedly perhaps give occasion to those who in any case choose to accuse all Christians of impiety and injustice. But this too is not done rightly; for some assume the name and dress of philosophy who do nothing worthy of their profession; and you know that even those of the ancients who held and taught contrary opinions are called by the one name of philosophers. And some of these taught atheism; and the poets proclaim the licentiousness of Zeus together with his children; and those who follow their teachings are not restrained by you, but you award prizes and honors to those who insult them in fine language.

What, then, could this be? In our case, though we promise to do no wrong and not to hold these godless opinions, you do not examine the charges, but, driven by irrational passion and by the whip of evil demons, you punish without trial and without concern. For the truth shall be told: in ancient times evil demons, making appearances, both defiled women and corrupted boys, and showed terrifying sights to people, so that those who did not judge by reason what was happening were struck with terror; and being carried away by fear and not knowing that these were evil demons, they called them gods, and addressed each by the name that each of the demons had given himself. And when Socrates tried by true reason and searching inquiry to bring these things to light and to lead people away from the demons, the demons themselves, through people who delighted in wickedness, brought it about that he was put to death as an atheist and impious, saying that he was introducing new divinities; and in the same way they are doing the same thing in our case. For not only among the Greeks were these things refuted by reason through Socrates, but also among the barbarians by the Word himself, who took form and became man and was called Jesus Christ; and persuaded by him, we say that the demons who did these things are not only not right, but are evil and unholy demons, whose deeds are not even like those of people who long for virtue.

Hence we are also called atheists; and we confess that we are atheists with regard to such so-called gods, but not with regard to the most true God, the Father of righteousness and self-control and the other virtues, who is unmixed with evil. But him, and the Son who came from him and taught us these things, and the host of the other good angels who follow him and are made like him, and the prophetic Spirit, we worship and adore, honoring them in reason and truth, and handing them on without grudging to everyone who wishes to learn, as we have been taught.

But, someone will say, some have already been arrested and convicted as evildoers. Indeed you often condemn many, when you examine the life of those accused on each occasion, but not because of those who were convicted before. In general we admit this too: just as those among the Greeks who taught what pleased them are all called by the one name of philosophy, though their teachings are contrary, so also among the barbarians the name brought against those who became and were thought wise is common; for all are called Christians. Therefore we ask that the actions of all who are denounced to you be judged, so that the one convicted may be punished as a wrongdoer, but not as a Christian; and if anyone is shown to be blameless, let him be released as a Christian doing no wrong. For we will not ask you to punish the accusers; they are sufficiently punished by their present wickedness and their ignorance of what is good.

Consider that we have said these things for your sake, since it is in our power to deny when examined. But we do not wish to live by telling lies; for, longing for the eternal and pure life, we strive for the life that is with God, the Father and Maker of all, and we hasten to confess, being persuaded and believing that those who have shown God by their works that they followed him and loved the life with him, where evil does not resist, can obtain these things. This, then, to speak briefly, is what we expect and have learned from Christ and teach. And Plato likewise said that Rhadamanthus and Minos would punish the wicked who came before them; we say that the same thing will happen, but by Christ, and to the same bodies united with their souls, which will be punished with eternal punishment, and not for a period of a thousand years only, as he said. If anyone says this is incredible or impossible, this error concerns us and no one else, so long as we are not convicted of doing any wrong in deed.

Nor do we honor with many sacrifices and garlands of flowers those whom people have shaped and set up in temples and called gods, since we know that they are lifeless and dead and do not have the form of God (for we do not think that God has the form that some say they imitate to honor him), but have the names and shapes of those evil demons who appeared. For why need we tell you, who know it, how the craftsmen treat the material, carving and cutting and casting and hammering? And often from dishonorable vessels, changing only the shape by their art and giving it form, they call them gods. This we consider not only irrational but also an insult to God, who has glory and form beyond words, that his name should be given to things that are perishable and need care. And you know well that the craftsmen of these things are licentious and have every vice, not to list them; they even corrupt the slave girls who work with them. O the stupidity, that licentious men should be said to fashion and remake gods to be worshiped, and that such people should be appointed guardians of the temples where they are dedicated, not seeing that it is unlawful even to think or say that men are guardians of gods!

