Part of a series.
Justin Martyr (100-165) is also called Justin the Philosopher, at least by Encyclopedia.com, and if you scan through the several works that are reliably attributed to him, as well as others that are plausible but not certainly his, it is easy to see why. His work is full of references to Greek culture, mythology, and literature.
The Catholic Encyclopedia calls Justin Martyr the best-authenticated Christian writer of the second century.
Here's a bit from Chapters 109 and 110 of the Dialogue with Trypho, in which Justin quotes Micah 4:1-7 and then explains it.
This is as follows:
"And in the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be manifest, established on the top of the mountains; it shall be exalted above the hills, arid people shall flow unto it.
"And many nations shall go, and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and they shall enlighten us in His way, and we shall walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
"And He shall judge among many peoples, and shall rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into sickles: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
"And each man shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree; and there shall be none to terrify: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. For all people will walk in the name of their gods; but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever.
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will assemble her that is afflicted, and gather her that is driven out, and whom I had plagued;
and I shall make her that is afflicted a remnant, and her that is oppressed a strong nation. And the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth, and even for ever."
And when I had finished these words, I continued: "Now I am aware that your teachers, sirs, admit the whole of the words of this passage to refer to Christ; and I am likewise aware that they maintain He has not yet come; or if they say that He has come, they assert that it is not known who He is; but when He shall become manifest and glorious, then it shall be known who He is. And then, they say, the events mentioned in this passage shall happen, just as if there was no fruit as yet from the words of the prophecy.
O unreasoning men! understanding not what has been proved by all these passages, that two advents of Christ have been announced: the one, in which He is set forth as suffering, inglorious, dishonoured, and crucified;
but the other, in which He shall come from heaven with glory, when the man of apostasy, who speaks strange things against the Most High, shall venture to do unlawful deeds on the earth against us the Christians, who, having learned the true worship of God from the law, and the word which went forth from Jerusalem by means of the apostles of Jesus, have fled for safety to the God of Jacob and God of Israel;
and we who were filled with war, and mutual slaughter, and every wickedness, have each through the whole earth changed our warlike weapons,--our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into implements of tillage,--and we cultivate piety, righteousness, philanthropy, faith, and hope, which we have from the Father Himself through Him who was crucified;
and sitting each under his vine, i.e., each man possessing his own married wife. For you are aware that the prophetic word says, 'And his wife shall be like a fruitful vine.
Justin's point: Prophecies of the Messiah that point to a coming into glory are not inconsistent with the ignoble death of Jesus of Nazareth on the cross, because a second advent is expected. The prophecy of swords and ploughshares and so on has already come to pass, because already in the mid-second century, people of multiple nations --- including those historically at war --- have heard the Good News and come to believe, becoming unified in Christ.
Here comes a passage that moves me.
Now it is evident that no one can terrify or subdue us who have believed in Jesus over all the world. For it is plain that, though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown to wild beasts, and chains, and fire, and all other kinds of torture, we do not give up our confession; but the more such things happen, the more do others and in larger numbers become faithful, and worshippers of God through the name of Jesus.
It's true: the persecutions of the early Church were great, and they began with the Apostles themselves. All met ugly deaths at the hands of people who hated their message.
It would not be truthful to say that I converted because of the witness of the martyrs --- I did not learn about them until much later --- but truly, no other body of facts strengthens my faith more in times of doubt than the historical knowledge of what happened to Peter (crucified under Nero), Andrew (crucified), James son of Zebedee (killed by Herod Agrippa I), Jude Thaddeus (martyred in Persia), Philip (martyred in Phrygia), Bartholomew a.k.a. Nathanael (flayed in Armenia), Paul (beheaded at Rome), etc. Going to your death because you insist that your story is true is, in my opinion, a pretty strong argument against your having made it up, no matter what the reason is for your alleged fabrication.
Justin seems to think that Christianity's survival of the martyrdoms is also evidence of Divine blessing.
For Just as if one should cut away the fruit-bearing parts of a vine, it grows up again, and yields other branches flourishing and fruitful; even so the same thing happens with us. For the vine planted by God and Christ the Saviour is His people.
But the rest of the prophecy shall be fulfilled at His second coming. For the expression, 'He that is afflicted [and driven out],' i.e., from the world, [implies] that, so far as you and all other men have it in your power, each Christian has been driven out not only from his own property, but even from the whole world; for you permit no Christian to live. But you say that the same fate has befallen your own nation. Now, if you have been cast out after defeat in battle, you have suffered such treatment justly indeed, as all the Scriptures bear witness; but we, though we have done no such [evil acts] after we knew the truth of God, are testified to by God, that, together with the most righteous, and only spotless and sinless Christ, we are taken away out of the earth. For Isaiah cries, 'Behold how the righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart; and righteous men are taken away, and no man considers it.'
In case you didn't guess from the name, Justin was martyred too. Marcus Aurelius's handiwork.
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