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The First Apology

Justin Martyr

Chapter 63

About this work

Justin addresses Roman rulers on behalf of Christians, challenging accusations against them while explaining Christian ethics, worship, baptism, Eucharist, prophecy, and belief in Christ in his own day.

Author: Justin Martyr
Date: c. AD 150–155
Origin: Rome
Genre: Apology

Chapter LXIII.—How God appeared to Moses.

And all the Jews even now teach that the

‹ Chapter 62 Chapter 64 ›

nameless

God

spake

to

Moses

;

whence

the

Spirit

of

prophecy

,

accusing

them

by

Isaiah

the

prophet

mentioned

above

,

said

“

The

ox

knoweth

his

owner

,

and

the

ass

his

master’s

crib

;

but

Israel

doth

not

know

Me

,

and

My

people

do

not

understand

.

”

And

Jesus

the

Christ

,

because

the

Jews

knew

not

what

the

Father

was

,

and

what

the

Son

,

in

like

manner

accused

them

;

and

Himself

said

,

“

No

one

knoweth

the

Father

,

but

the

Son

;

nor

the

Son

,

but

the

Father

,

and

they

to

whom

the

Son

revealeth

Him

.

”

Now

the

Word

of

God

is

His

Son

,

as

we

have

before

said

.

And

He

is

called

Angel

and

Apostle

;

for

He

declares

whatever

we

ought

to

know

,

and

is

sent

forth

to

declare

whatever

is

revealed

;

as

our

Lord

Himself

says

,

“

He

that

heareth

Me

,

heareth

Him

that

sent

Me

.

”

From

the

writings

of

Moses

also

this

will

be

manifest

;

for

thus

it

is

written

in

them

,

“

And

the

Angel

of

God

spake

to

Moses

,

in

a

flame

of

fire

out

of

the

bush

,

and

said

,

I

am

that

I

am

,

the

God

of

Abraham

,

the

God

of

Isaac

,

the

God

of

Jacob

,

the

God

of

thy

fathers

;

go

down

into

Egypt

,

and

bring

forth

My

people

.

”

And

if

you

wish

to

learn

what

follows

,

you

can

do

so

from

the

same

writings

;

for

it

is

impossible

to

relate

the

whole

here

.

But

so

much

is

written

for

the

sake

of

proving

that

Jesus

the

Christ

is

the

Son

of

God

and

His

Apostle

,

being

of

old

the

Word

,

and

appearing

sometimes

in

the

form

of

fire

,

and

sometimes

in

the

likeness

of

angels

;

but

now

,

by

the

will

of

God

,

having

become

man

for

the

human

race

,

He

endured

all

the

sufferings

which

the

devils

instigated

the

senseless

Jews

to

inflict

upon

Him

;

who

,

though

they

have

it

expressly

affirmed

in

the

writings

of

Moses

,

“

And

the

angel

of

God

spake

to

Moses

in

a

flame

of

fire

in

a

bush

,

and

said

,

I

am

that

I

am

,

the

God

of

Abraham

,

and

the

God

of

Isaac

,

and

the

God

of

Jacob

,

”

yet

maintain

that

He

who

said

this

was

the

Father

and

Creator

of

the

universe

.

Whence

also

the

Spirit

of

prophecy

rebukes

them

,

and

says

,

“

Israel

doth

not

know

Me

,

my

people

have

not

understood

Me

.

”

And

again

,

Jesus

,

as

we

have

already

shown

,

while

He

was

with

them

,

said

,

“

No

one

knoweth

the

Father

,

but

the

Son

;

nor

the

Son

but

the

Father

,

and

those

to

whom

the

Son

will

reveal

Him

.

”

The

Jews

,

accordingly

,

being

throughout

of

opinion

that

it

was

the

Father

of

the

universe

who

spake

to

Moses

,

though

He

who

spake

to

him

was

indeed

the

Son

of

God

,

who

is

called

both

Angel

and

Apostle

,

are

justly

charged

,

both

by

the

Spirit

of

prophecy

and

by

Christ

Himself

,

with

knowing

neither

the

Father

nor

the

Son

.

For

they

who

affirm

that

the

Son

is

the

Father

,

are

proved

neither

to

have

become

acquainted

with

the

Father

,

nor

to

know

that

the

Father

of

the

universe

has

a

Son

;

who

also

,

being

the

first

-

begotten

Word

of

God

,

is

even

God

.

And

of

old

He

appeared

in

the

shape

of

fire

and

in

the

likeness

of

an

angel

to

Moses

and

to

the

other

prophets

;

but

now

in

the

times

of

your

reign

,

having

,

as

we

before

said

,

become

Man

by

a

virgin

,

according

to

the

counsel

of

the

Father

,

for

the

salvation

of

those

who

believe

on

Him

,

He

endured

both

to

be

set

at

nought

and

to

suffer

,

that

by

dying

and

rising

again

He

might

conquer

death

.

And

that

which

was

said

out

of

the

bush

to

Moses

,

“

I

am

that

I

am

,

the

God

of

Abraham

,

and

the

God

of

Isaac

,

and

the

God

of

Jacob

,

and

the

God

of

your

fathers

,

”

this

signified

that

they

,

even

though

dead

,

are

yet

in

existence

,

and

are

men

belonging

to

Christ

Himself

.

For

they

were

the

first

of

all

men

to

busy

themselves

in

the

search

after

God

;

Abraham

being

the

father

of

Isaac

,

and

Isaac

of

Jacob

,

as

Moses

wrote

.

Notes

131
Isa. i. 3.
132
Matt. xi. 27.
133
Luke x. 16.
134
Ex. iii. 6.
135
Isa. i. 3.
136
Matt. xi. 27.
137
[Rather, “of your empire.”]
138
Ex. iii. 6.