But we have received that God does not need material offerings from human beings, since we see that he himself provides everything; and we have been taught, and are persuaded, and believe, that he accepts only those who imitate the good things that belong to him: self-control and justice and love of humankind and whatever is proper to God, who is called by no given name. And we have been taught that in the beginning, being good, he made all things out of formless matter for the sake of human beings; and if they show themselves by their works worthy of his purpose, we have received that they will be counted worthy to live with him, reigning with him, having become incorruptible and free from suffering. For as in the beginning he made us when we did not exist, so we think that those who choose what pleases him will, because of that choice, be counted worthy of incorruption and of fellowship with him. For our coming into being in the beginning was not our doing; but to follow what is dear to him, choosing it through the rational powers he himself has given, he both persuades us and leads us to faith. And we think it is for the good of all people that they are not prevented from learning these things, but are even urged toward them. For what human laws could not do, the divine Word would have done, if the evil demons had not scattered many false and godless accusations, taking as their ally the evil desire in each person, varied in nature and bent on everything; none of which belongs to us.

And you, hearing that we expect a kingdom, have supposed without examination that we speak of a human one, whereas we speak of the kingdom with God; as is clear also from the fact that when examined by you we confess to being Christians, knowing that death is the penalty laid down for the one who confesses. For if we expected a human kingdom, we would deny it, so as not to be killed, and would try to escape notice, so as to obtain what we expect. But since we do not set our hopes on the present, we do not care about those who kill us, since we must die in any case.

And we are your helpers and allies for peace more than all other people, since we hold that it is impossible for an evildoer, a covetous person, or a conspirator, or a virtuous person, to escape the notice of God, and that each goes to eternal punishment or salvation according to the merit of his actions. For if all people knew this, no one would choose wickedness for a little while, knowing that he goes to eternal condemnation by fire; but he would by every means restrain himself and adorn himself with virtue, so as to obtain the good things from God and be free of the punishments. For those who, because of the laws and punishments you have laid down, try to escape notice when they do wrong, do wrong knowing that it is possible to escape your notice, since you are human; but if they learned and were persuaded that it is impossible to hide anything from God, not only what is done but even what is intended, they would at least because of the penalties be orderly in every way, as you too will agree. But you seem to fear that all may do right, and that you will no longer have anyone to punish; such would be the work of executioners, not of good rulers. And we are persuaded that these things too, as we said before, are brought about by evil demons, who demand sacrifices and worship even from those who live irrationally; but we do not suppose that you, who strive for piety and philosophy, will do anything irrational. But if you too, like the foolish, honor custom before truth, do what you can; but rulers who honor opinion before truth have as much power as robbers in a desert. That you will not succeed, the Word shows, than whom we know no more royal and just ruler after God who begot him. For as all avoid inheriting the poverty or sufferings or dishonor of their fathers, so the sensible person will not choose whatever the Word says one should not choose. That all these things would happen, I say, our Teacher foretold, he who is Son and Apostle of God the Father and Master of all, Jesus Christ, from whom we have also received the name of Christians. Therefore we are confident in all that he taught, since whatever he foretold would happen is seen actually happening; which is the work of God, to say something before it happens and so to show it happening as foretold. We might, then, stop here and add nothing more, reckoning that we ask what is just and true; but since we know that it is not easy to change quickly a soul held by ignorance, we have been eager to add a little, to persuade the lovers of truth, knowing that it is not impossible to flee ignorance when the truth has been set before it.

That we are not atheists, then, since we worship the Maker of this universe, declaring, as we have been taught, that he has no need of blood and libations and incense, praising him as much as we can by the word of prayer and thanksgiving for all that we receive; having received as the only honor worthy of him not to consume by fire what he made for our nourishment, but to offer it to ourselves and to those in need, and, being thankful to him, to send up through the word solemn praises and hymns for our creation and for all the means of health, for the varieties of kinds and the changes of seasons, and sending up petitions that we may be again in incorruption through faith in him: what person of sound mind will not admit? And we will show that we honor with reason the one who became our teacher of these things and was born for this purpose, Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the times of Tiberius Caesar, having learned that he is the Son of the true God and holding him in the second place, and the prophetic Spirit in the third rank. For in this they declare our madness, saying that we give the second place after the unchangeable and eternal God, the Begetter of all, to a crucified man, not knowing the mystery in this, to which we urge you to attend as we explain it.

