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| Chapter LVI.—God who appeared to Moses is distinguished from God the Father.
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Chapter LVI.—God who appeared to
Moses is distinguished from God the Father.
“Moses, then, the
blessed and faithful servant of God, declares that He who appeared to
Abraham under the oak in Mamre is God, sent with the two angels in His
company to judge Sodom by Another who remains ever in the supercelestial
places, invisible to all men, holding personal intercourse with none,
whom we believe to be Maker and Father of all things; for he speaks thus:
‘God appeared to him under the oak in Mamre, as he sat at his
tent-door at noontide. And lifting up his eyes, he saw, and behold, three
men stood before him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the
door of his tent; and he bowed himself toward the ground, and
said;’ ”2125
(and so on;)2126
| 2126 Gen. xix. 27,
28; “and so on” inserted probably not by Justin,
but by some copyist, as is evident from succeeding words. |
“ ‘Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he
stood before the Lord: and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and
toward the adjacent country, and beheld, and, lo, a flame went up from
the earth, like the smoke of a furnace.’ ” And when I had
made an end of quoting these words, I asked them if they had understood
them.
And they said they had understood them, but that the
passages adduced brought forward no proof that there is any other God or
Lord, or that the Holy Spirit says so, besides the Maker of all
things.
Then I replied, “I shall attempt to persuade you,
since you have understood the Scriptures, [of the truth] of what I say,
that there is, and that there is said to be, another God and Lord subject
to2127
| 2127 Some,
“besides;” but probably as above. | the Maker of
all things; who is also called an Angel, because He announces to men
whatsoever the Maker of all things—above whom there is no other
God—wishes to announce to them.” And quoting once more the
previous passage, I asked Trypho, “Do you think that God appeared
to Abraham under the oak in Mamre, as the Scripture asserts?”
He said, “Assuredly.”
“Was He one of those three,” I said,
“whom Abraham saw, and whom the Holy Spirit of prophecy describes
as men?”
He said, “No; but God appeared to him, before the
vision of the three. Then those three whom the Scripture calls men, were
angels; two of them sent to destroy Sodom, and one to announce the joyful
tidings to Sarah, that she would bear a son; for which cause he was sent,
and having accomplished his errand, went away.”2128
| 2128 Or, “going away,
departed.” |
“How then,” said I, “does the one of
the three, who was in the tent, and who said, ‘I shall return to
thee hereafter, and Sarah shall have a son,’2129
appear to have returned when Sarah had begotten a son, and to be
there declared, by the prophetic word, God? But that you may clearly
discern what I say, listen to the words expressly employed by Moses; they
are these: ‘And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian bond-woman,
whom she bore to Abraham, sporting with Isaac her son, and said to
Abraham, Cast out this bond-woman and her son; for the son of this
bond-woman shall not share the inheritance of my son Isaac. And the
matter seemed very grievous in Abraham’s sight, because of his son.
But God said to Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of
the son, and because of the bond-woman. In all that Sarah hath said unto
thee, hearken to her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be
called.’2130
Have you
perceived, then, that He who said under the oak that He would return,
since He knew it would be necessary to advise Abraham to do what Sarah
wished him, came back as it is written; and is God, as the words declare,
when they so speak: ‘God said to Abraham, Let it not be grievous in
thy sight because of the son, and because of the bond-woman?’
” I inquired. And Trypho said, “Certainly; but you have not
proved from this that there is another God besides Him who appeared to
Abraham, and who also appeared to the other patriarchs and prophets. You
have proved, however, that we were wrong in believing that the three who
were in the tent with Abraham were all angels.”
I replied again, “If I could not have proved to
you from the Scriptures that one of those three is God, and is called
Angel,2131
| 2131 Or,
“Messenger.” [The “Jehovah-angel” of the
Pentateuch, passim.] In the various passages in which Justin
assigns the reason for Christ being called angel or messenger, Justin
uses also the verb ἀγγέλλω, to
convey messages, to announce. The similarity between ἄγγελος and
ἀγγέλλω
cannot be retained in English, and therefore the point of Justin’s
remarks is lost to the English reader. | because, as I already
said, He brings messages to those to whom God the Maker of all things
wishes [messages to be brought], then in regard to Him who appeared to
Abraham on earth in human form in like manner as the two angels who came
with Him, and who was God even before the creation of the world, it were
reasonable for you to entertain the same belief as is entertained by the
whole of your nation.”
“Assuredly,” he said, “for up to this
moment this has been our belief.”
Then I replied, “Reverting to the Scriptures, I
shall endeavour to persuade you, that He who is said to have appeared to
Abraham, and to Jacob, and to Moses, and who is called God, is distinct
from Him who made all things,—numerically, I mean, not [distinct]
in will. For I affirm that He has never at any time done2132
| 2132 Some supply, “or said.”
| anything
which He who made the world—above
whom there is no other God—has not wished Him both to do and to
engage Himself with.”
And Trypho said, “Prove now that this is the
case, that we also may agree with you. For we do not understand you to
affirm that He has done or said anything contrary to the will of the
Maker of all things.”
