For my beloved readers, I happened across this writing from an Early Church Father, called The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus.
I literally never heard of it before. I am familiar at least with the names of most early writings, and have read many, but somehow this one escaped my notice until now. My loss!
Scholars date it to the earliest strata of extrabiblical Christian writing, perhaps the first written work of apologetic ever.
Tradition says it was written from a disciple of an apostle (“Mathetes” means “disciple”) to a Stoic philosopher curious about Christian beliefs and ways. From the style and subject, some speculate this disciple was Justin Martyr. The recipient may or may not be the same Diognetus who was tutor to the philosophical Emperor Marcus Aurelius. But nothing is known for sure.
The questions answered, apparently posed by Diognetus in a letter we do not have, include inquiry into why it is Christians despise death, reject Greek idolatry and Jewish ritual alike, and why they love each other. He also asks why Christian practices are only seen now, and not known from antiquity?
This is quite a reasonable question. If the single and all powerful creator of the world always had in mind that the Christian way of life on earth was how best to serve heaven, should it not have been known for all time?
This last question, that Diognetus asks about the novelty of Christian practice, argues that the earlier dating of the document is a more likely guess.
But in particular two chapters in the middle struck me profoundly, and reminded me of the standards of life to which we Christians are avowed. I repeat it here for our general edification.
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