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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 82

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 LXXXII.—The prophetical gifts of the Jews were transferred to the Christians.

“For the prophetical gifts remain with us,

‹ Chapter 81 Chapter 83 ›

even

to

the

present

time

.

And

hence

you

ought

to

understand

that

[

the

gifts

]

formerly

among

your

nation

have

been

transferred

to

us

.

And

just

as

there

were

false

prophets

contemporaneous

with

your

holy

prophets

,

so

are

there

now

many

false

teachers

amongst

us

,

of

whom

our

Lord

forewarned

us

to

beware

;

so

that

in

no

respect

are

we

deficient

,

since

we

know

that

He

foreknew

all

that

would

happen

to

us

after

His

resurrection

from

the

dead

and

ascension

to

heaven

.

For

He

said

we

would

be

put

to

death

,

and

hated

for

His

name’s

sake

;

and

that

many

false

prophets

and

false

Christs

would

appear

in

His

name

,

and

deceive

many

:

and

so

has

it

come

about

.

For

many

have

taught

godless

,

blasphemous

,

and

unholy

doctrines

,

forging

them

in

His

name

;

have

taught

,

too

,

and

even

yet

are

teaching

,

those

things

which

proceed

from

the

unclean

spirit

of

the

devil

,

and

which

were

put

into

their

hearts

.

Therefore

we

are

most

anxious

that

you

be

persuaded

not

to

be

misled

by

such

persons

,

since

we

know

that

every

one

who

can

speak

the

truth

,

and

yet

speaks

it

not

,

shall

be

judged

by

God

,

as

God

testified

by

Ezekiel

,

when

He

said

,

‘

I

have

made

thee

a

watchman

to

the

house

of

Judah

.

If

the

sinner

sin

,

and

thou

warn

him

not

,

he

himself

shall

die

in

his

sin

;

but

his

blood

will

I

require

at

thine

hand

.

But

if

thou

warn

him

,

thou

shalt

be

innocent

.

’

And

on

this

account

we

are

,

through

fear

,

very

earnest

in

desiring

to

converse

[

with

men

]

according

to

the

Scriptures

,

but

not

from

love

of

money

,

or

of

glory

,

or

of

pleasure

.

For

no

man

can

convict

us

of

any

of

these

[

vices

]

.

No

more

do

we

wish

to

live

like

the

rulers

of

your

people

,

whom

God

reproaches

when

He

says

,

‘

Your

rulers

are

companions

of

thieves

,

lovers

of

bribes

,

followers

of

the

rewards

.

’

Now

,

if

you

know

certain

amongst

us

to

be

of

this

sort

,

do

not

for

their

sakes

blaspheme

the

Scriptures

and

Christ

,

and

do

not

assiduously

strive

to

give

falsified

interpretations

.

Notes

327
Ezek. iii. 17, 18, 19.
328
Isa. i. 23.