First Apology 52
Summary: The prophets foretold two comings of Christ: the first in suffering, the second in glory, with the resurrection and judgment.
Greek text · Rauschen, 86–88
Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τὰ γενόμενα ἤδη πάντα ἀπεδείκνυμεν πρὶν ἢ γενέσθαι προκεκηρύχθαι διὰ τῶν προφητῶν, ἀνάγκη καὶ περὶ τῶν ὁμοίως προφητευθέντων, μελλόντων δὲ γίνεσθαι, πίστιν ἔχειν ὡς πάντως γενησομένων. Ὃν γὰρ τρόπον τὰ ἤδη γενόμενα προκεκηρυγμένα καὶ ἀγνοούμενα ἀπέβη, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ τὰ λείποντα, κἂν ἀγνοῆται καὶ ἀπιστῆται, ἀποβήσονται. Δύο γὰρ αὐτοῦ παρουσίας προεκήρυξαν οἱ προφῆται· μίαν μέν, τὴν ἤδη γενομένην, ὡς ἀτίμου καὶ παθητοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τὴν δὲ δευτέραν, ὅταν μετὰ δόξης ἐξ οὐρανῶν μετὰ τῆς ἀγγελικῆς αὐτοῦ στρατιᾶς παραγενήσεσθαι κεκήρυκται, ὅτε καὶ τὰ σώματα ἀνεγερεῖ πάντων τῶν γενομένων ἀνθρώπων, καὶ τῶν μὲν ἀξίων ἐνδύσει ἀφθαρσίαν, τῶν δὲ ἀδίκων ἐν αἰσθήσει αἰωνίᾳ μετὰ τῶν φαύλων δαιμόνων εἰς τὸ αἰώνιον πῦρ πέμψει. Ὡς δὲ καὶ ταῦτα προείρηται γενησόμενα, δηλώσομεν. Ἐῤῥέθη δὲ διὰ Ἰεζεκιὴλ τοῦ προφήτου οὕτως· „Συναχθήσεται ἁρμονία πρὸς ἁρμονίαν καὶ ὀστέον πρὸς ὀστέον, καὶ σάρκες ἀναφυήσονται. Καὶ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψει τῷ κυρίῳ, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσεται αὐτῷ“. Ἐν οἵᾳ δὲ αἰσθήσει καὶ κολάσει γενέσθαι μέλλουσιν οἱ ἄδικοι, ἀκούσατε τῶν ὁμοίως εἰς τοῦτο εἰρημένων. Ἔστι δὲ ταῦτα· „Ὁ σκώληξ αὐτῶν οὐ παυθήσεται, καὶ τὸ πῦρ αὐτῶν οὐ σβεσθήσεται“. Καὶ τότε μετανοήσουσιν, ὅτε οὐδὲν ὠφελήσουσι. Ποῖα δὲ μέλλουσιν οἱ λαοὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων λέγειν καὶ ποιεῖν, ὅταν ἴδωσιν αὐτὸν ἐν δόξῃ παραγενόμενον, διὰ Ζαχαρίου τοῦ προφήτου προφητευθέντα ἐλέχθη οὕτως· „Ἐντελοῦμαι τοῖς τέσσαρσιν ἀνέμοις συνάξαι τὰ ἐσκορπισμένα τέκνα, ἐντελοῦμαι τῷ βοῤῥᾷ φέρειν, καὶ τῷ νότῳ μὴ προσκόπτειν. Καὶ τότε ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ κοπετὸς μέγας, οὐ κοπετὸς στομάτων ἢ χειλέων, ἀλλὰ κοπετὸς καρδίας, καὶ οὐ μὴ σχίσωσιν αὐτῶν τὰ ἱμάτια, ἀλλὰ τὰς διανοίας. Κόψονται φυλὴ πρὸς φυλήν, καὶ τότε ὄψονται εἰς ὃν ἐξεκέντησαν, καὶ ἐροῦσι· Τί, κύριε, ἐπλάνησας ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ σου; Ἡ δόξα, ἣν εὐλόγησαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, ἐγενήθη ἡμῖν εἰς ὄνειδος“.
English · Claude translation
Since, then, we have shown that all the things that have already happened were proclaimed through the prophets before they happened, it is necessary also to believe that the things likewise prophesied, but still to happen, will certainly happen. For just as the things already done, though proclaimed beforehand and not understood, came to pass, so the rest, even if they are not understood and are disbelieved, will come to pass. For the prophets proclaimed two comings of his: one, which has already happened, as a man dishonored and suffering; and the second, when it has been proclaimed that he will come from heaven with glory, with his angelic host, when he will also raise the bodies of all people who have lived, and will clothe the worthy with incorruption, but will send the unjust, in eternal sensation, into the eternal fire with the evil demons. And we will show that these things too were foretold as going to happen. It was said through Ezekiel the prophet thus: “Joint shall be joined to joint and bone to bone, and flesh shall grow again. And every knee shall bow to the Lord, and every tongue shall confess him.” And hear what was likewise said about what sensation and punishment the unjust will be in. These are the words: “Their worm shall not cease, and their fire shall not be quenched.” And then they will repent, when it will profit them nothing. And what the peoples of the Jews will say and do when they see him coming in glory was prophesied through Zechariah the prophet and spoken thus: “I will command the four winds to gather the scattered children; I will command the north wind to bring them, and the south wind not to hinder. And then in Jerusalem there will be great mourning, not a mourning of mouths or lips, but a mourning of the heart; and they shall not tear their garments, but their minds. Tribe shall mourn to tribe, and then they shall look on him whom they pierced, and they shall say, Why, Lord, did you make us wander from your way? The glory which our fathers blessed has become a reproach to us.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- Justin's quotations are free combinations: “Ezekiel” joins Ezek 37:7–8 with Isa 45:23; “Zechariah” combines Zech 2:6; 12:10–12, Joel 2:13, and Isa 63:17; 64:11.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (damaged spot in the digital text (quotation mark garbled); digitization slip against Rauschen's printed text (letters transposed); digitization slip against Rauschen's printed text (wrong letter)): (??)Συναχθήσεται → „Συναχθήσεται; Ηοῖα δὲ → Ποῖα δὲ; Ζαχαρίσυ → Ζαχαρίου.
Cite this passage
Justin, 1 Apol. 52 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-1-apology/52/).
Plain text
Justin, 1 Apol. 52 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-1-apology/52/).
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