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Question 3
Justin Martyr tells the Romans that without free choice, praise/blame and reward/punishment collapse; how does his argument connect God’s judgment to God’s character, and what does it imply about why God gives commands in the first place?
Another way to ask: Justin Martyr says without free choice, praise and punishment don’t make sense. How does that connect God’s judgment to what God is like, and why would God give commands at all?

Direct Answer Justin’s argument ties God’s judgment to fairness: if humans lack real choice, then rewards and punishments would be unjust; therefore God’s commands assume people truly can obey or disobey, making judgment an expression of God’s just character.

Support from Transcript:

  • Justin says “punishments, chastisements, and rewards are rendered according to the merit of each man's actions.”
  • He argues if all happens by fate, “then nothing is in our own power,” so praise and blame become meaningless.
  • Justin states, “Unless humans have the power of avoiding evil and choosing good by free choice, they are not accountable for their actions.”
  • He adds a person would not deserve reward if “merely created for that end,” and likewise would not deserve punishment if “unable to do anything else.”
  • Bercot presents this as representative of early Christians being “strong believers in free will,” not speculative but grounded in Scripture.
Discussion Follow-ups If God’s commands are real invitations to choose, how should that affect how we read warnings and calls to repentance?

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