First Apology 66
Summary: The Eucharist is for the baptized only; it is not common bread and drink, but the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus, as the Gospels record.
Greek text · Rauschen, 106–108
Καὶ ἡ τροφὴ αὕτη καλεῖται παρʼ ἡμῖν εὐχαριστία, ἧς οὐδενὶ ἄλλῳ μετασχεῖν ἐξόν ἐστιν ἢ τῷ πιστεύοντι ἀληθῆ εἶναι τὰ δεδιδαγμένα ὑφʼ ἡμῶν, καὶ λουσαμένῳ τὸ ὑπὲρ ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ εἰς ἀναγέννησιν λουτρόν, καὶ οὕτως βιοῦντι ὡς ὁ Χριστὸς παρέδωκεν. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς κοινὸν ἄρτον οὐδὲ κοινὸν πόμα ταῦτα λαμβάνομεν· ἀλλʼ ὃν τρόπον διὰ λόγου θεοῦ σαρκοποιηθεὶς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν καὶ σάρκα καὶ αἷμα ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας ἡμῶν ἔσχεν, οὕτως καὶ τὴν διʼ εὐχῆς λόγου τοῦ παρʼ αὐτοῦ εὐχαριστηθεῖσαν τροφήν, ἐξ ἧς αἷμα καὶ σάρκες κατὰ μεταβολὴν τρέφονται ἡμῶν, ἐκείνου τοῦ σαρκοποιηθέντος Ἰησοῦ καὶ σάρκα καὶ αἷμα ἐδιδάχθημεν εἶναι. Οἱ γὰρ ἀπόστολοι ἐν τοῖς γενομένοις ὑπʼ αὐτῶν ἀπομνημονεύμασιν, ἃ καλεῖται εὐαγγέλια, οὕτως παρέδωκαν ἐντετάλθαι αὐτοῖς, τὸν Ἰησοῦν λαβόντα ἄρτον εὐχαριστήσαντα εἰπεῖν· „Τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἀνάμνησίν μου, τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ σῶμά μου“· καὶ τὸ ποτήριον ὁμοίως λαβόντα καὶ εὐχαριστήσαντα εἰπεῖν· Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ αἷμά μου“· καὶ μόνοις αὐτοῖς μεταδοῦναι. Ὅπερ καὶ ἐν τοῖς τοῦ Μίθρα μυστηρίοις παρέδωκαν γίνεσθαι μιμησάμενοι οἱ πονηροὶ δαίμονες· ὅτι γὰρ ἄρτος καὶ ποτήριον ὕδατος τίθεται ἐν ταῖς τοῦ μυουμένου τελεταῖς μετʼ ἐπιλόγων τινῶν, ἢ ἐπίστασθε ἢ μαθεῖν δύνασθε.
English · Claude translation
And this food is called among us Eucharist, of which no one may partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has been washed with the washing for the forgiveness of sins and for regeneration, and lives as Christ handed down. For we do not receive these as common bread or common drink; but just as Jesus Christ our Savior, made flesh through the word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food over which thanks have been given through the word of prayer that is from him, from which our blood and flesh are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. For the apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, handed down that they were thus commanded: that Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and said, “Do this in remembrance of me; this is my body”; and likewise took the cup, gave thanks, and said, “This is my blood”; and gave it to them alone. And the wicked demons imitated this and handed it down to be done in the mysteries of Mithras; for that bread and a cup of water are set out in the rites of one being initiated, with certain formulas, you either know or can learn.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- A classic early witness to eucharistic belief. “Through the word of prayer that is from him” (διʼ εὐχῆς λόγου τοῦ παρʼ αὐτοῦ) is debated: it may mean a prayer containing Christ's own words of institution, or a prayer of the kind he taught.
- “By transformation” (κατὰ μεταβολήν) refers to the ordinary digestion by which food nourishes our bodies, not to a change in the bread and wine.
- “Memoirs … which are called Gospels”: the first surviving use of “Gospels” in the plural for written books.
- The words of institution combine Luke 22:19 and 1 Cor 11:24–25 with Matt 26:26–28 (Mark 14:22–24).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (digitization slip (word split); digitization slip against Rauschen's printed text (wrong breathing and accent)): παρʼ ἡ μῖν → παρʼ ἡμῖν; ἐξ ἠς → ἐξ ἧς.
Cite this passage
Justin, 1 Apol. 66 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-1-apology/66/).
Plain text
Justin, 1 Apol. 66 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-1-apology/66/).
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