Epistle of Barnabas, Shepherd of Hermas, and Justin Martyr as pre-400 AD witnesses Against Forensic Justification

  

Epistle of Barnabas, 15:7

 

Greek	Kirsopp Lake Translation
ἴδε ὅτι ἄρα τότε καλῶς καταπαυόμενοι ἁγιάσομεν αὐτήν, ὅτε δυνησόμεθα αὐτοὶ δικαιωθέντες καὶ ἀπολαβόντες τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, μηκέτι οὔσης τῆς ἀνομίας, καινῶν δὲ γεγονότων πάντων ὑπὸ κυρίου· τότε δυνησόμεθα αὐτὴν ἁγιάσαι, αὐτοὶ ἁγιασθέντες πρῶτον.	See that we shall indeed keep it holy at that time, when we enjoy true rest, when we shall be able to do so because we have been made righteous ourselves and have received the promise, when there is no more sin, but all things have been made new by the Lord: then we shall be able to keep it holy because we ourselves have first been made holy.

 

Shepherd of Hermas 17:1 (alt. Vision 3 9:1)

 

Greek	Kirsopp Lake Translation
Ἀκούσατέ μου, τέκνα· ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐξέθρεψα ἐν πολλῇ ἁπλότητι καὶ ἀκακίᾳ καὶ σεμνότητι διὰ τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς στάξαντος τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ἵνα δικαιωθῆτε καὶ ἁγιασθῆτε ἀπὸ πάσης πονηρίας καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης σκολιότητος· ὑμεῖς δέ οὐ θέλετε παῆναι ἀπὸ τῆς πονηρίας ὑμῶν.	"Listen to me, children; I brought you up in great simplicity and innocence and reverence by the mercy of God, who instilled righteousness into you that you should be justified and sanctified from all wickedness and all crookedness. But you do not wish to cease from your wickedness.

 

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 23

 

Greek

English (ANF 1:206)

Ἐὰν δὲ ταῦτα οὕτως μὴ ὁμολογήσωμεν, συμβήσεταιἡμῖν εἰς ἄτοπα ἐμπίπτειν νοήματα, ὡς τοῦ αὐτοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ ὄντος τοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἐνὼχ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους πάντας, οἳ μήτε περιτομὴν τὴν κατὰ σάρκα ἔχοντες μήτε σάββατα ἐφύλαξαν μήτε δὲ τὰ ἄλλα, Μωσέως ἐντειλαμένου ταῦτα ποιεῖν, ἢ τὰ αὐτὰ αὐτὸν δίκαια μὴ ἀεὶ πᾶν γένος ἀνθρώπων βεβουλῆσθαι πράσσειν, ἅπερ γελοῖα καὶ ἀνόητα ὁμολογεῖν φαίνεται. Διʼ αἰτίαν δὲ τὴν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν αὐτὸν ὄντα ἀεὶ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐντετάλθαι ὁμολογεῖν, καὶ φιλάνθρωπον καὶ προγνώστην καὶ ἀνενδεῆ καὶ δίκαιον καὶ ἀγαθὸν ἀποφαίνειν ἐστίν. Ἐπεὶ εἰ μὴ ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, ἀποκρίνασθέ μοι, ὦ ἄνδρες, περὶ τῶν ζητουμένων τούτων ὅ τι φρονεῖτε. Καὶ μηδὲν μηδενὸς ἀποκριναμένου, — Διὰ ταῦτά σοι, ὦ Τρύφων, καὶ τοῖς βουλομένοις προσηλύτοις γενέσθαι, κηρύξω ἐγὼ θεῖον λόγον, ὃν παρʼ ἐκείνου ἤκουσα τοῦ ἀνδρός. Ὁρᾶτε ὅτι τὰ στοιχεῖα οὐκ ἀργεῖ, οὐδὲ σαββατίζει. Μείνατε ὡς γεγένησθε. Εἰ γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἦν χρεία περιτομῆς, οὐδὲ πρὸ Μωϋσέως σαββατισμοῦ καὶ ἑορτῶν καὶπροσφορῶν, οὐδὲ νῦν, μετὰ τὸν κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δίχα ἁμαρτίας διὰ τῆς ἀπὸ γένους τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ παρθένου γεννηθέντα υἱὸν Θεοῦ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, ὁμοίως ἐστὶ χρεία. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ ὢν διὰ τὴν πίστιν, ἣν ἐπίστευσε τῷ Θεῷ, ἐδικαιώθη καὶ εὐλογήθη, ὡς ἡ γραφὴ σημαίνει· τὴν δὲ περιτομὴν εἰς σημεῖον, ἀλλʼ οὐκ εἰς δικαιοσύνην ἔλαβεν, ὡς καὶ αἱ γραφαὶ καὶ τὰ πράγματα ἀναγκάζει ἡμᾶς ὁμολογεῖν, Ὥστε δικαίως εἴρητο περὶ ἐκείνον τοῦ λαοῦ, ὅτι ἐξολοθρευθήσεται ἡ ψυχὴ ἐκείνη ἐκ τοῦ γένους αὐτῆς, ἣ οὐ περιτμηθήσεται τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ. Καὶ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι δὲ τὸ θῆλυ γένος τήν σαρκικὴν περιτομήν λαμβάνειν, δείκνυσιν ὅτι εἰς σημεῖον ἡ περιτομὴ αὕτη δέδοται, ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὡς ἔργον δικαιοσύνης· τὰ γὰρ δίκαια καὶ ἐνάρετα ἅπαντα ὁμοίως καὶ τὰς θηλείας δύνασθαι φυλάσσειν ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησεν. Ἀλλὰ σχῆμα μὲν τὸ τῆς σαρκὸς ἕτερον καὶ ἕτερον ὁρῶμεν γεγενημένον ἄῤῥενος καὶ θηλείας, διὰ δὲ τοῦτο οὐδέ δίκαιον οὐδὲ ἄδικον οὐδέτερον αὐτῶν ἐπιστάμεθα, ἀλλὰ διʼ εὐσέβειαν καὶ δικαιοσύνην.

