游斯丁護教辭與對話 第 3-51 章

And when I had ceased, Trypho said: "All the words of the prophecy which you cite, O man, are ambiguous, and have nothing decisive toward the demonstration of what you wish to prove." And I answered: "If the prophets had not ceased and there had still continued to be prophets among your race, O Trypho, after this John, perhaps you might consider the things that are said to be ambiguous."

"But if John went before crying to men to repent, and Christ, while he was still sitting by the river Jordan, came upon him and stopped him from prophesying and baptizing, and proclaimed the good news, He Himself saying that the kingdom of heaven is near, and that He must suffer many things from the scribes and Pharisees, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again, and come again to Jerusalem, and then again drink and eat with His disciples; and in the time between His comings, as I said before, He foretold that there would arise heresies and false prophets in His name—and so it manifestly is—how is it still possible to doubt, since you have the means of being persuaded by the deed?"

He had spoken about there being no more a prophet to arise among your race, and about your recognizing that the new covenant, long ago proclaimed by God, was even then at hand to be established—that is, He Himself being the Christ—in these words: "The Law and the Prophets were until John the Baptist; from then on the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent seize it. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."