Epistle of Diognetus

This is an early apostolic text, titled Epistle of Diognetus, by an unknown author from approximately 130 A.D.  This is only a portion of the 5th chapter.  Go to www.ccel.org for a full text.

Churches today needs to hear this 2nd century description and ask if the same could be written of it today.

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 
27have a common table, but not a common bed.²⁸³²⁸³    Otto omits “bed,” which is an emendation, and gives the second “common” the sense of unclean. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh.²⁸⁴²⁸⁴    Comp. 2 Cor. x. 3. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven.²⁸⁵²⁸⁵    Comp. Phil. iii. 20.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.²⁸⁶²⁸⁶    Comp. 2 Cor. vi. 9. They are poor, yet make many rich;²⁸⁷²⁸⁷    Comp. 2 Cor. vi. 10. 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;²⁸⁸²⁸⁸    Comp. 2 Cor. iv. 12. 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.