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The First Apology
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Chapter 53: Summary of the Prophecies.
ALTHOUGH WE COULD PRESENT MANY OTHER PROPHECIES: we refrain, believing these are enough to convince those who have the ears to hear and understand.
Additionally, we acknowledge that these individuals can see that we do not make mere claims without presenting proof, unlike the fables told about the so-called sons of Jupiter. For what reason would we believe that a crucified man is the firstborn of the unbegotten God and will judge the whole human race, unless we found testimonies about Him published before He came and was born as a man, and unless we saw these things happen accordingly—the destruction of the land of the Jews, and people of every race persuaded by His teachings through the apostles, and rejecting their old practices, in which they were deceived? Yes, seeing ourselves and realizing that the Christians from among the Gentiles are both more numerous and more genuine than those from among the Jews and Samaritans? For all other human races are called Gentiles by the Spirit of prophecy, but the Jewish and Samaritan races are called the tribe of Israel and the house of Jacob.
The prophecy predicted that there would be more believers from the Gentiles than from the Jews and Samaritans, and it goes like this: “Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear; break forth and shout, you who do not travail, because many more are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband.” For all the Gentiles were “desolate” of the true God, serving the works of their hands; but the Jews and Samaritans, having the word of God delivered by the prophets and always expecting the Christ, did not recognize Him when He came, except for a few, whom the Spirit of prophecy by Isaiah predicted would be saved.
He spoke from their perspective: “Except the Lord had left us a seed, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.” Sodom and Gomorrah are related by Moses to have been cities of ungodly men, which God burned with fire and brimstone and overthrew, with none of their inhabitants saved except for a certain stranger, a Chaldean by birth, named Lot, with whom his daughters were also rescued. Those who are interested may still see their entire country desolate and burned, remaining barren.
To demonstrate how the Gentiles were foretold as more genuine and believing, we will refer to what was said by Isaiah the prophet; he spoke as follows: “Israel is uncircumcised in heart, but the Gentiles are uncircumcised in the flesh.” Therefore, all these things, when observed, are enough to produce conviction and belief in those who embrace the truth without bias and are not governed by their passions.
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)