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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 40

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 XL.—He returns to the Mosaic laws, and proves that they were figures of the things which pertain to Christ.

“The mystery, then, of the lamb

‹ Chapter 39 Chapter 41 ›

which

God

enjoined

to

be

sacrificed

as

the

passover

,

was

a

type

of

Christ

;

with

whose

blood

,

in

proportion

to

their

faith

in

Him

,

they

anoint

their

houses

,

i

.

e

.

,

themselves

,

who

believe

on

Him

.

For

that

the

creation

which

God

created

—

to

wit

,

Adam

—

was

a

house

for

the

spirit

which

proceeded

from

God

,

you

all

can

understand

.

And

that

this

injunction

was

temporary

,

I

prove

thus

.

God

does

not

permit

the

lamb

of

the

passover

to

be

sacrificed

in

any

other

place

than

where

His

name

was

named

;

knowing

that

the

days

will

come

,

after

the

suffering

of

Christ

,

when

even

the

place

in

Jerusalem

shall

be

given

over

to

your

enemies

,

and

all

the

offerings

,

in

short

,

shall

cease

;

and

that

lamb

which

was

commanded

to

be

wholly

roasted

was

a

symbol

of

the

suffering

of

the

cross

which

Christ

would

undergo

.

For

the

lamb

,

which

is

roasted

,

is

roasted

and

dressed

up

in

the

form

of

the

cross

.

For

one

spit

is

transfixed

right

through

from

the

lower

parts

up

to

the

head

,

and

one

across

the

back

,

to

which

are

attached

the

legs

of

the

lamb

.

And

the

two

goats

which

were

ordered

to

be

offered

during

the

fast

,

of

which

one

was

sent

away

as

the

scape

[

goat

]

,

and

the

other

sacrificed

,

were

similarly

declarative

of

the

two

appearances

of

Christ

:

the

first

,

in

which

the

elders

of

your

people

,

and

the

priests

,

having

laid

hands

on

Him

and

put

Him

to

death

,

sent

Him

away

as

the

scape

[

goat

]

;

and

His

second

appearance

,

because

in

the

same

place

in

Jerusalem

you

shall

recognise

Him

whom

you

have

dishonoured

,

and

who

was

an

offering

for

all

sinners

willing

to

repent

,

and

keeping

the

fast

which

Isaiah

speaks

of

,

loosening

the

terms

of

the

violent

contracts

,

and

keeping

the

other

precepts

,

likewise

enumerated

by

him

,

and

which

I

have

quoted

,

which

those

believing

in

Jesus

do

.

And

further

,

you

are

aware

that

the

offering

of

the

two

goats

,

which

were

enjoined

to

be

sacrificed

at

the

fast

,

was

not

permitted

to

take

place

similarly

anywhere

else

,

but

only

in

Jerusalem

.

Notes

108
Some think this particularly refers to the paschal lamb, others to any lamb which is roasted.
109
Literally, “cords.”
110
Chap. xv.