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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 113

About this work

A literary dialogue in which Justin recounts his conversion to Christianity and debates Scripture, covenant, messianic prophecy, law, and the identity of God’s people with a Jewish interlocutor.

Author: Justin Martyr
Date: Mid-2nd century
Origin: Rome
Genre: Dialogue

Chapter CXIII.—Joshua was a figure of Christ.

“What I mean is this. Jesus (Joshua

‹ Chapter 112 Chapter 114 ›

)

,

as

I

have

now

frequently

remarked

,

who

was

called

Oshea

,

when

he

was

sent

to

spy

out

the

land

of

Canaan

,

was

named

by

Moses

Jesus

(

Joshua

)

.

Why

he

did

this

you

neither

ask

,

nor

are

at

a

loss

about

it

,

nor

make

strict

inquiries

.

Therefore

Christ

has

escaped

your

notice

;

and

though

you

read

,

you

understand

not

;

and

even

now

,

though

you

hear

that

Jesus

is

our

Christ

,

you

consider

not

that

the

name

was

bestowed

on

Him

not

purposelessly

nor

by

chance

.

But

you

make

a

theological

discussion

as

to

why

one

‘

α

’

was

added

to

Abraham’s

first

name

;

and

as

to

why

one

‘

ρ

’

was

added

to

Sarah’s

name

,

you

use

similar

high

-

sounding

disputations

.

But

why

do

you

not

similarly

investigate

the

reason

why

the

name

of

Oshea

the

son

of

Nave

(

Nun

)

,

which

his

father

gave

him

,

was

changed

to

Jesus

(

Joshua

)

?

But

since

not

only

was

his

name

altered

,

but

he

was

also

appointed

successor

to

Moses

,

being

the

only

one

of

his

contemporaries

who

came

out

from

Egypt

,

he

led

the

surviving

people

into

the

Holy

Land

;

and

as

he

,

not

Moses

,

led

the

people

into

the

Holy

Land

,

and

as

he

distributed

it

by

lot

to

those

who

entered

along

with

him

,

so

also

Jesus

the

Christ

will

turn

again

the

dispersion

of

the

people

,

and

will

distribute

the

good

land

to

each

one

,

though

not

in

the

same

manner

.

For

the

former

gave

them

a

temporary

inheritance

,

seeing

he

was

neither

Christ

who

is

God

,

nor

the

Son

of

God

;

but

the

latter

,

after

the

holy

resurrection

,

shall

give

us

the

eternal

possession

.

The

former

,

after

he

had

been

named

Jesus

(

Joshua

)

,

and

after

he

had

received

strength

from

His

Spirit

,

caused

the

sun

to

stand

still

.

For

I

have

proved

that

it

was

Jesus

who

appeared

to

and

conversed

with

Moses

,

and

Abraham

,

and

all

the

other

patriarchs

without

exception

,

ministering

to

the

will

of

the

Father

;

who

also

,

I

say

,

came

to

be

born

man

by

the

Virgin

Mary

,

and

I

lives

for

ever

.

For

the

latter

is

He

after

whom

and

by

whom

the

Father

will

renew

both

the

heaven

and

the

earth

;

this

is

He

who

shall

shine

an

eternal

light

in

Jerusalem

;

this

is

he

who

is

the

king

of

Salem

after

the

order

of

Melchizedek

,

and

the

eternal

Priest

of

the

Most

High

.

The

former

is

said

to

have

circumcised

the

people

a

second

time

with

knives

of

stone

(

which

was

a

sign

of

this

circumcision

with

which

Jesus

Christ

Himself

has

circumcised

us

from

the

idols

made

of

stone

and

of

other

materials

)

,

and

to

have

collected

together

those

who

were

circumcised

from

the

uncircumcision

,

i

.

e

.

,

from

the

error

of

the

world

,

in

every

place

by

the

knives

of

stone

,

to

wit

,

the

words

of

our

Lord

Jesus

.

For

I

have

shown

that

Christ

was

proclaimed

by

the

prophets

in

parables

a

Stone

and

a

Rock

.

Accordingly

the

knives

of

stone

we

shall

take

to

mean

His

words

,

by

means

of

which

so

many

who

were

in

error

have

been

circumcised

from

uncircumcision

with

the

circumcision

of

the

heart

,

with

which

God

by

Jesus

commanded

those

from

that

time

to

be

circumcised

who

derived

their

circumcision

from

Abraham

,

saying

that

Jesus

(

Joshua

)

would

circumcise

a

second

time

with

knives

of

stone

those

who

entered

into

that

holy

land

.

Notes

426
According to the LXX., Σάρα was altered to Σάῤῥα, and Ἄβραμ to Ἀβραάμ.
427
Or, “resurrection of the saints.”
428
Justin seems to mean that the renewal of heaven and earth dates from the incarnation of Christ. [St. Matt. xix. 28.]