"But if we do not admit this, we shall be liable to fall into foolish opinions, as if it were not the same God who existed in the times of Enoch and all the rest, who neither were circumcised after the flesh, nor observed Sabbaths, nor any other rites, seeing that Moses enjoined such observances; or that God has not wished each race of mankind continually to perform the same righteous actions: to admit which, seems to be ridiculous and absurd. Therefore we must confess that He, who is ever the same, has commanded these and such like institutions on account of sinful men, and we must declare Him to be benevolent, foreknowing, needing nothing, righteous and good. But if this be not so, tell me, sir, what you think of those matters which we are investigating." And when no one responded: "Wherefore, Trypho, I will proclaim to you, and to those who wish to become proselytes, the divine message which I heard from that man. Do you see that the elements are not idle, and keep no Sabbaths? Remain as you were born. For if there was no need of circumcision before Abraham, or of the observance of Sabbaths, of feasts and sacrifices, before Moses; no more need is there of them now, after that, according to the will of God, Jesus Christ the Son of God has been born without sin, of a virgin sprung from the stock of Abraham. For when Abraham himself was in uncircumcision, he was justified and blessed by reason of the faith which he reposed in God, as the Scripture tells. Moreover, the Scriptures and the facts themselves compel us to admit that He received circumcision for a sign, and not for righteousness. So that it was justly recorded concerning the people, that the soul which shall not be circumcised on the eighth day shall be cut off from his family. And, furthermore, the inability of the female sex to receive fleshly circumcision, proves that this circumcision has been given for a sign, and not for a work of righteousness. For God has given likewise to women the ability to observe all things which are righteous and virtuous; but we see that the bodily form of the male has been made different from the bodily form of the female; yet we know that neither of them is righteous or unrighteous merely for this cause, but [is considered righteous] by reason of piety and righteousness.

 

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 92

 

Greek

English (ANF 1:245-46)

