RPG Adults
QUADRATUS OF ATHENS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2
Acts 24:10-27
John 14:10-12
“Believe me that I am in the Father,
and the Father in me…”
QUADRATUS OF ATHENS
Quadratus of Athens is remembered as the earliest known Christian apologist. Serving as a pastor in the early church, likely in Athens, Greece, he was mentioned by the church historians Eusebius and Jerome. Though most of his writings have been lost, history preserves the account of his bold defence of the faith before Emperor Hadrian in AD 124.
Eusebius records that Quadratus was a disciple of the original Apostles. After Publius, the leader of the church in Athens, was martyred, Quadratus stepped into the role of shepherd, bringing comfort and courage to the believers in a time of fear and uncertainty. Some traditions even suggest he was among the seventy (or seventy-two) disciples sent out by Christ in Luke 10:1: “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.”
Quadratus’ most enduring legacy is his apologetic letter to Hadrian, earning him the title “the first apologist.” His defence was rational, rooted in both faith and reason, and expressed in the cultural language of Greek philosophy. He argued that Christ’s miracles were not illusions or tricks, but enduring works of divine power. Those healed or raised from the dead continued in health for years afterward. Some were still alive in Quadratus’ own lifetime, serving as living testimony to the truth of Christ.
History portrays Quadratus as a courageous and trustworthy pastor, willing to risk his life by succeeding Publius and reviving the shaken flock in Athens. Whether or not he had personally witnessed Christ’s ministry, he stood boldly before the Roman Emperor, proclaiming the deity of Christ with unwavering conviction.
THOUGHT: Am I willing to be a courageous witness for my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, even when it is costly to me?
PRAYER: Father, grant me boldness to proclaim the Gospel of Truth. Strengthen me to stand firm in faith, to share Thy grace with love, and to warn of the judgment awaiting those who refuse to believe. May my witness, like Quadratus’, be marked by courage, clarity and stedfast devotion to Thee.