Early Christianity

Those of us who have been born into and have grown up with the ideas of Christianity ought at some point begin to read the writings of early Christianity, those that emerged during or shortly after the time of the apostles.  From a multitude of writings, the church eventually selected the "canon" of Scripture, the 4 Gospels, the letters of St. Paul, the Acts of the Apostles, the letters of Peter and of James and John, and the Book of Revelation. 

However, beyond those sacred Scriptures, there are many letters and eye-witness accounts of the church in the same or the next generation after the apostles, some of whom were disciples of the apostles, some of whom had heard the teachings of the apostles, and many of whom suffered martyrdom for their faith. 

These writings, beyond the doctrine of the Scriptures, provide for us so much wisdom and inspiration that make us realize how much we have missed by taking our religion for granted.  These witnesses to the faith testify with fire and the Holy Spirit to the power and presence of God in their lives, brought to them through faith in Jesus Christ.  To read the eye-witness description of the martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity, for example, is to know something few of us have ever experienced --- the strength of faith in Jesus Christ, even in the face of death and the loss of one's own infants.

One of these early letters, written anonymously to a man named Diognetus, tried to explain the "mystery" of Christianity to someone who was "...extremely interested in learning about the religion of the Christians and [who was] asking very clear and careful questions about them."  The letter is fascinating, explaining why Christians do not honor the Roman gods nor follow Jewish customs, inciting the anger of both Jews and Romans against them. 

For us, however, perhaps the most interesting part of the letter comes in Section 5, a section I would like to quote in its entirety, although in two sessions because of its length:

For Christians are not distinguished from the rest of humanity by country, language, or custom.  For nowhere do they live in cities of their own, nor do they speak some unusual dialect, nor do they practice an eccentric life-style.  This teaching of theirs has not been discovered by the thought and reflection of ingenious people, nor do they promote any human doctrine, as some do.

But while they live in both Greek and barbarian cities, as each one's lot was cast, and follow the local customs in dress and food and other aspects of life, at the same time they demonstrate the remarkable and admittedly unusual character of their own citizenship.  They live in their own countries, but only as aliens; they participate in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners.  Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is foreign.

They marry like everyone else, and have children, but they do not expose their offspring.  They share their food, but not their wives.  They are "in the flesh," but they do not live "according to the flesh."  They live on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven.  They obey the established laws; indeed in their private lives, the transcend the laws.  They love everyone, and by everyone they are persecuted.  They are unknown, yet they are condemned; they are put to death, yet they are brought to life. 

They are poor, yet they make many rich; they are in need of everything, yet they abound in everything.  They are dishonored, yet they are glorified in their dishonor; they are slandered, yet they are vindicated.  They are cursed, yet they bless; they are insulted, yet they offer respect.  When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; when they are punished, they rejoice as though brought to life.  By the Jews, they are assaulted as foreigners, by the Greeks, they are persecuted, yet those who hate them are unable to give a reason for their hostility.

Tomorrow, I will give the second part of Section 5, which draws a beautiful parallel between Christians as they are in the world to the soul as it is in the body.