2. Then I asked him, "Does not the Word say through
st. justin martyr knowledge that he is the Christ, but claim that he has a merely human origin. I naturally disagree with such persons, nor would I agree with them even if the majority of those who share my opinions were to say so. For we have been told by Christ himself not to follow the teachings of men, but only those which have been announced by the holy prophets and taught by himself." c h a p t e r 49 "It appears to me," said Trypho, "that they who assert that he was of human origin, and was chosen to be anointed and became the Christ, propose a doctrine much more credible than yours. We [Jews] all expect that Christ will be a man of human origin,4 and that Elijah will come5 to anoint him. If this man appears to be the Christ, he must be considered to be a man of human origin, yet, from the fact that Elijah has not yet come, I must declare that this man is not the Christ." 6
2. Then I asked him, "Does not the Word say through Zechariah that Elijah shall come before the great and terrible day of the Lord?"7
"Most assuredly," he replied.
"If, therefore, Scripture forces you to admit that it was predicted that there would be two advents of Christ—one in which he will appear in suffering and without honor or beauty, and the second in which he will return in glory to judge all men, as has been proved by the many previously quoted passages from Scripture—must we not conclude that the word of God has foretold that Elijah will be the forerunner of the great and terrible day, namely, of his second advent?"
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"Certainly," was his answer.
3. "We have been taught," I continued, "by our Lord himself that this would be so, namely, that Elijah also would come; and some Jewish Christians in mind. See Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.27. On the Ebionites and their modifications of Scriptures see Daniélou, 55–64, 372–74.
4. Markovich proposes this emendation, a[nqrwpon <ejx ajnqrwvpwn>, based on Dial. 48.1.
5. See Skarsaune, 195.
6. See B. Dehandschutter (cited above, Dial. 31.7 n 1).
7. Not Zechariah, but Mal 3.23 (4.4).
Justin, Martyr, Saint. Dialogue with Trypho (Selections from the Fathers of the Church, Volume 3), edited by Michael Slusser, Catholic University of America Press, 2003. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nottingham/de
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