Part five in a series.
Today I’m looking at Aristides, a.k.a. Aristides the Philosopher.
We have a work by him called Apology, presented to the emperor in 126 or 136 AD. So far, it is my favorite of this series, for two reasons.
First, the structure is so crisp, you could turn it into a Power Point presentation:
Thesis: There are three classes of men: polytheists, Jews, and Christians. Which are correct?
I. Polytheists.
A. Chaldeans are silly.
1.They make idols that they have to guard for fear of them being stolen by robbers.
2. They think the sky is a god. It is not (cf. stars.)
3. They think the earth is a goddess. It is not.
a. Men use it.
b. Burn it and it can’t grow stuff.
c. People walk on it and bury corpses in it.
4. They think water is a god. It is not.
a. Men defile it.
b. It freezes in cold weather
c. We wash unclean stuff in it.
5. They think fire is a god. It is not.
a. Men control it and carry it around.
b. Men roast meat and burn corpses with it.
c. Men can put it out.
etc….
Second, it’s full of sarcasm. About the Greeks he says,
Along with [Zeus], too, they bring forward one Hephaistos as a god, and they say that he is lame and wields a hammer and tongs, working as a smith for his living.
Is he then badly off? But it cannot be admitted that a god should be a cripple, and besides be dependent on mankind.
Then they bring forward Hermes as a god, representing him to be lustful, and a thief, and covetous, and a magician (and maimed) and an interpreter of language. But it cannot be admitted that such an one is a god.
They also bring forward Asklepios as a god who is a doctor and prepares drugs and compounds plasters for the sake of a living. For he was badly off. And afterwards he was struck, they say, with a thunderbolt by Zeus on account of Tyndareos, son of Lacedaimon; and so was killed. Now if Asklepios in spite of his divinity could not help himself when struck by lightning, how will he come to the rescue of others?
About the polytheists in general he says,
And I wonder how they saw their gods sawn out and hacked and docked by the workmen, and besides aging with time and falling to pieces, and being cast from metal, and yet did not discern concerning them that they were not gods.
For when they have no power to see to their own safety, how will they take forethought for men?
Moving forward to the Christians, Aristides gives us a sort of definition of the word and a description of their activities. It is lovely, so I’ll post most of it here:
Now the Christians trace their origin from the Lord Jesus Christ. And He is acknowledged by the Holy Spirit to be the son of the most high God, who came down from heaven for the salvation of men.
And being born of a pure virgin, unbegotten and immaculate, He assumed flesh and revealed himself among men that He might recall them to Himself from their wander-lug after many gods. And having accomplished His wonderful dispensation, by a voluntary choice He tasted death on the cross, fulfilling an august dispensation. And after three days He came to life again and ascended into heaven.
And if you would read, O King, you may judge the glory of His presence from the holy gospel writing, as it is called among themselves. He had twelve disciples, who after His ascension to heaven went forth into the provinces of the whole world, and declared His greatness. As for instance, one of them traversed the countries about us, proclaiming the doctrine of the truth. From this it is, that they who still observe the righteousness enjoined by their preaching are called Christians.
And these are they who more than all the nations on the earth have found the truth. For they know God, the Creator and Fashioner of all things through the only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit; and beside Him they worship no other God.
They have the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself graven upon their hearts; and they observe them, looking forward to the resurrection of the dead and life in the world to come.
They do not commit adultery nor fornication, nor bear false witness, nor covet the things of others;
they honour father and mother, and love their neighbours;
they judge justly, and they never do to others what they would not wish to happen to themselves;
they appeal to those who injure them, and try to win them as friends;
they are eager to do good to their enemies;
they are gentle and easy to be entreated;
they abstain from all unlawful conversation and from all impurity;
they despise not the widow, nor oppress the orphan;
and he that has, gives ungrudgingly for the maintenance of him who has not.
If they see a stranger, they take him under their roof, and rejoice over him as over a very brother; for they call themselves brethren not after the flesh but after the spirit.
And they are ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of Christ; for they observe His commands without swerving, and live holy and just lives, as the Lord God enjoined upon them.
And they give thanks unto Him every hour, for all meat and drink and other blessings.
Verily then, this is the way of the truth which leads those who travel therein to the everlasting kingdom promised through Christ in the life to come.
Nice work, isn’t it? Makes Christians sound like you’d like to have them for neighbors instead of lion food.
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