Chapter LV.—Trypho asks that Christ be proved God, but without metaphor. Justin promises to do so.

And Trypho answered, “We shall remember this your exposition, if you strengthen [your solution of] this difficulty by other arguments: but now resume the discourse, and show us that the Spirit of prophecy admits another God besides the Maker of all things, taking care not to speak of the sun and moon, which, it is written, 2119 God has given to the nations to worship as gods; and oftentimes the prophets, employing 2120 this manner of speech, say that ‘thy God is a God of gods, and a Lord of lords,’ adding frequently, ‘the great and strong and terrible [God].’ For such expressions are used, not as if they really were gods, but because the Scripture is teaching us that the true God, who made all things, is Lord alone of those who are reputed gods and lords. And in order that the Holy Spirit may convince [us] of this, He said by the holy David, ‘The gods of the nations, reputed gods, are idols of demons, and not gods;’ 2121 and He denounces a curse on those who worship them.”

And I replied, “I would not bring forward these proofs, Trypho, by which I am aware those who worship these [idols] and such like are condemned, but such [proofs] as no one could find any objection to. They will appear strange to you, although you read them every day; so that even from this fact we 2122 understand that, because of your wickedness, God has withheld from you the ability to discern the wisdom of His Scriptures; yet [there are] some exceptions, to whom, according to the grace of His long-suffering, as Isaiah said, He has left a seed of 2123 salvation, lest your race be utterly destroyed, like Sodom and Gomorrah. Pay attention, therefore, to what I shall record out of the holy Scriptures, which 2124 do not need to be expounded, but only listened to.

Footnotes

Deut. iv. 19, an apparent [i.e., evident] misinterpretation of the passage. [But see St. John x. 33-36.]

Or, “misusing.”

Ps. xcvi. 5.

Com. reading, “you;” evidently wrong.

Literally, “for.”

Two constructions, “which” referring either to Scriptures as whole, or to what he records from them. Last more probable.