Εἰ οὖν τις μὴ μετὰ μεγὰλης χάριτος τῆς παρὰ Θεοῦ λάβοι νοῆσαι τὰ εἰρημένα καὶ γεγενημένα ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν, οὐδὲν αὐτὸν ὀνήσει τὸ τὰς ῥήσεις δοκεῖν λέγειν ἢ τὰ γεγενημένα, εἰ μὴ λόγον ἔχει καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν ἀποδιδόναι. Ἀλλὰ μήτι γε καὶ εὐκαταφρόνητα δόξει τοῖς πολλοῖς ὑπὸ τῶν μὴ νοούντων αὐτὰ λεγόμενα; Εἰ γάρ τις ἐξετάζειν βούλοιτο ὑμᾶς, ὅτι Ἐνὼχ καὶ Νῶε ἅμα τοῖς τέκνοις, καὶ εἴ τινες ἄλλοι τοιοῦτοι γεγόνασι, μήτε ἐν περιτομῇ γενόμενοι μήτε σαββατίσαντες εὐηρέστησαν τῷ Θεῷ, τίς ἡ αἰτία τοῦ διʼ ἄλλων προστατῶν καὶ νομοθεσίας μετὰ τοσαύτας γενεὰς ἀξιοῦν τὸν Θεὸν δικαιοῦσθαι μὲν τοὺς ἀπὸ Ἀβραὰμ μέχρι Μωσέως διὰ περιτομῆς, τοὺς δὲ ἀπὸ Μωσέως καὶ διὰ περιτομῆς καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐντολῶν, τουτέστι σαββάτου καὶ θυσιῶν καὶ σποδῶν καὶ προσφορῶν, εἰ μὴ, ὡς προείρηται ὑπʼἐμου, ἀποδείξετε, ὅτι διὰ τὸ τὸν Θεὸν, προγνώστην ὄντα, ἐγνωκέναι ἄξιον γενησόμενον τὸν λαὸν ὑμῶν ἐκβληθῆναι ἀπὸ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ μηδένα ἐπιτρέπεσθαι εἰσελθεῖν ἐκεῖ; Οὐδαμόθεν γὰρ ἀλλαχόθεν ἐστὲ γνωριζόμενοι, ὡς προέφην, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς περὶ τὴν σάρκα περιτομῆς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ διὰ τὴν περιτομὴν δίκαιος εἶναι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐμαρτυρήθη, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν πίστιν· πρὸ τοῦ γὰρ περιτμηθῆναι αὐτὸν εἴρηται περὶ αὐτοῦ οὕτως· Ἐπίστευσε δὲ τῷ Θεῷ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην. Καὶ ἡμεῖς οὖν ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν πιστεύοντες τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ περιτομὴν ἔχοντες τὴν ὠφελοῦσαν ἡμᾶς τοὺς κεκτημένους, τουτέστι τῆς καρδίας, δίκαιοι καὶ εὐάρεστοι τῷ Θεῷ ἐλπίζομεν φανῆναι, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἤδη μεμαρτυρήμεθα διὰ τῶν προφητικῶν λόγων ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ. Τὸ δὲ σαββατίζειν καὶ τὰς προσφορὰς φέρειν κελευσθῆναι ὑμᾶς, καὶ τόπον εἰς ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπικληθῆναι ἀνασχέσθαι τὸν κύριον, ἵνα, ὡς εἴρηται, μὴ εἰδωλολατροῦντες καὶ ἀμνημονοῦντες τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀσεβεῖς καὶ ἄθεοι γένησθε, ὡς ἀεὶ φαίνεσθε γεγενημένοι. Καὶ ὅτι διὰ ταυτᾶ ἐνετέταλτο ὁ Θεὸς τὰς περὶ σαββάτων καὶ προσφορῶν ἐντολὰς, προαποδέδεικταί μοι διὰ τῶν προειρημένων· διὰ δὲ τοὺς σήμερον ἐλθόντας καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ σχεδὸν πάντα βούλομαι ἀναλαμβάνειν. Ἐπεὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦτό ἐστι, συκοφαντηθήσεται ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς μήτε πρόγνωσιν ἔχων, μήτε τὰ αὐτὰ δίκαια πάντας διδάσκων καὶ εἱδέναι καὶ πράττειν, — πολλαὶ γὰρ γενεαὶ ἀνθρώπων πρὸ Μωσέως φαίνονται γεγενημέναι, — καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀληθὴς λόγος ὁ λέγων, ὡςἀληθὴς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ δίκαιος, καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ κρίσεις, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀδικία ἐν αὐτῷ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος, καὶ Θεὸς ὑμᾶς τοιούτους μὴ εἶναι ἀσυνέτους καὶ φιλαύτους ἀεὶ βούλεται, ὅπως σωθῆτε μετὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ εὐαρεστοῦντος τῷ Θεῷ καὶ μεμαρτυρημένου, ὡς προέφην διὰ τῶν ἁγίων προφητικῶν λόγων τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ποιήσας.

"Unless, therefore, a man by God's great grace receives the power to understand what has been said and done by the prophets, the appearance of being able to repeat the words or the deeds will not profit him, if he cannot explain the argument of them. And will they not assuredly appear contemptible to many, since they are related by those who understood them not? For if one should wish to ask you why, since Enoch, Noah with his sons, and all others in similar circumstances, who neither were circumcised nor kept the Sabbath, pleased God, God demanded by other leaders, and by the giving of the law after the lapse of so many generations, that those who lived between the times of Abraham and of Moses be justified by circumcision, and that those who lived after Moses be justified by circumcision and the other ordinances--to wit, the Sabbath, and sacrifices, and libations, and offerings; [God will be slandered] unless you show, as I have already said, that God who foreknew was aware that your nation would deserve expulsion from Jerusalem, and that none would be permitted to enter into it. (For you are not distinguished in any other way than by the fleshly circumcision, as I remarked previously. For Abraham was declared by God to be righteous, not on account of circumcision, but on account of faith. For before he was circumcised the following statement was made regarding him: ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness.' And we, therefore, in the uncircumcision of our flesh, believing God through Christ, and having that circumcision which is of advantage to us who have acquired it --namely, that of the heart--we hope to appear righteous before and well-pleasing to God: since already we have received His testimony through the words of the prophets.) [And, further, God will be slandered unless you show] that you were commanded to observe the Sabbath, and to present offerings, and that the Lord submitted to have a place called by the name of God, in order that, as has been said, you might not become impious and godless by worshipping idols and forgetting God, as indeed you do always appear to have been. (Now, that God enjoined the ordinances of Sabbaths and offerings for these reasons, I have proved in what I previously remarked; but for the sake of those who came to-day, I wish to repeat nearly the whole.) For if this is not the case, God will be slandered, as having no foreknowledge, and as not teaching all men to know and to do the same acts of righteousness (for many generations of men appear to have existed before Moses); and the Scripture is not true which affirms that ‘God is true and righteous, and all His ways are judgments, and there is no unrighteousness in him.' But since the Scripture is true, God is always willing that such even as you be neither foolish nor lovers of yourselves, in order that you may obtain the salvation of Christ, who pleased God, and received testimony from Him, as I have already said, by alleging proof from the holy words of prophecy.