The Circumcision And The Law Of Moses Given On Account Of Hardness Of Heart

"“This circumcision is not, however, necessary for all men, but for you alone, in order that, as I have already said, you may suffer these things which you now justly suffer. Nor do we receive that useless baptism of cisterns, for it has nothing to do with this baptism of life. Wherefore also God has announced that you have forsaken Him, the living fountain, and digged for yourselves broken cisterns which can hold no water. Even you, who are the circumcised according to the flesh, have need of our circumcision; but we, having the latter, do not require the former." Justin Martyr. (1885). Dialogue of Justin with Trypho, a Jew. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, p. 203). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. Justin continues his oral polemic of the Jewish fallacy. Here he attacks not circumcision but their false understanding of the practice. Nor does he withhold criticism of those of his own "Baptism" who fail to understand its spiritual purposes. Justin is criticizing their ignorance and idolatry that offends the Spirit of God. He is calling out their hypocrisy and false religion that is powerless and gives no life to the practices of grace.

"For if it were necessary [for salvation], as you suppose, God would not have made Adam uncircumcised; would not have had respect to the gifts of Abel when, being uncircumcised, he offered sacrifice; and would not have been pleased with the uncircumcision of Enoch, who was not found, because God had translated him. Lot, being uncircumcised, was saved from Sodom, the angels themselves and the Lord sending him out. Noah was the beginning of our race; yet, uncircumcised, along with his children he went into the ark. . . . Therefore to you alone this circumcision was necessary, in order that the people may be no people, and the nation no nation; as also Hosea,1 one of the twelve prophets, declares. Moreover, all those righteous men already mentioned, though they kept no Sabbaths,2 were pleasing to God; and after them Abraham with all his descendants until Moses, under whom your nation appeared unrighteous and ungrateful to God, making a calf in the wilderness: wherefore God, accommodating Himself to that nation, enjoined them also to offer sacrifices, as if to His name, in order that you might not serve idols. Which precept, however, you have not observed; nay, you sacrificed your children to demons. And you were commanded to keep Sabbaths, that you might retain the memorial of God. For His word makes this announcement, saying, ‘That ye may know that I am God who redeemed you.’3" Justin Martyr. (1885). Dialogue of Justin with Trypho, a Jew. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, p. 204). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. These signs of grace where given to cause men to ask spiritual questions of God and seek His understanding. But instead men found their security and salvation in the practices rather than the Lawgiver. Fools and blind they became and are becoming further away from God in their practical suppression of the Truth. In other words, God gave Circumcision and the Sabbath as a "practical" means to have fellowship with Him, but the Jews instead rejected Him to keep pragmatic practices that have no spiritual power to sanctify. The Law was given to give the people of Moses' generation a rest from the idolatry of Egypt and the work load of sin; was also instituted in love which is the greatest end and fulfillment of the law; and was to lead to love, but not love of self or vain glory, rather a love for God and for all his spiritual graces. Therefore all practical matters are to glorify the soul not merely the flesh. Christ came to replace those practical matters that only had the power to sanctify the flesh and not the soul. Christ sanctifies body and soul in the regeneration and glorification of the whole man. Sabbaths then are to be only in the person and sacrificial work of the Lord Jesus Christ and not in a personal, particular created holy day that were originally given as heavenly signs of seasons and times pointing to an end of days; not for any eternal or spiritual salvific assuring purpose. In other words, the Law cannot save but can only condemn the guilty; and Justin uses this Law to make a case against the Jewish understanding of justifying her nation according to this Law that pointed forward to its end in Christ. Chp.20 - Why Choice Of Meats Was Prescribed

