Moses therefore, God’s blessed and faithful attendant, informs us that He was God who appeared to Abraham at the oak of Mamre, together with the two angels sent with Him for the judgment of Sodom, by Another who ever abides in the highest heavens, and hath been seen of none, and hath never conversed personally with any, whom we know as Creator of the universe and Father.
For thus Moses says: Now God appeared to him at the oak of Mamre, while he was sitting at the door of the tent at noon. But he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, three men stood over him. And when he saw them he ran fast to meet them from the door of his tent, and he prostrated himself to the ground, and said — and so on, until,Genesis 18:1-3 But Abraham rose up early in the morning (and went) unto the place where he stood before the Lord, and he looked upon the face of Sodom and Gomorrah, and on the face of the land around, and saw, and, behold, flame was going up from the land like smoke of a furnace And I ceased quoting more, and enquired of them whether they had understood what I said.
They said that they had indeed understood, but that the words quoted contributed nothing to prove that any other God or Lord exists or is spoken of by the Holy Spirit beside the Maker of the universe.
I replied: Seeing then that you have understood these passages of Scripture, I will endeavour to persuade you of what I say, that there both exists and is mentioned in Scripture a God and Lord other than, and less than, the Maker of the universe, who is also called Angel (or Messenger), because He announces to men whatever the Maker of the universe, above Whom there is no other God, desires to announce to them. And then, repeating my previous quotations, I enquired of Trypho: Does it seem to you that God appeared to Abraham under the oak of Mamre, as the word says?
He answered: Most certainly.
And He was, I said, one of those three who, the Holy Spirit of the prophets says, were seen of Abraham as men?
He said, No, but God appeared to him before he saw the three. Those three then whom the word terms men were angels, two of them sent for the destruction of Sodom, and one bringing the good news to Sarah that she was to have a child, for which reason he had been sent forth, and, when he had accomplished his task, went his way.
If so, I said, how was it that the one of the three who had been in the tent, and also said: In due season I will return unto thee, and Sarah shall have a son,Genesis 18:14 appears to have come again when Sarah had a son, and the word of the prophets even there indicates Him as being God? But in order that what I say may become clear to you, hear the express sayings of Moses.
They are these: Now when Sarah saw the son of Hagar, the Egyptian handmaid whom Abraham had, sporting with Isaac her son, she said to Abraham: Cast out this handmaid and her son, for the son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son Isaac. But the saying about his son appeared very harsh in Abraham’s sight. But God said to Abraham: Let it not seem harsh in thy sight concerning the land and concerning the handmaid; in all things whatsoever that Sarah says to thee, listen to her voice, because in Isaac shall thy seed be called.Genesis 21:9-12
Have you therefore, I enquired, understood that He who then said under the oak that He would return — as He knew beforehand that it was necessary to give Abraham counsel in what Sarah desired of him—- came back, as it is written, and is God, as the words indicate as follows: But God said to Abraham, Let it not seem harsh in thy sight concerning the lad and concerning the handmaid?
And Trypho said: Most certainly, but with this you have not proved that God is other than He who appeared to Abraham, who appeared also to the other patriarchs and prophets. But you have proved that we were not right in our opinion that the three who were in the tent with Abraham were all angels.
Then I in turn: If therefore I could not prove to you from the Scriptures that one of those three is both this God in question, and yet is called an angel, because, as I said already, He announces the messages of God, the Maker of the universe, to whomsoever God desires; and that He who appeared on earth in the form of a man, and appeared to Abraham (as was also the case with the two angels who came with him), was the God who also existed before the making of the world, it were reasonable for you to hold the same opinion as that of all your nation.
Assuredly, he said. For we have held this until now.
I replied: I will come back to the Scriptures, and endeavour to persuade you that He who is said to have appeared to Abraham, and Jacob, and Moses, and is written down as God, is other than the God who made all, I mean in number not in mind, for I say that He has never done or said anything else than what He who made the world, above Whom there is no other God, has desired Him to do and say.
Then Trypho: Prove therefore now that He is this, that we also may give our assent to it. For we do not suppose you to say that He affirms, or has done, or has spoken, contrary to the mind of the Maker of the universe.
