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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 114

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 CXIV.—Some rules for discerning what is said about Christ. The circumcision of the Jews is very different from that which Christians receive.

“For the Holy Spirit sometimes brought about that

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something

,

which

was

the

type

of

the

future

,

should

be

done

clearly

;

sometimes

He

uttered

words

about

what

was

to

take

place

,

as

if

it

was

then

taking

place

,

or

had

taken

place

.

And

unless

those

who

read

perceive

this

art

,

they

will

not

be

able

to

follow

the

words

of

the

prophets

as

they

ought

.

For

example’s

sake

,

I

shall

repeat

some

prophetic

passages

,

that

you

may

understand

what

I

say

.

When

He

speaks

by

Isaiah

,

‘

He

was

led

as

a

sheep

to

the

slaughter

,

and

like

a

lamb

before

the

shearer

,

’

He

speaks

as

if

the

suffering

had

already

taken

place

.

And

when

He

says

again

,

‘

I

have

stretched

out

my

hands

to

a

disobedient

and

gainsaying

people

;

’

and

when

He

says

,

‘

Lord

,

who

hath

believed

our

report

?

’

—

the

words

are

spoken

as

if

announcing

events

which

had

already

come

to

pass

.

For

I

have

shown

that

Christ

is

oftentimes

called

a

Stone

in

parable

,

and

in

figurative

speech

Jacob

and

Israel

.

And

again

,

when

He

says

,

‘

I

shall

behold

the

heavens

,

the

works

of

Thy

fingers

,

’

unless

I

understand

His

method

of

using

words

,

I

shall

not

understand

intelligently

,

but

just

as

your

teachers

suppose

,

fancying

that

the

Father

of

all

,

the

unbegotten

God

,

has

hands

and

feet

,

and

fingers

,

and

a

soul

,

like

a

composite

being

;

and

they

for

this

reason

teach

that

it

was

the

Father

Himself

who

appeared

to

Abraham

and

to

Jacob

.

Blessed

therefore

are

we

who

have

been

circumcised

the

second

time

with

knives

of

stone

.

For

your

first

circumcision

was

and

is

performed

by

iron

instruments

,

for

you

remain

hard

-

hearted

;

but

our

circumcision

,

which

is

the

second

,

having

been

instituted

after

yours

,

circumcises

us

from

idolatry

and

from

absolutely

every

kind

of

wickedness

by

sharp

stones

,

i

.

e

.

,

by

the

words

[

preached

]

by

the

apostles

of

the

corner

-

stone

cut

out

without

hands

.

And

our

hearts

are

thus

circumcised

from

evil

,

so

that

we

are

happy

to

die

for

the

name

of

the

good

Rock

,

which

causes

living

water

to

burst

forth

for

the

hearts

of

those

who

by

Him

have

loved

the

Father

of

all

,

and

which

gives

those

who

are

willing

to

drink

of

the

water

of

life

.

But

you

do

not

comprehend

me

when

I

speak

these

things

;

for

you

have

not

understood

what

it

has

been

prophesied

that

Christ

would

do

,

and

you

do

not

believe

us

who

draw

your

attention

to

what

has

been

written

.

For

Jeremiah

thus

cries

:

‘

Woe

unto

you

!

because

you

have

forsaken

the

living

fountain

,

and

have

digged

for

yourselves

broken

cisterns

that

can

hold

no

water

.

Shall

there

be

a

wilderness

where

Mount

Zion

is

,

because

I

gave

Jerusalem

a

bill

of

divorce

in

your

sight

?

’

Notes

429
Isa. liii. 7.
430
Isa. lxv. 2.
431
Isa. liii. 1.
432
Ps. viii. 3.
433
Literally, “the operation of His words.” Editors have changed τῶν λόγων into τὸν λόγον or τοῦ λόγου: but there is no need of change.
434
Jer. ii. 13.