Epistle to Diognetus

The Epistle to Diognetus (author unknown) is one of the most theologically luminous apologies of early Christianity, written to a pagan inquirer who wants to understand what Christians believe, why they reject both Greek idols and Jewish ritual “superstition,” and what kind of life produces such fearlessness and love. It opens by exposing the vanity of idolatry and critiquing forms of religion that treat God as though He “needs” human offerings or external badges. It then offers one of the most memorable portraits of early Christian existence: believers live scattered among the nations, sharing ordinary customs, yet as “sojourners,” loving all, enduring persecution, and serving the world like the soul within the body. From there the epistle turns to the heart of the faith: God’s own Word is sent in gentleness to reveal the Father, and God’s patience with humanity exposes our inability to attain life through our own works. Most famously, it celebrates what later theologians would call “the great exchange,” declaring that the Holy and Righteous One bore the unrighteous, so that His righteousness might “cover our sins” and “justify many transgressors.” This salvation is presented as sheer mercy rather than reward, summoning the reader to faith, the knowledge of the Father, and a life that imitates God’s kindness in concrete love. In this way, Diognetus unites a penetrating critique of false worship, a radiant vision of Christian life in the world, and a grace-centered account of justification rooted in Christ—the “great exchange,” in which Christ bears our sin and we receive His righteousness.

Epistle to Diognetus (2nd–3rd c.)

“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, 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, 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, how 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 time 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 anxious concerning clothing and food.”

Epistle to Diognetus 9, in ANF 1.

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