The Gospel In Order!

Justin continues to bring Trypho under the same condemnation that the prophet Isaiah brought his generation under, in the true understanding of their ignorance. While Trypho wants to know how this second person of God, is God, besides the original Creator; and how he became a man born of a virgin, Justin wants to prepare Trypho's hard heart for the good soil of repentance by declaring the order of Christ's coming in the declaration of a man, in the image of the I AM, "crying in the wilderness." It is the teaching of John the Baptist that must first bring Trypho under Israel's condemnation. The fact that God gave John the task of preaching repentance to Israel, and a baptism from dead works, expresses that she was not living in the holiness that God required, showing that she never knew the character of God and had no fellowship with Him. And second that she did not know the tripersonal nature of God in the fullness of Elohim's essence and substance. And therefore Trypho must be presented with the mirror of his own image that confines him to the Justice of God, and that his knowledge of God is not powerful enough to save, for his righteousness is in the law and not the Lawgiver. Trypho's unrepentant heart will not be able to take hold of the saving knowledge that is in Christ until he rightly understands the prophets. So Justin (demands) that they begin there until the proper conviction comes, which is the fear of the Lord.

And Trypho said, “You seem to me to have come out of a great conflict with many persons about all the points we have been searching into, and therefore quite ready to return answers to all questions put to you. Answer me then, first, how you can show that there is another God besides the Maker of all things; and then you will show, [further], that He submitted to be born of the Virgin.” I replied, “Give me permission first of all to quote certain passages from the prophecy of Isaiah, which refer to the office of forerunner discharged by John the Baptist and prophet before this our Lord Jesus Christ.” “I grant it,” said he. 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. After addressing Isaiah 40 Trypho remains in unbelief, causing Justin to "STRIVE" further in the hard labor of the Word.

Chp.51 - Christ's Highway To Holiness Replaces The Trail Of The Serpent!

And when I ceased, Trypho said, “All the words of the prophecy you repeat, sir, are ambiguous, and have no force in proving what you wish to prove.” Then I answered, “If the prophets had not ceased, so that there were no more in your nation, Trypho, after this John, it is evident that what I say in reference to Jesus Christ might be regarded perhaps as ambiguous. But if John came first calling on men to repent, and Christ, while [John] still sat by the river Jordan, having come, put an end to his prophesying and baptizing, and preached also Himself, saying that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and that He must suffer many things from the Scribes and Pharisees, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again, and would appear again in Jerusalem, and would again eat and drink with His disciples; and foretold that in the interval between His [first and second] advent, as I previously said,1 priests and false prophets would arise in His name, which things do actually appear; then how can they be ambiguous, when you may be persuaded by the facts? Moreover, He referred to the fact that there would be no longer in your nation any prophet, and to the fact that men recognised how that the New Testament, which God formerly announced [His intention of] promulgating, was then present, i.e., Christ Himself; and in the following terms: ‘The law and the prophets were until John the Baptist; from that time the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. And if you can2 receive it, he is Elijah, who was to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.’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, pp. 220–221). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. Until Trypho is made jealous of the removal of the prophetic office of Israel, he will by no means be made to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in the church. He must be brought to his knees by the power of the Word through the original intent of the prophets, but without Christ the visual intent cannot be seen.

Matthew 21:23–46 (NKJV) 23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” 24 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25 The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him. 33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” 45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

This is what Trypho needs to understand that he may be awakened out of a system that blinds the understanding of his heart to behold true salvation. The hypocritical religious leaders did perceive the parables concerning the judgment of Israel, but instead hardened their hearts further to the gift of the Son's salvation. They knew that Christ was claiming to be the One sent from the Father, and instead chose to disregard the warning and bring further judgment upon their national sins and forsook the Word of the Lord. They refused the Baptism of John, which made straight the crooked path of Israel, to walk the straight and narrow highway of holiness with God through the Jesus Christ. They chose to build upon the crumbling sand of their own self-righteous works and forfeited their birthright as the chosen nation, whose God is Yahweh. They rejected the church, those who come in the Spirit of Elijah, and who speak of the manifold witness of God, not knowing the time of the Lord's visitation. And all of this, in the Providence of God, that salvation would come to the Gentiles, and that Christ would be head of the church in all nations, establishing His eternal kingdom forever and ever. Amen.