Justin argues that the reason God commanded "the Jews" to abstain from certain kinds of foods is because they were ungrateful and unthankful for their salvation from the idolatry of Egypt. They complained of the food that God had provided for them and then rose up to go back to the sexual immorality of the Egyptian gods. Therefore God increased the commandment to further their separation and distinction from the idolatries of that generation. The generations after them had forgotten to connect the prescribed discipline with the particular sin. Therefore Justin points Trypho to what Moses also recorded concerning Noah and the covenant God had originally made with him. "For it was told you by Moses in the book of Genesis, that God granted to Noah, being a just man, to eat of every animal, but not of flesh with the blood, which is dead.”6 And as he was ready to say, “as the green herbs,” I anticipated him: “Why do you not receive this statement, ‘as the green herbs,’ in the sense in which it was given by God, to wit, that just as God has granted the herbs for sustenance to man, even so has He given the animals for the diet of flesh? But, you say, a distinction was laid down thereafter to Noah, because we do not eat certain herbs." Justin Martyr. (1885). Dialogue of Justin with Trypho, a Jew. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, p. 204). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. God told Noah everything was now good for food, as the soul of his family had been renewed after the knowledge and image of God in truth. The only thing Noah was forbidden to abstain from was the blood of dead flesh. Blood was considered to be the life of the animal and blood still lives even after the death of the animal. Therefore to eat the lifeblood of a dead animal is to eat of the forbidden knowledge of good and evil. We know now that good and bad bacteria still live in the blood long after the soul leaves the body, but to partake of the blood of death is to partake of the image of sin. God had not made Noah and his sons to live after this knowledge and therefore commanded them and their offspring not drink in this death. So the Jews are to reprimanded for this lack of faith and understanding. For by it they accuse the guiltless! Foods are for freedom of choice and God often prescribes particular foods for particular diseases and sin. Justin is only calling for the same liberty of conscience as God gave the Jews. 1 Corinthians 10:25–11:1 (NKJV) 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; 26 for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” 29 “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? 30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? 31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. 1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. Food was designed by God to give life to the flesh, but the Word was designed by God to give life to the soul. We are not to find life for the soul in the manner of foods we eat but in manner of worship we sacrifice this life. Colossians 2:16–23 (NKJV) 16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. 20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. Romans 14:16–23 (NKJV) 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. The error of Trypho and the Jews was their spiritual pride. All their "knowledge" was according to the flesh and only operated in the superiority of the their flesh having no heart for God or truth. All their knowledge was after the "external" appearance which was self-imposed pride that God condemns: 1 Corinthians 8:1–13 (NKJV) 1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. 4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live. 7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. 9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. Often times the Christians would buy meats in the market place and not even know the owners of the merchants offered the meats to their pagan gods, but of those Christians who did would judge the ignorance of their brethren and express their own weak conscience, which by the way was not necessarily judged by God to be a false conscience, but nevertheless was to be informed of the Christians liberty of conscience concerning practical matters of eating and drinking. These 'earthly' things are not matters that pertain to eternal life unless it violates a 'weak' conscience toward God. It does however pertain to the conscience without and at enmity with God. This is the conscience of Trypho who was puffed up in the pride of his "Jewish" law keeping, which was not toward God to begin with. Trypho by definition is not a "brother," but nor is he to be considered an enemy, for he is open to the hearing of faith. A prideful conscience can only be suppressed by the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the end and purpose of the Law. Chp.21 - The Sabbath Was Instituted Because Of Sin, Not For Works Of Righteousness

Justin again raises his concern about Israel's lack of understanding about the Sabbaths of the Lord. Justin had already mentioned earlier that the Sabbath was to be a spiritual rest of repentance, but here quotes Ezekiel 20:19-26 to show Trypho that a legalistic approach to the letter of the Law was not a good statute and judgment by which the nation of Israel could live on. In other words, that approach could only produce death to the nation. Therefore they were to seek the spirit of the law and examine the workload of the ritual gifts and desire the mercy found in the grace of the whole Law in its proper context (Matt.9:13;12:1-8). The Law was not to be a practical tyrant, but a rod to steer toward spiritual holiness in the knowledge of God. "“Moreover, that God enjoined you to keep the Sabbath, and impose on you other precepts for a sign, as I have already said, on account of your unrighteousness, and that of your fathers,—as He declares that for the sake of the nations, lest His name be profaned among them, therefore He permitted some of you to remain alive,—these words of His can prove to you: they are narrated by Ezekiel thus: . . . Wherefore I gave them also statutes which were not good, and judgments whereby they shall not live. And I shall pollute them in their own gifts, that I may destroy all that openeth the womb, when I pass through them.’1" Justin Martyr. (1885). Dialogue of Justin with Trypho, a Jew. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, p. 205). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.