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Jumpstarter 9 of 10

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Radical Reformation History  /  Lecture 2: The Early Church  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
Justin Martyr defends Christianity by describing a visible moral and communal transformation—former fornicators embracing chastity, former lovers of wealth sharing possessions, former enemies praying for enemies—and then he quotes Jesus’ commands on lust and divorce; if a skeptic interviewed you about Christianity, what concrete practices would you instinctively point to, and what does that reveal about your actual “definition” of Christianity?
Another way to ask: If a skeptic asked you what Christianity changes in real life, what specific practices would you point to first? What does your answer show about what you really think Christianity is?

Direct Answer Dean’s point is that early Christians would define Christianity by visible obedience to Jesus—especially moral purity, enemy-love, and generous sharing—rather than mainly by abstract beliefs or a one-time conversion story. What we instinctively point to today reveals whether our “definition” is centered on Jesus’ commands and Kingdom lifestyle or on something thinner.

Support from Transcript:

  • Dean asks: if you asked an early Christian “what does it mean to be a Christian,” “surprisingly… you see… Jesus” in their answer.
  • Justin Martyr lists transformations: “formerly delighted in fornication, but now embrace chastity”; “valued… wealth… now bring what we have into a common stock”; “hated… one another… now… pray for our enemies.”
  • Justin connects enemy-love to mission: they don’t fight because they “endeavor to persuade those who hate us… to live according to… Christ.”
  • Justin then cites Jesus’ precepts directly: lust (“looketh… to lust… committed adultery”) and divorce/remarriage as adultery.
  • Dean comments on the simplicity: “What if Jesus really meant every word he said?” and links it to obedience.
Discussion Follow-ups If someone judged Christianity by your daily life, which parts of Jesus’ teaching would be most visible? Are there areas (money, sexuality, forgiveness) where you’d prefer not to use Jesus’ words as your public defense?

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