# A Letter to Diognetus



## Josiah (Apr 24, 2009)

I found this wonderful description of the Christian's life in this world from the early church at the Confessional Outhouse:

*A Letter to Diognetus*




> Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.
> 
> And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not their wives.
> 
> ...


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## a mere housewife (Apr 24, 2009)

I love this Epistle because it teaches substitutionary atonement (contra claims I have heard that the early church did not teach/believe this view of the atonement).



> Chapter 9:
> 
> *Chapter IX.—Why the Son was sent so late.*
> 
> As long then as the former time endured, He permitted us to be borne along by unruly impulses, being drawn away by the desire of pleasure and various lusts. This was not that He at all delighted in our sins, but that He simply endured them; nor that He approved the time of working iniquity which then was, but that He sought to form a mind conscious of righteousness,javascript:toggle('fnf_iii.ii.ix-p2.5'); so that being convinced in that time of our unworthiness of attaining life through our own works, it should now, through the kindness of God, be vouchsafed to us; and having made it manifest that in ourselves we were unable to enter into the kingdom of God, we might through the power of God be made able. But when our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward,javascript:toggle('fnf_iii.ii.ix-p3.2'); punishment and death, was impending over us; and when the time had come which God had before appointed for manifesting His own kindness and power, howjavascript:toggle('fnf_iii.ii.ix-p4.1'); the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, *but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us, He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God? O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!* Having therefore convinced us in the former timejavascript:toggle('fnf_iii.ii.ix-p7.1'); that our nature was unable to attain to life, and having now revealed the Saviour who is able to save even those things which it was [formerly] impossible to save, by both these facts He desired to lead us to trust in His kindness, to esteem Him our Nourisher, Father, Teacher, Counsellor, Healer, our Wisdom, Light, Honour, Glory, Power, and Life, so that we should not be anxiousjavascript:toggle('fnf_iii.ii.ix-p8.1'); concerning clothing and food.


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## DTK (Apr 24, 2009)

> *For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness?*



To be sure, this is not an explicit statement of the imputation of Christ's righteousness, but the very concept of it is surely being affirmed by this member of the early church.

DTK


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