Orth.— And yet we showed how, being invisible, He was made manifest through flesh, and the relationship of this very flesh we have been taught by the sacred writers— “He took on Him the seed of Abraham.” And the Lord God said to the patriarch, “in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,” and the apostle, “It is evident our Lord sprang out of Judah.” We adduced further several similar testimonies; but, since you are desirous of hearing yet others, listen to the apostle when he says, “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices, wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.”
Eran.— Point out, then, how He offered after taking a body.
Orth.— The divine apostle himself clearly teaches in the very passage, for after a few words he says: “Wherefore, when He comes into the world, He says, sacrifice and offering you would not, but a body have you prepared me.” He does not say “into a body have you changed,” but “a body have you prepared,” and he shows plainly that the formation of the body was wrought by the Spirit in accordance with the utterance of the gospel, “Fear not to take unto you Mary your wife; for that which is generated in her is of the Holy Ghost.”
Eran.— The virgin then gave birth only to a body?
Orth.— It appears that you do not even understand the composition of words, much less their meaning, for he is teaching Joseph the manner, not of the generation, but of the conception. For he does not say that which is generated of her, i.e. made, or formed, is of the Holy Ghost. Joseph, ignorant of the mystery, was suspicions of adultery; he was therefore plainly taught the formation by the Spirit. It is this which He signified through the prophet when He said “A body have you prepared me” for the divine Apostle being full of the Spirit interpreted the prediction. If then the offering of gifts is the special function of priests and Christ in His humanity was called priest and offered no other sacrifice save His own body, then the Lord Christ had a body.
Eran.— This even I have repeatedly affirmed, and I do not say that the divine Word appeared without a body. What I maintain is not that He took a body but that He was made flesh.
Orth.— So far as I see our contest lies with the supporters of Valentinus, of Marcion, and of Manes; but even they never had the hardihood to say that the immutable nature underwent mutation into flesh.
Eran.— Reviling is unchristian.
Orth.— We do not revile, but we are fighting for truth, and we are vexed at your arguing about the indisputable as though it could be disputed. However, I will endeavour to put an end to your ungracious contention. Answer now; do you remember the promises which God made to David?
Eran.— Which?
Orth.— Those which the prophet inserted in the 88th Psalm.
Eran.— I know that many promises were made to David. Which are you enquiring about now?
Orth.— Those which refer to the Lord Christ.
Eran.— Recall the utterances yourself, for you promised to adduce your proofs.
Orth.— Listen now how the prophet praises God at the very beginning of the Psalm. He saw with his prophetic eyes the future iniquity of his people, and the captivity that was in consequence foredoomed; yet he praised his own Lord for unfailing promises. “I will sing,” he says, “of the mercies of the Lord forever, with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations, for you have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever, Your faithfulness shall You establish in the very heavens.”
Through all this the prophet teaches that the promise was made by God on account of lovingkindness, and that the promise is faithful. Then he goes on to say what He promised, and to whom, introducing God Himself as the speaker. (“I have made a covenant with my chosen.”) It is the Patriarchs that He called chosen; then He goes on “I have sworn unto David my servant,” and He states concerning what He swore, “Your seed will I establish for ever, and build up your throne to all generations.”
Now whom do you suppose to be called the seed of David?
Eran.— The promise was made about Solomon.
Orth.— Then he made his covenant with the Patriarchs about Solomon, for before what was said about David he mentioned the promises made to the Patriarchs “I have made a covenant with my chosen,” and He promised the Patriarchs that in their seed He would bless all nations. Kindly point out how the nations were blessed through Solomon.
Eran.— Then God fulfilled this promise, not by means of Solomon, but of our Saviour.
Orth.— So then our Lord Christ gave the fulfilment to the promises made to David.
Eran.— I hold that these promises were made by God, either about Solomon, or about Zerubbabel.
Orth.— Just now you used the arguments of Marcion and Valentinus and of Manes. Now you have gone over to the directly opposite faction, and are advocating the impudence of the Jews. This is just like all those who turn out of a straight road; they err and stray first one way and then another, wandering in a wilderness.
Eran.— Revilers are excluded by the Apostle from the kingdom.
Orth.— Yes, if their revilings are vain. Sometimes the divine Apostle himself opportunely uses this mode of speech. He calls the Galatians “foolish,” and of others he says “men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith,” and again of another set, “Whose God is their belly, whose glory is in their shame,” and so forth.
Eran.— What occasion did I give you for reviling?
Orth.— Do you really not think that the willing advocacy of the declared enemies of the truth furnishes the pious with very reasonable ground of indignation?
Eran.— And what enemies of the truth have I patronized?
Orth.— Now, Jews.
Eran.— How so?
Orth.— Jews connect prophecies of this kind with Solomon and Zerubbabel, in order to exhibit the groundlessness of the Christian position; but the mere words are quite enough to convict them of their iniquity, for it is written “I will establish my throne for ever.” Now not only Solomon and Zerubbabel, to whom such prophecies are applied by the Jews, have lived out their appointed time, and reached the end of life, but the whole race of David has become extinct; for who ever heard of any one at the present day descended from the root of David?
Eran.— But are not, then, those who are called Patriarchs of the Jews of the family of David?
Orth.— Certainly not.
Eran.— Whence, then, are they sprung?
Orth.— From the foreigner Herod, who, on his father's side, was an Ascalonite, and on his mother's an Idumæan; but they, too, have all disappeared, and many years have gone by since their sovereignty came to an end. But our Lord God promised not only to maintain the seed of David for ever, but to establish his kingdom undestroyed; for He said, “I will build up my throne to all generations.”
But we see that his race is gone, and his kingdom come to an end. Yet though we see this, we know that the God of the Universe is true.
Eran.— That God is true is plain.
Orth.— If, then, God is true, as in truth He is, and promised David that He would establish His race for ever, and keep his kingdom through all time, and if neither race nor kingdom are to be seen, for both have come to an end, how can we convince our opponents that God is true?
Eran.— I suppose, then, the prophecy really points to the Lord Christ.
Orth.— If, then, you confess this, let us investigate together a passage in the middle of the Psalm; we shall then more clearly see what the prophecy means.
Eran.— Lead on; I will religiously follow in your footsteps.
Orth.— After making many promises about this seed that it should be Lord both by sea and land and higher than the kings of the earth and be called the first begotten of God, and should boldly call God, Father God also added this, “My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also will I make to endure for ever and his throne as the days of heaven.”
Source: Dialogues ("Eranistes" or "Polymorphus") (New Advent)