Chapter XIX.—Circumcision unknown before Abraham. The law was given by Moses on account of the hardness of their hearts.

“It is this about which we are at a loss, and with reason, because, while you endure such things, you do not observe all the other customs which we are now discussing.”

“This circumcision is not, however, necessary for all men, but for you alone, in order that, as I have already said, you may suffer these things which you now justly suffer. Nor do we receive that useless baptism of cisterns, for it has nothing to do with this baptism of life. Wherefore also God has announced that you have forsaken Him, the living fountain, and digged for yourselves broken cisterns which can hold no water. Even you, who are the circumcised according to the flesh, have need of our circumcision; but we, having the latter, do not require the former. For if it were necessary, as you suppose, God would not have made Adam uncircumcised; would not have had respect to the gifts of Abel when, being uncircumcised, he offered sacrifice, and would not have been pleased with the uncircumcision of Enoch, who was not found, because God had translated him. Lot, being uncircumcised, was saved from Sodom, the angels themselves and the Lord sending him out. Noah was the beginning of our race; yet, uncircumcised, along with his children he went into the ark. Melchizedek, the priest of the Most High, was uncircumcised; to whom also Abraham the first who received circumcision after the flesh, gave tithes, and he blessed him: after whose order God declared, by the mouth of David, that He would establish the everlasting priest. Therefore to you alone this circumcision was necessary, in order that the people may be no people, and the nation no nation; as also Hosea,44    Hos. i. and Hos. ii. one of the twelve prophets, declares. Moreover, all those righteous men already mentioned, though they kept no Sabbaths,45    [They did not Sabbatize; but Justin does not deny what is implied in many Scriptures, that they marked the week, and noted the seventh day. Gen. ii. 3, Gen. viii. 10, 12.] were pleasing to God; and after them Abraham with all his descendants until Moses, under whom your nation appeared unrighteous and ungrateful to God, making a calf in the wilderness: wherefore God, accommodating Himself to that nation, enjoined them also to offer sacrifices, as if to His name, in order that you might not serve idols. Which precept, however, you have not observed; nay, you sacrificed your children to demons. And you were commanded to keep Sabbaths, that you might retain the memorial of God. For His word makes this announcement, saying, ‘That ye may know that I am God who redeemed you.’46    Ezek. xx. 12.

[19] [Καὶ ὁ Τρύφων:] Τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ ἀπορεῖν ἄξιόν ἐστιν, ὅτι τοιαῦτα ὑπομένοντες οὐχὶ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα, περὶ ὧν νῦν ζητοῦμεν, φυλάσσετε. Οὐ γὰρ πᾶσιν ἀναγκαία αὕτη ἡ περιτομή, ἀλλ' ὑμῖν μόνοις, ἵνα, ὡς προέφην, ταῦτα πάθητε ἃ νῦν ἐν δίκῃ πάσχετε. οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸ βάπτισμα ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἀνωφελὲς τὸ τῶν λάκκων προσλαμβάνομεν: οὐδὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὸ βάπτισμα τοῦτο τὸ τῆς ζωῆς ἐστι. διὸ καὶ κέκραγεν ὁ θεός, ὅτι Ἐγκατελίπετε αὐτόν, πηγὴν ζῶσαν, καὶ ὠρύξατε ἑαυτοῖς λάκκους συντετριμμένους, οἳ οὐ δυνήσονται συνέχειν ὕδωρ. καὶ ὑμεῖς μέν, οἱ τὴν σάρκα περιτετμημένοι, χρῄζετε τῆς ἡμετέρας περιτομῆς, ἡμεῖς δέ, ταύτην ἔχοντες, οὐδὲν ἐκείνης δεόμεθα. εἰ γὰρ ἦν ἀναγκαία, ὡς δοκεῖτε, οὐκ ἂν ἀκρόβυστον ὁ θεὸς ἔπλασε τὸν Ἀδάμ, οὐδὲ ἐπέβλεψεν ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις τοῦ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ σαρκὸς προσενέγκαντος θυσίας Ἅβελ, οὐδ' ἂν εὐηρέστησεν ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ Ἑνώχ, καὶ οὐκ εὑρίσκετο, διότι μετέθηκεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεός. Λὼτ ἀπερίτμητος ἐκ Σοδόμων ἐσώθη, αὐτῶν ἐκείνων τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτὸν καὶ τοῦ κυρίου προπεμψάντων. Νῶε, ἀρχὴ γένους ἄλλου, ἅμα τοῖς τέκνοις ἀπερίτμητος εἰς τὴν κιβωτὸν εἰσῆλθεν. ἀπερίτμητος ἦν ὁ ἱερεὺς τοῦ ὑψίστου Μελχισεδέκ, ᾧ καὶ δεκάτας προσφορὰς ἔδωκεν Ἀβραάμ, ὁ πρῶτος τὴν κατὰ σάρκα περιτομὴν λαβών, καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτόν: οὗ κατὰ τὴν τάξιν τὸν αἰώνιον ἱερέα ὁ θεὸς καταστήσειν διὰ τοῦ Δαυεὶδ μεμήνυκεν. ὑμῖν οὖν μόνοις ἀναγκαία ἦν ἡ περιτομὴ αὕτη, ἵνα ὁ λαὸς οὐ λαὸς ᾖ καὶ τὸ ἔθνος οὐκ ἔθνος, ὡς καὶ Ὠσηέ, εἷς τῶν δώδεκα προφητῶν, φησί. καὶ γὰρ μὴ σαββατίσαντες οἱ προωνομασμένοι πάντες δίκαιοι τῷ θεῷ εὐηρέστησαν καὶ μετ' αὐτοὺς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ οἱ τούτου υἱοὶ ἅπαντες μέχρι Μωυσέως, ἐφ' οὗ ἄδικος καὶ ἀχάριστος εἰς τὸν θεὸν ὁ λαὸς ὑμῶν ἐφάνη ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ μοσχοποιήσας. ὅθεν ὁ θεὸς ἁρμοσάμενος πρὸς τὸν λαὸν ἐκεῖνον καὶ θυσίας φέρειν ὡς πρὸς ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐνετείλατο, ἵνα μὴ εἰδωλολατρῆτε: ὅπερ οὐδὲ ἐφυλάξατε, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν ἐθύετε τοῖς δαιμονίοις. καὶ σαββατίζειν οὖν ὑμῖν προστέταχεν, ἵνα μνήμην λαμβάνητε τοῦ θεοῦ: καὶ γὰρ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ τοῦτο σημαίνει λέγων: Τοῦ γινώσκειν ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεὸς ὁ λυτρωσάμενος ὑμᾶς.