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The First Apology
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Chapter 44: Not Nullified by Prophecy.
THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROPHECY TAUGHT US THIS: telling us through Moses that God spoke to the first man created: “Look, before you are good and evil: choose the good.” And again, through the prophet Isaiah, it was said as if from God the Father and Lord of all: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove evils from your souls; learn to do good; defend the orphan, and speak for the widow: and come and let us reason together, says the Lord: And if your sins are as scarlet, I will make them white as wool; and if they are red like crimson, I will make them white as snow. And if you are willing and obey Me, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you do not obey Me, the sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.”
That expression, “The sword shall devour you,” does not mean that the disobedient will be slain by the sword, but the sword of God is fire, of which those who choose to do wickedly become the fuel. Therefore He says, “The sword shall devour you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.” If He had referred to a sword that cuts and kills immediately, He would not have said, shall devour. Similarly, when Plato says, “The blame is his who chooses, and God is blameless,” he drew this from the prophet Moses and expressed it. For Moses is more ancient than all Greek writers. Whenever philosophers and poets speak of the immortality of the soul, or punishments after death, or contemplation of heavenly things, or other such doctrines, they have been influenced by the prophets, which has helped them understand and explain these matters. Therefore, there appear to be seeds of truth among all people; but they are charged with not understanding [the truth] accurately when they assert contradictions.
So when we talk about future events being foretold, we do not mean they happen by a fatal necessity; rather, God, knowing in advance all that will be done by all people, and having decreed that the future actions of people will be recompensed based on their value, foretells through the Spirit of prophecy that He will bestow appropriate rewards according to the merit of the actions done, always urging humanity to effort and reflection, showing that He cares for and provides for people. However, through the actions of devils, death has been decreed against those who read the books of Hystaspes, or of the Sibyl, or of the prophets, to instill fear and prevent readers from gaining knowledge of the good, keeping them in bondage; which, however, they have not always achieved. For not only do we read them fearlessly, but, as you see, we present them for your review, knowing that their contents will be pleasing to all. And if we persuade even a few, our gain will be very great; for, as good farmers, we shall receive the reward from the Master.
Hear the Scriptures cited in The First Apology
The First Apology quotes or alludes to these Bible chapters more than any others. Each link opens the free audio Bible, where the chapter is read aloud alongside the text, cross-references, and what other early Christian writers said about it.
- Hear Isaiah 52 (audio Bible) — cited 3 times in this work
- Hear Matthew 5 (audio Bible) — cited 3 times in this work
- Hear Genesis 6 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Genesis 49 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Numbers 21 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Psalms 22 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Isaiah 65 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Matthew 19 (audio Bible) — cited 2 times in this work
- Hear Genesis 14 (audio Bible)
- Hear Genesis 18 (audio Bible)
- Hear Genesis 32 (audio Bible)
- Hear Exodus 3 (audio Bible)