Correct Offerings

Ἀλλ' οὐ δέεσθαι τῆς παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ὑλικῆς προσφορᾶς προσειλήφαμεν τὸν Θεὸν, αὐτον παρέχοντα πάντα ὁρῶντες. Ἐκείνους δὲ προσδέχεσθαι αὐτὸν μόνον δεδιδάγμεθα, καὶ πεπείσμεθα καὶ πιστεύομεν, τοὺς τὰ προσόντα αὐτῷ ἀγαθὰ μιμουμένους, σωφροσύνην καὶ φιλανθρωπίαν, καὶ ὅσα οἰκεῖα Θεῷ ἐστι, τῷ μηδενὶ ὀνόματι θετῷ καλουμένῳ. Καὶ πάντα τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀγαθὸν ὄντα δημιουργῆσαι αὐτὸν ἐξ ἀμόρφου ὕλης δι' ἀνθρώπους δεδιδάγμεθα οἵ ἐὰν ἀξίους τῷ ἐκείνου βουλεύματι ἑαυτοὺς δι' ἔργων δείξωσι, τῆς μετ' αὐτοῦ ἀναστροφῆς καταξιωθῆναι προσειλήφαμεν συμβασιλεύοντας, ἀφθάρτους καὶ ἀπαθεῖς γενομένους. Ὂν τρόπον γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐκ ὄντας ἐποίησε, τὸν αὐτὸν ἡγούμεθα τρόπον, διὰ τὸ ἐλέσθαι τοὺς αἱρουμένους τὰ αὐτῷ ἀρεστὰ, καὶ ἀφθαρσίας καὶ συνουσίας καταξιωθῆναι. Τὸ μεν γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν γενέσθαι, οὐχ ἡμέτερον ἦν· τὸ δ' ἐξακολουθῆσαι οἶς φίλον αὐτῷ αἱρουμένους δι' ὦν αὐτὸς ἐδωρήσατο λογικῶν δυνάμεων, πείθει τε καὶ εἰς  πίστιν ἄγει ἡμᾶς. Καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἡγούμεθα εἶναι, τῷ μὴ εἶργεσθαι ταῦτα μανθάνειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προτρέπεσθαι ἐπὶ ταῦτα. Ἅγιος Ἰουστίνος, Ἀπολογία Πρῶτη,  Μάρτυς

But God does not require the material offerings which men can give, seeing that He is the provider of all things. And those only He receives, so we have been taught, and we are persuaded and believe, who imitate Him by bearing good things, temperance, and love of men, and as many things as dwell in God who is called by no proper name. And He being good in the beginning, created all things out of unformed matter for man, we have been taught, and if men by works show themselves worthy of His design, they are judged worthy of reigning with Him, being delivered from corruption and suffering. For just as in the beginning He created from nothing, so in like manner those choosing things pleasing to Him are judged worthy of incorruption and of fellowship. For coming into being in the beginning was not our doing; and to follow Him in those things which please Him we chose by means of the rational faculties which He has given to us, by which He both persuades and leads us to faith. And we would lead all men to do so, that they are not restrained from learning these things, but are even encouraged to do so. Saint Justin Martyr, First Apology