Who’s your daddy? St. Justin Martyr

In the JP2 Group we’re doing a mini-series on Christian worship in the Early Church. It is for this reason that I recently posted several blog entries about St. Justin Martyr, an Early Church Father and one of the first great Christian apologists.

However, I realized as I was finishing up yesterday’s post that I haven’t actually written an introductory post about this great man. I had done this previously when we were studying St. Ignatius of Antioch and St. Polycarp of Smyrna. So today I’m going to remedy this, providing a little bit of information about St. Justin’s life.

Who was this man whose writings we’ve been studying?

Searching For Truth

What we know about St. Justin mainly comes from his own writings. He was born in about AD 103 to Pagan parents in Flavia Neapolis, modern day Nablus on the West Bank. He had a great love of philosophy and studied various philosophical systems:

“…I surrendered myself to a Stoic Philosopher…but when I had not acquired any further knowledge of God (for he did not know himself, and said such instruction was unnecessary)…I left him…

A Peripatetic Philosopher… asked me for money. For this reason I left him, believing him to be no philosopher at all….

I came to a Pythagorean Philosopher, very celebrated – a man who thought much of his own wisdom… He said, ‘What then? Are you acquainted with music, astronomy, and geometry?’ Having commended many of these branches of learning, and telling me that they were necessary, he dismissed me.

In my helpless condition it occurred to me to have a meeting with the Platonists, for their fame was great. I thereupon spent as much of my time as possible with one who had lately settled in our city…and I progressed, and made the greatest improvements daily. And the perception of immaterial things quite overpowered me, and the contemplation of ideas furnished my mind with wings, so that in a little while I supposed that I had become wise; and such was my stupidity, I expected forthwith to look upon God, for this is the end of Plato’s philosophy.
– Dialogue With Trypho, Chapter 2

The True Philosophy

It was at this point that Justin met an old man when he was walking in a field close to the sea. They engaged in conversation and this man witnessed to him Jesus Christ. This encounter had a profound impact upon Justin:

“When he had spoken these and many other things…he went away, bidding me attend to them; and I have not seen him since. But straightway a flame was kindled in my soul; and a love of the prophets, and of those men who are friends of Christ, possessed me; and whilst revolving his words in my mind, I found this philosophy alone to be safe and profitable. Thus, and for this reason, I am a philosopher.”
– Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 8

Justin never saw this man again, yet this chance encounter gave rise to one of the greatest Christian apologists of the Early Church and a prolific martyr! I often wonder about that unnamed stranger. I wonder if the old man ever found out about what happened to that philosopher with whom he once took a stroll. I guess this just goes to show that you may never know what seeds you sow…

Putting Pen To Parchment

Unfortunately, most of Justin’s works are lost. We have three authentic works remaining to us and a handful of documents and fragments of questionable authenticity.

The first two legitimate works are apologies Justin wrote in defense of Christianity and against the persecution of the Church. It was a section from his First Apology that we read in the JP2 Group on Thursday in order to learn about worship in the Early Church.

The other remaining work is entitled “A Dialogue with Trypho” (quoted above) and narrates an extended exchange between St. Justin and Rabbi Tarfon.

All Roads Lead To Rome

Justin moved to Rome and setup a school there. He adopted the garb of a philosopher since he regarded Christianity as the true philosophy. Eventually, he was betrayed to the authorities by a rival philosopher, Crescens. He was tried with six other Christians:

And when they had been brought before his judgment-seat, [the prefect] said to Justin, “Obey the gods at once, and submit to the kings.” 

Justin said, “To obey the commandments of our Saviour Jesus Christ is worthy neither of blame nor of condemnation.”

Rusticus the prefect said, “What kind of doctrines do you profess?”

Justin said, “I have endeavoured to learn all doctrines; but I have acquiesced at last in the true doctrines, those namely of the Christians, even though they do not please those who hold false opinions.”

…Rusticus the prefect said, “Unless you [offer sacrifice to the gods], you shall be mercilessly punished.”

Justin said, “Through prayer we can be saved on account of our Lord Jesus Christ…because this shall become to us salvation and confidence at the more fearful and universal judgment-seat of our Lord and Saviour.”

Thus also said the other martyrs: “Do what you will, for we are Christians, and do not sacrifice to idols.”

… The holy martyrs having glorified God, and having gone forth to the accustomed place, were beheaded, and perfected their testimony in the confession of the Saviour.

And some of the faithful having secretly removed their bodies, laid them in a suitable place, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ having wrought along with them, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 – Martyrdom of Justin Martyr and Companions

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!