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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 136

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 CXXXVI.—The Jews, in rejecting Christ, rejected God who sent him.

“For you see how He now addresses the

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people

,

saying

a

little

before

:

‘

As

the

grape

shall

be

found

in

the

cluster

,

and

they

will

say

,

Destroy

it

not

,

for

a

blessing

is

in

it

;

so

will

I

do

for

My

servant’s

sake

:

for

His

sake

I

will

not

destroy

them

all

.

’

And

thereafter

He

adds

:

‘

And

I

shall

bring

forth

the

seed

out

of

Jacob

,

and

out

of

Judah

.

’

It

is

plain

then

that

if

He

thus

be

angry

with

them

,

and

threaten

to

leave

very

few

of

them

,

He

promises

to

bring

forth

certain

others

,

who

shall

dwell

in

His

mountain

.

But

these

are

the

persons

whom

He

said

He

would

sow

and

beget

.

For

you

neither

suffer

Him

when

He

calls

you

,

nor

hear

Him

when

He

speaks

to

you

,

but

have

done

evil

in

the

presence

of

the

Lord

.

But

the

highest

pitch

of

your

wickedness

lies

in

this

,

that

you

hate

the

Righteous

One

,

and

slew

Him

;

and

so

treat

those

who

have

received

from

Him

all

that

they

are

and

have

,

and

who

are

pious

,

righteous

,

and

humane

.

Therefore

‘

woe

unto

their

soul

,

’

says

the

Lord

,

‘

for

they

have

devised

an

evil

counsel

against

themselves

,

saying

,

Let

us

take

away

the

righteous

,

for

he

is

distasteful

to

us

.

’

For

indeed

you

are

not

in

the

habit

of

sacrificing

to

Baal

,

as

were

your

fathers

,

or

of

placing

cakes

in

groves

and

on

high

places

for

the

host

of

heaven

:

but

you

have

not

accepted

God’s

Christ

.

For

he

who

knows

not

Him

,

knows

not

the

will

of

God

;

and

he

who

insults

and

hates

Him

,

insults

and

hates

Him

that

sent

Him

.

And

whoever

believes

not

in

Him

,

believes

not

the

declarations

of

the

prophets

,

who

preached

and

proclaimed

Him

to

all

.

Notes

530
Isa. lxv. 8 f.
531
Isa. iii. 9.