Chapter CXXII.—The Jews understand this of the proselytes without reason.

“You think that these words refer to the stranger470    Γηόρα or Γειόρα. Found in LXX., Ex. xii. 19 and Isa. xiv. 1. and the proselytes, but in fact they refer to us who have been illumined by Jesus. For Christ would have borne witness even to them; but now you are become twofold more the children of hell, as He said Himself.471    Matt. xxiii. 15. Therefore what was written by the prophets was spoken not of those persons, but of us, concerning whom the Scripture speaks: ‘I will lead the blind by a way which they knew not; and they shall walk in paths which they have not known. And I am witness, saith the Lord God, and my servant whom I have chosen.’472    Isa. xlii. 16, Isa. xliii. 10. To whom, then, does Christ bear witness? Manifestly to those who have believed. But the proselytes not only do not believe, but twofold more than yourselves blaspheme His name, and wish to torture and put to death us who believe in Him; for in all points they strive to be like you. And again in other words He cries: ‘I the Lord have called Thee in righteousness, and will hold Thine hand, and will strengthen Thee, and will give Thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out the prisoners from their bonds.’473    Isa. xlii. 6. These words, indeed, sirs, refer also to Christ, and concern the enlightened nations; or will you say again, He speaks to them of the law and the proselytes?”

Then some of those who had come on the second day cried out as if they had been in a theatre, “But what? does He not refer to the law, and to those illumined by it? Now these are proselytes.”

“No,” I said, looking towards Trypho, “since, if the law were able to enlighten the nations and those who possess it, what need is there of a new covenant? But since God announced beforehand that He would send a new covenant, and an everlasting law and commandment, we will not understand this of the old law and its proselytes, but of Christ and His proselytes, namely us Gentiles, whom He has illumined, as He says somewhere: ‘Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard Thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped Thee, and I have given Thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, and to inherit the deserted.’474    Isa. xlix. 8. What, then, is Christ’s inheritance? Is it not the nations? What is the covenant of God? Is it not Christ? As He says in another place: ‘Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten Thee. Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the nations for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.’475    Ps. ii. 7 f.

[122] Ταῦτα ὑμεῖς μὲν εἰς τὸν γηόραν καὶ τοὺς προσηλύτους εἰρῆσθαι νομίζετε, τῷ ὄντι δὲ εἰς ἡμᾶς εἴρηται τοὺς διὰ Ἰησοῦ πεφωτισμένους. ἦ γὰρ ἂν κἀκείνοις ἐμαρτύρει ὁ Χριστός: νῦν δὲ διπλότερον υἱοὶ γεέννης, ὡς αὐτὸς εἶπε, γίνεσθε. οὐ πρὸς ἐκείνους οὖν οὐδὲ τὰ διὰ τῶν προφητῶν εἰρημένα λέλεκται, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἡμᾶς, περὶ ὧν ὁ λόγος λέγει: Ἄξω ἐν ὁδῷ τυφλοὺς ἣν οὐκ ἔγνωσαν, καὶ τρίβους οὓς οὐκ ᾔδεισαν πατήσουσι. κἀγὼ μάρτυς, λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός, καὶ ὁ παῖς μου ὃν ἐξελεξάμην. τίσιν οὖν μαρτυρεῖ ὁ Χριστός; δῆλον ὡς τοῖς πεπιστευκόσιν. οἱ δὲ προσήλυτοι οὐ μόνον οὐ πιστεύουσιν, ἀλλὰ διπλότερον ὑμῶν βλασφημοῦσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡμᾶς τοὺς εἰς ἐκεῖνον πιστεύοντας καὶ φονεύειν καὶ αἰκίζειν βούλονται: κατὰ πάντα γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐξομοιοῦσθαι σπεύδουσι. καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἄλλοις βοᾷ: Ἐγὼ κύριος ἐκάλεσά σε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ κρατήσω τῆς χειρός σου καὶ ἰσχύσω σε, καὶ θήσω σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους, εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν, ἀνοῖξαι ὀφθαλμοὺς τυφλῶν, ἐξαγαγεῖν ἐκ δεσμῶν πεπεδημένους. ἐπεὶ καὶ ταῦτα, ὦ ἄνδρες, πρὸς τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν πεφωτισμένων εἴρηται. ἢ πάλιν ὑμεῖς ἐρεῖτε: Πρὸς τὸν νόμον λέγει καὶ τοὺς προσηλύτους ταῦτα; Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν θεάτρῳ ἀνέκραγόν τινες τῶν τῇ δευτέρᾳ ἀφιγμένων: ἀλλὰ τί; οὐ πρὸς τὸν νόμον λέγει καὶ τοὺς φωτιζομένους ὑπ' αὐτοῦ; οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν οἱ προσήλυτοι. Οὔκ, ἔφην, ἀπιδὼν πρὸς τὸν Τρύφωνα. ἐπεὶ εἰ νόμος εἶχε τὸ φωτίζειν τὰ ἔθνη καὶ τοὺς ἔχοντας αὐτόν, τίς χρεία καινῆς διαθήκης; ἐπεὶ δὲ καινὴν διαθήκην καὶ νόμον αἰώνιον καὶ πρόσταγμα ὁ θεὸς προεκήρυσσε πέμψειν, οὐχὶ τὸν παλαιὸν νόμον ἀκουσόμεθα καὶ τοὺς προσηλύτους αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ τοὺς προσηλύτους αὐτοῦ, ἡμᾶς τὰ ἔθνη, οὓς ἐφώτισεν, ὥς πού φησιν: Οὕτω λέγει κύριος: Καιρῷ δεκτῷ ἐπήκουσά σου, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σωτηρίας ἐβοήθησά σοι, καὶ ἔδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην ἐθνῶν, τοῦ καταστῆσαι τὴν γῆν καὶ κληρονομίαν κληρονομῆσαι ἐρήμους. τίς οὖν ἡ κληρονομία τοῦ Χριστοῦ; οὐχὶ τὰ ἔθνη; τίς ἡ διαθήκη τοῦ θεοῦ; οὐχ ὁ Χριστός; ὡς καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν: Υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε: αἴτησαι παρ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ δώσω σοι ἔθνη τὴν κληρονομίαν σου καὶ τὴν κατάσχεσίν σου τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς.