I have been packing these books with me for the last few
years as I’ve moved from place to place.
I have ‘consulted’ them occasionally as I’ve prepared for sermons or
bible studies. I’ve double checked
quotes and context of quotes from them as I’ve encountered them in other books
I’ve read. But, to date, I haven’t
read
these volumes. And I’ve decided to
change that. I’ve made it my goal to
read through the 10 volumes of the Ante-Nicene Fathers
(that is, the writings of the Church Father
before the council of Nicea.)
The second writing contained in the first volume is the Epistle
of Mathetes to Diognetus.
This little work is one of the earliest examples of
Christian apologetics (not an “I’m sorry” but a “defense” of
Christianity). The author remains
anonymous to us; “Mathetes” is not really a name, it simply means “a disciple.” And, likewise, the recipient is unknown. It contains 10 short ‘chapters’ (and two more
extra chapters that seem to have been added later…)
The letter was written to persuade Diognetus that
Christianity, though relatively new among world religions and so unlike other
contemporary religions, is worthy of his investigation and acceptance.
The disciple begins by demonstrating the worthlessness of
idol worship. They are, he argues, made
of stone, brass, silver, iron, and earthenware – all of which are corruptible
materials, subject to rot and tarnish.
And they are all, quite obviously, the work of human hands, fashioned by
smiths and carpenters and sculptors. And, what is more, these things are all
completely senseless. They cannot hear
or see their worshippers. They are
lifeless. They are incapable of motion or emotion. They are locked in rooms (to prevent them
from being stolen) and all their food and drink is brought to them. If these
are gods, they are pitiful. The disciple argues that no human would subject
himself to the kind of trapped kind of existence these supposed gods
endure.
The disciple then turns and says that while Jews, like
Christians, avoid this kind of worthless worship Christianity should not be
likened to the Jewish “superstion.”
Now, the editor of this particular set of volumes has
written in his introductory remarks for this letter said that “Mathetes was possibly
a catechumen of
St. Paul
or one of the apostle’s associates.”
[i]
But I can’t imagine Paul describing the Jewish faith in the way that Mathetes
does; Mathetes seems to share the hostility towards “the Jews” of the
sectarian John. (And while the name “Jesus” and
the title “the Christ” are never used in Mathetes’ letter to Diognetus, he does
use John’s terms “the Word” and “only-begotten Son.”)
Christians, says the disciple, are unlike any other group;
they are “
distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor
the customs which they observe.”[ii]
They live in all parts of the world, speak different
languages, follow the various customs and laws of the lands where they live,
but they not subsumed into these cultures.
“As citizens, they share in all things with others, and
yet endure all things as foreigners.
Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of
their birth as a land of strangers…They pass their days on earth, but they are
citizens of heaven.” And because they are so foreign and so strange, they
are persecuted by everyone: “
They are assailed by the Jews as foreigners,
and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign
any reason for their hatred.” [iii]
And then Mathetes makes the most astounding statement:
“What the soul is in the body, that Christians are in the world.”[iv]
I doubt that this argument would bear much weight today –
that those who hate Christianity can find no reason for their hatred and that
Christianity is the immaculate and incorruptible soul of the world. We’ve too much scandal and violence in our
Christian history. Mathetes says that
the while the flesh might war against the soul, “
the soul loves the flesh
that hates it…Christians likewise love those that hate them.”[v] Christians
have been responsible for some of the worst acts of violence and hatred the
world has ever seen. We can point out
all the good and noble things that Christians have done, but as long as our
record of hatred remains unexamined, this soul is spotted.
This ideal Christianity (as the embattled soul that continues to love and bless
the body that contains it) is no “
earthly invention” or “
mere human system of opinion” says
the disciple, but is a revelation from “
God Himself, who is almighty, the
Creator of all things, and invisible.” He has sent to us “
the truth, and
the holy and incomprehensible Word.”[vi]
Jesus of Nazareth isn’t named specifically, but the
comparisons with John’s gospel are unmistakable. This emissary from God is the Word. He is not just a servant or an angel but is “the
very Creator and Fashioner of all things.” This emissary is sent from God
and is God.
“
As a king sends his son, who is also a king, so sent He
Him; as God He sent Him; as to men He sent Him; as a Savior He sent Him…”[vii]
But this emissary has not come as a tyrant to compel us to belief by fear and
terror and violence, “for violence has no place in the character of God”
This is not the kind of God we see demonstrated very often. This God seeks to redeem and bless us, by
persuading us of his goodness. And this
is not the Christianity we see very often.
This kind of Christianity seeks to bless the world with love, while
patiently suffering the abuses that the world around inflicts upon it.
But what a compelling illustration. I could believe in this kind of Christianity. I could believe in this kind of God.
