The Historical Jesus

Justin Martyr

With the work of Justin Martyr, early Christian scholarship entered a new dimension. There is a marked difference between the characteristically devotional, doctrinal and practical exhortations of the apostolic writings and the apologetic works of Justin. These writings reflect his personal philosophical pilgrimage and his own polemic interests, which led to his reputation as the major Christian apologist of the second century. Included in his works are a number of historical references to Jesus.

In his First Apology, written soon after AD 150 and addressed chiefly to Emperor Antoninus Pius, Justin Martyr refers to various aspects of the life of Jesus. Referring to Jesus’ birth, it is noted that he was born of a virgin, while his physical line of descent came through the tribe of Judah and the family of Jesse.¹⁰ Later, after mentioning the location of Jesus’ birth in the town of Bethlehem, Justin explains:

Now there is a village in the land of the Jews, thirty-five stadia from Jerusalem, in which Jesus Christ was born, as you can ascertain also from the registers of the taxing made under Cyrenius, your first procurator in Judea.¹¹

These two references state several items surrounding Jesus’ birth. ⁽¹⁾ He was born of a virgin, ⁽²⁾ while he was a physical descendant of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah. ⁽³⁾ The village of Bethlehem was his birthplace, ⁽⁴⁾ which was located thirty-five stadia (approximately five miles) from Jerusalem. ⁽⁵⁾ The location and fact of Jesus’ birth could be verified by consulting the records of Cyrenius, the first procurator of Judea.

Justin Martyr also refers to Jesus’ public ministry and to the official documentation of his message. Earlier Justin’s reference to the Acts of Pontius Pilate was discussed,¹² where it is asserted that Jesus’ miracles such as his healing of diseases and raising the dead could be evidenced from Pilate’s report.¹³ Furthermore, in answer to the question as to whether Jesus did his miracles by magic, Justin answered in the negative, pointing to Jesus’ fulfillment of prophecy as a vindication of his claims.¹⁴ From these texts we note ⁽⁶⁾ that Jesus did miracles which were believed to be referenced in Pilate’s report. ⁽⁷⁾ Fulfilled messianic prophecy was also taken as a further validation of his claims.

Justin also referred frequently to Jesus’ death by crucifixion. On one occasion he spoke of Jesus as “Him who was crucified in Judea.”¹⁵ In a second reference to the so-called Acts of Pontius Pilate, he declares that Jesus was nailed to the cross through his hands and feet, and that some of those present cast lots for his clothing.¹⁶ In a more extended reference to Jesus’ death and resurrection, Justin Martyr declares:

Accordingly, after He was crucified, even all His acquaintances forsook Him, having denied Him; and afterwards, when He had risen from the dead and appeared to them, and had taught them to read the prophecies in which all these things were foretold as coming to pass, and when they had seen Him ascending into heaven, and had believed, and had received power sent thence by Him upon them, and went to every race of men, they taught these things, and were called apostles.¹⁷

In these three references Justin reports ⁽⁸⁾ that Jesus was nailed to the cross through his hands and feet and ⁽⁹⁾ was crucified ⁽¹⁰⁾ while his garments were taken from him. ⁽¹¹⁾ His friends denied and forsook him. ⁽¹²⁾ Later, Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his followers, ⁽¹³⁾ teaching them concerning the prophecies which he fulfilled. ⁽¹⁴⁾ After Jesus ascended to heaven, ⁽¹⁵⁾ those who believed in him went out preaching to all men and ⁽¹⁶⁾ were called apostles.

In another work, Dialogue with Trypho, Justin Martyr writes specifically for Jews, in order to convince them that Jesus is the Messiah. Here we also find several historical references to Jesus. For instance, Justin asserts:

For at the time of His birth, Magi who came from Arabia worshipped Him, coming first to Herod, who then was sovereign in your land.¹⁸

Here it is pointed out ⁽¹⁷⁾ that Arabian Magi visited Jesus at his birth and worshipped him, after ⁽¹⁸⁾ first stopping to see Herod, the ruler of the Jews.

Later, speaking of Jesus’ crucifixion, Justin writes:

For when they crucified Him, driving in the nails, they pierced His hands and feet; and those who crucified Him parted His garments among themselves, each casting lots for what he chose to have, and receiving according to the decision of the lot.¹⁹

Here Justin explicitly records several more events. He asserts ⁽¹⁹⁾ that Jesus was crucified, being nailed through both his hands and feet. ⁽²⁰⁾ Again we find a reference to gambling for Jesus’ clothes by those who crucified him, with each person keeping the items which he had won.

Following Jesus’ death by crucifixion, the Gospel of Matthew reports that the Jews spread the story that the disciples came and stole his dead body (Matt. 28:11-15). Justin explains that this story was still being proclaimed elsewhere by the Jews:

Christ said amongst you that He would give the sign of Jonah, exhorting you to repent of your wicked deeds at least after He rose again from the dead . . . yet you not only have not repented, after you learned that he rose from the dead, but, as I said before, you have sent chosen and ordained men throughout all the world to proclaim that a godless and lawless heresy had sprung from one Jesus, a Galilean deceiver, whom we crucified, but his disciples stole him by night from the tomb, where he was laid when unfastened from the cross, and now deceive men by asserting that he had risen from the dead and ascended to heaven.²⁰

This interesting portion reports ⁽²¹⁾ that Jesus predicted that he would rise ahead of time,²¹ and ⁽²²⁾ exhorted the Jews to repent. ⁽²³⁾ Even after Jesus rose from the dead the Jews did not repent but ⁽²⁴⁾ spread the story that the disciples stole Jesus’ body after he was crucified, and that the disciples then lied about the resurrection. ⁽²⁵⁾ The disciples also taught that Jesus afterward ascended to heaven, which at least witnesses to the early Christian belief in this occurrence.

Lastly, Justin Martyr also witnesses to the facticity of the resurrection in another portion of Dialogue with Trypho:

For indeed the Lord remained on the tree almost until evening, and they buried Him at eventide; then on the third day He rose again.²²

Here Justin records ⁽²⁶⁾ that Jesus hung on the “tree” until evening,^{23 (27)} that he was buried at that time and ⁽²⁸⁾ that he rose from the dead the third day afterward.