Dialogue with Trypho 120.6
Summary: Justin speaks the truth regardless of consequences; he denounced Simon Magus to the emperor though a Samaritan himself.
Greek text · Archambault 2:220–222
Ἥξουσι γάρ, εἶπεν, ἀπὸ δυσμῶν καὶ ἀνατολῶν, καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ τῆς βασιλείας ἐκβληθήσονται εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον. Καὶ ταῦτα, εἶπον, ὅτι οὐδὲν οὐδενὸς φροντίζω ἢ τοῦ τἀληθὲς λέγειν, λέγοιμι, οὐδένα δυσωπήσεσθαι μέλλων, κἂν δέῃ παραυτίκα ὑφʼ ὑμῶν μελισθῆναι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ γένους τοῦ ἐμοῦ, λέγω δὲ τῶν Σαμαρέων, τινὸς φροντίδα ποιούμενος, ἐγγράφως Καίσαρι προσομιλῶν, εἶπον πλανᾶσθαι αὐτοὺς πειθομένους τῷ ἐν τῷ γένει αὐτῶν μάγῳ Σίμωνι, ὃν θεὸν ὑπεράνω πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ δυνάμεως εἶναι λέγουσι.
English · Claude translation
“‘For they shall come,’ he said, ‘from the west and the east, and shall recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness.’ And I say these things,” I said, “because I care for nothing but to speak the truth, and I will stand in awe of no one, even if I must be torn limb from limb by you at once. For neither did I have any regard for any of my own race, I mean the Samaritans, when I addressed Caesar in writing, but said that they were deceived in trusting the magician Simon of their race, whom they say is God above every principality and authority and power.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- Justin refers to his First Apology (ch. 26 and 56). “My own race, the Samaritans”: Justin was born in Samaria, though of Greek-speaking family.
Cite this passage
Justin, Dial. 120.6 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-dialogue/120/6/).
Plain text
Justin, Dial. 120.6 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/justin-dialogue/120/6/).
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