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Dialogue with Trypho
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Chapter 84: The Prophecy, "Behold, a Virgin," etc., Only Applies to Christ.
FURTHERMORE: the prophecy, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son," was spoken about Him. For if the one to whom Isaiah referred was not to be born of a virgin, of whom did the Holy Spirit declare, "Behold, the Lord Himself shall give us a sign: behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son?" If He were also to be born from sexual intercourse like all other first-born sons, why did God say He would give a sign not common to all first-born sons? But the true sign, meant to be made trustworthy to humanity—that the first-born of all creation should become incarnate from the Virgin’s womb and be a child—this He anticipated by the Spirit of prophecy and predicted, as I have repeated to you in various ways, so that when it happened, it would be recognized as the work of the power and will of the Creator of all things; just as Eve was made from one of Adam’s ribs, and all living beings were created in the beginning by the word of God.
But you dare to distort the interpretations given by your elders who were with Ptolemy, king of Egypt, since you claim that Scripture says, "Behold, the young woman shall conceive," as if great events were meant to occur because a woman conceives through sexual intercourse: which indeed all young women, except the barren, do; but even these, God can cause to bear children, if He wills. For Samuel’s mother, who was barren, bore a child by the will of God; as did the wife of the holy patriarch Abraham, Elisabeth who bore John the Baptist, and others like them.
You must not assume that it is impossible for God to do anything He wills. Especially as it was predicted to occur, do not dare to distort or misinterpret the prophecies, since you will harm only yourselves, and not God.