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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 118

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 CXVIII.—He exhorts to repentance before Christ comes; in whom Christians, since they believe, are far more religious than Jews.

“So that you ought rather to desist from

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the

love

of

strife

,

and

repent

before

the

great

day

of

judgment

come

,

wherein

all

those

of

your

tribes

who

have

pierced

this

Christ

shall

mourn

as

I

have

shown

has

been

declared

by

the

Scriptures

.

And

I

have

explained

that

the

Lord

swore

,

‘

after

the

order

of

Melchizedek

,

’

and

what

this

prediction

means

;

and

the

prophecy

of

Isaiah

which

says

,

‘

His

burial

is

taken

away

from

the

midst

,

’

I

have

already

said

,

referred

to

the

future

burying

and

rising

again

of

Christ

;

and

I

have

frequently

remarked

that

this

very

Christ

is

the

Judge

of

all

the

living

and

the

dead

.

And

Nathan

likewise

,

speaking

to

David

about

Him

,

thus

continued

:

‘

I

will

be

His

Father

,

and

He

shall

be

my

Son

;

and

my

mercy

shall

I

not

take

away

from

Him

,

as

I

did

from

them

that

went

before

Him

;

and

I

will

establish

Him

in

my

house

,

and

in

His

kingdom

for

ever

.

’

And

Ezekiel

says

,

‘

There

shall

be

no

other

prince

in

the

house

but

He

.

’

For

He

is

the

chosen

Priest

and

eternal

King

,

the

Christ

,

inasmuch

as

He

is

the

Son

of

God

;

and

do

not

suppose

that

Isaiah

or

the

other

prophets

speak

of

sacrifices

of

blood

or

libations

being

presented

at

the

altar

on

His

second

advent

,

but

of

true

and

spiritual

praises

and

giving

of

thanks

.

And

we

have

not

in

vain

believed

in

Him

,

and

have

not

been

led

astray

by

those

who

taught

us

such

doctrines

;

but

this

has

come

to

pass

through

the

wonderful

foreknowledge

of

God

,

in

order

that

we

,

through

the

calling

of

the

new

and

eternal

covenant

,

that

is

,

of

Christ

,

might

be

found

more

intelligent

and

God

-

fearing

than

yourselves

,

who

are

considered

to

be

lovers

of

God

and

men

of

understanding

,

but

are

not

.

Isaiah

,

filled

with

admiration

of

this

,

said

:

‘

And

kings

shall

shut

their

mouths

:

for

those

to

whom

no

announcement

has

been

made

in

regard

to

Him

shall

see

;

and

those

who

heard

not

shall

understand

.

Lord

,

who

hath

believed

our

report

?

and

to

whom

is

the

arm

of

the

Lord

revealed

?

’

“And in repeating this, Trypho,” I continued, “as far as is allowable, I endeavour to do so for the sake of those who came with you to-day, yet briefly and concisely.”

Then he replied, “You do well; and though you repeat the same things at considerable length, be assured that I and my companions listen with pleasure.”

Notes

449
Ps. cx. 4.
450
Isa. liii. 8.
451
2 Sam. vii. 14f.
452
Ezek. xliv. 3.
453
The mss. read “them.” Otto has changed it to “Him.”
454
Isa. lii. 15, Isa. liii. 1.
455
[Let this apology be noted.]