The First Apology
c. 155
Justin’s apology addressed to Antoninus Pius on Christian worship, Scripture, and the Word. English by Marcus Dods and George Reith in the Ante-Nicene Fathers.
Translated by Marcus Dods and George Reith
English translation by Marcus Dods and George Reith, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. I (eds. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson; Buffalo: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885). Public domain. Digital text via New Advent Church Fathers.
Contents
- 1. Address
- 2. Justice demanded
- 3. Claim of judicial investigation
- 4. Christians unjustly condemned for their mere name
- 5. Christians charged with atheism
- 6. Charge of atheism refuted
- 7. Each Christian must be tried by his own life
- 8. Christians confess their faith in God
- 9. Folly of idol worship
- 10. How God is to be served
- 11. What kingdom Christians look for
- 12. Christians live as under God's eye
- 13. Christians serve God rationally
- 14. The demons misrepresent Christian doctrine
- 15. What Christ himself taught
- 16. Concerning patience and swearing
- 17. Christ taught civil obedience
- 18. Proof of immortality and the resurrection
- 19. The resurrection possible
- 20. Heathen analogies to Christian doctrine
- 21. Analogies to the history of Christ
- 22. Analogies to the sonship of Christ
- 23. The argument
- 24. Varieties of heathen worship
- 25. False Gods abandoned by Christians
- 26. Magicians not trusted by Christians
- 27. Guilt of exposing children
- 28. God's care for men
- 29. Continence of Christians
- 30. Was Christ not a magician?
- 31. Of the Hebrew prophets
- 32. Christ predicted by Moses
- 33. Manner of Christ's birth predicted
- 34. Place of Christ's birth foretold
- 35. Other fulfilled prophecies
- 36. Different modes of prophecy
- 37. Utterances of the Father
- 38. Utterances of the Son
- 39. Direct predictions by the Spirit
- 40. Christ's advent foretold
- 41. The crucifixion predicted
- 42. Prophecy using the past tense
- 43. Responsibility asserted
- 44. Not nullified by prophecy
- 45. Christ's session in heaven foretold
- 46. The Word in the world before Christ
- 47. Desolation of Judæa foretold
- 48. Christ's work and death foretold
- 49. His rejection by the Jews foretold
- 50. His humiliation predicted
- 51. The majesty of Christ
- 52. Certain fulfilment of prophecy
- 53. Summary of the prophecies
- 54. Origin of heathen mythology
- 55. Symbols of the cross
- 56. The demons still mislead men
- 57. And cause persecution
- 58. And raise up heretics
- 59. Plato's obligation to Moses
- 60. Plato's doctrine of the cross
- 61. Christian baptism
- 62. Its imitation by demons
- 63. How God appeared to Moses
- 64. Further misrepresentations of the truth
- 65. Administration of the sacraments
- 66. Of the Eucharist
- 67. Weekly worship of the Christians
- 68. Conclusion