Monday, July 25, 2022

Wordplay in First Apology 4

In First Apology 4, we read:

 

By the mere statement of a name, nothing is decided, either good or evil, apart from the actions associated with the name; indeed, as far as the name with which we are accused goes, we are most gentle people. (St. Justin Martyr: The First and Second Apologies [trans. Leslie William Barnard; New York: Paulist Press, 1997], 24)

 

“Gentle” translates χρηστότατοι, which is a wordplay in the original Greek. In a footnote commenting on Justin’s wordplay, Leslie William Barnard noted that

 

Justin knew the real meaning of Christ’s name yet he also saw the apologetic value of the likeness of Christos and Chrēstos—“gentle,” “loving” or “kind”; cf. Lk 6:35. In the ancient world similar plays on names are frequently found. Here popular mispronunciation of the word may have contributed to the confusion: Cf. Suet. Claud. 25.4, impulsore Chresto, and Lact. Div. Inst. 4.7.5, exponenda huius nominis ratio est propter ignorantium errorem qui eum immutata littera Chrestum solent dicere; cf. also Tert. Ad Nat. 3, A uobis Chrestiani pronuntiamur, nam ne nominis quidem ipsius liquido certi estis. Further references in Wartelle, 241.

 

Basil L. Gildersleeve, in his commentary on the Greek text, noted the following:

 

4. χρηστότατοι: The confusion between and η began early. See c. 29, 7; B3, 3. Christus was often written Chrestus, Christianus, Chrestianus. See Tertull. Apol. 3 (p. 33, D. S.). The Christian writers are far from averse to paronomasia, and the play on Χριστός and χρηστός was especially welcome. Comp. Theophil. ad Autol. 1, 12: ἐγὼ μὲν ὁμολογῶ εἶναι Χριστιανὸς καὶ φορῶ τὸ θεοφιλὲς ὄνομα τοῦτο ἐλπίζων εἶναι εὔχρηστος τῷ θεῷ. Of the various words for ‘good,’ χρηστός emphasizes ‘kindness,’ bonté (bonitas). The true etymology of Χριστός is given, B6, 9.—ὑπάρχομεν: Quite colorless. See c. 1, 10.—τοῦτο: Anticipates the infinitive, as often. (Basil L. Gildersleeve, The Apologies of Justin Martyr, to Which is Appended the Epistle to Diognetus [New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1877], 111)