Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Notes on Second Apology 5 and 6

  

Second Apology 5:

 

But if this thought should take possession of someone that if we confess God as our helper, we should not, as we say, be oppressed and persecuted by wicked people; this I will solve. God, when He had made the whole world, and subjected earthly things to men and women, and arranged the heavenly elements for the increase of fruits and change of the seasons, and ordered the divine law for them—these things also He made for people to see—and entrusted the care of men and women and of things under heaven to angels whom He appointed over them. But the angels transgressed this order, and were captivated by love of women, and produced children who are called demons. And besides later they enslaved the human race to themselves, partly by magical writings, and partly by fears and punishments which they occasioned, and partly by teaching them to offer sacrifices and incense and libations,25 which they needed after they were enslaved with lustful passions; and among people they sowed murders, wars, adulteries, intemperate deeds, and every evil. Whence also the poets and mythologists, not knowing that it was the angels and those demons who had been begotten by them that did these things to men and women and cities and nations, which they related, ascribed them to God Himself, and to those who were His offspring, and to the offspring of those who were called His brothers. For whatever name each of the angels had given to himself and to his children, by that name they called them. (St. Justin Martyr: The First and Second Apologies [trans. Leslie William Barnard; New York: Paulist Press, 1997], 76-77)

 

Justin is following an earlier Jewish or Jewish-Christian interpretation of Gn 6:2–5, which is also found in the Ebionite Pseudo-Clementine writings (Clem. Hom. 6.10). The Hebrew of Gn 6:2–5 says that the children of God, having been attracted by women, united with them and produced giants. In the LXX huioi theou and aggeloi theou are synonymous and sometimes alternatives (see J. S. Sibinga, The Old Testament Text of Justin Martyr: 1. The Pentateuch [Leiden, 1963], 146) and a tradition grew up in Hellenistic Judaism that it was the union of angels and women that produced giants (this was later challenged by Philastrius Haer. 107 and Chrys. On Gen. Hom. 6.22). Justin, in substituting demons for giants, is following another line of interpretation that may be reflected in Papias’s references to “the angels which had formerly been holy” (Frag. 4). Later Jewish tradition vacillated in its interpretation of Gn 6. In Bresh. R. on Gn 6:2 R. Simeon ben Jochai (c. 130–160 c.e.) pronounces a curse on “the sons of God,” whom he refers to as “leaders.” The Zohar on Gn 6:4 agrees with Justin—as do R. Judah (c. 200 c.e.) and R. Joshua ben Qoryah (Pirqe de R. Eliezer 20:2). For Bresh. R. in Hebrew, see Zohar. 2 vols. (Lublin, 1882) and Encyclopedia Judaica 16. 1193–1215 (Jerusalem, 1971), s. v. “Zohar.” (St. Justin Martyr: The First and Second Apologies [trans. Leslie William Barnard; New York: Paulist Press, 1997], Logos Edition)

 

Second Apology 6:

 

But to the Father of all, who is unbegotten there is no name given. For by whatever name He be called, He has as His elder the person who gives Him the name. But these words Father, and God, and Creator, and Lord, and Master, are not names, but appellations derived from His good deeds and functions. And His Son, who alone is properly called Son, the Word who also was with Him and was begotten before the works, when at first He created and arranged all things by Him, is called Christ, in reference to His being anointed and God's ordering all things through Him (διʼ αὐτοῦ πάντα ἔκτισε καὶ ἐκόσμησε); this name itself also containing an unknown significance; as also the appellation "God" is not a name, but an opinion implanted in the nature of men of a thing that can hardly be explained. But "Jesus," His name as man and Saviour, has also significance. For He was made man also, as we before said, having been conceived according to the will of God the Father, for the sake of believing men, and for the destruction of the demons. And now you can learn this from what is under your own observation. For numberless demoniacs throughout the whole world, and in your city, many of our Christian men exorcising them in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, have healed and do heal, rendering helpless and driving the possessing devils out of the men, though they could not be cured by all the other exorcists, and those who used incantations and drugs. (ANF 1:190)

 

Cf. Col 1:15ff.; Jn 1:1–3. Justin refers the title “Christ” to the office of agent in creation. The reference to Christ’s being anointed reads awkwardly in the context here as this has no obvious connection with His work in creation. There is, however, a close connection between chriein and kosmein; Blunt, 112. Kosmein covers the thought of “adornment” as well as “order” (cf. Theoph. Ad. Autol. 1.12) and it is just possible that kechristhai here is active in meaning—in which case we should read “with reference to God’s adorning and ordering all things through Him,” which makes better sense. (St. Justin Martyr: The First and Second Apologies [trans. Leslie William Barnard; New York: Paulist Press, 1997], Logos Edition)