Dialogue with Trypho

To recount the revelation of the holy Jesus Christ, I resume my discourse and assert that this revelation was made for us who believe in Christ the High Priest, namely the crucified One. Even though we lived in fornication and all kinds of corrupt conversation, by the grace of our Jesus, according to His Father’s will, we have stripped ourselves of all that wickedness with which we were imbued. And even though the devil is always ready to oppose us and eager to lure everyone to himself, the Angel of God, that is, the Power of God sent to us through Jesus Christ, rebukes him, and he departs from us.

We are like those drawn out from the fire, purified from our former sins, and rescued from the affliction and fiery trial by which the devil and all his associates test us; from which Jesus the Son of God has promised to deliver us again and clothe us in prepared garments, if we follow His commandments; and He has promised to provide an eternal kingdom for us. Just as Joshua, called by the prophet a priest, was evidently wearing filthy garments because he is said to have taken a harlot for a wife, and is called a brand plucked out of the fire because he received remission of sins when the devil that opposed him was rebuked; in the same way, we who have believed in God the Maker of all through the name of Jesus, have been stripped of the filthy garments, i.e., of our sins, through the name of His firstborn Son.

Being fervently ignited by the word of His calling, we are the true high priestly race of God, as God Himself testifies, saying that in every place among the Gentiles, sacrifices that are well-pleasing and pure are offered to Him. Now God receives sacrifices from no one except through His priests.