Dialogue with Trypho 68.1
Summary: Trypho finds the incarnation incredible; Justin appeals to Scripture.
Greek text · Archambault 1:324–326
Καὶ ὁ Τρύφων· Ἄπιστον γὰρ καὶ ἀδύνατον σχεδὸν πρᾶγμα ἐπιχειρεῖς ἀποδεικνύναι, ὅτι θεὸς ὑπέμεινε γεννηθῆναι καὶ ἄνθρωπος γενέσθαι. Εἰ τοῦτο, ἔφην, ἀπʼ ἀνθρωπείοις διδάγμασιν ἢ ἐπιχειρήμασιν ἐπεβαλόμην ἀποδεικνύναι, ἀνασχέσθαι μου οὐκ ἂν ἔδει ὑμᾶς· εἰ δὲ γραφὰς καὶ εἰς τοῦτο εἰρημένας τοσαύτας, πλειστάκις αὐτὰς λέγων, ἀξιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐπιγνῶναι αὐτάς, σκληροκάρδιοι πρὸς τὸ γνῶναι νοῦν καὶ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ γίνεσθε. Εἰ δὲ βούλεσθε τοιοῦτοι ἀεὶ μένειν, ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδὲν ἂν βλαβείην· τὰ δὲ αὐτὰ ἀεὶ ἔχων, ἃ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ συμβαλεῖν ὑμῖν εἶχον, ἀπαλλάξομαι ὑμῶν.
English · Claude translation
And Trypho said, “For you are attempting to prove something incredible and almost impossible: that God endured to be born and to become man.” “If I undertook to prove this,” I said, “by human teachings or arguments, you should not bear with me; but if, quoting so many Scriptures spoken to this effect, and repeating them very often, I ask you to recognize them, you are becoming hard of heart toward knowing the mind and will of God. But if you wish always to remain so, I would suffer no harm; I will leave you, having always the same things as I had before I met you.”
About this passage
Notes
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (digitization slip against Archambault's printed text (missing accent)): Εἰ δὲ βουλεσθε → Εἰ δὲ βούλεσθε.
Cite this passage
Justin, Dial. 68.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-dialogue/68/1/).
Plain text
Justin, Dial. 68.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-dialogue/68/1/).
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