Epistle to Diognetus, can the Ecclesia of today pull it off?

Robert M. Grant describes the epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus (The Anchor Bible Dictionary, v. 2, p. 201): A late 2nd century apology addressed to a certain Diognetus who is otherwise unknown. It describes the Christians of the 2nd century.

Here are some direct quotes:

CHAPTER V -- THE MANNERS OF THE CHRISTIANS.

For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.

CHAPTER VI -- THE RELATION OF CHRISTIANS TO THE WORLD.

To sum up all in one word--what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world. The invisible soul is guarded by the visible body, and Christians are known indeed to be in the world, but their godliness remains invisible. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it, though itself suffering no injury, because it is prevented from enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians, though in nowise injured, because they abjure pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preservers of the world. The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as sojourners in corruptible [bodies], looking for an incorruptible dwelling in the heavens. The soul, when but ill-provided with food and drink, becomes better; in like manner, the Christians, though subjected day by day to punishment, increase the more in number. God has assigned them this illustrious position, which it were unlawful for them to forsake.

Is this the Mother of God?

"Smeagol like the Tulip."

"Much Calvinist anger in you young padawan."

Give me Athanasius over Luther any day!

What was Luther's infamous dialogue with the Devil?

I'm waiting for one good post from Padawan Niece. Let's wrangle.

Justification By Faith (Alone), The Article by which the Church stands or falls?

Good Martin said this. With the coming of BXVI and all things Roman, what do our readers think? Beware, the theosis panther might strike.

A Cup of Benedictine Joe

In light of Queen Vicky Gene and the Anglican demise, I wonder what our readers think of Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) as the Bishop of Rome. Staunch to be sure, I imagine some papal ass kickin is on the horizon.

Padawan Niece is Bantha Pudu 

Why Padawan Niece is Bantha Pudu

PN,
In our efforts to get you to prove sola scriptura from Scripture, you said, 'the Trinity is paradoxical' because it is not found in Scripture per se.

You have made my point. Without a doctrinal grid, or a 'traditional' reading of Scripture, the doctrine of the Trinity goes bye bye. Yes, the Bible teaches the Trinity, but only when our reading is informed by the council of Nicea. Don't forget from the Arians to the Jehovah's Witnesses there have been those who have affirmed the authority of Scripture and denied the Deity of Christ.

You need Tradition to help you read the Scripture on the very nature of God, and the very nature of salvation. Good luck interpreting Scripture without it.

παραδόσις

pn said:

Sola scriptura: "This doctrine means that Scripture alone is our only final authority because Scripture, due to its inspiration, uniquely preserves God's revelation to humanity," Dr. Finkbeiner, a Moody prof. Tradition (παραδοσις) needs to be subject to Scripture otherwise you'll be juked. It is true that tradition is found in Scriptura. Though, don't I remember the Pharisees being rebuked by Jesus for such things (see Mark 7:5)?

A few qs my young padawan. Did Jesus follow the traditions of Moses? Who decided what books were to be in the Bible (esp. the NT)?

Who told the early church of the first three centuries how to live, how to worship, what to believe, etc., since they didn't have a black leatherbound Scofield NT to work with? Since 'tradition needs to be subject to Scripture' the big question is what tradition??

Another Padawan?

Young Padawan,

Who is this Trace character? My...name...is...Neo.

Jump in on brother Constantine's erudite comments on hell and such. I love the parable about Judas.

Where we can start girl padawan is the famous 'solas' of the Reformation. Let's start with sola scriptura. Where is that in scriptura? I know that Moody chicks think derive their doctrine from the 'Bible alone,' but do you?