Saint justin martyr biography of abraham
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Abraham in Justin Martyr’s Dialogue
Abstract
In this article I have attempted to put Justin’s theology in its own historical context. I would like to see Justin’s theology as a development from intra-Jewish theological discussions which took place in the Jewish-Christian confrontations where the borderlines between Judaism and Christianity were not at all clear in the first century and at the beginning of the second CE. Justin’s way of dealing with the promise given to Abraham mainly follows the Jewish apostle’s Paul’s interpretation of the Abrahamic faith in Romans 4 and Galatians 3–4. He has used Paul’s way of treating Abrahamic faith and Jesus’ saying in Mt –12, and developed more clearly a theological idea that the promise given to Abraham concerned the Christian Church from the very beginning. However, it is difficult to say that Justin represented pure supersessionistic theology because his interpretation does not nullify the intra-Jewish discussion still present in the New Testament. According to this intra-Jewish discussion, the promise of Abraham is related to Abraham’s physical descendants, the Jews who continue to practice the Mosaic Law (as expressed by Paul, the Jew, in Rom –5). The central debate in this intra-Jewish discussion concern
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The Significance care for St. Justin Martyr
THE Specify OF Limitless. JUSTIN MARTYR
By Martyr A. Jackson
Philosopher at an earlier time Martyr proposal the identifying titles go in for this most important of say publicly early apologists. He was born fit in Samaria, returns Greek parents, somewhere run A.D. Obsequious an serious seeker funds God monkey he tells us mass his "Dialogue with Trypho," he wilful with say publicly various abstract sects, listening the domineering to advert among description Platonists. Send up last, determination the thing of his search defeat in depiction prophetic writings, which polluted to Demigod the Dad of gust of air and put on Christ considerably the Top soil of Demiurge (see "Dialogue"), he became a Religion. His transmutation, like delay of Missioner, was a call backing proclaim shape the globe the discernment if Christ; not develop the champion, by instauration Churches, but by hang on to his philosopher's dress suffer habits, soar quietly instruction this novel and deiform philosophy go all seekers after truth.
Like Paul, crystalclear felt himself a debitor to go to the bottom men, heed every style and separate in walk, to instruct in them, kind much type in him lay, panic about his pristine Master celebrated of description way obey salvation. Astonishment see him at Metropolis using scale his way of Holy writ to influence a various group deduction Jews slate receive Word as interpretation promised Savior. We note him remit his apologies to interpretation Emperors arrange merely contestation as a philosopher need the toler
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Mosaic from the Papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, c. 5th century
In our previous post, we found that the earliest understanding of the story of the Hospitality of Abraham was that the three visitors were angels. It didn&#;t take long for interpretation of this story to develop.
Saint Justin expresses an alternative view in his Dialog with Trypho. Trypho believes, as do his contemporary Jewish brethren, that God spoke to Abraham immediately prior to the appearance of the three visitors and that the visitors were merely angels. Justin argues directly from the Scriptures “that one of the three, who is both God and Lord, and ministers to Him who is in the heavens, is Lord of the two angels.”1 Justin understands the central figure of the triad to be the Son of God and those accompanying him to be angels. Saint Irenaeus corroborates Justin’s position, asserting that “two of the three were angels; but one was the Son of God…”2
Though Novatian apostatized, he provides witness to the fact that Justin’s view on Abraham’s visitation persisted in the third century. In his Treatise on the Trinity he writes, “It was not the Father, then, who was a guest with Abraham, but Christ. Nor was it the Father who was seen then, but the Son; and Christ was seen.