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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 125

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 CXXV.—He explains what force the word Israel has, and how it suits Christ.

“I wish, sirs,” I said,

‹ Chapter 124 Chapter 126 ›

“

to

learn

from

you

what

is

the

force

of

the

name

Israel

.

”

And

as

they

were

silent

,

I

continued

:

“

I

shall

tell

you

what

I

know

:

for

I

do

not

think

it

right

,

when

I

know

,

not

to

speak

;

or

,

suspecting

that

you

do

know

,

and

yet

from

envy

or

from

voluntary

ignorance

deceive

yourselves

,

to

be

continually

solicitous

;

but

I

speak

all

things

simply

and

candidly

,

as

my

Lord

said

:

‘

A

sower

went

forth

to

sow

the

seed

;

and

some

fell

by

the

wayside

;

and

some

among

thorns

,

and

some

on

stony

ground

,

and

some

on

good

ground

.

’

I

must

speak

,

then

,

in

the

hope

of

finding

good

ground

somewhere

;

since

that

Lord

of

mine

,

as

One

strong

and

powerful

,

comes

to

demand

back

His

own

from

all

,

and

will

not

condemn

His

steward

if

He

recognises

that

he

,

by

the

knowledge

that

the

Lord

is

powerful

and

has

come

to

demand

His

own

,

has

given

it

to

every

bank

,

and

has

not

digged

for

any

cause

whatsoever

.

Accordingly

the

name

Israel

signifies

this

,

A

man

who

overcomes

power

;

for

Isra

is

a

man

overcoming

,

and

El

is

power

.

And

that

Christ

would

act

so

when

He

became

man

was

foretold

by

the

mystery

of

Jacob’s

wrestling

with

Him

who

appeared

to

him

,

in

that

He

ministered

to

the

will

of

the

Father

,

yet

nevertheless

is

God

,

in

that

He

is

the

first

-

begotten

of

all

creatures

.

For

when

He

became

man

,

as

I

previously

remarked

,

the

devil

came

to

Him

—

i

.

e

.

,

that

power

which

is

called

the

serpent

and

Satan

—

tempting

Him

,

and

striving

to

effect

His

downfall

by

asking

Him

to

worship

him

.

But

He

destroyed

and

overthrew

the

devil

,

having

proved

him

to

be

wicked

,

in

that

he

asked

to

be

worshipped

as

God

,

contrary

to

the

Scripture

;

who

is

an

apostate

from

the

will

of

God

.

For

He

answers

him

,

‘

It

is

written

,

Thou

shalt

worship

the

Lord

thy

God

,

and

Him

only

shall

thou

serve

.

’

Then

,

overcome

and

convicted

,

the

devil

departed

at

that

time

.

But

since

our

Christ

was

to

be

numbed

,

i

.

e

.

,

by

pain

and

experience

of

suffering

,

He

made

a

of

this

by

touching

Jacob’s

thigh

,

and

causing

it

to

shrink

.

But

Israel

was

His

name

from

the

beginning

,

to

which

He

altered

the

name

of

the

blessed

Jacob

when

He

blessed

him

with

His

own

name

,

proclaiming

thereby

that

all

who

through

Him

have

fled

for

refuge

to

the

Father

,

constitute

the

blessed

Israel

.

But

you

,

having

understood

none

of

this

,

and

not

being

prepared

to

understand

,

since

you

are

the

children

of

Jacob

after

the

fleshly

seed

,

expect

that

you

shall

be

assuredly

saved

.

But

that

you

deceive

yourselves

in

such

matters

,

I

have

proved

by

many

words

.

Notes

491
The reading here is ἐπίσταμαι αὐτός, which is generally abandoned for ἀπατᾶν ἑαυτούς.
492
Matt. xiii. 3.
493
[On Justin’s Hebrew, see Kaye, p. 19.]
494
Matt. iv. 10.