Epistle to Diognetus - Revision history

Graham grove: Reverted profanity to old unvandalized version

2009-05-31T08:20:52Z

Reverted profanity to old unvandalized version

JoshuaCockboat at 03:43, 22 May 2009

2009-05-22T03:43:05Z

Bob Larson: cleaning up article

2009-05-21T21:57:47Z

cleaning up article

Kathleen.wright5: Category:Epistles

2008-11-07T07:05:07Z

Category:Epistles

Kathleen.wright5: Changed - The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus (text) to Text:The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus

2008-10-12T10:26:47Z

Changed - The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus (text) to Text:The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus

Kathleen.wright5 at 06:51, 25 May 2008

2008-05-25T06:51:02Z

Kathleen.wright5: Category:Christian literature

2008-05-25T06:50:44Z

Category:Christian literature

Muser at 06:26, 13 July 2007

2007-07-13T06:26:20Z

Graham grove at 11:18, 14 September 2006

2006-09-14T11:18:47Z

New page

{{summary | text=The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus is an early writing defending [[Christianity]] from its accusers. The [[Greek]] writer and recipient are not otherwise known, but the language and other textual evidence dates the work to the late 2nd century; "Mathetes" is not a proper name; it simply means "a disciple." A Diognetus was a tutor of the emperor [[Marcus Aurelius]], who admired him for his freedom from superstition and sound educational advice, but he may not have been the recipient.}}

{{overview}}

{{topics}}
* [[The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus (text)]]

{{opinions}}

{{quotes}}

{{returnto}} [[Christian literature]] | [[Writings of the Early Church Fathers]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:20, 31 May 2009
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−	~~fuck you~~	+	{{topics}}
		+	* [[Text:The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus]]
		+
		+	The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus is probably the earliest example of Christian apologetics, writings defending Christianity from its accusers. The Greek writer and recipient are not otherwise known, but the language and other textual evidence dates the work to the late 2nd century; some assume an even earlier date and count it among the Apostolic Fathers. "Mathetes" is not a proper name; it simply means "a disciple." A Diognetus was a tutor of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, who admired him for his freedom from superstition and sound educational advice (Meditations 1.6), but he is not likely to be the recipient, or even the assumed recipient, of this apology.
		+
		+	The writer does not use the name "Jesus" or the expression the "Christ" but prefers the use of "the Word."
		+
		+	The Epistle survives in two manuscripts. A third, that survived until 1870, was in a 13th century codex that included writings ascribed to Justin Martyr. The other two are probably copied from this. It was at Strasbourg but was burned there during the Franco-Prussian War. Fortunately it had already been printed, the first time in 1592, when it was generally ascribed to Justin Martyr because of the context of its manuscript. In all manuscripts, about two lines of the text are missing in the middle. The 13th century manuscript was obviously damaged in that place and the copies were made only after that damage had already been done.
		+
		+	The Epistle is in twelve chapters.
		+
		+	The 10th chapter breaks off in mid thought, and so the following two chapters, a kind of peroration that abandons the (fictive ?) epistolary formula, are often considered to be later additions, for characteristically 3rd-century contentions appear in them: "This Word, Who was from the beginning...". Some have ascribed these additions to Hippolytus, based on similarities of thought and style. In the 11th chapter "Mathetes" presents himself as "having been a disciple of Apostles I come forward as a teacher of the Gentiles, ministering worthily to them" placing himself in a class with authoritative figures like John the Presbyter.
		+
		+	{{returnto}} [[Writings of the Early Church Fathers]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Christian literature]]
		+	[[Category:Epistles]]

← Older revision	Revision as of 03:43, 22 May 2009
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−	+	fuck you

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:57, 21 May 2009
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−	~~__NOTOC__~~
−	~~==Synopsis==~~

