Unless it can be shown that when Justin wrote, there were other Memoirs of Christ that will answer to his description, our four Gospels and no others were intended. Were there any besides these?
[1] The quotations from Justin Martyr are from Vol. II. of the Ante-Nicene Christian Library, edited by Roberts and Donaldson.
[2] See post, [c. 7, note 14].
[3] “For from Jerusalem there went out into the world men, twelve in number, ... who proclaimed to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach all the word of God” (Ap. c. 39). “And by those things which were published in his name among all nations by the Apostles” (ibid. c. 42). “His Apostles going forth from Jerusalem preached everywhere” (ibid. c. 45.) “And further there was a certain man with us whose name was John, one of the Apostles of Christ” (Dia. c. 81). “For as he (Abraham) believed the voice of God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness, in like manner we, having believed God’s voice spoken by the Apostles of Christ, and promulgated to us by the prophets, have renounced even to death all the things of the world” (ibid. c. 119).
[4] The writer of Barnabas, in quoting as in Matthew xx. 16, had used the authoritative Latin formula (it is written) for quotations from Scripture, as follows: “Let us beware lest we be found, as it is written, ‘Many are called but few are chosen’” (Ep. of Bar. c. 4).
CHAPTER V.
QUOTATIONS AND CITATIONS.
The apparent or seeming use of our Gospels by Justin and his contemporaries is a fact of great weight in determining whether they are the “Memoirs” referred to by him.
According to the Indexes of Texts by the learned editors of the Ante-Nicene Christian Library, John’s Gospel is quoted or cited, twice in Barnabas, once in Diognetus, twice in Hermas, once by Justin, and once by Papias. Mark is quoted or cited, once in Barnabas, twice by Clement, three times by Justin, and once by Polycarp: Acts is quoted or cited once in Barnabas, once by Clement, once by Justin, and four times by Polycarp: Luke is quoted or cited three times in Barnabas, three times by Clement, once in Hermas, fourteen times by Justin, and twice by Polycarp: and Matthew is quoted or cited six times in Barnabas, five times by Clement, twice in Diognetus, nine times in Hermas, forty-seven times by Justin, and seven times by Polycarp.
As to citations, passages deemed such by one, may have been overlooked or regarded differently by another, so that there is not an entire agreement as to the number of citations, i. e. of allusions or references that are not quotations. And it should be understood that in the quotations, the books from which they are taken are not stated, except that Justin indicates that his, in general, are from the “Memoirs.” Their agreement with our Gospels is sometimes literally exact, quite often it is otherwise; and not unfrequently two or three passages are seemingly blended, as if the author were quoting from memory and giving the sense, merely.