Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho

Καὶ ὁ Τρύφων, ὑπαγανακτῶν μέν, αἰδούμενος δὲ τὰς γραφάς, ὡς ἐδηλοῦτο ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, εἶπε πρός με· Τὰ μὲν τοῦ θεοῦ ἅγιά ἐστιν, αἱ δὲ ὑμέτεραι ἐξηγήσεις τετεχνασμέναι εἰσίν, ὡς φαίνεται καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐξηγημένων ὑπὸ σοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ βλάσφημοι· ἀγγέλους γὰρ πονηρευσαμένους καὶ ἀποστάντας τοῦ θεοῦ λέγεις.

And Trypho, somewhat indignant but showing reverence for the Scriptures, as was plain from his face, said to me: The words of God are holy, but your interpretations are contrived, as is evident also from those you have expounded, or rather they are even blasphemous; for you say that angels did wickedly and revolted from God.

Κἀγὼ ἐνδοτικώτερον τῇ φωνῇ, παρασκευάσαι αὐτὸν βουλόμενος πρὸς τὸ ἀκούειν μου, ἀπεκρινάμην λέγων· Ἄγαμαί σου, ἄνθρωπε, τὸ εὐλαβὲς τοῦτο, καὶ εὔχομαι τὴν αὐτὴν διάθεσίν σε ἔχειν καὶ περὶ ὃν διακονεῖν γεγραμμένοι εἰσὶν οἱ ἄγγελοι, ὡς Δανιήλ φησιν, ὅτι ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου πρὸς τὸν παλαιὸν τῶν ἡμερῶν προσάγεται, καὶ αὐτῷ δίδοται πᾶσα βασιλεία εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος [DAN., VII., 13-14]. Ἵνα δὲ γνωρίζῃς, εἶπον, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, μὴ ἡμετέρᾳ τόλμῃ χρησαμένους τὴν ἐξήγησιν [fol. 134] ταύτην, ἣν μέμφῃ, πεποιῆσθαι ἡμᾶς, μαρτυρίαν σοι ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου δώσω, ὅτι πονηροὺς ἀγγέλους κατῳκηκέναι καὶ κατοικεῖν λέγει καὶ ἐν Τάνει, τῇ Αἰγυπτίᾳ χώρᾳ.

And I, in a gentler tone of voice, wishing to dispose him to listen to me, answered, saying: I admire this reverence of yours, sir, and I pray that you may have the same disposition also toward him whom the angels are written to serve, as Daniel says, that one like a son of man is brought to the Ancient of Days, and to him is given all kingdom for ever and ever [Dan. 7:13–14]. But so that you may know, sir, I said, that it was not by any daring of our own that we made this interpretation [fol. 134] which you blame, I will give you testimony from Isaiah himself, that he says evil angels have dwelt and still dwell also in Tanis, in the land of Egypt.

Κατὰ γὰρ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ τούτου τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πρωτοτόκου πάσης κτίσεως [cf. Col., I, 15], καὶ διὰ παρθένου γεννηθέντος καὶ παθητοῦ γενομένου ἀνθρώπου, καὶ σταυρωθέντος ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου ὑπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ ὑμῶν καὶ ἀποθανόντος, καὶ ἀναστάντος ἐκ νεκρῶν καὶ ἀναβάντος εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. πᾶν δαιμόνιον ἐξορκιζόμενον νικᾶται καὶ ὑποτάσσεται.

For by the very name of this Son of God and firstborn of all creation [cf. Col. 1:15], who was born through a virgin and became a man subject to suffering, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate by your people and died, and rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, every demon, when exorcised, is overcome and subjected.

Ἐὰν δὲ κατὰ παντὸς ὀνόματος τῶν παρ᾿ ὑμῖν γεγενημένων ἢ βασιλέων ἢ δικαίων ἢ προφητῶν ἢ πατριαρχῶν ἐξορκίζητε ὑμεῖς, οὐχ ὑποταγήσεται οὐδὲν τῶν δαιμονίων· ἀλλ᾿ εἰ ἄρα ἐξορκίζοι τις ὑμῶν κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ θεοῦ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ θεοῦ Ἰακώβ, ἴσως ὑποταγήσεται. Ἢδη μέντοι οἱ ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐπορκισταὶ τῇ τέχνῃ, ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη, χρώμενοι ἐξορκίζουσι καὶ θυμιάμασι καὶ καταδέσμοις χρῶνται, εἶπον.

But if you exorcise by any name of those who have arisen among you, whether kings or righteous men or prophets or patriarchs, not one of the demons will be subjected; but if any of you were to exorcise by the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, it will perhaps be subjected. Yet already, I said, your exorcists, using the craft just as the gentiles do, perform exorcisms, and use fumigations and binding spells.