Flavius Justin Martyr

THE LIFE AND DOCTRINAL OF JUSTIN MARTYR

The Life of Flavius Justinus

Flavius Justinus, better known as Justin Martyr was raised in a pagan Greek family. After being dissatisfied with the teachings of his upbringing, he began his search. He explored many world views, but was ultimately dissatisfied until he came to Christ, the Logos. He became the earliest Christian philosopher; and his writings were extremely influential to the Church fathers who came after him. Though there were other Christian writers before him, there are very limited accounts of their writings and who they were. Most of the history about Justin comes from Eusebius, and from his own writings. He was the most significant apologist of the second century. The life of Justin

is filled with his vigor and devotion to God in his search and defense of the truth, and most noted in his death as a Martyr.
The Search
Justin Martyr lived from C.E. 110 to 165 living in many places through his life in order to pursue his search for truth. He was born as a native of Flavia Neapolis, in the region of Samaria. Starting out from a Greek family in thought and practice. He moved on from his initial thoughts and pursued the truth in many different places and in many philosophies. In his search abroad in the old schools of philosophy he came to Stoicism. He left this philosophy because they did not see God as an important part of knowledge. He then went to a Peripatetic philosopher. However, this did not last long since he felt it was a pursuit of money instead of truth. After that he came across a Pythagorean, which follow is a Pythagoreanism a mathematical philosophy. He rejected this form of knowledge since in order to go be a disciple one had to have knowledge of Music, Astronomy, and Geometry. Not too long after, he then came to be a disciple of Socrates and Plato. This way of thinking stayed with him since he saw it as a means to gain more knowledge about God. It was at this point that he found Christianity.
When He found Christianity, he said this about it, “Found Christianity to be the only philosophy that is sure and suited to man’s wants”. However, just because he left behind him the worldview’s of his previous discipleship’s, he did not rid himself of their influence, but used them as a means to reach out with his new found philosophy. He used his training and great knowledge as a bridge between unbelievers, and the truth of the divine Jesus Christ. Eusebius along with Tertullian, both mention how Christians like Justin Martyr continued to hold their philosophical view after their conversion. Though, at times such philosophies were not too far off from those found in the scriptures, there were some parts that did contradict with the scriptures. However, the parts he most often recited, he carried with him as a testimony of their rejection of their previous philosophies. This could be compared to what Paul did with his conversion story, telling of those whom he persecuted in the name of serving YHWH. This would have been a common practice, just as Jesus told the man with the Legion in (Luke 8:26-39) to go and tell what good things God has done for him. The spreading of the gospel often constituted of disciples telling of why they rejected what was normal for the foolishness of the cross. Justin does this in the beginning of his Dialogue with Trypho. His conversion started a new part of his life as it changed him from the person he was before. It changed his life from a peaceful contemplative life, into one of debate, persecution, and death.
The Apologist
After his conversion, Justin was faced with opposition on every side.

He faced off against Pagans and intellectual philosophers, the state, Jews, and heretical Christians. When dealing with the pagans the main issues were very often induced by the petulant rumors spread by the state, and Jews. It was thought by many that Christianity was a incestual, cannibalistic, atheistic, insurrectionary secret group. These rumors were started because of the odd thoughts and practices that Christian participated in such things as: calling one another brothers and sisters, partaking the body of Christ in the Lord’s supper, believing there is no other god other than their God, and talking about the Kingdom of and Jesus their King. These were obvious misunderstandings about the nature of the Church. However, such radical, and wide spreading movements tend to come with lots of stigma and speculation attach that are assumed by those who’s view are being challenged by some new idea have never heard about. When he was in Ephesus he wrote both of his Apologies. They were most likely invoked by the Martyrdom of Christians possibly specifically Polycarp. These were addressed to the state in order to plea that none of the claims (about them practicing incest, Cannibalism, etc.) about the nature of the Church are true and there is no need to persecute them. Additionally, he argued what Christians are, and that they are in fact good for the community since they promote the service of others, and

selflessness.
When he was in Ephesus, it was there that he had his famous Dialogue with Trypho. In the dialogue with Trypho there were three major issues he dealt with: the passing away of the Old Covenant to make place for the New Covenant; the Logos(Jesus) is at work with the God of the Old Testament; and that Gentiles are the new Israel. These three issues were not just things he debated with Trypho, but most Jews. He was very passionate about showing Jesus as having the role of mediator between God the father and man. However, this became a controversial issue not just with Jews, but with other Christians as well. During Justin Martyr’s life the discussion about the Trinity had not fully heated up yet. However, many were angered with his view about the Logos saying he was making Jesus the same being in nature and person as God. His discussion with the Jews were often met with questions about their faith. Two such questions were why do Christians live like Gentiles by not following the Old Law; and Why do they have such great hope in a man who was crucified? The Dialogue of Trypho deals with these three main issues: 1. Christology, is Jesus the Messiah prophecies about in the Old Testament? 2. The Law, does the nature and purpose of the Old Law have any effect in the New Covenant? 3. The True Israel, is the Church God’s new people? These discussions furthered what is often called the parting of the way. This was the slow separation of the social status, practice, and teaching between Jews and Christians. In the first century Christianity and Hebrews were often viewed by the state and Pagans as one in the same.
Lots of heretic teachings Justin had to correct were things like the rise of Gnosticism, and Marcion teachings about the Canon. These were also teachings that did not fully reach their peak in influence until after the time of Justin Martyr. However, he definitely did have to face other attacks from Christians such as those previously mentioned for his beliefs on the Logos in the Old Testament.
The Martyr
After, leaving Ephesus, he moved to Rome. It was there he opened a Christian school of philosophy, wrote some of his works such as the The Dialogue with Trypho along with others that have either been lost or do not have clear identifications on them. When he was in Rome about 165 of his associates suffered Martyrdom, of which their Acts have survived. The events said to lead up to Justin’s Martyrdom happened as he was also in Rome. It was while Marcus Aurelius was ruled that Justin along with six others were tried, who would taste death that day. In the past Justin had written to other Caesars, including Marcus to not persecute Christians. However, they were often ignored. During the year A.D. 163, he and his companions were tried by Junius Rusticus and persecuted for confession to be Christians. Thus the great philosopher and Apologist gained the title Justin Martyr for proclaiming the foolishness of the Cross.

Joseph Venuso 12/4/15 REL