June 1 in Christian History.
Justin Martyr was a brilliant scholar and courageous martyr of the second century. His writings placed Christianity on the map as a defendable belief system in the landscape of Greco-Roman religion and his courage would inspire millions of Christians after his death.
Justin was highly educated. He was trained in many forms of Greek philosophy but was unsatisfied with each of them. Meanwhile, he was intrigued by the morality and the courage of the reviled and persecuted Christians. Even so, it wasn’t until around the age of Thirty that Justin converted to Christianity.
His conversion revolutionized his life, and he devoted himself to sharing the truth that he had found. Justin became a travelling evangelist and apologist, and would preach and debate in every city he visited. His lifestyle was not unlike that of Apostle Paul a century before.
An account remains of Justin’s debate with Trypho, a Jewish teacher. In the debate, Justin explains that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophesies, that Christians are free from the regulations of the old covenant, and that the gentiles had been included into the people of Israel.
Most famous of all are Justin’s two treatises addressed to none other than the Roman emperor himself. Justin argued against the violent persecution of Christians—insisting that Christianity was a valid belief system that deserved its place among the legal religions of the empire. He explained that the Christian belief in eternal justice caused them to be moral and upright citizens. He explained, in detail, what went on during Christian meetings in order to put to rest the rumours that Christians were sex offenders, cannibals, insurrectionists. This account is among the first existing descriptions of Christian worship.
Justin goes on to boldly explain his Christian faith to the emperor—highlighting the core elements of Christianity within the framework of Greek philosophy. At that time, reason and logic were highly regarded. Justin argues that as the logos (word, or reason) Christ is the embodiment of all rationality—the bearer of ultimate truth. As such, all good philosophy has within it a spark of truth and of Christ himself. Christ is also the overarching rationality that is seen in nature and has bound the universe together since creation.
Justin was arrested with a group of Christians, and was given a mock trial in Rome. The prefect demanded that they deny their God by offering sacrifices to idols. “There is nothing which we more earnestly desire, than to endure torments for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Responded Justin, “We are Christians, and will never sacrifice to idols.”
Justin was beheaded along with six other Christians in the year 165, his courage and intellect made a powerful impact in the development of the church, and Justin Martyr is considered one of the great church fathers. He is remembered by Catholics every year on June 1.
Verse of the day: Revelation 12:11
They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.