This follows from the gospel narrative as known from Justin Martyr's writings
The purpose of this table is to present a clear overview of what the mid-second century Justin Martyr appears to believe and understand about the Church, Christianity, Heresy and Eschatology.
Many detailed studies have been made of what Justin knew of the Sayings of Jesus but there have been fewer works discussing his understanding of the narrative of Jesus and the Church up till his own time. Since so many of the Sayings of Jesus fit well enough with the Sayings found in the Canonical gospels, and since there appear to be also a few narrative overlaps, it is widely held as a given that Justin knew of the canonical gospels.
I have doubts about this assumption: my previous table also demonstrates that Justin placed the last supper or eucharist AFTER the resurrection of Jesus; says Jesus experienced sickness; knows nothing of any Judas; understands the disciples fled after the crucifixion (not the arrest) of Jesus; knew only of a genealogy of Joseph and explicitly repeated that Jesus himself had no genealogy; and that he was crucified on Herod's (not Pilate's) orders (in the time of Pilate, not by Pilate); among other variants from the canonical gospels.
This table continues an outline of Justin's understanding of Christianity and the Church up till his own time, as well as giving some idea of his beliefs about the future.
Justin |
Comments(by no means complete) |
1.
Gentiles only heard about Christ after: |
Contrast Acts where Peter then Paul (from Antioch, not Jerusalem) only are responsible for the conversion of the gentiles |
2. Called Christians: after
the “name” Christ; |
First called Christians in Antioch according to Acts |
3. The Church is known as a House of Prayer and Adoration (DT86) |
|
4. Christ is now in heaven
with authority over demons |
|
5. Christ is now in heaven until the pre-ordained number of righteous is complete (FA45) |
Compare Paul in Romans. |
6. The prophecy of the Law going out from Jerusalem: was
begun from the day of the resurrection of Jesus (DT39,53,109,110; FA39,42,45) |
Acts denies this. Apostles remained in Jerusalem and only Peter, then Paul later, went out to gentiles.
|
7. The Twelve: were
illiterate, with no speaking ability, (FA39,45) |
Acts agrees they were illiterate. But only later Church tradition agrees the 12 went out to all nations, but not Acts. |
8. After this: Judea
was captured by Rome |
Gospels claim Pilate, not Herod, ordered the crucifixion. Acts allows for kings after Herod – e.g. King Agrippa. Acts does not see the destruction of Jerusalem or the conquest by the Romans at all. |
9. Jerusalem and land of the Jews: was
laid waste as predicted |
Acts does not know of this event. Yet to Justin this event coincides with the resurrection of Jesus and the beginning of the preaching to the gentiles by the Twelve apostles. |
10. Gentile Christians: are
greater in numbers and truth than Jewish and Samaritan (Israelite)
Christians, (FA53) |
Orthodox doctrine has Paul preaching to the gentiles and Peter to the Jews. |
11. Christianity is now world-wide (DT117) |
|
12. The world believes because: it
has heard the message from the apostles |
|
13. There is persecution |
|
14. The Jews' response to Christianity: they
knew Jesus was resurrected
|
Paul met Jewish opposition before the destruction of the temple. |
15. Christians are unjustly accused of atheism (FA5) |
|
16. Having the name of Christ (being known as a “Christian”?) is cause for condemnation (FA4,24) |
|
17. Christians were persecuted by the Jews in the Bar Khoba war (FA31) |
|
18. The Jews had anathematized Christians in their synagogues. (DT47) |
|
19. History of apostasy: Simon
from Gitto in Samaria Meander,
Simon's disciple, Marcion
of Pontus is still alive All the followers of these three are called “Christians” Among
“our false brethren” calling themselves Christians
are: Some of these heretical Christians eat meats sacrificed to idols. |
Is it worth pursuing the fact that the first gospel, Mark, portrays Simon, the only known married apostle, as the one chiefly confused over the true message of Jesus? And another Simon as being drafted into assisting with the execution of Jesus? And another Simon as being an unclean leper in whose house the followers of Jesus turned against him?
|
20. Other Christians: some
keep the Mosaic law (sabbath, circumcision, months, washing and
touchings) (DT46,47) |
Is it also worth following up that the next gospel, Matthew, endorses the Mosaic law and restores Simon to being the Rock, the head of the church, as opposed to the “rocky ground” from which nothing lasting grew? |
21. Other Christians: some
deny the millennium (DT80) |
Compare Paul in I Corinthians 15; and Revelation. |
22.
Way of Life: |
Compare epistles and Acts which paint a scenario of a time when miracles are no longer common.
|
23. Eschatology (DT32) |
Compare 2 Thessalonians, which is generally held among scholars to be a non-genuine “Pauline” letter written by an opponent of the message expressed in 1 Thessalonians. |
Neil Godfrey (2006)
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