Great importance attaches to them in connection with other facts.
The date of Justin’s birth is uncertain, being placed as early as A.D. 85, and as late as A.D. 114; Rev. Mr. Wright says about A.D. 100. His martyrdom was about A.D. 165. His father and grandfather were probably of Roman origin. Before his conversion to Christianity, he studied in the schools of the philosophers, but after that he became an Evangelist, and a vigorous writer in defence of the Christian faith. It is probable that he travelled much. He was not the first that wrote an Apology for Christians, but his are the earliest extant. Besides these, he wrote a much larger work (the Dialogue with Trypho, a Jew), a work on the resurrection, and some others; and by some, he has been regarded as the author of the Pastor Hermas. His first and principal Apology, of the probable date of A.D. 138-9, was addressed as follows:
“To the Emperor Titus Ælius Adrianus Antoninus Pius Augustus Cæsar, and to his son Verissimus, the philosopher, and to Lucius, the philosopher, the natural son of Cæsar, and the adopted son of Pius, a lover of learning, and to the Sacred Senate, with the whole people of the Romans, I, Justin, the son of Priscus and grandson of Bacchius, native of Flavia Neapolis in Palestine, present this address and petition in behalf of those of all nations who are unjustly hated and wantonly abused, myself being one of them.”
Those to whom this formal address was made, would not be expected to know anything about Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John; but it was otherwise, in respect to the Old Testament, for Jewish synagogues were in every city, and the Septuagint had been known for three hundred years.
In this Apology he explains some of the teachings of our Lord, and the usages of his disciples; and in respect to the last, are these passages:
“For the Apostles, in the memoirs composed by them, which are called Gospels, have thus delivered unto us what was enjoined upon them; that Jesus took bread and when he had given thanks said, ‘This do ye in remembrance of me, this is my body;’ and that, after the same manner having taken the cup and given thanks, he said, ‘This is my blood;’ and he gave it to them alone.”... “And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all, through his Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the Memoirs of the Apostles or the writings of the Prophets are read, as long as time permits; then when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well-to-do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succors the orphans and widows, and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds, and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word, takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ, our Saviour, on the same day rose from the dead. For he was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday): and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to his apostles and disciples, he taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration.”
This passage is a part of chapter sixty-six, and the whole of chapter sixty-seven.
The great question is, What were these “Memoirs of the Apostles,” which were thus read with the writings of the Prophets? It is a question of interpretation.
By the rule adopted in courts, these words are to be construed with the context, and in connection with other writings of Justin in relation to the same subject, and also in the light of all the surrounding circumstances.
These precise terms are first used in chapter sixty-seven. The same Memoirs, evidently, in chapter sixty-six, are described as Memoirs “composed” by the Apostles. They are not again referred to in this Apology. They are referred to several times in the Dialogue, chapters one hundred to one hundred and eight, by the following terms: The Memoirs of His Apostles; The Memoirs of His Apostles; The Memoirs of His Apostles; The Memoirs of the Apostles; For in the Memoirs which I say were drawn up by his Apostles and those who followed them; The Memoirs of His Apostles; The Memoirs; The Memoirs; The Memoirs; The Memoirs of the Apostles; The Memoirs of Him; The Memoirs of His Apostles; The Memoirs. Four times he calls them The Memoirs; three times The Memoirs of the Apostles; five times The Memoirs of His Apostles; and once, The Memoirs of Him, i. e., Christ, as Roberts and Donaldson interpret it,[2] and as the context and the whole scope indicate.
It is plain that the same “Memoirs” are intended throughout, under these various terms.
In chapter eighty-eight of the Dialogue, in mentioning the descent of the Holy Ghost upon Jesus at his baptism, Justin says that when he came out of the water, the Holy Ghost lighted on him like a dove, as “the Apostle of this very Christ of ours wrote.” The incident is mentioned in all four of the Gospels.
But for his explanation elsewhere, it would be inferred that all the “Memoirs” were “composed” by the Apostles. But he carefully explains his meaning, so that the “Memoirs,” or some of them, may have been “drawn up” either by the Apostles, or by those who followed them.
It is obvious that these Memoirs were not biographies or sketches by unknown or irresponsible persons, but writings well understood by the Churches to have been “composed” or “drawn up” by the Apostles, or with their approval.
As Mark was understood to be Peter’s interpreter, so Luke was understood to have been Paul’s companion, and to have written under his sanction. And Paul was an Apostle, although not one of the twelve.
Justin had informed the Roman Emperor[3] of the Apostles, and he gave like information to Trypho.[3] He meant that all who should read should know that what he gave of the life and teachings of Christ was not from irresponsible sources, but from writings expressly sanctioned, if not actually written, by those whom Christ had selected as witnesses.
These Memoirs, therefore, were doubtless understood by Justin, and by the church in general, in city and country, to have been the productions of Apostles or their companions. They were read the same as the Prophets, and placed upon the same footing. Justin, in writing to Trypho, speaks of having believed God’s voice spoken by the apostles of Christ.
And since, in speaking of their actual composition, he uses the plural, “Apostles,” we should look for two or more Memoirs, “drawn up,” by Apostles.
Now what were these Memoirs? What writings will answer the description? Matthew[4] and Mark will, according to what the Presbyter said of them. Were there any others? There should be one more at least, that was written by an Apostle, else wherefore, the plural? The four Gospels that have come down to us, answer the description in every particular. To use a legal phrase,—“From the time whereof the memory of man runneth not to the contrary,” two of them have been accepted in the Church as having been composed by Apostles, and two, by companions of Apostles.
Unless it can be shown that when Justin wrote, there were other Memoirs of Christ that will answer to his description, our four Gospels and no others were intended. Were there any besides these?
[1] The quotations from Justin Martyr are from Vol. II. of the Ante-Nicene Christian Library, edited by Roberts and Donaldson.
[2] See post, c. 7, note 14.
[3] “For from Jerusalem there went out into the world men, twelve in number, ... who proclaimed to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach all the word of God” (Ap. c. 39). “And by those things which were published in his name among all nations by the Apostles” (ibid. c. 42). “His Apostles going forth from Jerusalem preached everywhere” (ibid. c. 45.) “And further there was a certain man with us whose name was John, one of the Apostles of Christ” (Dia. c. 81). “For as he (Abraham) believed the voice of God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness, in like manner we, having believed God’s voice spoken by the Apostles of Christ, and promulgated to us by the prophets, have renounced even to death all the things of the world” (ibid. c. 119).
[4] The writer of Barnabas, in quoting as in Matthew xx. 16, had used the authoritative Latin formula (it is written) for quotations from Scripture, as follows: “Let us beware lest we be found, as it is written, ‘Many are called but few are chosen’” (Ep. of Bar. c. 4).