Philo and Jewish Philosophy in Early Christianity

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Direct teaching

"I will tell you," I said, "what I think; because philosophy is truly the greatest possession and the most honorable before God, to whom it leads us and alone recommends us. Those who have devoted themselves to philosophy are genuinely holy. However, what philosophy is and why it was given to humans has been overlooked by most people; otherwise, we wouldn't have Platonists, Stoics, Peripatetics, Theoretics, or Pythagoreans, as this knowledge is singular. I wish to explain why it has become fragmented. It happened that those who first engaged with it, and were therefore seen as distinguished, were followed by those who did not pursue truth but only admired the perseverance and self-discipline of the predecessors, as well as the novelty of their teachings. Each then believed that what their teacher taught was true. Furthermore, these individuals passed down their teachings to their own students, and the system was named after the one considered the founder of the doctrine. Initially eager to speak with someone well versed in this field, I approached a certain Stoic. After spending a considerable time with him, I realized I had not gained any further knowledge of God, as he himself di

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

...self is not the cause of the ship being pulled, but only together with the others. In the same way, philosophy, which is the search for truth, helps us understand the truth. It is not the cause of understanding by itself, but a cause along with other things, and a co-worker. Perhaps it may also be called a joint-cause. And just as several virtues are causes of one person’s happiness, and just as the sun, fire, a bath, and clothing all help one person become warm, so also truth is one, yet many things help in the search for it. But its discovery is through the Son. If we think carefully, virtue is one in its power. But when it appears in different matters, it is called prudence in some cases, temperance in others, and in others courage or righteousness. By the same comparison, truth is one, yet in geometry there is the truth of geometry, in music the truth of music, and in the right philosophy there will be Hellenic truth. But the only true and secure truth, which cannot be overthrown, is that in which we are taught by the Son of God. In the same way, we say that a drachma is one and the same coin. But when it is given to the shipmaster, it is called fare; to the tax collector, t

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Oration to Origen Direct teaching

...as the proverb says, and used all his powers for that purpose. To do this, he praised the lovers of philosophy with great praise and many noble sayings. He declared that only those live a life truly worthy of rational beings who aim to live uprightly all their lives, and who seek first of all to know themselves, what kind of persons they are. Then they must learn what things are truly good, which a person ought to pursue, and what things are truly evil, from which a person ought to flee. Then he rebuked ignorance and all ignorant people. And there are many such people. Like brute cattle, they are blind in mind and do not even understand what they are. They wander so far astray that it is as if they had no reason at all. They neither know for themselves what is good and what is evil, nor do they care to learn it from others. Instead, they labor feverishly for wealth, glory, honors valued by the crowd, and bodily comfort. They run wildly after such things as if these were the real good. And as though such things were of great value, yes, worth more than everything else, they prize the things themselves, and also the skills by which they can gain them, and the different ways of lif

Lactantius, On the Workmanship of God Direct teaching

Then, accordingly, I will exhort you with greater clearness and truth to the learning of true philosophy.

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness

for philosophy is, in fact, the greatest possession, and most honourable before God, to whom it leads us and alone commends us;

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness

and these are truly holy men who have bestowed attention on philosophy.

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness

What philosophy is, however, and the reason why it has been sent down to men, have escaped the observation of most;

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

Philosophy and heresies, aids in discovering the truth.

Alexander of Lycopolis, Of the Manicheans Supporting witness

The philosophy of the Christians is termed simple.

Minucius Felix, Octavius Supporting witness

so that any one might think either that Christians are now philosophers, or that philosophers were then already Christians.

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Direct teaching

Writing to the Colossians, he says, See that no one beguile you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, and contrary to the wisdom of the Holy Ghost.

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

And when the apostle says, Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, Colossians 2:8 we are to avoid those things which do not come from God's clemency, but are begotten of the presumption of a too rigid philosophy.

Tertullian, Against Marcion Supporting witness

When, again, he warns them to beware of subtle words and philosophy, as being a vain deceit, such as is after the rudiments of the world (not understanding thereby the mundane fabric of sky and earth, but worldly learning, and the tradition of men, subtle in their speech and their philosophy), Colossians 2:8 it would be tedious, and the proper subject of a separate work, to show how in this sentence (of the apostle's) all heresies are condemned, on the ground of their consisting of the resources of subtle speech and the rules of philosophy.

Tertullian, Against Marcion Supporting witness

Thanks to this simplicity of truth, so opposed to the subtlety and vain deceit of philosophy, we cannot possibly have any relish for such perverse opinions.

