One of the benefits of studying the history of early Christianity is that we quickly realize that what we are facing in the modern day is far from new. Each challenge to the faith might seem new—sometimes leading to an unnecessary panic among some—but the early church faced similar (and often much worse) things before.
The second century was just such a time. Christianity was in its infancy, a bit like a newborn animal on the Serengeti plains, wobbly legs and all. And the world around them was by no means friendly. Attacks came hard and fast from all directions.
But Christians responded. They sharpened their arguments, they clarified their thinking, they engaged their critics. Thus, the second century came to be known as the “golden age” of apologetics.
Tertullian of Carthage
Of all the apologists (and there were many), undoubtedly Tertullian stands out as one of the most brilliant. The North African church father wrote his Apology around 197 AD and its argumentation is so relevant and applicable that it seems like it could have been written last year.
David Wright attributed the success of Tertullians’s Apology to “the brilliance of the argument which is still capable of leaving the reader applauding in admiration.” Everett Ferguson referred to it as “Tertullian’s literary masterpiece.”
So, what exactly was Tertullian’s strategy? Let me mention several features that made it work so well.
Fair Treatment
By Tertullian’s time, Christians were being blamed for everything. Since they didn’t worship the Roman gods, they were regarded as invoking their displeasure. Thus, every famine, plague, or military defeat was pinned on the Christians.
As a result, mob justice was not uncommon. Christians were being accused and condemned without due process.
Tertullian responds by asking for fair treatment from governing officials. Christians should not be condemned, argues Tertullian, merely for having the name Christian. They actually have to have committed a crime. And when you actually examine the charges, they don’t hold up.
Then, in one of his classic rhetorical flourishes, Tertullian states:
The proof of their ignorance, at once condemning and excusing their injustice, is this, that those who once hated Christianity because they knew nothing about it, no sooner come to know it than they all lay down at once their enmity. From being haters they become its disciples (Apol. 1.6).
In other words, Tertullian essentially pleads with the government (and the mob) to get to know us before you condemn us.
Application to modern churches: invite even the most hostile critics to get to know you and your Christian community. We often condemn what we don’t know. Showing our critics what Christianity is really like on the inside, as opposed to just perceptions from the outside, can be a winning strategy.
Religious Freedom
Those in the modern world often think that the idea of religious liberty or religious freedom is a modern ideal, often linked to post-Enlightenment sensibilities. But Tertullian shatters that myth.
Tertullian’s strategy was not to ask for non-Christian religions to be abolished, nor was it to ask for Christianity to be declared the official state religion. Rather his strategy was to ask that every group be allowed to worship their god in peace and without fear of retribution.
Ironically, this freedom was already granted to the other religions in the Roman Empire. It was just that the Romans were not extending that same courtesy to the Christians. Everyone enjoyed religious freedom except those who wanted to worship Jesus.
Tertullian writes:
Let one consecrate his own life to his God, and another that of a goat. For see that you do not give a further ground for the charge of irreligion, by taking away religious liberty, and forbidding free choice of deity, so that I may no longer worship according to my inclination, but am compelled to worship against it (Apol. 24.5-6)
Application to modern churches: the goal of our apologetics is not to enforce Christianity through socio-political means. Rather we should desire first to be free to worship Jesus without fear of retribution, and second that we should be free to persuade others to follow him also.
Sticking to the Basics
In the world of apologetics there are many things to debate. And unfortunately, we can allow the hot topic in the latest news cycle to determine each and every conversation.
While there’s a place for addressing contemporary issues, Tertullian reminds us that we have to stay focused on the core questions. Why? Because if you get the core questions correct, then many other issues can be resolved downstream.
So, what are those core issues? For Tertullian, he preferred to focus on two things: the truth of Scripture and the identity of Christ. As for the Scriptures, Tertullian’s case is masterful, arguing for the ancient nature of the Scriptures and the fact that the Scriptures themselves “offer proof that they are divine” (Apol. 20.1). As for Christ, he focuses on his divinity, appealing to the logos language in prior writers like Justin Martyr (and, of course, John’s prologue).
Application to the modern church: in the midst of apologetic discussions, keep the focus on the truth of Scripture and the person of Christ. Everything hinges on the truth of God’s word and the identity of Jesus. If those issues fall in place, then many other things can follow from there.
Turning the Tables
While most of Tertullian’s apologetic energy was directed towards responding to objections to Christianity, he did more than merely play defense. At other times, he would go on the offense, showing where the non-Christian worldview broke down.
In other words, Tertullian realized that it wasn’t just Christians who had to give an account of their beliefs and behavior. The pagan religions had to do the same.
When Christians were accused of eating babies and engaging in sexual promiscuity in their secret meetings, Tertullian did more than deny the charges. He showed that such examples of gross immorality were actually common among the pagan religious practices to which the Romans offered no objection!
And when Christians were accused of refusing to worship the Roman gods, Tertullian did more than plead for religious liberty (though he did do that). He also argued that the Roman gods were not in fact gods at all. And if they are not gods at all, then Christians cannot be faulted for not worshipping them!
Application to the modern church: Apologetics is more than defense, it is also offense. There is a place to answer objections to the faith, but we also must take opportunity to show how non-Christian systems of thinking have an inconsistent (and sometimes incoherent) worldview.
Conclusion
If we just focus on the latest modern attacks on the Christian faith, we might be convinced that we are experiencing something the church has never experienced. But a quick look into church history, particularly the second century, says otherwise.
This century was the golden age of apologetics, with Tertullian’s work as a fitting capstone. And his Apology is so insightful and applicable, that it seems like it could have been written in recent times. He argues for fair treatment, religious freedom, the truth of Scripture and the deity of Christ, and also turns the tables on his non-Christian interlocutors.
And while Tertullian’s strategy was certainly needed in his own day, it is really needed in ours. Perhaps now more than ever.
For more on how early Christians interacted with their hostile culture, see my book Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church (IVP Academic, 2018).