It is nothing wonderful, I added, if you also hate us, who perceive these things and reprove the opinion of your hard hearts. For even Elijah, when interceding for you with God, says as follows: Lord, Thy prophets they slew, and Thy altars they digged down; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. And He answers him: I have yet seven thousand men, who never bowed knee to Baal.
Just therefore as God did not at that time bring His wrath upon them, for the sake of those seven thousand, so now also He has not yet brought the Judgment, nor has begun to bring it, because He knows that every day some are becoming disciples unto the name of His Christ, and are leaving the way of error, who also receive gifts, each as they are worthy of them, being enlightened by the name of this Christ. For one receives the spirit of understanding, another of counsel, another of might, another of healing, another of foreknowledge, another of teaching, another of the fear of God.
At this Trypho said to me: I would have you know that you are out of your mind when you say all this.
But I said to him. Learn, my good Sir, that I am neither mad nor out of my mind, but it was prophesied that after the ascent of Christ into heaven He would take us captive from error and would give us gifts. Now these are the words: He went up on high, He took captivity captive, He gave gifts to men.
We therefore who received gifts from the Christ who went up on high, prove from the words of the Prophets that you who are wise in yourselves and prudent in your own sight Isaiah 5:21 Isaiah 29:18 are without understanding, and in lips alone honour God and His Christ. But we, who have been instructed of all the truth, honour (Him) in deeds and in knowledge and in heart, even unto death.
But you perhaps for this reason hesitate to confess that this is the Christ (though the Scriptures and events and what is done in His name prove it), lest you should be persecuted by the rulers. For these, by the work within you of the serpent, that evil and deceitful spirit, will not cease slaying and persecuting those who acknowledge the name of Christ, until He comes again, and destroys (them) all, awarding to each his desert.
Trypho said: Now therefore give us full reasons why He, who, you say, has been crucified and has ascended into heaven, is the Christ of God. For that Christ is proclaimed by the scriptures as even liable to suffering, and as to come again with glory, and to receive the kingdom of all the nations for ever, every kingdom being placed in subjection to Him, has been sufficiently proved by the scriptures already set forth by you. But prove to us that this is He.
I said: It has already been proved, Gentlemen, for those who have ears, and also from the things that are acknowledged by you. But that you may not think that I am at a loss, and unable to draw up proofs for what you require, I will do at the suitable place, as I promised. But now I will pursue the connexion of the subjects on which I have begun to address you.