Chapter XXVIII.—True righteousness is obtained by Christ.

And Trypho replied, “We heard you adducing this consideration a little ago, and we have given it attention: for, to tell the truth, it is worthy of attention; and that answer which pleases most —namely, that so it seemed good to Him—does not satisfy me. For this is ever the shift to which those have recourse who are unable to answer the question.”

Then I said, “Since I bring from the Scriptures and the facts themselves both the proofs and the inculcation of them, do not delay or hesitate to put faith in me, although I am an uncircumcised man; so short a time is left you in which to become proselytes. If Christ’s coming shall have anticipated you, in vain you will repent, in vain you will weep; for He will not hear you. ‘Break up your fallow ground,’ Jeremiah has cried to the people, ‘and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and circumcise the foreskin of your heart.’72    Jer. iv. 3. Do not sow, therefore, among thorns, and in untilled ground, whence you can have no fruit. Know Christ; and behold the fallow ground, good, good and fat, is in your hearts. ‘For, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will visit all them that are circumcised in their foreskins; Egypt, and Judah,73    So in A.V., but supposed to be Idumæa. and Edom, and the sons of Moab. For all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in their hearts.’74    Jer. ix. 25 f. Do you see how that God does not mean this circumcision which is given for a sign? For it is of no use to the Egyptians, or the sons of Moab, or the sons of Edom. But though a man be a Scythian or a Persian, if he has the knowledge of God and of His Christ, and keeps the everlasting righteous decrees, he is circumcised with the good and useful circumcision, and is a friend of God, and God rejoices in his gifts and offerings. But I will lay before you, my friends, the very words of God, when He said to the people by Malachi, one of the twelve prophets, ‘I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord; and I shall not accept your sacrifices at your hands: for from the rising of the sun unto its setting My name shall be glorified among the Gentiles; and in every place a sacrifice is offered unto My name, even a pure sacrifice: for My name is honoured among the Gentiles, saith the Lord; but ye profane it.’75    Mal. i. 10, etc. And by David He said, ‘A people whom I have not known, served Me; at the hearing of the ear they obeyed Me.’76    Ps. xviii. 43.

[28] Καὶ ὁ Τρύφων: Καὶ πρότερον ἀκηκόαμέν σου τοῦτο προβάλλοντος καὶ ἐπεστήσαμεν: ἄξιον γάρ, ὡς ἀληθῶς εἰπεῖν, ἐπιστάσεως. καὶ οὔ μοι, ὃ τοῖς πολλοῖς, δοκεῖ λέγειν, ὅτι ἔδοξεν αὐτῷ: τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι πρόφασις ἀεὶ τοῖς μὴ δυναμένοις ἀποκρίνασθαι πρὸς τὸ ζητούμενον. Κἀγώ: Ἐπειδὴ ἀπό τε τῶν γραφῶν καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων τάς τε ἀποδείξεις καὶ τὰς ὁμιλίας ποιοῦμαι, ἔλεγον, μὴ ὑπερτίθεσθε μηδὲ διστάζετε πιστεῦσαι τῷ ἀπεριτμήτῳ ἐμοί. βραχὺς οὗτος ὑμῖν περιλείπεται προσηλύσεως χρόνος: ἐὰν φθάσῃ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐλθεῖν, μάτην μετανοήσετε, μάτην κλαύσετε: οὐ γὰρ εἰσακούσεται ὑμῶν. Νεώσατε ἑαυτοῖς νεώματα, Ἰερεμίας τῷ λαῷ κέκραγε, καὶ μὴ σπείρετε ἐπ' ἀκάνθας. περιτέμνετε τῷ κυρίῳ, καὶ περιτέμνεσθε τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν. μὴ οὖν εἰς ἀκάνθας σπείρετε καὶ ἀνήροτον χωρίον, ὅθεν ὑμῖν καρπὸς οὐκ ἔστι. γνῶτε τὸν Χριστόν, καὶ ἰδοὺ νειὸς καλή, καλὴ καὶ πίων ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, λέγει κύριος, καὶ ἐπισκέψομαι ἐπὶ πάντας περιτετμημένους ἀκροβυστίας αὐτῶν, ἐπ' Αἴγυπτον καὶ ἐπὶ Ἰούδαν καὶ ἐπὶ Ἐδὼμ καὶ ἐπὶ υἱοὺς Μωάβ, ὅτι πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἀπερίτμητα καὶ πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ ἀπερίτμητος καρδίας αὐτῶν. ὁρᾶτε ὡς οὐ ταύτην τὴν περιτομὴν τὴν εἰς σημεῖον δοθεῖσαν ὁ θεὸς θέλει: οὐδὲ γὰρ Αἰγυπτίοις χρήσιμος οὐδὲ τοῖς υἱοῖς Μωὰβ οὐδὲ τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἐδώμ. ἀλλὰ κἂν Σκύθης ᾖ τις ἢ Πέρσης, ἔχει δὲ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ γνῶσιν καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ φυλάσσει τὰ αἰώνια δίκαια, περιτέτμηται τὴν καλὴν καὶ ὠφέλιμον περιτομήν, καὶ φίλος ἐστὶ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ καὶ ταῖς προσφοραῖς χαίρει. παρέξω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἄνδρες φίλοι, καὶ αὐτοῦ ῥήματα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁπότε πρὸς τὸν λαὸν εἶπε διὰ Μαλαχίου, ἑνὸς τῶν δώδεκα προφητῶν. ἔστι δὲ ταῦτα: Οὐκ ἔστι θέλημά μου ἐν ὑμῖν, λέγει κύριος, καὶ τὰς θυσίας ὑμῶν οὐ προσδέχομαι ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν: διότι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῆς ἡλίου ἕως δυσμῶν τὸ ὄνομά μου δεδόξασται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ θυσία προσφέρεται τῷ ὀνόματί μου καὶ θυσία καθαρά, ὅτι τιμᾶται τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, λέγει κύριος, ὑμεῖς δὲ βεβηλοῦτε αὐτό. καὶ διὰ τοῦ Δαυεὶδ ἔφη: Λαός, ὃν οὐκ ἔγνων, ἐδούλευσέ μοι: εἰς ἀκοὴν ὠτίου ὑπήκουσέ μου.