Chp.49 - Trypho Continues To Expose His Ignorance And Separation Of The Spirit Of God

This chapter reveals how Justin was led down a rabbit trail to answer some of Trypho's questions, but is now being led back to the original challenge of explaining the Lord's first advent, in the form of the cross in contrast to the second advent when glory and salvation is restored to Israel. He returns upon the question of Elijah, who was believed by the Jews to be the figure to anoint the Christ's "election." While Christ is elected by God to be the mediator between God and man, a red flag should go up to warn us of this dangerous theology that Christ is elected by men.

"And Trypho said, “Those who affirm him to have been a man, and to have been anointed by election, and then to have become Christ, appear to me to speak more plausibly than you who hold those opinions which you express. For we all expect that Christ will be a man [born] of men, and that Elijah when he comes will anoint him. But if this man appear to be Christ, he must certainly be known as man [born] of men; but from the circumstance that Elijah has not yet come, I infer that this man is not He [the Christ].”" 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. 219). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. Justin had already previously convinced Trypho that the Christ must first come and suffer, but now Trypho stumbles over the question of the divinity of Christ. If Christ is this Jesus of Nazareth, he must be anointed by Elijah according to the presuppositions of Trypho's theology. But the problem is not with the Scriptures but with Trypho's presuppositions. Elijah was just a man, though he was translated into glory apart from death, he still was stained by original sin and did not do the works that he did apart from the Spirit of God abiding in him. A lack of the understanding of the Spirit is what causes Trypho and his teachers to error concerning the identity of the Christ. They failed to know and understand how Yahweh anointed his prophets with election. It was never by the collective vote of the majority of mere men, but by the power and strong arm of the Lord. It was by the Spirit of God demonstrating His power through these men; and nothing could stop the Spirit of God from demonstrating His choice. Therefore, Justin introduces Trypho to a teaching of the Lord Jesus, to further demonstrate this point. "“And, accordingly, our Lord in His teaching,” I continued, “proclaimed that this very thing would take place, saying that Elijah would also come. And we know that this shall take place when our Lord Jesus Christ shall come in glory from heaven; whose first manifestation the Spirit of God who was in Elijah preceded as herald in [the person of] John, a prophet among your nation; after whom no other prophet appeared among you. He cried, as he sat by the river Jordan: ‘I baptize you with water to repentance; but He that is stronger than I shall come, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:" 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. 219). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. In the Lord's first advent, he was baptized by this John the Baptist; who being merely a man, yet filled with the spirit of Elijah, which was to say he was filled with the Spirit of God because of the works that had accompanied him; was to be a fulfillment of Scripture to demonstrate Yahweh's anointing and election of the man born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit. Trypho and Jews like him stumble over this fact because they cannot, and refuse, to believe the Word of the Lord. "And Trypho said, “This statement also seems to me paradoxical; namely, that the prophetic Spirit of God, who was in Elijah, was also in John.”" 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. 220). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. They cannot understand because they do not seek to know the operation of the Spirit of God, as Nicodemus was also confounded by the teaching of the Lord (Jn.3). But, here, it is the teaching of the restoration of Israel that confounds Trypho: "And this very prophet your king Herod had shut up in prison; and when his birth-day was celebrated, and the niece10 of the same Herod by her dancing had pleased him, he told her to ask whatever she pleased. Then the mother of the maiden instigated her to ask the head of John, who was in prison; and having asked it, [Herod] sent and ordered the head of John to be brought in on a charger. Wherefore also our Christ said, [when He was] on earth, to those who were affirming that Elijah must come before Christ: ‘Elijah shall come, and restore all things; but I say unto you, that Elijah has already come, and they knew him not, but have done to him whatsoever they chose.’1 And it is written, ‘Then the disciples understood that He spake to them about John the Baptist.’ ”" 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, pp. 219–220). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. Trypho needs to be confronted with the fact that when men are elected by other evil men, justice is always corrupted. Therefore, Justin adds the history of Herod, who was elected by the Caesar of Rome, to open Trypho's mind to the fact that God's choice is the best choice, and that the Scriptures are the authority in discerning the Christ. And still Trypho is confounded in his uneducated mind, concerning the Scriptures and the power of God, trusting the authorities of corrupt men without the Spirit of God (Matt.22:29;Mk.12:24). So in order to understand this: the election of the Christ and the use of the term "Elijah," we must first understand the operation of the Spirit of God. "To this I replied, “Do you not think that the same thing happened in the case of Joshua the son of Nave (Nun), who succeeded to the command of the people after Moses, when Moses was commanded to lay his hands on Joshua, and God said to him, ‘I will take of the spirit which is in thee, and put it on him?’ ”2" 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. 220). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. Elijah became a fascinating figure in Old Testament history because of the works that surrounded him. And he was often exalted higher than what God ever intended, nevertheless his prominence was so great that his name became equated with the Spirit of God. Therefore, when the latter prophets use his name to identify a future characteristic of a new person, it is to equate this person with the same works and the same Spirit that was in Elijah performing those works. But we must remain to make the distinction between men born in original sin and the man Christ Jesus born of a virgin. Justin will be challenged to confront this issue latter; but for now, lets follow his reasoning in how the Spirit chooses to fill whom he wills with the favor of God. We observe this in the fulfilled prophesies concerning John the Baptist and the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ. "“As therefore,” I say, “while Moses was still among men, God took of the spirit which was in Moses and put it on Joshua, even so God was able to cause [the spirit] of Elijah to come upon John; in order that, as Christ at His first coming appeared inglorious, even so the first coming of the spirit, which remained always pure in Elijah3 like that of Christ, might be perceived to be inglorious." 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. 220). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. Matthew 27:49 (NKJV) 49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.” It was this very presumptive doctrine in the day of our Lord's death that led the Pharisees to mock the Savior. In the ignorance and blindness of heart they murdered the King of glory. It was their failure to understand the Scriptures that led them to judge Christ as a blasphemer. And this damnable doctrine continues today. If they would have taken serious thought as to the meaning of the term Elijah, the fulfillment of Isaiah 53 would not have "elected" this Jesus of Nazareth to be the Christ. Therefore, even this evil was the Providence of Yahweh working on behalf the chosen ones: Mark 9:12 (NKJV) 12 Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? Israel cannot be restored apart from this contempt and cross, as Peter expounded: Acts 2:16–24 (NKJV) 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’ 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. This same Spirit (of Elijah) is given to the church of Christ; and what is now working in Justin for his own salvation, is the same Spirit now standing before Trypho, face to face in love, pleading for his repentance. It is also a demonstration that the Father has ordained salvation through the death of this man of Nazareth, whose works testified of the favor of Yahweh. He was the chosen one by the Spirit of the Lord, to demonstrate the resurrection of His superiority over death, being Lord of the living and the dead--Yahweh of Yahweh. And in this glory he shall come and restore Israel and deliver her from the generations of evil.