−	The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus is an early writing defending [[Christianity]] from its accusers. The [[Greek]] writer and recipient are not otherwise known, but the language and other textual evidence dates the work to the late 2nd century; "Mathetes" is not a proper name; it simply means "a disciple." A Diognetus was a tutor of the emperor [[Marcus Aurelius]], who admired him for his freedom from superstition and sound educational advice, but he may not have been the recipient.
−
−	~~==Contents==~~
−
−	~~{{topics}}~~
−	* [[Text:The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus]]
−
−	~~{{opinions}}~~
−
−	~~{{quotes}}~~
−
−	~~==Main article==~~
−
−	The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus is probably the earliest example of Christian apologetics, writings defending Christianity from its accusers. The Greek writer and recipient are not otherwise known, but the language and other textual evidence dates the work to the late 2nd century; some assume an even earlier date and count it among the Apostolic Fathers. "Mathetes" is not a proper name; it simply means "a disciple." A Diognetus was a tutor of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, who admired him for his freedom from superstition and sound educational advice (Meditations 1.6), but he is not likely to be the recipient, or even the assumed recipient, of this apology.
−
−	~~The writer does not use the name "Jesus" or the expression the "Christ" but prefers the use of "the Word."~~
−
−	The Epistle survives in two manuscripts. A third, that survived until 1870, was in a 13th century codex that included writings ascribed to Justin Martyr. The other two are probably copied from this. It was at Strasbourg but was burned there during the Franco-Prussian War. Fortunately it had already been printed, the first time in 1592, when it was generally ascribed to Justin Martyr because of the context of its manuscript. In all manuscripts, about two lines of the text are missing in the middle. The 13th century manuscript was obviously damaged in that place and the copies were made only after that damage had already been done.
−
−	~~The Epistle is in twelve chapters.~~
−
−	The 10th chapter breaks off in mid thought, and so the following two chapters, a kind of peroration that abandons the (fictive ?) epistolary formula, are often considered to be later additions, for characteristically 3rd-century contentions appear in them: "This Word, Who was from the beginning...". Some have ascribed these additions to Hippolytus, based on similarities of thought and style. In the 11th chapter "Mathetes" presents himself as "having been a disciple of Apostles I come forward as a teacher of the Gentiles, ministering worthily to them" placing himself in a class with authoritative figures like John the Presbyter.
−
−	~~==Links==~~
−
−	~~[[Category:Christian literature]] \| [[Writings of the Early Church Fathers]]~~
−	~~[[Category:Epistles]]~~

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:05, 7 November 2008
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	[[Category:Christian literature]] \| [[Writings of the Early Church Fathers]]		[[Category:Christian literature]] \| [[Writings of the Early Church Fathers]]
		+	[[Category:Epistles]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:51, 25 May 2008
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	==Links==		==Links==

−	[[Category:Christian literature \| [[Writings of the Early Church Fathers]]	+	[[Category:Christian literature]] \| [[Writings of the Early Church Fathers]]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 {{topics}}
-* [[The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus (text)]]
+* [[Text:The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus]]
 {{opinions}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:50, 25 May 2008
Line 27:		Line 27:
	==Links==		==Links==

−	~~{{returnto}}~~ [[Christian literature]] \| [[Writings of the Early Church Fathers]]	+	[[Category:Christian literature \| [[Writings of the Early Church Fathers]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{summary | text=The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus is an early writing defending [[Christianity]] from its accusers. The [[Greek]] writer and recipient are not otherwise known, but the language and other textual evidence dates the work to the late 2nd century; "Mathetes" is not a proper name; it simply means "a disciple." A Diognetus was a tutor of the emperor [[Marcus Aurelius]], who admired him for his freedom from superstition and sound educational advice, but he may not have been the recipient.}}
+__NOTOC__
-{{overview}}
+The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus is an early writing defending [[Christianity]] from its accusers. The [[Greek]] writer and recipient are not otherwise known, but the language and other textual evidence dates the work to the late 2nd century; "Mathetes" is not a proper name; it simply means "a disciple." A Diognetus was a tutor of the emperor [[Marcus Aurelius]], who admired him for his freedom from superstition and sound educational advice, but he may not have been the recipient.
 {{topics}}
@@ Line 9: / Line 12: @@
 {{quotes}}
 {{returnto}} [[Christian literature]] | [[Writings of the Early Church Fathers]]