For we warn you beforehand to be on guard, lest the demons whom we have accused deceive you and turn you away from reading and understanding what we say at all (for they strive to have you as their slaves and servants, and sometimes by appearances in dreams, sometimes by magical tricks, they subdue all who do not struggle in any way for their own salvation), just as we too, after being persuaded by the Word, have withdrawn from them and follow the only unbegotten God through his Son. We who once delighted in sexual immorality now embrace self-control alone; we who also used magical arts have now dedicated ourselves to the good and unbegotten God; we who valued above all else the acquisition of money and possessions now bring what we have into a common fund and share with everyone in need; we who hated and killed one another and would not share a common hearth with those not of our own tribe because of their customs, now, since the coming of Christ, live together, and pray for our enemies, and try to persuade those who hate us unjustly, so that they, living according to the good precepts of Christ, may share our good hope of obtaining the same things from God, the Master of all. And so that we may not seem to be playing the sophist, we have thought it good, before the proof, to mention a few of the teachings given by Christ himself; and let it be yours, as powerful rulers, to examine whether we have truly been taught and teach these things. His sayings were brief and concise; for he was no sophist, but his word was the power of God.

About self-control, then, he said this: “Whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery in his heart before God.” And: “If your right eye causes you to stumble, cut it out; for it is better for you to enter the kingdom of heaven with one eye than to be sent with two into the eternal fire.” And: “Whoever marries a woman divorced from another man commits adultery.” And: “There are some who were made eunuchs by men, and some who were born eunuchs, and some who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven; but not all accept this.” So those who by human law contract second marriages are sinners in the sight of our Teacher, as are those who look at a woman to desire her; for not only the one who commits adultery in deed is rejected by him, but also the one who wishes to commit adultery, since not only our deeds are manifest to God but also our thoughts. And many men and women of sixty and seventy years, who were made disciples of Christ from childhood, remain pure; and I boast that I could show such people in every race of mankind. And what shall we say of the countless multitude of those who have turned from licentiousness and learned these things? For Christ called not the righteous or the self-controlled to repentance, but the ungodly and licentious and unjust. He said thus: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” For the heavenly Father desires the repentance of the sinner rather than his punishment. And about loving all people he taught this: “If you love those who love you, what new thing do you do? For even fornicators do this. But I say to you: Pray for your enemies, and love those who hate you, and bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.” And about sharing with those in need and doing nothing for glory he said this: “Give to everyone who asks, and do not turn away the one who wishes to borrow. For if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what new thing do you do? Even the tax collectors do this. But do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and rust destroy and robbers break in; but store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul? Or what will he give in exchange for it? Store up treasures, then, in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys.” And: “Be kind and merciful, as your Father also is kind and merciful, and makes his sun rise on sinners and the righteous and the wicked. Do not be anxious about what you will eat or what you will wear. Are you not worth more than the birds and the beasts? And God feeds them. Do not be anxious, then, about what you will eat or what you will wear; for your heavenly Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of heaven, and all these things will be added to you. For where the treasure is, there also is the mind of man.” And: “Do not do these things to be seen by people; otherwise you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

About being patient and ready to serve all and free from anger, this is what he said: “To the one who strikes your cheek, offer the other also, and do not hinder the one who takes your tunic or cloak. Whoever is angry is liable to the fire. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Let your good works shine before people, so that seeing them they may marvel at your Father who is in heaven.” For we must not resist; nor does he wish us to imitate the wicked, but he exhorted us by patience and gentleness to lead all people away from shame and the love of evil. This we can show in the case of many who have lived among you: they changed from being violent and tyrannical, overcome either by observing the constancy of their neighbors' lives, or by noticing the strange patience of fellow travelers when they were cheated, or by experience of those they did business with. About not swearing at all, but always speaking the truth, he commanded thus: “Do not swear at all; but let your yes be yes, and your no no; what is more than these comes from the evil one.” And that we must worship God alone he persuaded us, saying: “The greatest commandment is: You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve, with all your heart and with all your strength, the Lord God who made you.” And when someone came to him and said, “Good teacher,” he answered, saying, “No one is good except God alone, who made all things.” And let those who are not found living as he taught be known not to be Christians, even if they speak the teachings of Christ with their tongue; for he said that not those who only speak, but those who also do the works, will be saved. For he said thus: “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. For whoever hears me and does what I say hears the one who sent me. And many will say to me: Lord, Lord, did we not eat and drink and do mighty works in your name? And then I will say to them: Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Then there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when the righteous shine like the sun, and the unrighteous are sent into the eternal fire. For many will come in my name, outwardly clothed in sheepskins, but inwardly being ravenous wolves; by their works you will know them. And every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” And we ask that you too punish those who do not live in accordance with his teachings, but are only called Christians.

