游斯丁護教辭與對話 第 3-124 章

And when I saw that they were troubled at my saying that we are also children of God, anticipating their question I said: Hear, O men, how the Holy Spirit speaks concerning this people, that they are all sons of the Most High, and that in their assembly this same Christ Himself will be present, executing judgement upon every race of men.

And the words were spoken through David, as you expound them, thus: 'God stood in the assembly of gods, and in the midst He judges gods. How long will you judge unjustly and accept the persons of sinners? Judge for the orphan and poor, and justify the lowly and needy. Rescue the needy, and deliver the poor from the hand of the sinner. They knew not, neither did they understand, they walk in darkness; all the foundations of the earth shall be shaken. I said: You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High; but you die like a man, and fall like one of the rulers. Arise, O God, judge the earth, for You shall inherit among all the nations.'

But in the exposition of the Seventy it is said: 'Behold, you die like men, and fall like one of the rulers'—in order to show both the disobedience of men, I mean of Adam and Eve, and the fall of one of the rulers, that is, of the one called the serpent, who fell a great fall because he led Eve astray.

But since the discourse has not now been made by me for this purpose, but to demonstrate to you that the Holy Spirit reproaches those men who, having become like God impassible and immortal if they keep His ordinances, and having been deemed worthy by Him to be called His sons, yet, becoming like Adam and Eve, work death for themselves—let the interpretation of the Psalm be as you wish; even so it is demonstrated that they have been deemed worthy to become gods, and have been deemed worthy to be able all to become sons of the Most High, and shall be judged and condemned of themselves, like Adam and Eve. And that He also calls Christ God, has been demonstrated in many places.