Dialogue with Trypho 124.4
Summary: Humans were made capable of becoming “gods” and sons of the Most High, but fall like Adam and Eve.
Greek text · Archambault 2:238–240
Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ οὐ πρὸς τοῦτό μοι νῦν ὁ λόγος λέλεκται, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ ἀποδεῖξαι ὑμῖν ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὀνειδίζει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, τοὺς καὶ θεῷ ὁμοίως ἀπαθεῖς καὶ ἀθανάτους, ἐὰν φυλάξωσι τὰ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ, γεγενημένους, καὶ κατηξιωμένους ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ καλεῖσθαι, καὶ οὗτοι ὁμοίως τῷ Ἀδὰμ καὶ τῇ Εὔᾳ ἐξομοιούμενοι θάνατον ἑαυτοῖς ἐργάζονται, ἐχέτω καὶ ἡ ἑρμηνεία τοῦ ψαλμοῦ ὡς βούλεσθε· καὶ οὕτως ἀποδέδεικται ὅτι θεοὶ κατηξίωνται γενέσθαι, καὶ υἱοὶ ὑψίστου πάντες δύνασθαι γενέσθαι κατηξίωνται, καὶ παρʼ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ κρίνεσθαι καὶ καταδικάζεσθαι μέλλουσιν, ὡς καὶ Ἀδὰμ καὶ Εὔα. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ θεὸν τὸν Χριστὸν καλεῖ, ἐν πολλοῖς ἀποδέδεικται.
English · Claude translation
“But since my argument is not now directed to this, but to prove to you that the Holy Spirit reproaches men, who were made like God, free from suffering and death, if they kept his commands, and were counted worthy by him to be called his sons, and who, becoming like Adam and Eve, work death for themselves, let the interpretation of the psalm be as you wish; even so it has been proved that they were counted worthy to become gods, and to be able to become all sons of the Most High, and that they will be judged and condemned by their own fault, like Adam and Eve. And that he calls Christ God has been proved in many places.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- An early statement of the idea, later developed by Irenaeus and Athanasius, that humans are called to share God's immortality.
Cite this passage
Justin, Dial. 124.4 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-dialogue/124/4/).
Plain text
Justin, Dial. 124.4 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-dialogue/124/4/).
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