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!!! Justin Martry's Dialogue with Trypho the Jew

This is one of Justin's more famous writings. It is an alleged discussion between Justin and a Jewish man named Trypho discussing why Justin became Christian and why Christianity is the new covenant that supersedes the old covenant of Judaism.

At one point, Trypho explains the Jewish way to be accepted by God:

"First be circumcised, then observe what ordinances have been enacted with respect to the Sabbath, and the feasts, and the new moons of God; and, in a word, do all things which have been written in the law; and then perhaps you shall obtain mercy from God.... To keep the Sabbath, to be circumcised, to observe months, and to be washed if you touch anything prohibited by Moses, or after sexual intercourse..."

Trypho continues his criticism:

"You, professing to be pious, and supposing yourselves better than others, are not in any particular separated from them, and do not alter your mode of living from other nations, in that you observe no festivals or sabbaths and do not have the rite of circumcision.... Yet you expect to obtain some good thing from God, while you do not obey His commandments. Have you not read, that that soul shall be cut off from his people who shall not have been circumcised on the eighth day?"

And Justin replied that Christians were indeed obedient to God, even when obedience was extremely painful:

"We too would observe the fleshly circumcision, and the Sabbaths, and in short all the feasts, if we did not know for what reason they were enjoined you, -- namely, on account of your transgressions and the hardness of your hearts. For if we patiently endure all things contrived against us by wicked men...even as the new Lawgiver commanded us: how is it, Trypho, that we would not observe those rites which do not harm us, -- I speak of fleshly circumcision, and Sabbaths and feasts?"

Justin explained the reason Christians ignored the Jewish laws:

"We live not after the law, and are not circumcised in the flesh as your forefathers were, and do not observe sabbaths as you do.... An eternal and final law  --  namely, Christ  --  has been given to us.... He is the new law, and the new covenant.... The new law requires you to keep perpetual sabbath, and you, because you are idle for one day, suppose you are pious, not discerning why this has been commanded you.... If there is any perjured person or a thief among you, let him cease to be so; if any adulterer, let him repent; then he has kept the sweet and true sabbaths of God."

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