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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 12

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 XII.—The Jews violate the eternal law, and interpret ill that of Moses.

I also adduced another passage in which Isaiah exclaims

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:

“

‘

Hear

My

words

,

and

your

soul

shall

live

;

and

I

will

make

an

everlasting

covenant

with

you

,

even

the

sure

mercies

of

David

.

Behold

,

I

have

given

Him

for

a

witness

to

the

people

:

nations

which

know

not

Thee

shall

call

on

Thee

;

peoples

who

know

not

Thee

shall

escape

to

Thee

,

because

of

thy

God

,

the

Holy

One

of

Israel

;

for

He

has

glorified

Thee

.

’

This

same

law

you

have

despised

,

and

His

new

holy

covenant

you

have

slighted

;

and

now

you

neither

receive

it

,

nor

repent

of

your

evil

deeds

.

‘

For

your

ears

are

closed

,

your

eyes

are

blinded

,

and

the

heart

is

hardened

,

’

Jeremiah

has

cried

;

yet

not

even

then

do

you

listen

.

The

Lawgiver

is

present

,

yet

you

do

not

see

Him

;

to

the

poor

the

Gospel

is

preached

,

the

blind

see

,

yet

you

do

not

understand

.

You

have

now

need

of

a

second

circumcision

,

though

you

glory

greatly

in

the

flesh

.

The

new

law

requires

you

to

keep

perpetual

sabbath

,

and

you

,

because

you

are

idle

for

one

day

,

suppose

you

are

pious

,

not

discerning

why

this

has

been

commanded

you

:

and

if

you

eat

unleavened

bread

,

you

say

the

will

of

God

has

been

fulfilled

.

The

Lord

our

God

does

not

take

pleasure

in

such

observances

:

if

there

is

any

perjured

person

or

a

thief

among

you

,

let

him

cease

to

be

so

;

if

any

adulterer

,

let

him

repent

;

then

he

has

kept

the

sweet

and

true

sabbaths

of

God

.

If

any

one

has

impure

hands

,

let

him

wash

and

be

pure

.

Notes

24
Isa. lv. 3 ff. according to LXX.
25
Not in Jeremiah; some would insert, in place of Jeremiah, Isaiah or John. [St. John xii. 40; Isa. vi. 10; where see full references in the English margin. But comp. Jer. vii. 24, 26, Jer. xi. 8, and Jer. xvii. 23.]