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Dialogue with Trypho
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Chapter 35: Heretics Strengthen the Faith of Catholics.
AND TRYPHO SAID: “I believe, however, that many of those who claim to confess Jesus and are called Christians, eat meats offered to idols and insist they are not harmed by this.” I replied, “The fact that there are such people professing to be Christians, acknowledging the crucified Jesus as both Lord and Christ, yet not teaching His doctrines but those of misleading spirits, makes us who follow the true and pure teachings of Jesus Christ, more faithful and steadfast in the hope He announced.
For the things He predicted would happen in His name, we see happening right before us. He said, ‘Many will come in My name, dressed outwardly like sheep, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.’ And, ‘There will be divisions and heresies.’ And, ‘Beware of false prophets, who will come to you dressed outwardly like sheep, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.’ And, ‘Many false Christs and false apostles will arise and deceive many of the faithful.’ Therefore, there are and have been many, my friends, who, coming in the name of Jesus, taught people to speak and act in impious and blasphemous ways; and we name these after the originators of their teachings and opinions. (For some in one way, others in another, teach to blaspheme the Creator of all things and Christ, who was foretold by Him as coming, and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with whom we share nothing in common, since we know them to be atheists, impious, unrighteous, and sinful, confessing Jesus only in name, instead of worshiping Him.
Yet they call themselves Christians, just as certain among the Gentiles inscribe the name of God upon the works of their own hands and partake in sinful and impious rites.) Some are called Marcians, some Valentinians, some Basilidians, some Saturnilians, and others by different names; each named after the founder of their belief, just as each philosopher, as I mentioned before, takes the name of the philosophy they follow, from the name of the founder of that particular doctrine.
Consequently, because of these events, we know that Jesus foresaw what would happen after Him, as well as due to many other events which He predicted would affect those who believed in and confessed Him, the Christ.
For all that we suffer, even when killed by friends, He foretold would happen; so it is clear that no word or action of His can be criticized.
Therefore, we pray for you and all others who hate us, so that you, repenting with us, may not blaspheme Him who, by His works, by the mighty deeds still performed through His name, by the words He taught, by the prophecies made about Him, is the blameless and in all things faultless, Christ Jesus; but, believing in Him, may be saved in His second glorious coming, and not be condemned to fire by Him.”