And
we have been taught that in the beginning He of His goodness, for people’s
sakes, formed all things out of unformed matter (Gk: ἐξ ἀμόρφου ὕλης) . . . (First
Apology 10, in St. Justin Martyr: The First and Second Apologies
[trans. Leslie William Barnard; New York: Paulist Press, 1997], 28)
In a footnote to the above,
Leslie William Barned noted that
As Justin does not use here the technical
term for the handing on of a Church tradition, it seems probable that he is
referring to his pre-Christian philosphical teachers. This is one of the few
passages in which Justin states that God created the world out of unformed
matter; cf. 1 Apol. 59, 67. Justin
appears to have had no particular theory of the origin and nature of matter but
is content to accept Gen 1 as it stands and to see in it no conflict with
Middle Platonist teaching. On this see Andresen, 165, who points to the Middle
Platonist use of Timaeus 30A. It is
also possible that his reference to “unformed” matter may owe something to Wisd. of Sol. 11:17. The idea of the
creation as being for humanity’s sake is a Christian touch added by Justin.