Chapter 5

1 For Christians are not distinguished from the rest of mankind either in locality or in speech or in customs. 2 For they do not dwell somewhere in cities of their own, nor do they use some different language, nor practice an extraordinary kind of life. 3 Nor again do they possess any invention discovered by any intelligence or study of ingenious men, nor are they masters of any human dogma as some are. 4 But while they dwell in cities of Greeks and barbarians as the lot of each is cast, and follow the native customs in dress and food and the other arrangements of life, yet the constitution of their own citizenship, which they set forth, is marvelous, and admittedly contradicts expectation. 5 They dwell in their own countries, but only as sojourners; they bear their share in all things as citizens, and they endure all hardships as strangers. Every foreign country is a fatherland to them, and every fatherland is foreign. 6 They marry like all other people and they have children; but they do not cast away their offspring. 7 They have their meals in common, but not their wives. 8 They find themselves in the flesh, and yet they do not live after the flesh. 9 Their existence is on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven.⁠ 10 They obey the established laws, and they surpass the laws in their own lives. 11 They love all people, and they are persecuted by all. 12 They are ignored, and yet they are condemned. They are put to death, and yet they are endowed with life. 13 They are beggars, and yet they make many rich. They lack all things, and yet they abound in all things. 14 They are dishonored, and yet they are glorified in their dishonor. They are spoken evil of, and yet they are vindicated.⁠ 15 They are reviled, and they bless; they are insulted, and they respect. 16 Doing good they are punished as evildoers; being punished they rejoice, as if they were by it made alive. 17 War is waged against them as aliens by the Jews, and persecution is carried on against them by the Greeks, and yet those that hate them cannot tell the reason of their hostility.

Texts in conversation

Compare 2 Corinthians 6:8 and Epistle to Diognetus 5:14

New Testament · Early Christian

Summary

In Diognetus, Christians are spoken of poorly and yet vindicated, one of many contrasts echoing the language of 2 Corinthians 6, where Paul compares slander and praise. Diognetus reshapes this into a verdict already given in their favor.

Passages

2 Corinthians 6:8

New Testament

3 We do not give anyone an occasion for taking an offense in anything, so that no fault may be found with our ministry. 4 But as God’s servants, we have commended ourselves in every way, with great endurance, in persecutions, in difficulties, in distresses, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in troubles, in sleepless nights, in hunger, 6 by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit, by genuine love, 7 by truthful teaching, by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left, 8 through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet—see!—we continue to live; as those who are scourged and yet not executed; 10 as sorrowful, but always rejoicing; as poor, but making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

55–57 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 2 Corinthians

Epistle to Diognetus 5:14

Early Christian

11 They love all people, and they are persecuted by all. 12 They are ignored, and yet they are condemned. They are put to death, and yet they are endowed with life. 13 They are beggars, and yet they make many rich. They lack all things, and yet they abound in all things. 14 They are dishonored, and yet they are glorified in their dishonor. They are spoken evil of, and yet they are vindicated. 15 They are reviled, and they bless; they are insulted, and they respect. 16 Doing good they are punished as evildoers; being punished they rejoice, as if they were by it made alive. 17 War is waged against them as aliens by the Jews, and persecution is carried on against them by the Greeks, and yet those that hate them cannot tell the reason of their hostility.

150–250 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Epistle to Diognetus

References

“... Diognetus 5:14 alludes to 2 Cor. 6:8–10, which gives a series of descriptions of how the world views believers in contrast to how God views them. One of the descriptions is based specifically on the phrase “by evil report and good report” (2 Cor. 6:8b), which is phrased as “they are slandered, yet they are vindicated.” Paul’s “good report” (euphēmia) is expressed as “they are vindicated” (dikaiountai). Here the time scope pertains to the present life of Christians, so that this later Christian author understood that the unjust verdict pronounced by the world was to be seen as having already been overturned, though those outside the community of faith do not yet recognize this. ...”

G. K. Beale, A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011), 523.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Epistle to Diognetus12 chapters

Compare 2 Corinthians 6:8 and Epistle to Diognetus 5:14

Summary

Passages

2 Corinthians 6:8

Epistle to Diognetus 5:14

References

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