And Trypho said: I am troubled by so many passages of Scripture, and know not what to say about the passage which Isaiah said, according to which God states that He gives His glory to none other, saying as follows: I am the Lord God; this is My name; My glory will I not give to another, nor My powers.
If in all sincerity, said I, and not with ill intent, you say these passages, and then keep silence, Trypho, without either prefixing those that precede them, or connecting those that follow, I can excuse you. But if you do so because you suppose that you can stalemate our argument by making me say that some passages of Scripture contradict others, you are in error. For I shall never dare either to imagine or to say this, but if a passage which seems to be such is adduced, and has the appearance of contradicting another, I am so fully persuaded that no passage really does this that I would rather acknowledge that I do not understand what is said, and shall rather do my best to persuade those who suppose that the passages are contradictory to think the same as I.
Now the intention with which you have proposed this difficulty, God knoweth. But I would remind you of the exact wording of the sentence, that you may recognize even from it that God gives the glory to His Christ alone. Now I will repeat a few sentences, Gentlemen, which occur in the context of the words mentioned by Trypho, and also those that immediately follow them. For I will not say them out of another chapter, but strictly in their connexion. Pray then give me your attention.
Now they are these: Thus saith the Lord God, who made the heaven and fixed it firm, who founded the earth and the things therein, and giveth breath to the people that is on it, and spirit to them that tread it. I the Lord God called thee in righteousness, and will take hold of thy hand and will strengthen thee. And I gave thee for a covenant of the race, for a light of Gentiles, to open the eyes of the blind, to lead the chained out of their bonds, and them that sit in darkness out of their prison-house.
I am the Lord God, this is my name. My glory will I not give to another, nor my powers to the graven images. Lo, the things from the beginning have come, new things which I announce, and before any announceth them were they made known to you. Sing ye to God a new song, His Beginning is from the end of the earth, ye who go down to the sea and sail on it, ye isles, and they that inhabit them.
Rejoice, O desert, and their villages and folds, and they that inhabit Kedar shall rejoice, and they that inhabit the Rock shall shout from the top of the mountains; they shall give glory to God; His powers shall they announce among the islands. The Lord, the God of Hosts, shall go forth; He shall crush (all) war; He shall stir up jealousy, and shall shout aloud against His foes.Isaiah 42:5-13
After saying this I added: Have you understood, my friends, that God says He will give glory to Him whom he set for a light of Gentiles, and not to any other, and that it does not mean, as Trypho said, that God holds back the glory for Himself?
Trypho answered: Yes, we have understood this also. Finish then the rest of the argument.