Theophilus of Antioch

Theophilus was bishop of Antioch in Syria in the later second century. He came to faith through reading the Hebrew prophets, and his three books To Autolycus, addressed to a pagan friend, defend the one Creator God, interpret the opening chapters of Genesis, and argue from chronology that Moses is older than all Greek literature. He is the first known Christian writer to call God, his Word, and his Wisdom a “Triad.”

Dates

fl. ca. 169–185 (approximate)

See or city

Antioch

Region

Syria

Also known as

Theophilus; Saint Theophilus of Antioch

Notes

Eusebius (Church History 4.20, 24) names him the sixth bishop of Antioch after the apostles and mentions lost works against Marcion and against Hermogenes and catechetical writings. He says in To Autolycus (1.14) that he was converted as an adult by reading the prophets. His chronology ends with the death of Marcus Aurelius (180), so he was still writing then.

Works

• To AutolycusAd Autolycum · ca. 180–185 · CPG 1107 (unverified)