Chapter XLVI.—Trypho asks whether a
man who keeps the law even now will be saved. Justin proves that it contributes
nothing to righteousness.
“But if some, even
now, wish to live in the observance of the institutions given by Moses,
and yet believe in this Jesus who was crucified, recognising Him to be
the Christ of God, and that it is given to Him to be absolute Judge of
all, and that His is the everlasting kingdom, can they also be
saved?” he inquired of me.
And I replied, “Let us consider that also
together, whether one may now observe all the Mosaic
institutions.”
And he answered, “No. For we know that, as you
said, it is not possible either anywhere to sacrifice the lamb of the
passover, or to offer the goats ordered for the fast; or, in short, [to
present] all the other offerings.”
And I said, “Tell [me] then yourself, I pray,
some things which can be observed; for you will be persuaded that, though
a man does not keep or has not performed the eternal2086
decrees, he may assuredly be saved.”
Then he replied, “To keep the Sabbath, to be
circumcised, to observe months, and to be washed if you touch anything
prohibited by Moses, or after sexual intercourse.”
And I said, “Do you think that Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, Noah, and Job, and all the rest before
or after them
equally righteous, also Sarah the wife of Abraham, Rebekah the wife of
Isaac, Rachel the wife of Jacob, and Leah, and all the rest of them,
until the mother of Moses the faithful servant, who observed none of
these [statutes], will be saved?”
And Trypho answered, “Were not Abraham and his
descendants circumcised?”
And I said, “I know that Abraham and his
descendants were circumcised. The reason why circumcision was given to
them I stated at length in what has gone before; and if what has been
said does not convince you,2087
let us again search into the matter. But you are aware that, up
to Moses, no one in fact who was righteous observed any of these rites at
all of which we are talking, or received one commandment to observe,
except that of circumcision, which began from Abraham.”
And he replied, “We know it, and admit that they
are saved.”
Then I returned answer, “You perceive that God by
Moses laid all such ordinances upon you on account of the hardness of
your people’s hearts, in order that, by the large number of them,
you might keep God continually, and in every action, before your eyes,
and never begin to act unjustly or impiously. For He enjoined you to place around you [a fringe]
of purple dye,2088
in order that you might not
forget God; and He commanded you to wear a phylactery,2089
certain characters, which indeed we consider holy, being engraved
on very thin parchment; and by these means stirring you up2090
| 2090 Literally,
“importuning.” |
to retain a constant remembrance
of God: at the same time, however, convincing you, that in your hearts
you have not even a faint remembrance of God’s worship. Yet not
even so were you dissuaded from idolatry: for in the times of Elijah,
when [God] recounted the number of those who had not bowed the knee to
Baal, He said the number was seven thousand; and in Isaiah He rebukes you
for having sacrificed your children to idols. But we, because we refuse
to sacrifice to those to whom we were of old accustomed to sacrifice,
undergo extreme penalties, and rejoice in death,—believing that
God will raise us up by His Christ, and will make us incorruptible, and
undisturbed, and immortal; and we know that the ordinances imposed by
reason of the hardness of your people’s hearts, contribute nothing
to the performance of righteousness and of piety.”E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
