St. Justin Martyr

"We are slain with the sword, but we increase and multiply."
—St. Justin Martyr

Justin spent years looking for the truth.

He studied philosophy.

He listened to different schools of thought.

He wanted to know what was real.

What is God like?

What is the meaning of life?

How should a person live?

Then Justin encountered Christianity.

He became convinced that in Jesus Christ he had found the truth he had been searching for.

But Justin did not stop being a thinker.

He used philosophy to explain and defend the Christian faith.

He wrote to emperors.

He answered accusations against Christians.

He described Christian worship, baptism, and the Eucharist.

And when the Roman authorities ordered him to sacrifice to the pagan gods, Justin refused.

He had spent his life searching for truth.

He was not going to deny it to save himself.

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us.

Who Was St. Justin Martyr?

St. Justin Martyr was born around the beginning of the second century, probably in the region of Samaria.

He was raised in a pagan environment and became deeply interested in philosophy.

Justin studied several philosophical traditions in his search for wisdom.

He wanted more than clever arguments.

He wanted truth.

Searching Through Philosophy

Justin studied under different teachers.

Some philosophical schools disappointed him.

Others helped him ask deeper questions.

He eventually became especially interested in Platonism because it seemed to point toward realities beyond the material world.

But Justin still felt something was missing.

According to his own account, a conversation with an elderly Christian helped redirect his search.

Discovering Christianity

The Christian explained that the ancient prophets had spoken by the Spirit of God and pointed toward Christ.

Justin began studying Christianity more seriously.

He was also impressed by the courage of Christians who faced persecution rather than deny their faith.

Eventually, Justin became a Christian himself.

For him, conversion did not mean abandoning reason.

He came to believe that Christ was the fulfillment of the deepest truths philosophy had been seeking.

Christianity and Philosophy

Justin continued wearing the cloak associated with philosophers.

He saw Christianity as the true philosophy because it explained both God and the human person more fully.

Justin believed that whatever truths pagan philosophers had discovered ultimately came from the divine Word, the Logos.

Christ is the eternal Logos.

Therefore, every genuine truth finds its fulfillment in Him.

Defending Christians

Christians in Justin’s time were often accused of strange crimes.

Because Christian worship was private and misunderstood, rumors spread.

Christians were accused of atheism because they refused to worship Roman gods.

They were accused of immoral practices.

They were blamed for social disorder.

Justin responded publicly.

The First Apology

Justin wrote a work known as the First Apology, addressed to the Roman emperor and other authorities.

He argued that Christians should not be punished merely for being Christians.

If Christians committed crimes, punish the crimes.

But the name “Christian” itself should not be treated as a crime.

Justin appealed to reason and justice.

An Early Description of the Mass

One of the most important parts of Justin’s writings is his description of Christian worship.

He explains that Christians gathered on Sunday.

They read from the writings of the apostles and prophets.

A leader gave instruction.

The community prayed.

Bread, wine, and water were brought forward.

Thanksgiving was offered.

And the Eucharist was distributed.

His description is one of the clearest surviving pictures of Christian Sunday worship in the second century.

What Justin Said About the Eucharist

Justin is especially important as an early witness to belief in the Real Presence.

He explicitly says Christians did not receive the Eucharist as ordinary bread and ordinary drink.

Instead, they understood the Eucharistic food to be connected with the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus.

This testimony comes from the middle of the second century.

It shows that belief in the Eucharist as something more than a mere symbol appears very early in Christian history.

Baptism

Justin also describes Christian baptism.

New believers were instructed in the faith.

They committed themselves to living according to Christ.

They prayed and fasted.

Then they were washed with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Justin connected baptism with spiritual rebirth.

Again, his writings provide an important window into early Christian sacramental practice.

Sunday Worship

Justin explains that Christians gathered on Sunday because it was both the first day of creation and the day Jesus rose from the dead.

This makes his writings an important early witness to Christian Sunday worship.

The practice was already well established by Justin’s time.

Dialogue with Trypho

Justin also wrote the Dialogue with Trypho, a lengthy work presenting a discussion between Christianity and Judaism.

He argues that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament Scriptures.

Like many ancient religious debates, some of Justin’s language reflects the polemical style of his time.

His purpose was to explain why Christians believed Jesus was the promised Messiah.

Scripture and the Old Testament

Justin frequently appealed to the Old Testament.

He saw figures and events there as pointing forward to Christ.

The Passover lamb.

Prophecies.

Moses.

The suffering servant.

The promises to Israel.

For Justin, Christianity did not appear from nowhere.

It fulfilled the history God had already begun.

Arrested for Being Christian

Justin eventually taught Christianity in Rome.

There he came into conflict with the authorities.

Around the middle of the second century, he and several companions were arrested.

They were brought before the Roman prefect Rusticus.

The authorities demanded that they sacrifice to the Roman gods.

Justin refused.

“No One in His Right Mind Turns from Truth”

Ancient accounts of Justin’s martyrdom preserve his determination.

When pressured to sacrifice, he made clear that Christians would not abandon their faith.

Justin and his companions were condemned and executed.

His death gave him the title by which history remembers him:

Justin Martyr.

An Early Christian Apologist

Justin is one of the most important early Christian apologists.

An apologist does not mean someone apologizing for Christianity.

The word comes from the idea of making a defense.

Justin explained Christian beliefs to outsiders.

He answered objections.

He corrected misunderstandings.

And he argued that faith and reason were not enemies.

Why Justin Matters Today

Justin lived less than two centuries after the time of Christ.

His writings therefore give us valuable evidence about what early Christians believed and practiced.

We see Sunday worship.

Baptism.

The Eucharist.

Scripture readings.

Church leadership.

Prayer.

And belief in Christ as the eternal divine Word.

For Catholics, these writings are especially valuable because they show sacramental and liturgical Christianity very early in Church history.

What St. Justin Martyr Teaches Us

St. Justin teaches us not to be afraid of reason.

Truth cannot contradict truth.

If Christianity is true, honest questions do not threaten it.

He also teaches us that apologetics should be more than winning arguments.

Justin wanted people to understand the faith correctly.

He appealed to justice.

Reason.

History.

Scripture.

And the witness of Christian lives.

Most of all, he teaches us that truth has a cost.

Justin searched for truth.

He found Christ.

And when forced to choose between Christ and his own safety, he remained faithful.

When Is the Feast of St. Justin Martyr?

The Catholic Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Justin Martyr on June 1.

He is remembered as a philosopher, apologist, early witness to Christian worship and the Eucharist, and martyr for the faith.

Prayer Inspired by St. Justin Martyr

Lord Jesus Christ,

give us the love of truth shown by St. Justin Martyr.

Help us use reason well and never fear honest questions.

Strengthen those who defend the Christian faith with clarity and charity.

Deepen our love for baptism, the Eucharist, Scripture, and Sunday worship.

And when following the truth becomes costly, give us the courage to remain faithful to You.

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us. Amen.