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| Chapter LXXX.—The opinion of Justin with regard to the reign of a thousand years. Several Catholics reject it.
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Chapter LXXX.—The opinion of Justin
with regard to the reign of a thousand years. Several Catholics reject it.
And Trypho to this
replied, “I remarked to you sir, that you are very anxious to be
safe in all respects, since you cling to the Scriptures. But tell me, do
you really admit that this place, Jerusalem, shall be rebuilt; and do you
expect your people to be gathered together, and made joyful with Christ
and the patriarchs, and the prophets, both the men of our nation, and
other proselytes who joined them before your Christ came? or have you
given way, and admitted this in order to have the appearance of worsting
us in the controversies?”
Then I answered, “I am not so miserable a fellow,
Trypho, as to say one thing and think another. I admitted to you
formerly,2258
| 2258 Justin made no
previous allusion to this point, so far as we know from the writing
preserved. | that I and many others are of this opinion, and
[believe] that such will take place, as you assuredly are aware;2259
| 2259 Or, “so as to believe
thoroughly that such will take place” (after
“opinion”). | but, on the other hand, I signified
to you that many who belong to the pure and pious faith, and are true
Christians, think otherwise. Moreover, I pointed out to you that some who
are called Christians, but are godless, impious heretics, teach doctrines
that are in every way blasphemous, atheistical, and foolish. But that you
may know that I do not say this before you alone, I shall draw up a
statement, so far as I can, of all the arguments which have passed
between us; in which I shall record myself as admitting the very same
things which I admit to you.2260
| 2260 [A hint of the origin of this work. See Kaye’s
Note, p. 18]. | For I choose to follow not men or men’s
doctrines, but God and the doctrines [delivered] by Him. For if you have
fallen in with some who are called Christians, but who do not admit this
[truth],2261
and venture to blaspheme the God of Abraham,
and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; who say there is no
resurrection of the dead, and that their souls, when they die, are taken
to heaven; do not imagine that they are Christians, even as one, if he
would rightly consider it, would not admit that the Sadducees, or similar
sects of Genistæ, Meristæ,2262
| 2262 Maranus says, Hieron. thinks the Genistæ were so
called because they were sprung from Abraham (γένος)
the Meristæ so called because they separated the Scriptures.
Josephus bears testimony to the fact that the sects of the Jews differed
in regard to fate and providence; the Pharisees submitting all things
indeed to God, with the exception of human will; the Essenes making no
exceptions, and submitting all to God. I believe therefore that the
Genistæ were so called because they believed the world to in
general governed by God; the Meristæ, because they believed that
a fate or providence belonged to each man. | Galilæans,
Hellenists,2263
| 2263 Otto says,
the author and chief of this sect of Galilæans was Judas
Galilæus, who, after the exile of king Archelaus, when the Romans wished
to raise a tax in Judæa, excited his countrymen to the retaining of
their former liberty.—The Hellenists, or rather
Hellenæans. No one mentions this sect but Justin; perhaps
Herodians or Hillelæans (from R. Hillel). |
Pharisees, Baptists, are Jews (do not hear me impatiently when I tell you
what I think), but are [only] called Jews and children of Abraham,
worshipping God with the lips, as God Himself declared, but the heart was
far from Him. But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all
points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a
thousand years2264
in Jerusalem, which will then be built,
adorned, and enlarged, [as] the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others
declare.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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