And Trypho said, “Prove now that this is the case, that we also may agree with you. For
we do not understand you to affirm that He has done or said anything contrary to the will
of the Maker of all things.”
Then I said, “The Scripture just quoted by me will make this plain to you. It is thus: ‘The
sun was risen on the earth, and Lot entered into Segor (Zoar); and the Lord rained on Sodom
sulphur and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and overthrew these cities and all the neigh-
bourhood.’ ”369
Then the fourth of those who had remained with Trypho said, “It370 must therefore
necessarily be said that one of the two angels who went to Sodom, and is named by Moses
in the Scripture Lord, is different from Him who also is God, and appeared to Abraham.”371
“It is not on this ground solely,” I said, “that it must be admitted absolutely that some
other one is called Lord by the Holy Spirit besides Him who is considered Maker of all
things; not solely [for what is said] by Moses, but also [for what is said] by David. For there
is written by him: ‘The Lord says to my Lord, Sit on My right hand, until I make Thine en-
emies Thy footstool,’372 as I have already quoted. And again, in other words: ‘Thy throne,
O God, is for ever and ever. A sceptre of equity is the sceptre of Thy kingdom: Thou hast
loved righteousness and hated iniquity: therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee
with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.’373 If, therefore, you assert that the Holy Spirit
calls some other one God and Lord, besides the Father of all things and His Christ, answer
me; for I undertake to prove to you from Scriptures themselves, that He whom the Scripture
calls Lord is not one of the two angels that went to Sodom, but He who was with them, and
is called God, that appeared to Abraham.”
And Trypho said, “Prove this; for, as you see, the day advances, and we are not prepared
for such perilous replies; since never yet have we heard any man investigating, or searching
into, or proving these matters; nor would we have tolerated your conversation, had you not
referred everything to the Scriptures:374 for you are very zealous in adducing proofs from
them; and you are of opinion that there is no God above the Maker of all things.”
369 Gen. xix. 23.
370 Or, “We must of necessity think, that besides the one of the two angels who came down to Sodom, and
whom the Scripture by Moses calls Lord, God Himself appeared to Abraham.”
371 This passage is rather confused: the translation is necessarily free, but, it is believed, correct. Justin’s friend
wishes to make out that two distinct individuals are called Lord or God in the narrative.
372 Ps. cx. 1.
373 Ps. xlv. 6, 7.
374 [Note again the fidelity of Justin to this principle, and the fact that in no other way could a Jew be persuaded
to listen to a Christian. Acts xvii. 11.]
597
Chapter LVI.—God who appeared to Moses is distinguished from God the Fa…