Resurrection Fragments

Fragmentary response to a fragmentary document.

(1) Justin adopts what can be called a christological hermeneutic. Christ is the Word, proceeding from the Father who is the truth. Hence, Jesus needs no proof to back him up, for he is the proof by which all else is judged.

(2) In many ways Justin sings from the emerging/missional choir. He denies that there is any "secular" sphere "because to God nothing is secular, not even the world itself, for it is His workmanship;" and hence he feels free to employ philosophical arguments. On the same line, he emphasises the goodness of the body as God's creation. Nonetheless, there is some of the anti-sexual ascetism of later Christian tradition in his claim that some refuse to marry, (and Jesus was born of a virgin) to abolish "lawless desire". This seems to be a reference to marriage not for the sake of having children and suggest that maybe not all the blame can be laid upon Augustine after all.

(3) Justin points to the futility of arguments between trichotomists and dichotomists, for at times he is able to speak of humans as "Body and Soul" and at other times as "body, soul and spirit."

(4) The arguments against the resurrection that Justin faced seem to be similar to ones we see today (i) it is impossible (ii) it is undesirable (iii) Jesus' resurrection was spiritual.

The weekly worship of Christians

Chapters 67-68 draw the apology to a close. In chapter 67 Justin describes the worship of the Christians. Some points:

(1) Help for the poor and those in need is given a central position.
(2) Strong role for the Eucharist and prayer.
(3) Great emphasis is on teaching, including the "memoirs of the apostles."
(4) The main service is on Sunday.

Couldn't help reflecting that so many of the more positive concerns of the Emerging church and missional churches are encapsulated here.

The youthful bishop

In chapters 3 and 4 church leaders are urged to show respect towards their bishop, despite his young age. Submission to the bishop is equivalent to submission to Christ.

This statement is interesting in the light of the contrast between emerging and pentecostal churches. Whilst emerging churches stress a decentralization of leadership, "successful" pentecostal churches are often based around one leader who exercises a strong authority.

The Epistle of Diognetus concludes

Chapters 10 -12 emphasise the role of faith and belief for salvation. Chapter 10 emphasises that faith should lead us to love of the Father and therefore to his imitation. There is a beautiful exposition of what it means to imitate the Father, in which one can see concerns of the emerging church, such as vulnerability, service rather than power, being echoed:

"or it is not by ruling over his neighbours, or by seeking to hold the supremacy over those that are weaker, or by being rich, and showing violence towards those that are inferior, that happiness is found; nor can any one by these things become an imitator of God. But these things do not at all constitute His majesty. On the contrary he who takes upon himself the burden of his neighbour; he who, in whatsoever respect he may be superior, is ready to benefit another who is deficient; he who, whatsoever things he has received from God, by distributing these to the needy, becomes a god to those who receive [his benefits]: he is an imitator of God."

Chapter 11 shows that already the concept of a tradition of the apostles is playing an important role, especially in the shaping of Christology. Chapter 12 extols the virtues of knowledge, but of a particular knowledge. For it is not knowledge in itself which is valuable, for there is a knowledge which destroys, but knowledge that leads to life, based on love and the fear of God. [I would not be surprised if there are scholars who believe that chapter 12 is the work of a different author, for having lambasted the OT earlier, this chapter provides us with a positive narration of the Genesis story of the Garden of Eden]