Persecution, false accusations, and philosophical criticisms were all a common part of the life of the church in the second century. Many Christian writers took up the mighty pen to defend the Christian faith.

Though often overlooked, Theophilus of Antioch was one of these apologetic writers who boldly identified himself as a Christian and a believer in God’s word. In his only remaining work, Ad Autolycum, Theophilus shows the irrationality of the pagan worldview and defends the Christian faith with a firm commitment to the authority of Scripture.

The Scriptures are foundational to his defense of the Christian faith. He presents the Scriptures, both from the Old and New Testaments, as a faithful guide and guarantee of truth on the nature of God, the world, and ethics.

The Scriptures were efficacious in his own conversion to Christianity, and so he uses those same divine words in order to call his pagan friend from idolatry to the truth of the one God. In this book, Taylor Evan Walls offers a systematic presentation of Theophilus’ understanding of the nature of Scripture, and shows how this doctrine provided the foundation and structure for his defense of Christianity.

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