And everywhere we try, before all others, to pay the taxes and levies to those appointed by you, as we were taught by him. For at that time some came to him and asked him whether one ought to pay taxes to Caesar. And he answered, “Tell me, whose image does the coin have?” And they said, “Caesar's.” And again he answered them, “Give, then, to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” Therefore we worship God alone, but in other things we gladly serve you, acknowledging you as kings and rulers of men, and praying that with your royal power you may also be found to have sound judgment. But if you disregard us, though we pray and set everything in the open, we shall suffer no harm, since we believe, or rather are persuaded, that each will pay the penalty through eternal fire according to the merit of his deeds, and will be required to give account in proportion to the powers he has received from God, as Christ indicated when he said, “To whom God has given more, from him more will also be required.”

For look at the end of each of the kings who have lived, that they died the death common to all; which, if it led to insensibility, would be a godsend to all the wicked. But since sensation remains for all who have lived, and eternal punishment is laid up, do not neglect to be persuaded and to believe that these things are true. For necromancy, and the divinations by means of uncorrupted boys, and the summoning of human souls, and those whom the magicians call dream-senders and familiar spirits, and all that is done by those skilled in these things, should persuade you that souls are in a state of sensation even after death; and so should those who are seized and thrown about by the souls of the dead, whom all call demon-possessed and mad; and what you call the oracles of Amphilochus and Dodona and Pytho, and all others of the kind; and the teachings of the writers Empedocles and Pythagoras, Plato and Socrates, and the pit in Homer and the descent of Odysseus to see these things, and the teachings of those who have said the same. Accept us at least as you accept them, since we believe in God not less than they but more, we who expect to receive back our own bodies, though they are dead and cast into the earth, saying that nothing is impossible with God.

And to one who considers it, what would seem more incredible than this: if we were not in the body, and someone said that from a small drop of human seed it is possible for bones and sinews and flesh to be formed, such as we see? Let it now be said by way of supposition: if someone told you, when you were not such beings nor born of such, showing the human seed and a painted image, and affirmed that from this such a thing is formed, would you have believed it before seeing it happen? No one would dare to deny it. In the same way, then, unbelief holds you because you have not yet seen a dead man rise. But just as at first you would not have believed that from the small drop such beings could come to be, and yet you see them come to be, in the same way consider that it is not impossible that human bodies, dissolved and scattered like seeds into the earth, will rise in due time at God's command and “put on incorruption.” For what power worthy of God those speak of who say that each thing returns to that from which it came, and that not even God can do anything beyond this, we cannot say; but we see this, that they would not have believed it possible that they themselves and the whole world should ever come to be such as they see, and from such things. And we have learned that it is better to believe even what is impossible to our own nature and to men than to disbelieve like the rest, since we know that our Teacher Jesus Christ said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” And he said, “Do not fear those who kill you and after that can do nothing more; but fear the one who after death is able to cast both soul and body into Gehenna.” And Gehenna is the place where those will be punished who have lived unjustly and do not believe that these things will come to pass which God taught through Christ.

And the Sibyl and Hystaspes said that there will be a destruction of corruptible things by fire. And the so-called Stoic philosophers teach that even God himself will be dissolved into fire, and say that the world will come into being again by transformation; but we understand God, the Maker of all, to be superior to things that change. If, then, we say some things like your honored poets and philosophers, and other things more greatly and divinely, and we alone with proof, why are we unjustly hated more than all? For in saying that all things were ordered and made by God we shall seem to state the doctrine of Plato; in saying that there will be a conflagration, that of the Stoics; in saying that the souls of the unjust, being in sensation even after death, are punished, and that those of the good, freed from punishment, live happily, we shall seem to say the same as the poets and philosophers; in saying that one ought not to worship the works of human hands, we say the same as the comic poet Menander and those who have said this; for they declared that the craftsman is greater than what he makes.