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Direct teaching

it appears that philosophy is altogether false and empty, since it does not prepare us for the duties of justice, nor strengthen the obligations and settled course of man's life.

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

...ual sects are convicted of folly by the judgment of many sects, it follows that all are found to be vain and empty. And so philosophy consumes and destroys itself. Since Arcesilas, the founder of the Academy, understood this, he gathered together the mutual criticisms of all the sects and the confessions of ignorance made by famous philosophers, and armed himself against them all. In this way he established a new philosophy of not practicing philosophy. From this founder, therefore, two kinds of philosophy began. One was the old kind, which claims knowledge for itself. The other was a new kind, opposed to the former, and taking knowledge away from it. Between these two kinds of philosophy, I see disagreement, and, as it were, civil war. On which side shall we place wisdom, which cannot be torn apart? If the nature of things can be known, this troop of new recruits will perish. If it cannot be known, the veterans will be destroyed. If they are equal, nevertheless philosophy, the guide of all, will still perish because it is divided. For nothing can be opposed to itself without destroying itself. But if, as I have shown, there can be no inward and special knowledge in man because

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

What could be said that is more contradictory? If the teachings of philosophy ought to be known, they ought to be known for this reason: so that we may live well and wisely. But if we must live as members of a community, then philosophy is not wisdom, if it is better to live according to society than according to philosophy. For if what is called philosophy is wisdom, then the man who does not live according to philosophy certainly lives foolishly. But if the man who lives according to society does not live foolishly, it follows that the man who lives according to philosophy lives foolishly. Therefore, by your own judgment, philosophy is condemned as foolish and empty. And you also, in your Consolation, that is, not in a work of lightness and amusement, expressed this view about philosophy: "But I do not know what error has taken hold of us, or what miserable ignorance of the truth." Where, then, is the guidance of philosophy? Or what has that parent of life taught you, if you are miserably ignorant of the truth? But if this confession of error and ignorance has been forced from your inmost heart, almost against your will, why do you not finally admit to yourself the truth: that ph

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness

and inasmuch as they have withdrawn themselves from true actions, it is manifest that they invented the system of philosophy itself, for the purpose of exercising the tongue, or for the sake of pleading.

Lactantius, The Epitome of the Divine Institutes Supporting witness

therefore all philosophy is found to be empty and useless, which was unable to comprehend the nature of man, or to fulfil its duty and office.

Cyprian, Treatises Background

Isaiah 29:14 Moreover, the blessed Apostle Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, and sent forth for the calling and training of the heathen, bears witness and instructs us, saying, See that no man despoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ, because in Him dwells all the fullness of divinity.

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Background

Beware lest any one spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness

5. Paul saw that Greek philosophy contains certain things that should not be lightly dismissed. They seem convincing to many people, but they present falsehood as truth. So he says about such things, "Beware lest anyone spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ." And since there was a kind of greatness shown in the words of the world's wisdom, he said that the words of the philosophers were according to the rudiments of the world. However, no sensible person would say that the words of Celsus were according to the rudiments of the world. Now the apostle called those words that contained some element of deceit "vain deceit," probably to distinguish them from a deceit that was not vain. And the prophet Jeremiah, noticing this, dared to say to God, "O Lord, You have deceived me, and I was deceived; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed." But in the language of Celsus, it seems to me, there is no deceitfulness at all, not even the kind that is vain. I mean the kind of deceitfulness found in the language of those who founded philosophical sects and were given no ordinary abi

Origen, Against Celsus Direct teaching

It is said, moreover, that Hermippus has recorded in his first book, On Lawgivers, that it was from the Jewish people that Pythagoras derived the philosophy which he introduced among the Greeks.

Justin Martyr, Hortatory Address to the Greeks Direct teaching

... our worship, so you may understand that, among all your teachers—whether sages, poets, historians, philosophers, or lawgivers—the oldest, as Greek histories reveal, was Moses, who was our first religious teacher. During the times of Ogyges and Inachus, whom some of your poets claim to have been born from the earth, Moses is noted as the leader and ruler of the Jewish nation. He is mentioned in this way by Polemon in the first book of his Hellenics, and by Apion son of Posidonius in his book against the Jews, as well as in the fourth book of his history, where he states that during Inachus’s rule over Argos, the Jews revolted from Amasis, king of the Egyptians, and Moses led them. Ptolemaeus the Mendesian, in his account of Egyptian history, agrees with this. Those who wrote the Athenian history, such as Hellanicus and Philochorus (the author of The Attic History), Castor and Thallus, and Alexander Polyhistor, along with the highly informed writers on Jewish affairs, Philo and Josephus, have mentioned Moses as a very ancient and esteemed leader of the Jews. Josephus, indeed, wanting to emphasize the antiquity and age of history by the title of his work, commenced it with these w

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Direct teaching

And so it is that the proof is at hand, that all those (Greeks) who ventured to make assertions concerning God, or concerning the creation of existing things, derived their principles from no other source than from Jewish legislation.

