Saints, See the Cloud of Witnesses

Justin Martyr was an apologist, a defender of the faith, in the early Church.  June 1st on the Church calendar commemorates Justin Martyr as we remember his life and witness.  When Justin was arrested for his faith in Rome, the prefect asked him to denounce his faith by making a sacrifice to the gods. Justin replied, "No one who is rightly minded turns from true belief to false."  He was taken out and beheaded.  Since he gave his life for the "true philosophy," Justin has been surnamed Martyr.


"Justin's conversion to Christianity is thought to have happened at the city of Ephesus, around A.D. 130, when our inquisitive young Samaritan was roughly thirty years of age. And though he was undoubtedly given a warm reception into the Christian congregation there in Asia—that venerable church founded by  John, written to by Ignatius from the house of Polycarp—Justin, to tell the truth, may have raised a few eyebrows by his conduct as a new believer. For the fact is that he continued to frequent his old haunts. He kept all his old friendships and ran with the same unregenerate crowd he had associated with as a heathen. In short, Justin of Neapolis became known, much like his Lord before him, as "the friend of publicans and sinners"—only in Justin's case, the publicans and sinners were not prostitutes or winebibbers, but mystic Pythagorean mathematicians and long-faced logicians studiously following Xenophon and Parmenides. In other words, Justin became an apologist—a defender of the faith, a philosophical evangelist—and from the day of his redemption he seems to have been possessed by one burning desire: to see his own people, his brother philosophers, come to the knowledge of the truth."  Rod Bennett | From "Justin Martyr", in Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words | Ignatius Insight 

1.  Saints, see the cloud of witnesses surround us;

     Their lives of faith encourage and astound us.

          Hear how the Master praised their faith so fervent:

          “Well done, My servant!”

 2.   These saints of old received God’s commendation;

       They lived as pilgrim-heirs of His salvation.

            Through faith they conquered flame and sword and gallows,

            God’s name to hallow.

  3.   They call to us, “Your timid footsteps lengthen;

        Throw off sin’s weight, your halting weakness strengthen.

             We kept the faith, we shed our blood, were martyred;

             Our lives we bartered.”

  4.   Come, let us fix our sight on Christ who suffered,

        He faced the cross, His sinless life He offered;

             He scorned the shame, He died, our death enduring,

             Our hope securing.

                                   

  5.   Lord, give us faith to walk where You are sending,

        On paths unmarked, eyes blind as to their ending;

             Not knowing where we go, but that You lead us—

             With grace precede us.

  6.  You, Jesus, You alone deserve all glory!

       Our lives unfold, embraced within Your story;

            Past, present, future—You, the same forever—

            You fail us never!

Almighty and everlasting God, You found Your martyr Justin wandering from teacher to teacher, seeking the true God, and You revealed to him the sublime wisdom of Your eternal Word: Grant that all who seek You, or a deeper knowledge of You, may find and be found by You; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word

November 9th is set apart to commemorate the great orthodox Lutheran theologian, Martin Chemnitz, sometimes known as "the second Martin."  It has been said, "If the second Martin had not come, the first Martin would not have stood."  The writings of Martin Chemnitz helped rescue Lutheran theology, which after Luther was being undermined by both Calvinism and Roman Catholicism.  Under the tutelage of Phillip Melanchthon, Chemnitz accepted and defended Lutheran teaching, by both his lecturing and by his writings.  One of his best known books, Loci Theologici, was a commentary on Melanchthon's theology.  In it, Chemnitz strongly defends the doctrine of justification by faith alone.  In other writings, Chemnitz defended Luther's teaching on the Lord's Supper and the church's ancient teaching that Jesus is both man and God.  Another important work by Martin Chemnitz was his Examination of the Council of Trent.  At Trent, the Roman Catholics restated and clarified their doctrines.  Chemnitz replied to their claims with four volumes which were a strong Protestant answer to Roman Catholic claims.  For Lutherans, Chemnitz' most important contribution was his part in drafting the Formula of Concord.   This was an orthodox restatement of the Lutheran faith that was acceptable to different Lutheran factions.  Due in large part to his efforts, the Formula of Concord was adopted by the Lutherans of Saxony and Swabia.

Martin Luther's hymn,  "Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word" seems like an appropriate commentary on the life of " the second Martin."

1.  Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word;

     Curb those who by deceit or sword

          Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son

          And bring to naught all He has done.

2.  Lord Jesus Christ, Your pow'r make known,

     For You are Lord of lords alone;

          Defend Your holy Church that we

          May sing Your praise eternally.

3.  O Comforter of priceless worth,

     Send peace and unity on earth;

          Support us in our final strife

          And lead us out of death to life.

Saints, See the Cloud of Witnesses

After the Apostles, Ignatius was the second bishop of Antioch in Syria.  Whether he knew any of the apostles directly is uncertain.  Little is known of his life except for the end of it.  Early in the second century (perhaps around 107 A.D., during the reign of Emperor Trajan), he was arrested and condemned to death, transported to Rome to die in the arena.  By dealing with Ignatius, the authorities hoped to terrify his followers.  Instead, Ignatius took the opportunity to encourage the Christians, speaking to groups of them at every town along the way to Rome.  He wrote seven letters that have been preserved.  In one he writes:  "I am God's wheat, ground fine by the lion's teeth to be made purest bread for Christ."  Ignatius' life and death are commemorated on October 17th.

1.  Saints, see the cloud of witnesses surround us;

     Their lives of faith encourage and astound us.

          Hear how the Master praised their faith so fervent:

          "Well done, My servant!"

2.  These saints of old received God's commendation;

     They lived as pilgrim-heirs of His salvation.

          Through faith they conquered flame and sword and gallows,

          God's name to hallow.

3.  They call to us, "Your timid footsteps lengthen;

     Throw off sin's weight, your halting weakness strengthen.

          We kept the faith, we shed our blood, were martyred;

          Our lives we bartered."

4.  Come, let us fix our sight on Christ who suffered,

     He faced the cross, His sinless life He offered;

          He scorned the shame, He died, our death enduring,

          Our hope securing.

5.  Lord, give us faith to walk where You are sending,

     On paths unmarked, eyes blind as to their ending;

          Not knowing where we go, but that You lead us--

          With grace precede us.

6.  You, Jesus, You alone deserve all glory!

     Our lives unfold, embraced within Your story;

          Past, present, future--You, the same forever--

          You fail us never!