First Apology 38
Summary: Examples of prophecy spoken in the person of Christ, fulfilled in his passion and resurrection.
Greek text · Rauschen, 70
Ὅταν δὲ ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγῃ τὸ προφητικὸν πνεῦμα, οὕτως φθέγγεται· „Ἐγὼ ἐξεπέτασα τὰς χεῖράς μου ἐπὶ λαὸν ἀπειθοῦντα καὶ ἀντιλέγοντα, ἐπὶ τοὺς πορευομένους ἐν ὁδῷ οὐ καλῇ“. Καὶ πάλιν· „Τὸν νῶτόν μου τέθεικα εἰς μάστιγας καὶ τὰς σιαγόνας μου εἰς ῥαπίσματα, τὸ δὲ πρόσωπόν μου οὐκ ἀπέστρεψα ἀπὸ αἰσχύνης ἐμπτυσμάτων. Καὶ ὁ κύριος βοηθός μου ἐγένετο· διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐνετράπην, ἀλλʼ ἔθηκα τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ὡς στερεὰν πέτραν, καὶ ἔγνων, ὅτι οὐ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶ, ὅτι ἐγγίζει ὁ δικαιώσας με“. Καὶ πάλιν ὅταν λέγῃ· „Αὐτοὶ ἔβαλον κλῆρον ἐπὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν μου, καὶ ὤρυξάν μου πόδας καὶ χεῖρας. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐκοιμήθην καὶ ὕπνωσα, καὶ ἀνέστην, ὅτι κύριος ἀντελάβετό μου“. Καὶ πάλιν ὅταν λέγῃ· „Ἐλάλησαν ἐν χείλεσιν, ἐκίνησαν κεφαλὴν λέγοντες· Ῥυσάσθω ἑαυτόν“. Ἅτινα πάντα ὅτι γέγονεν ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τῷ Χριστῷ, μαθεῖν δύνασθε. Σταυρωθέντος γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἐξέστρεφον τὰ χείλη καὶ ἐκίνουν τὰς κεφαλὰς λέγοντες· „Ὁ νεκροὺς ἀνεγείρας ῥυσάσθω ἑαυτόν“.
English · Claude translation
And when the prophetic Spirit speaks from the person of Christ, he says this: “I have spread out my hands to a disobedient and contradicting people, to those who walk in a way that is not good.” And again: “I have given my back to scourges and my cheeks to blows, and I did not turn away my face from the shame of spitting. And the Lord became my helper; therefore I was not confounded, but I set my face like a solid rock, and I knew that I would not be put to shame, because he who justifies me is near.” And again when he says: “They cast lots for my clothing, and pierced my feet and hands. But I lay down and slept, and rose again, because the Lord helped me.” And again when he says: “They spoke with their lips, they wagged their heads, saying, Let him save himself.” You can learn that all these things were done to Christ by the Jews. For when he was crucified they curled their lips and wagged their heads, saying, “Let him who raised the dead save himself.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- “I lay down and slept, and rose again”: Ps 3:5, read as a prophecy of the resurrection.
Cite this passage
Justin, 1 Apol. 38 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-1-apology/38/).
Plain text
Justin, 1 Apol. 38 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-1-apology/38/).
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