Chp.63 - Trypho Flatters Justin With Consent To The Incarnation But Still Denies The Resurrection

And Trypho said, “This point has been proved to me forcibly, and by many arguments, my friend. It remains, then, to prove that He submitted to become man by the Virgin, according to the will of His Father; and to be crucified, and to die. Prove also clearly, that after this He rose again and ascended to heaven.” 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. 228). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.

It is my opinion that Trypho is merely leading Justin along and flattering him with his own (in his mind) opinion regarding the Scriptures. Though Trypho is, sincerely, being challenged by a deeper understanding of Old Testament Scriptures, he still has (in his mind) a presupposition concerning the Messiah and how he is to come. His heart and his eyes are still blind to the power of the Word. Justin quickly reviews all that he previously said regarding the resurrection. But first he brings out the mystery of Moses's parable of the blood of the grape, since his death was not a result of the will of man but of God. Justin then returns to Psalm 110 to show that through the power of his death, in the beauty of his holiness, the sinful heart is, then, made willing to honor and obey him as LORD over all, as he is high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, but only as a result of the resurrection and ascension to the Father's right hand. Thus Yahweh (LORD) has made this Adoni (Lord) equal in power and to rule from the one throne of Yahweh. Therefore the Father declares him to be Yahweh of very Yahweh, witnessing to the efficacy of his life, death, and resurrection as the one Mediator between God and man. The Father thus declares him to be the only way to eternal life and bids the bride of this man to forsake her earthly kingdom and family to be adorned (by Him) with the garments of the Lord's beauty (the blood of the grape).

". . . The passage, then, which Isaiah records, ‘Who shall declare His generation? for His life is taken away from the earth,’1—does it not appear to you to refer to One who, not having descent from men, was said to be delivered over to death by God for the transgressions of the people?—of whose blood, Moses (as I mentioned before), when speaking in parable, said, that He would wash His garments in the blood of the grape; since His blood did not spring from the seed of man, but from the will of God. And then, what is said by David, ‘In the splendours of Thy holiness have I begotten Thee from the womb, before the morning star.2 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek,’3—does this not declare to you4 that [He was] from of old,5 and that the God and Father of all things intended Him to be begotten by a human womb? And speaking in other words, which also have been already quoted, [he says]: ‘Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of rectitude is the sceptre of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hast hated iniquity: therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. . . . The queen stood at Thy right hand, clad in garments embroidered with gold.6 Hearken, O daughter, and behold, and incline thine ear, and forget thy people and the house of thy father; and the King shall desire thy beauty: because he is thy Lord, and thou shalt worship Him.’7 Therefore these words testify explicitly that He is witnessed to by Him who established these things,8 as deserving to be worshipped, as God and as Christ. Moreover, that the word of God speaks to those who believe in Him as being one soul, and one synagogue, and one church, as to a daughter; that it thus addresses the church which has sprung from His name and partakes of His name (for we are all called Christians), is distinctly proclaimed in like manner in the following words, which teach us also to forget [our] old ancestral customs, when they speak thus:9 ‘Hearken, O daughter, and behold, and incline thine ear; forget thy people and the house of thy father, and the King shall desire thy beauty: because He is thy Lord, and thou shalt worship Him.’ ” 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. 229). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.

These Scriptures (that Justin has compiled) are giving us a picture of the wedding feast. The bride is to come and wash her filthy garments in the blood of the grape and be clean for the day of her acceptance as the King's daughter. She is to worship the Lord only, and be one in soul with the King's Son, who was betrothed to her through the blood of the grape-the promise of everlasting life (Lk.14:15-35). But she must partake willingly, in sincerity and truth, or she shall die for drinking in the poison of hypocrisy (1Cor.11:27-34). She may come, first, as a guest, but if she flatters the hosts of the Lord's table as she eats and drinks judgment, she does not partake willingly to salvation of her soul, for as the LORD has said he who is joined to a harlot is one with her (1Cor.6:16), it is equally true that she who is joined to the blood of the grape is one with the LORD. But this calls for "self-examination" as it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb.10:31). The LORD offers sincere grace and power to those who desire the beauty of the LORD, but He doesn't play games with those who have no desire to change the carnal customs of the depraved soul, and to put on the holiness and righteousness of Christ. Do you desire eternal life? Good! Come to the Table with repentance and faith in your heart, and the righteousness of God will be imputed to you for the life and sanctification of your soul. But if you sin, though often in the innocence of your ignorance of God, you partake to the discipline of flesh and blood, but your soul shall be saved as through fire (1Cor.3:15)! We do not worship the dead body of our Lord in the form of bread and wine (1Cor.11:26) but the in the resurrection power of His seat of preeminence over the sons of God (Eph.1:22;Col.1:18;2:10,19). Come and live; not merely as a guest but as the Father's chosen bride of Christ!

Psalm 25:12 (NKJV) 12 Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. James 2:5 (NKJV) 5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? Ephesians 1:3–14 (NKJV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.