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© 2026 · 1.3 · Public-domain texts unless otherwise noted.

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The First Apology

Saints›St. Justin Martyr›The First Apology

St. Justin Martyr

The First Apology

To the Emperor Antoninus Pius, in defense of the Christians

Contents68 sections▾
  1. 1Address
  2. 2Justice demanded
  3. 3Claim of judicial investigation
  4. 4Christians unjustly condemned for their mere name
  5. 5Christians charged with atheism
  6. 6Charge of atheism refuted
  7. 7Each Christian must be tried by his own life
  8. 8Christians confess their faith in God
  9. 9Folly of idol worship
  10. 10How God is to be served
  11. 11What kingdom Christians look for
  12. 12Christians live as under God’s eye
  13. 13Christians serve God rationally
  14. 14The demons misrepresent Christian doctrine
  15. 15What Christ himself taught
  16. 16Concerning patience and swearing
  17. 17Christ taught civil obedience
  18. 18Proof of immortality and the resurrection
  19. 19The resurrection possible
  20. 20Heathen analogies to Christian doctrine
  21. 21Analogies to the history of Christ
  22. 22Analogies to the sonship of Christ
  23. 23The argument
  24. 24Varieties of heathen worship
  25. 25False Gods abandoned by Christians
  26. 26Magicians not trusted by Christians
  27. 27Guilt of exposing children
  28. 28God’s care for men
  29. 29Continence of Christians
  30. 30Was Christ not a magician?
  31. 31Of the Hebrew prophets
  32. 32Christ predicted by Moses
  33. 33Manner of Christ’s birth predicted
  34. 34Place of Christ’s birth foretold
  35. 35Other fulfilled prophecies
  36. 36Different modes of prophecy
  37. 37Utterances of the Father
  38. 38Utterances of the Son
  39. 39Direct predictions by the Spirit
  40. 40Christ’s advent foretold
  41. 41The crucifixion predicted
  42. 42Prophecy using the past tense
  43. 43Responsibility asserted
  44. 44Not nullified by prophecy
  45. 45Christ’s session in heaven foretold
  46. 46The Word in the world before Christ
  47. 47Desolation of Judæa foretold
  48. 48Christ’s work and death foretold
  49. 49His rejection by the Jews foretold
  50. 50His humiliation predicted
  51. 51The majesty of Christ
  52. 52Certain fulfilment of prophecy
  53. 53Summary of the prophecies
  54. 54Origin of heathen mythology
  55. 55Symbols of the cross
  56. 56The demons still mislead men
  57. 57And cause persecution
  58. 58And raise up heretics
  59. 59Plato’s obligation to Moses
  60. 60Plato’s doctrine of the cross
  61. 61Christian baptism
  62. 62Its imitation by demons
  63. 63How God appeared to Moses
  64. 64Further misrepresentations of the truth
  65. 65Administration of the sacraments
  66. 66Of the Eucharist
  67. 67Weekly worship of the Christians
  68. 68Conclusion

Source: Roberts-Donaldson translation, Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 1 (1885), ed. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Public domain. Source text via Wikisource.