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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 110

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 CX.—A portion of the prophecy already fulfilled in the Christians: the rest shall be fulfilled at the second advent.

And when I had finished these words, I

‹ Chapter 109 Chapter 111 ›

continued

:

“

Now

I

am

aware

that

your

teachers

,

sirs

,

admit

the

whole

of

the

words

of

this

passage

to

refer

to

Christ

;

and

I

am

likewise

aware

that

they

maintain

He

has

not

yet

come

;

or

if

they

say

that

He

has

come

,

they

assert

that

it

is

not

known

who

He

is

;

but

when

He

shall

become

manifest

and

glorious

,

then

it

shall

be

known

who

He

is

.

And

then

,

they

say

,

the

events

mentioned

in

this

passage

shall

happen

,

just

as

if

there

was

no

fruit

as

yet

from

the

words

of

the

prophecy

.

O

unreasoning

men

!

understanding

not

what

has

been

proved

by

all

these

passages

,

that

two

advents

of

Christ

have

been

announced

:

the

one

,

in

which

He

is

set

forth

as

suffering

,

inglorious

,

dishonoured

,

and

crucified

;

but

the

other

,

in

which

He

shall

come

from

heaven

with

glory

,

when

the

man

of

apostasy

,

who

speaks

strange

things

against

the

Most

High

,

shall

venture

to

do

unlawful

deeds

on

the

earth

against

us

the

Christians

,

who

,

having

learned

the

true

worship

of

God

from

the

law

,

and

the

word

which

went

forth

from

Jerusalem

by

means

of

the

apostles

of

Jesus

,

have

fled

for

safety

to

the

God

of

Jacob

and

God

of

Israel

;

and

we

who

were

filled

with

war

,

and

mutual

slaughter

,

and

every

wickedness

,

have

each

through

the

whole

earth

changed

our

warlike

weapons

,

—

our

swords

into

ploughshares

,

and

our

spears

into

implements

of

tillage

,

—

and

we

cultivate

piety

,

righteousness

,

philanthropy

,

faith

,

and

hope

,

which

we

have

from

the

Father

Himself

through

Him

who

was

crucified

;

and

sitting

each

under

his

vine

,

i

.

e

.

,

each

man

possessing

his

own

married

wife

.

For

you

are

aware

that

the

prophetic

word

says

,

‘

And

his

wife

shall

be

like

a

fruitful

vine

.

’

Now

it

is

evident

that

no

one

can

terrify

or

subdue

us

who

have

believed

in

Jesus

over

all

the

world

.

For

it

is

plain

that

,

though

beheaded

,

and

crucified

,

and

thrown

to

wild

beasts

,

and

chains

,

and

fire

,

and

all

other

kinds

of

torture

,

we

do

not

give

up

our

confession

;

but

the

more

such

things

happen

,

the

more

do

others

and

in

larger

numbers

become

faithful

,

and

worshippers

of

God

through

the

name

of

Jesus

.

For

just

as

if

one

should

cut

away

the

fruit

-

bearing

parts

of

a

vine

,

it

grows

up

again

,

and

yields

other

branches

flourishing

and

fruitful

;

even

so

the

same

thing

happens

with

us

.

For

the

vine

planted

by

God

and

Christ

the

Saviour

is

His

people

.

But

the

rest

of

the

prophecy

shall

be

fulfilled

at

His

second

coming

.

For

the

expression

,

‘

He

that

is

afflicted

[

and

driven

out

]

,

’

i

.

e

.

,

from

the

world

,

[

implies

]

that

,

so

far

as

you

and

all

other

men

have

it

in

your

power

,

each

Christian

has

been

driven

out

not

only

from

his

own

property

,

but

even

from

the

whole

world

;

for

you

permit

no

Christian

to

live

.

But

you

say

that

the

same

fate

has

befallen

your

own

nation

.

Now

,

if

you

have

been

cast

out

after

defeat

in

battle

,

you

have

suffered

such

treatment

justly

indeed

,

as

all

the

Scriptures

bear

witness

;

but

we

,

though

we

have

done

no

such

[

evil

acts

]

after

we

knew

the

truth

of

God

,

are

testified

to

by

God

,

that

,

together

with

the

most

righteous

,

and

only

spotless

and

sinless

Christ

,

we

are

taken

away

out

of

the

earth

.

For

Isaiah

cries

,

‘

Behold

how

the

righteous

perishes

,

and

no

man

lays

it

to

heart

;

and

righteous

men

are

taken

away

,

and

no

man

considers

it

.

’

Notes

420
2 Thess. ii. 3; and see chap. xxxii.
421
Ps. cxxviii. 3.
422
Isa. lvii. 1.