When I was silent Trypho said: It is plain that Scripture compels us to acknowledge this. But you yourself would acknowledge that the information that He ate what was prepared by Abraham and set before Him rightly causes doubt.
I answered: It is written indeed that they ate. But if we heard it said that the Three ate, and not the two only, for in reality they were angels and were fed in heaven, as is clear to us, even though they are not fed with the same kind of food that men use — for of the food of manna with which your fathers were fed in the wilderness, Scripture says thus, that they ate the food of angels — I should say that the word which says they ate meant it as we ourselves might say of fire that it devoured everything, and that we ought not at all to understand this to mean that they ate by chewing with teeth and jaws. So that even in this passage we should not be in any doubt, if we have had even a little experience in figures of speech.
Then Trypho said: It is possible that the question about the mode of eating may be relieved in this way, when it is written that they consumed and ate the food prepared by Abraham. So, come now, and render us the reason how it is that He who appeared to Abraham as God, and as being the servant of God the Maker of the universe, was born by the Virgin and has become man of like passions with all men, as you said before.
Then I said: Allow me first, Trypho, to collect certain other proofs under our present heading, at some length, that you may be persuaded as well as I about this, and afterwards I will render you the statement you require.
He said: Do as you think best. For so you will do what I myself greatly desire.