Opening the library…

Search the Bible

Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 119

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 CXIX.—Christians are the holy people promised to Abraham. They have been called like Abraham.

Then I said again, “Would you suppose

‹ Chapter 118 Chapter 120 ›

,

sirs

,

that

we

could

ever

have

understood

these

matters

in

the

Scriptures

,

if

we

had

not

received

grace

to

discern

by

the

will

of

Him

whose

pleasure

it

was

?

in

order

that

the

saying

of

Moses

might

come

to

pass

,

‘

They

provoked

me

with

strange

[

gods

]

,

they

provoked

me

to

anger

with

their

abominations

.

They

sacrificed

to

demons

whom

they

knew

not

;

new

gods

that

came

newly

up

,

whom

their

fathers

knew

not

.

Thou

hast

forsaken

God

that

begat

thee

,

and

forgotten

God

that

brought

thee

up

.

And

the

Lord

saw

,

and

was

jealous

,

and

was

provoked

to

anger

by

reason

of

the

rage

of

His

sons

and

daughters

:

and

He

said

,

I

will

turn

My

face

away

from

them

,

and

I

will

show

what

shall

come

on

them

at

the

last

;

for

it

is

a

very

froward

generation

,

children

in

whom

is

no

faith

.

They

have

moved

Me

to

jealousy

with

that

which

is

not

God

,

they

have

provoked

Me

to

anger

with

their

idols

;

and

I

will

move

them

to

jealousy

with

that

which

is

not

a

nation

,

I

will

provoke

them

to

anger

with

a

foolish

people

.

For

a

fire

is

kindled

from

Mine

anger

,

and

it

shall

burn

to

Hades

.

It

shall

consume

the

earth

and

her

increase

,

and

set

on

fire

the

foundations

of

the

mountains

;

I

will

heap

mischief

on

them

.

’

And

after

that

Righteous

One

was

put

to

death

,

we

flourished

as

another

people

,

and

shot

forth

as

new

and

prosperous

corn

;

as

the

prophets

said

,

‘

And

many

nations

shall

betake

themselves

to

the

Lord

in

that

day

for

a

people

:

and

they

shall

dwell

in

the

midst

of

all

the

earth

.

’

But

we

are

not

only

a

people

,

but

also

a

holy

people

,

as

we

have

shown

already

.

‘

And

they

shall

call

them

the

holy

people

,

redeemed

by

the

Lord

.

’

Therefore

we

are

not

a

people

to

be

despised

,

nor

a

barbarous

race

,

nor

such

as

the

Carian

and

Phrygian

nations

;

but

God

has

even

chosen

us

and

He

has

become

manifest

to

those

who

asked

not

after

Him

.

‘

Behold

,

I

am

God

,

’

He

says

,

‘

to

the

nation

which

called

not

on

My

name

.

’

For

this

is

that

nation

which

God

of

old

promised

to

Abraham

,

when

He

declared

that

He

would

make

him

a

father

of

many

nations

;

not

meaning

,

however

,

the

Arabians

,

or

Egyptians

,

or

Idumæans

,

since

Ishmael

became

the

father

of

a

mighty

nation

,

and

so

did

Esau

;

and

there

is

now

a

great

multitude

of

Ammonites

.

Noah

,

moreover

,

was

the

father

of

Abraham

,

and

in

fact

of

all

men

;

and

others

were

the

progenitors

of

others

.

What

larger

measure

of

grace

,

then

,

did

Christ

bestow

on

Abraham

?

This

,

namely

,

that

He

called

him

with

His

voice

by

the

like

calling

,

telling

him

to

quit

the

land

wherein

he

dwelt

.

And

He

has

called

all

of

us

by

that

voice

,

and

we

have

left

already

the

way

of

living

in

which

we

used

to

spend

our

days

,

passing

our

time

in

evil

after

the

fashions

of

the

other

inhabitants

of

the

earth

;

and

along

with

Abraham

we

shall

inherit

the

holy

land

,

when

we

shall

receive

the

inheritance

for

an

endless

eternity

,

being

children

of

Abraham

through

the

like

faith

.

For

as

he

believed

the

voice

of

God

,

and

it

was

imputed

to

him

for

righteousness

,

in

like

manner

we

having

believed

God’s

voice

spoken

by

the

apostles

of

Christ

,

and

promulgated

to

us

by

the

prophets

,

have

renounced

even

to

death

all

the

things

of

the

world

.

Accordingly

,

He

promises

to

him

a

nation

of

similar

faith

,

God

-

fearing

,

righteous

,

and

delighting

the

Father

;

but

it

is

not

you

,

‘

in

whom

is

no

faith

.

’

Notes

456
Literally, “in the time of Moses.”
457
Deut. xxxii. 16–23.
458
Zech. ii. 11.
459
See chap. cx.
460
Isa. lxii. 12.
461
Isa. lxv. 1.