Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho

“So that you ought rather to desist from the love of strife, and repent before the great day of judgment come, wherein all those of your tribes who have pierced this Christ shall mourn, as I have shown has been declared by the Scriptures. And I have explained that the Lord swore, ‘after the order of Melchizedek,’446 Ps. cx. 4. and what this prediction means; and the prophecy of Isaiah which says, ‘His burial is taken away from the midst,’447 Isa. liii. 8. I have already said, referred to the future burying and rising again of Christ; and I have frequently remarked that this very Christ is the Judge of all the living and the dead. And Nathan likewise, speaking to David about Him, thus continued: ‘I will be His Father, and He shall be my Son; and my mercy shall I not take away from Him, as I did from them that went before Him; and I will establish Him in my house, and in His kingdom for ever.’448 2 Sam. vii. 14f. And Ezekiel says, ‘There shall be no other prince in the house but He.’449 Ezek. xliv. 3.For He is the chosen Priest and eternal King, the Christ, inasmuch as He is the Son of God; and do not suppose that Isaiah or the other prophets speak of sacrifices of blood or libations being presented at the altar on His second advent, but of true and spiritual praises and giving of thanks. And we have not in vain believed in Him, and have not been led astray by those who taught us such doctrines; but this has come to pass through the wonderful foreknowledge of God, in order that we, through the calling of the new and eternal covenant, that is, of Christ, might be found more intelligent and God-fearing than yourselves, who are considered to be lovers of God and men of understanding, but are not. Isaiah, filled with admiration of this, said: ‘And kings shall shut their mouths: for those to whom no announcement has been made in regard to Him450 The mss. read “them.” Otto has changed it to “Him.” shall see; and those who heard not shall understand. Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?’451 Isa. lii. 15, Isa. liii. 1.

“And in repeating this,452 [Let this apology be noted.] Trypho,” I continued, “as far as is allowable, I endeavour to do so for the sake of those who came with you to-day, yet briefly and concisely.”

Then he replied, “You do well; and though you repeat the same things at considerable length, be assured that I and my companions listen with pleasure.”

[118] Ὥστε μᾶλλον παυσάμενοι τοῦ φιλεριστεῖν μετανοήσατε πρὶν ἐλθεῖν τὴν μεγάλην ἡμέραν τῆς κρίσεως, ἐν ᾗ κόπτεσθαι μέλλουσι πάντες οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν φυλῶν ὑμῶν ἐκκεντήσαντες τοῦτον τὸν Χριστόν, ὡς ἀπὸ γραφῆς ἀπέδειξα προειρημένον. καὶ ὅτι ὤμοσε κύριος κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ, καὶ τί τὸ προειρημένον ἐστίν, ἐξηγησάμην. καὶ ὅτι περὶ τοῦ θάπτεσθαι μέλλοντος καὶ ἀνίστασθαι Χριστοῦ ἦν ἡ προφητεία τοῦ Ἠσαίου, φήσαντος: Ἡ ταφὴ αὐτοῦ ἦρται ἐκ τοῦ μέσου, προεῖπον. καὶ ὅτι κριτὴς ζώντων καὶ νεκρῶν ἁπάντων αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ Χριστός, εἶπον ἐν πολλοῖς. καὶ Νάθαν δὲ ὁμοίως περὶ τούτου λέγων πρὸς Δαυεὶδ οὕτως ἐπήνεγκεν: Ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ εἰς πατέρα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι εἰς υἱόν, καὶ τὸ ἔλεός μου οὐ μὴ ἀποστήσω ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, καθὼς ἐποίησα ἀπὸ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ: καὶ στήσω αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου καὶ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ ἕως αἰῶνος. καὶ τὸν ἡγούμενον δὲ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ οὐκ ἄλλον Ἰεζεκιὴλ λέγει ἢ τοῦτον αὐτόν. οὗτος γὰρ ἐξαίρετος ἱερεὺς καὶ αἰώνιος βασιλεύς, ὁ Χριστός, ὡς υἱὸς θεοῦ: οὗ ἐν τῇ πάλιν παρουσίᾳ μὴ δόξητε λέγειν Ἠσαίαν ἢ τοὺς ἄλλους προφήτας θυσίας ἀφ' αἱμάτων ἢ σπονδῶν ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἀναφέρεσθαι, ἀλλὰ ἀληθινοὺς καὶ πνευματικοὺς αἴνους καὶ εὐχαριστίας. καὶ οὐ μάτην ἡμεῖς εἰς τοῦτον πεπιστεύκαμεν, οὐδ' ἐπλανήθημεν ὑπὸ τῶν οὕτως διδαξάντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ θαυμαστῇ προνοίᾳ θεοῦ τοῦτο γέγονεν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς ὑμῶν, τῶν νομιζομένων οὐκ ὄντων δὲ οὔτε φιλοθέων οὔτε συνετῶν, συνετώτεροι καὶ θεοσεβέστεροι εὑρεθῶμεν διὰ τῆς κλήσεως τῆς καινῆς καὶ αἰωνίου διαθήκης, τοῦτ' ἔστι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. τοῦτο θαυμάζων Ἠσαίας ἔφη: Καὶ συνέξουσι βασιλεῖς τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν: ὅτι οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται, καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασι. Κύριε, τίς ἐπίστευσε τῇ ἀκοῇ ἡμῶν; καὶ ὁ βραχίων κυρίου τίνι ἀπεκαλύφθη; καὶ ταῦτα λέγων, ἔφην, ὦ Τρύφων, ὡς ἐγχωρεῖ, διὰ τοὺς σήμερον σὺν σοὶ ἀφιγμένους ταὐτὰ λέγειν πειρῶμαι, βραχέως μέντοι καὶ περικεκομμένως. Κἀκεῖνος: Εὖ ποιεῖς, ἔφη: κἂν διὰ πλειόνων δὲ καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ πάλιν λέγῃς, χαίρειν με καὶ τοὺς συνόντας τῇ ἀκροάσει γίνωσκε.