#73 The First Apology of Justin - Part 9
By Justin Martyr, from The Ante-Nicene Fathers
Chapter 37 - Words Spoken as the Father
So that this may be clear to you, here are words spoken from the person of the Father through Isaiah the prophet:
"The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD."
And elsewhere, the same prophet speaks similarly from the person of the Father: "Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me?"
And again, in another place: "Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him?"
What kind of things are taught through the prophets from the person of God, you can now see.
Chapter 38 - Words Spoken as the Son
When the Spirit of prophecy speaks from the person of Christ, the words are like this: "I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts."
And again: "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me."
And again, when he says: "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. They pierced my hands and my feet. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me."
And again, when he says: "All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him."
All these things happened to Christ at the hands of the Jews, as you can verify. When He was crucified, they thrust out their lips and wagged their heads, saying, "Let Him who raised the dead save Himself."
Chapter 39 - Direct Predictions by the Spirit
When the Spirit of prophecy speaks as predicting things to come, he speaks this way: "For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
That this did happen, we can convince you. From Jerusalem, twelve men went out into the world - uneducated men with no ability in speaking. But by God's power, they proclaimed to every race that they were sent by Christ to teach everyone the word of God.
We who formerly murdered one another not only now refuse to make war on our enemies, but also willingly die confessing Christ rather than lie or deceive our examiners. For we could imitate that saying, "The tongue has sworn but the mind is unsworn." But if soldiers enrolled by you, who have taken the military oath, prefer their loyalty to their own lives, parents, country, and all relatives, though you can offer them nothing eternal - it would be ridiculous if we, who earnestly desire immortality, should not endure everything to obtain what we desire from Him who is able to grant it.