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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 55

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 LV.—Trypho asks that Christ be proved God, but without metaphor. Justin promises to do so.

And Trypho answered, “We shall remember this

‹ Chapter 54 Chapter 56 ›

your

exposition

,

if

you

strengthen

[

your

solution

of

]

this

difficulty

by

other

arguments

:

but

now

resume

the

discourse

,

and

show

us

that

the

Spirit

of

prophecy

admits

another

God

besides

the

Maker

of

all

things

,

taking

care

not

to

speak

of

the

sun

and

moon

,

which

,

it

is

written

,

God

has

given

to

the

nations

to

worship

as

gods

;

and

oftentimes

the

prophets

,

employing

this

manner

of

speech

,

say

that

‘

thy

God

is

a

God

of

gods

,

and

a

Lord

of

lords

,

’

adding

frequently

,

‘

the

great

and

strong

and

terrible

[

God

]

.

’

For

such

expressions

are

used

,

not

as

if

they

really

were

gods

,

but

because

the

Scripture

is

teaching

us

that

the

true

God

,

who

made

all

things

,

is

Lord

alone

of

those

who

are

reputed

gods

and

lords

.

And

in

order

that

the

Holy

Spirit

may

convince

[

us

]

of

this

,

He

said

by

the

holy

David

,

‘

The

gods

of

the

nations

,

reputed

gods

,

are

idols

of

demons

,

and

not

gods

;

’

and

He

denounces

a

curse

on

those

who

worship

them

.

”

And I replied, “I would not bring forward these proofs, Trypho, by which I am aware those who worship these [idols] and such like are condemned, but such [proofs] as no one could find any objection to. They will appear strange to you, although you read them every day; so that even from this fact we understand that, because of your wickedness, God has withheld from you the ability to discern the wisdom of His Scriptures; yet [there are] some exceptions, to whom, according to the grace of His long-suffering, as Isaiah said, He has left a seed of salvation, lest your race be utterly destroyed, like Sodom and Gomorrah. Pay attention, therefore, to what I shall record out of the holy Scriptures, which do not need to be expounded, but only listened to.

Notes

172
Deut. iv. 19, an apparent [i.e., evident] misinterpretation of the passage. [But see St. John x. 33–36.]
173
Or, “misusing.”
174
Ps. xcvi. 5.
175
Com. reading, “you;” evidently wrong.
176
Literally, “for.”
177
Two constructions, “which” referring either to Scriptures as whole, or to what he records from them. Last more probable.