Identity from the
Ancients
By: Christopher Wiles
In our earliest surviving (2nd century) written
account (outside of scripture) of a Christian explaining faith to a person who
doesn’t believe, we find a deep belief being shared by Mathetes to
Diognetus. I share Mathetes’ words with
you here as together we assess what we are doing with our Christian lives. Do our lives fit with the description Mathetes
gives?
"... Christians are not distinguished from the rest of
humanity by country, language, or custom. For nowhere do they live in cities of
their own, nor do they speak some unusual dialect, nor do they practice an
eccentric way of life. This teaching of theirs has not been discovered by the
thought and reflection of ingenious people, nor do they promote any human
doctrine, as some do.
"But while they live in both Greek and barbarian
cities, as each one's lot was cast, and follow the local customs in dress and
food and other aspects of life, at the same time they demonstrate the
remarkable and admittedly unusual character of their own citizenship. They live
in their own countries, but only as nonresidents; they participate in
everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign
country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is foreign. They marry like
everyone else, and have children, but they do not expose their offspring. They
share their food but not their wives. They are in the flesh, but they do not
live according to the flesh. They live on earth, but their citizenship is in
heaven.
"They obey the established laws; indeed in their
private lives they transcend the laws. They love everyone, and by everyone they
are persecuted. They are unknown, yet condemned; they are put to death, yet
they are brought to life. They are poor, yet they make many rich; they are in
need of everything, yet they abound in everything. They are dishonored, yet
they are glorified in their dishonor; they are slandered, yet they are
vindicated. They are cursed, yet they bless; they are insulted, yet they offer
respect. When they do good, they are punished as evildoers; when they are
punished, they rejoice as though brought to life."
While this writing
may not be directly inspired to be in our canon, I find it to be a beautifully
accurate description of who we are to be.
Let us consider our identity in Christ as we strive to live out the
direction from Paul in Colossians 3:1-3.
“Since, then, you have been raised
with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the
right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For
you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
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