Then I said, “The Scripture just quoted by me
will make this plain to you. It is thus: ‘The sun was risen on the
earth, and Lot entered into Segor (Zoar); and the Lord rained on Sodom
sulphur and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and overthrew these cities
and all the neighbourhood.’ ”2133
Then the fourth of those who had remained with Trypho
said, “It2134
| 2134 Or,
“We must of necessity think, that besides the one of the two angels
who came down to Sodom, and whom the Scripture by Moses calls Lord, God
Himself appeared to Abraham.” | must therefore
necessarily be said that one of the two angels who went to Sodom, and is
named by Moses in the Scripture Lord, is different from Him who also is
God and appeared to Abraham.”2135
| 2135 This passage is rather confused: the translation is
necessarily free, but, it is believed, correct. Justin’s friend
wishes to make out that two distinct individuals are called
Lord or God in the narrative. |
“It is not on this ground solely,” I said,
“that it must be admitted absolutely that some other one is called
Lord by the Holy Spirit besides Him who is considered Maker of all
things; not solely [for what is said] by Moses, but also [for what is
said] by David. For there is written by him: ‘The Lord says to my
Lord, Sit on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy
footstool,’2136
as I have already quoted. And
again, in other words: ‘Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. A
sceptre of equity is the sceptre of Thy kingdom: Thou hast loved
righteousness and hated iniquity: therefore God, even Thy God, hath
anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.’2137
If, therefore, you assert that the Holy Spirit
calls some other one God and Lord, besides the Father of all things and
His Christ, answer me; for I undertake to prove to you from Scriptures
themselves, that He whom the Scripture calls Lord is not one of the two
angels that went to Sodom, but He who was with them, and is called God,
that appeared to Abraham.”
And Trypho said, “Prove this; for, as you see,
the day advances, and we are not prepared for such perilous replies;
since never yet have we heard any man investigating, or searching into,
or proving these matters; nor would we have tolerated your conversation,
had you not referred everything to the Scriptures:2138
for you are very zealous in adducing proofs
from them; and you are of opinion that there is no God above the Maker of
all things.”
Then I replied, “You are aware, then, that the
Scripture says, ‘And the Lord said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh,
saying, Shall I truly conceive? for I am old. Is anything impossible with
God? At the time appointed shall I return to thee according to the time
of life, and Sarah shall have a son.’2139
And after a little interval: ‘And the
men rose up from thence, and looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah; and
Abraham went with them, to bring them on the way. And the Lord said, I
will not conceal from Abraham, my servant, what I do.’2140
And again, after a little, it thus says:
‘The Lord said, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great,2141
| 2141 Literally, “is
multiplied.” | and their sins are very grievous. I will
go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to their
cry which has come unto me; and if not, that I may know. And the men
turned away thence, and went to Sodom. But Abraham was standing before
the Lord; and Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt Thou destroy the
righteous with the wicked?’ ”2142
(and so on,2143
| 2143
Comp. Note 2, p. 223. | for I do not think fit to write over
again the same words, having written them all before, but shall of
necessity give those by which I established the proof to Trypho and his
companions. Then I proceeded to what follows, in which these words are
recorded:) “ ‘And the Lord went His way as soon as He had
left communing with Abraham; and [Abraham] went to his place. And there
came two angels to Sodom at even. And Lot sat in the gate of
Sodom;’2144
and what follows until, ‘But the men put
forth their hands, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the
door of the house;’2145
and what
follows till, ‘And the angels laid hold on his hand, and on the
hand of his wife, and on the hands of his daughters, the Lord being
merciful to him. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth
abroad, that they said, Save, save thy life. Look not behind thee, nor
stay in all the neighbourhood; escape to the mountain, lest thou be taken
along with [them]. And Lot said to them, I beseech [Thee], O Lord, since
Thy servant hath found grace in Thy sight, and Thou hast magnified Thy
righteousness, which Thou showest towards me in saving my life; but I
cannot escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die. Behold,
this city is near to flee unto, and it is small: there I shall be safe,
since it is small; and any soul shall live. And He said to him, Behold, I
have accepted thee2146
| 2146
Literally, “I have admired thy face.” | also in
this matter,
so as not to destroy the city for which thou
hast spoken. Make haste to save thyself there; for I shall not do
anything till thou be come thither. Therefore he called the name of the
city Segor (Zoar). The sun was risen upon the earth; and Lot entered into
Segor (Zoar). And the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulphur and fire
from the Lord out of heaven; and He overthrew these cities, and all the
neighbourhood.’ ”2147
And after another pause I added: “And now have you not perceived,
my friends, that one of the three, who is both God and Lord, and
ministers to Him who is in the heavens, is Lord of the two angels? For
when [the angels] proceeded to Sodom, He remained behind, and communed
with Abraham in the words recorded by Moses; and when He departed after
the conversation, Abraham went back to his place. And when he came [to
Sodom], the two angels no longer conversed with Lot, but Himself, as the
Scripture makes evident; and He is the Lord who received commission from
the Lord who [remains] in the heavens, i.e., the Maker of all things, to
inflict upon Sodom and Gomorrah the [judgments] which the Scripture
describes in these terms: ‘The Lord rained down upon Sodom and
Gomorrah sulphur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.’ ”E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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