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The Abiding Gift of Prophecy

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Concerning Spiritual Gifts

One of the books written by Justin was known as his “Dialogue With Trypho, a Jew,” in which there is found a valuable statement regarding the manifestation of spiritual gifts in the church at that time, reading as follows: AGP 183.3

“Daily some (of you) are becoming disciples in the name of Christ, and quitting the path of error; who are also receiving gifts, each as he is worthy, illumined through the name of this Christ. For one receives the spirit of understanding, another of counsel, another of strength, another of healing, another of foreknowledge, another of teaching, and another of the fear of God.”

“To this Trypho said to me, ‘I wish you knew that you are beside yourself, talking these sentiments.’

“And I said to him, ‘Listen, O friend, for I am not mad or beside myself; but it was prophesied that, after the ascent of Christ to heaven, He would deliver us from error and give us gifts. The words are these: “He ascended up on high; He led captivity captive; He gave gifts to man.” Accordingly, we who have received gifts from Christ, who has ascended up on high, prove from the words of prophecy that you, “the wise in yourselves, and the men of understanding in your own eyes,” are foolish, and honor God and His Christ by lip only. But we, who are instructed in the whole truth, honor them both in acts, and in knowledge, and in heart, even unto death.’” Justin Martyr’s “Dialogue With Trypho,” “The Ante-Nicene Fathers,” Vol. I, chap. 39, p. 214. Buffalo: The Christian Literature Publishing Company, 1885.

He says further in the same dialogue: AGP 184.1

“For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time. And hence you ought to understand that (the gifts) formerly among your nation [the Jews] have been transferred to us. And just as there were false prophets contemporaneous with your holy prophets, so are there now many false teachers amongst us, of whom our Lord forewarned us to beware; so that in no respect are we deficient, since we know that He foreknew all that would happen to us after His resurrection from the dead and ascension to heaven. For He said we would be put to death, and hated for His name’s sake; and that many false prophets and false christs would appear in His name, and deceive many: and so has it come about.’” Id., chap. 82, p. 240.