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

And among these may be particularized Pythagoras especially, and the Stoics, who derived (their systems) while resident among the Egyptians, by having become disciples of these Jews.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

And further, that the same God that furnished both the Covenants was the giver of Greek philosophy to the Greeks, by which the Almighty is glorified among the Greeks, he shows.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Background

It is said that the Scriptures of both the Law and the Prophets were translated from the Hebrew language into Greek during the reign of Ptolemy, the son of Lagos, or, according to others, during the reign of Ptolemy called Philadelphus. Demetrius Phalereus worked on this task with the greatest zeal and used careful accuracy with the materials for the translation. At that time, the Macedonians still ruled Asia, and the king wanted to decorate the library at Alexandria with every kind of writing. So he asked the people of Jerusalem to translate the prophecies they possessed into Greek. Since they were subjects of the Macedonians, they chose seventy elders from among the most respected men, men skilled in the Scriptures and also skilled in the Greek language, and sent them to him with the divine books. Then each man translated each prophetic book separately. When all the translations were compared together, they agreed in both meaning and wording. For this was God's plan, carried out for the benefit of Greek listeners. It was not contrary to the inspiration of God, who gave the prophecy, also to bring about the translation and make it, so to speak, a Greek prophecy. Since the Scriptur

Justin Martyr, Hortatory Address to the Greeks Background

...barians. Before that period, there existed only the history of the prophet Moses, which he wrote in Hebrew by divine inspiration. The Greek alphabet was not yet in use, as language experts inform us, saying that Cadmus first brought the letters from Phoenicia to the Greeks. Your first philosopher, Plato, confirms they were a recent discovery. In the "Timaeus," he wrote that Solon, the wisest of the wise men, upon returning from Egypt, told Critias that he heard from a very old Egyptian priest who said to him, “O Solon, Solon, you Greeks are always children, and there is no aged Greek.” He further said, “You are all young in soul because you hold no ancient opinion passed down through tradition or any system of instruction aged with time; all these things are unknown to you because for many generations, the descendants of those ancient times died silent, without the use of letters.” It is essential, therefore, that you understand that all history has been written in these newly discovered Greek letters. If anyone mentions old poets, legislators, historians, orators, or philosophers, they will find that they composed their works in the Greek alphabet.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

...and music, by those among the Egyptians who were most skilled in these arts. He was also taught the philosophy that is expressed through symbols, which they present in hieroglyphic inscriptions. The rest of the usual course of instruction, Greeks in Egypt taught him as a royal child, as Philo says in his Life of Moses. He also learned the literature of the Egyptians, and from the Chaldeans and the Egyptians he learned the knowledge of the heavenly bodies. Therefore, in Acts 7:22, he is said to have been instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. And Eupolemus, in his book On the Kings in Judea, says that Moses was the first wise man, and the first to teach grammar to the Jews; that the Phoenicians received it from the Jews, and the Greeks from the Phoenicians. And when he gave himself to their philosophy, he increased in wisdom, being deeply devoted to the training he had received from his family and ancestors, until he struck and killed the Egyptian who was wrongfully attacking the Hebrew. And the mystics say that he killed the Egyptian by a word alone, just as Peter in Acts is said to have killed by speech those who kept back part of the price of the field and lied, in Act

Origen, Against Celsus Direct teaching

On this subject Philo has composed a treatise which deserves the thoughtful and intelligent investigation of all lovers of truth.

Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness

He seems to refer in these words to the works of Philo, or to those of still older writers, such as Aristobulus.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

and that their philosophy committed to writing has the precedence of philosophy among the Greeks, the Pythagorean Philo shows at large;

Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness

And there is extant a work by the historian Hecatæus, treating of the Jews, in which so high a character is bestowed upon that nation for its learning, that Herennius Philo, in his treatise on the Jews, has doubts in the first place, whether it is really the composition of the historian;