Chapters
The First Apology
Chapters
More
Letter from Antoninus to the General Assembly of Asia.
THE EMPEROR CAESAR TITUS AELIUS ADRIANUS ANTONINUS AUGUSTUS PIUS: Supreme Pontiff, in the fifteenth year of his tribuneship, Consul for the third time, Father of the fatherland, to the Common Assembly of Asia, greetings: I would have thought that the gods themselves would ensure that such offenders do not escape. For if they had the power, they themselves would prefer to punish those who refuse to worship them; but it is you who trouble these individuals and accuse them of atheism, imputing to them certain other things that we cannot prove.
But it benefits them to be considered as dying for the reasons they are accused of, and they overcome you by valuing their lives less than submitting to the obedience you demand of them. Regarding the earthquakes that have already happened and are currently occurring, it is not proper for you to remind us of them, losing heart whenever they occur, and thus contrasting your behavior with that of these individuals; for they have much greater confidence toward God than you have.
Indeed, you seem to ignore the gods during such times, neglecting the temples, and failing to recognize the worship of God.
Hence, you are envious of those who serve Him and persecute them to death. Regarding such individuals, other governors of provinces also wrote to my most divine father; to whom he replied that they should not disturb such individuals unless they are found to be attempting anything against the Roman government. And many have sent me reports about such individuals, to whom I have also replied in accordance with my father’s judgment.
But if anyone has a case against any person of this kind, simply because they are such a person, let the accused be acquitted of the charge, even if they are found to be such; but let the accuser face justice.
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)