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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 21

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 XXI.—Sabbaths were instituted on account of the people’s sins, and not for a work of righteousness.

“Moreover, that God enjoined you to keep

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the

Sabbath

,

and

impose

on

you

other

precepts

for

a

sign

,

as

I

have

already

said

,

on

account

of

your

unrighteousness

,

and

that

of

your

fathers

,

—

as

He

declares

that

for

the

sake

of

the

nations

,

lest

His

name

be

profaned

among

them

,

therefore

He

permitted

some

of

you

to

remain

alive

,

—

these

words

of

His

can

prove

to

you

:

they

are

narrated

by

Ezekiel

thus

:

‘

I

am

the

Lord

your

God

;

walk

in

My

statutes

,

and

keep

My

judgments

,

and

take

no

part

in

the

customs

of

Egypt

;

and

hallow

My

Sabbaths

;

and

they

shall

be

a

sign

between

Me

and

you

,

that

ye

may

know

that

I

am

the

Lord

your

God

.

Notwithstanding

ye

rebelled

against

Me

,

and

your

children

walked

not

in

My

statutes

,

neither

kept

My

judgments

to

do

them

:

which

if

a

man

do

,

he

shall

live

in

them

.

But

they

polluted

My

Sabbaths

.

And

I

said

that

I

would

pour

out

My

fury

upon

them

in

the

wilderness

,

to

accomplish

My

anger

upon

them

;

yet

I

did

it

not

;

that

My

name

might

not

be

altogether

profaned

in

the

sight

of

the

heathen

.

I

led

them

out

before

their

eyes

,

and

I lifted up Mine hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries; because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes, and polluted My Sabbaths, and their eyes were after the devices of their fathers. Wherefore I gave them also statutes which were not good, and judgments whereby they shall not live. And I shall pollute them in their own gifts, that I may destroy all that openeth the womb, when I pass through them.’

Notes

53
Ezek. xx. 19–26.