The Second Apology

Our teachings are greater than all human teachings because Christ, who appeared for our benefit, became the complete rational being, encompassing body, reason, and soul. Whatever lawgivers or philosophers said well, they developed by discovering and contemplating part of the Word.

But since they did not know the entirety of the Word, which is Christ, they often contradicted themselves. Those born before Christ, who tried to understand and prove things through reason, were judged as impious and meddlesome. Socrates, more passionate about this than anyone, was accused of the same crimes as us.

He was said to introduce new divinities and not recognize the gods sanctioned by the state. He expelled Homer and other poets from the state and taught others to reject the wicked demons and those involved in actions described by the poets. He encouraged them to know the God unknown to them through rational exploration, saying, "It is not easy to find the Father and Maker of all, and once found, it is not safe to reveal Him to everyone." However, our Christ accomplished these things through His own power.

No one trusted Socrates enough to die for his doctrine, but Christ—partially known even to Socrates, as He was and is the Word within every person and foretold events both through prophets and in His own life—was believed in not only by philosophers and scholars but also by craftsmen and completely uneducated people. They disregarded glory, fear, and death because He is a power of the ineffable Father, not merely a tool of human reason.