And I said: The Scripture then which I have already quoted will make this plain to you. It is as follows: The sun went forth over the earth, and Lot entered into Zoar. And the Lord rained upon Sodom brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and overthrew these cities and all the country round.Genesis 19:23-25
And the fourth of those who had remained with Trypho said: One must say therefore that besides that one of the two angels who went down to Sodom and is called Lord by the word given by Moses, He who appeared to Abraham was God Himself.
Not for this reason alone, I said, must we assuredly acknowledge what was the case, that some one else besides Him who is recognized as the Maker of the universe is termed Lord by the Holy Spirit; and that not only by Moses but also by David. For even by the latter He says: The Lord saith to my Lord: Sit thou on My right hand until I set thine enemies as the footstool of thy feet, as I have said before. And again in other words: Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, the sceptre of Thy kingdom is a sceptre of equity. Thou lovedst righteousness and hatest iniquity; therefore God. Thy God, anointed Thee with the oil of gladness more than Thy companions.
Give me an answer therefore whether you say that the Holy Spirit speaks of another as God and as Lord, besides the Father of the universe and His Christ. For I promise to prove to you from the Scriptures themselves that He whom the Scripture called Lord is not one of the two angels that went down to Sodom, but He who was with Him, and is said to have appeared as God to Abraham.
Trypho: Continue your proof, for, as you see, the day is advancing, and we are not prepared to give such hazardous answers, for we have never yet heard any one making these enquiries, investigations, or proofs. And we should not bear with your words if you did not refer everything to the Scriptures. For you are anxious to draw your proofs from them, and you declare that there is no God above the Maker of the universe.
Then I said: You know therefore that the Scripture says: And the Lord said unto Abraham: Why is it that Sara laughed saying: Shall I of a truth bear a child? But I have grown old. Is a thing impossible with the Lord? At this time do I return unto thee in due season, and Sara shall have a son. And a little after: Now the men rose up from thence and looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah. But Abraham began to go with them, setting them forward on their journey. But the Lord said: I will not hide from Abraham my servant that which I am doing.
And again, a little after, He speaks thus: The Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has been multiplied, and their sins are exceeding great. I will go down therefore and see whether they reach their completion in accordance with their cry that cometh unto Me, and if otherwise that I may know it. And the men turned away thence and came unto Sodom. But Abraham was standing before the Lord, and Abraham drew near and said: Wilt thou destroy righteous along with ungodly, etc. For it does not seem to me necessary to write the same words again, when all of them have been already written, but only those by means of which I made my proof for Trypho and his companions.
So I then came to the following verses, in which this is said: Now the Lord went away, when He ceased speaking to Abraham, and he (Abraham) went away unto his place. But the two angels came unto Sodom at evening, and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom; and so too the words that follow, until: But the men stretched out their hands and pressed Lot unto them into the house, and shut to the door of the house. And what follows, until: And the angels took hold of his hand, and the hand of his wife, and the hands of his daughters, the Lord sparing him.
And it came to pass when they led them outside they said: Save, save thy own life; Look not back, nor stand in any of the district round; save thyself at the mountain, lest perhaps thou be caught together with them. But Lot said unto them: I pray, O Lord, since thy servant has found grace before thee, and Thou hast magnified Thy righteousness, in that which Thou doest unto me that my soul should live — But I cannot escape unto the mountain, lest the evils overtake me and I die.
Behold this city is near to flee thither, a little one — there shall I be saved — how little it is! — and my soul shall live. And He said to him: Behold I have had respect to thee in this saying also, that I should not overthrow the city about which thou hast spoken. Haste to be saved there. For I shall not be able to accomplish the matter until thou enter there. Therefore did one call the name of the city Zoar. The sun came out over the earth, and Lot came in into Zoar. And the Lord rained into Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and He overthrew these cities and all the district round.
And I ceased, and added further; Even now have you not understood, my Friends, that the One of the three, who is also God and Lord, acting as servant to Him who is in heaven, is Lord of the two angels? For when they went forward into Sodom, He was left behind and held with Abraham the conversation recorded by Moses. And when He also had gone away after His conversation, Abraham returned unto his place.
When He had come (to Sodom) we have no longer two angels conversing with Lot, but Him Himself, as the word shows us plainly. And He is Lord, receiving from the Lord who is in heaven, namely the Maker of the universe, the duty of bringing those punishments on Sodom and Gomorrah which the word enumerates, saying thus: The Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.