by Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n
Whether Mathletes is his actual name, or he was using a generic name of “disciple” in penning this letter, we don’t know, but this letter, by a Christian living in the early years of the second century (somewhere between 100 and 130 A.D.), contains a wealth of information about what Christianity meant to early Christians. It is an explanation of Christianity to a Gentile and is considered to be one of the first apologetic writings of Christianity. Chapters V and VI are particularly noteworthy:<\/p>\n
\nChapter V
\nThe Manners of the Christians<\/h3>\nFor the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honor; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.<\/p>\n
Chapter VI
\nThe Relation of Christians to the World<\/h3>\nTo sum up all in one word- what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world.The invisible soul is guarded by the visible body, and Christians are known indeed to be in the world, but their godliness remains invisible.\u00a0The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it, though itself suffering no injury, because it is prevented from enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians, though in nowise injured, because they abjure pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preservers of the world. The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as sojourners in corruptible [bodies], looking for an incorruptible dwellingin the heavens. The soul, when but ill-provided with food and drink, becomes better; in like manner, the Christians, though subjected day by day to punishment, increase the more in number. God has assigned them this illustrious position, which it were unlawful for them to forsake.\n<\/blockquote>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Whether Mathletes is his actual name, or he was using a generic name of “disciple” in penning this letter, we don’t know, but this letter, by a Christian living in the early years of the second century (somewhere between 100 and 130 A.D.), contains a wealth of information about what Christianity…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[353,572],"class_list":["post-59846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-influence","tag-persecution"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7858,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-christians-considered-to-be-israelites\/","url_meta":{"origin":59846,"position":0},"title":"Are Christians considered to be Israelites?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 21, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Are those who are now under the new covenant, Christians, considered to be Israelites now? Are we the part of the nation of Israel? Figuratively speaking, of course. Answer: Christians are not physically Israelites, but we are the spiritual equivalent. \"For he is not a Jew who is one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":26755,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-dont-a-lot-of-christians-accept-homosexuals\/","url_meta":{"origin":59846,"position":1},"title":"Why don’t a lot of Christians accept homosexuals?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 20, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If the main Christianity rule is 'Love thy neighbor,' why don't a lot of Christians accept homosexuals? Answer: For the same reason, we don't accept murders, liars, thieves, and other sinners while they remain in their sins. Christians understand that sin is harmful to the sinner and those around\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43392,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-sex-before-marriage-be-encouraged-in-christianity\/","url_meta":{"origin":59846,"position":2},"title":"Should sex before marriage be encouraged in Christianity?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 21, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Should sex before marriage be encouraged in Christianity? Answer: \"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":38114,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/on-gay-marriage-our-culture-and-christianity\/","url_meta":{"origin":59846,"position":3},"title":"On Gay Marriage, Our Culture, and Christianity","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jonathan Perz \"Therefore\u00a0a man\u00a0shall leave his father and mother and be joined to\u00a0his wife, and they shall become one flesh\" (Genesis 2:24). No law, edict, dictate of man or man's government will ever change these words! Jesus reaffirmed them (Matthew 19:4-5) and they will stand regardless of any decision\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62969,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/a-lesson-from-history\/","url_meta":{"origin":59846,"position":4},"title":"A Lesson from History","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 12, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Peter 1:1-9 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The year \u2014 A.D. 64 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A major fire breaks out in the city of Rome. Coincidently, the fire centered in the poorer sections of the city. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Many suspected Nero of ordering the burning to clear space for improvements and to remove\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":31510,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/christianity-marxism-and-social-justice\/","url_meta":{"origin":59846,"position":5},"title":"Christianity, Marxism, and Social Justice","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 2, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wilson Adams Marxism is an atheistic and materialistic ideology -nothing exists beyond what we see. Christianity, by contrast, holds to an ultimate and infinite Power (God) - our Creator and Redeemer. 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