Eran. -Yes.
Orth. -Was it not then necessary for the ignorant to learn?
Eran. -Agreed.
Orth. -Listen to Him then saying to them: "Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of these works do ye stone me?" And when they replied: "For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and because that thou being a man makest thyself God," He added "It is written in your law I said ye are gods. If he called them gods unto whom the word of God came and the scripture cannot be broken, say ye of Him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world thou blasphemest, because I said I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my father believe me not ...that I am in the Father and the Father is in me."
Eran. -In the passages you have just read you bare shewn that the Lord shewed Himself to the Jews to be God and not man.
Orth. -Yes, for they did not need to learn what they knew; that He was a man they knew, but they did not know that He was from the beginning God. He adopted this same course in the case of the Pharisees; for when He saw them accosting Him as a mere man He asked them "What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He?" And when they said "Of David" He went on "How then doth David calling him Lord say `The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand.'" Then He goes on to argue, "If then He is His Lord how is He His Son?"
Eran. -You have brought testimony against yourself, for the Lord plainly taught the Pharisees to call Him not "Son of David" but "Lord of David." Wherefore He is distinctly shown wishing to be called God and not man.
Orth. -I am afraid you have not attended to the divine teaching. He did not repudiate the name of "Son of David," but He added that He ought also to be believed to be Lord of David. This He clearly shews in the words "If He is his Lord how is He then his Son?" He did not say "if He is Lord He is not Son," but "how is He his Son?" instead of saying in one respect He is Lord and in another Son. These passages both distinctly show the Godhead and the manhood.
Eran. -There is no need of argument. The Lord distinctly teaches that He does not wish to be called Son of David.
Orth. -Then He ought to have told the blind men and the woman of Canaan and the multitude not to call Him Son of David, and yet the blind men cried out "Thou Son of David have mercy on us." And the woman of Canaan "Have mercy on me O Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil." And the multitude: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." And not only did He not take it ill, but even praised their faith; for the blind He freed from their long weary night and granted them the power of sight; the maddened and distraught daughter of the woman of Canaan He healed and drove out the wicked demon; and when the chief priests and Pharisees were offended at them that shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David" He did not merely not prevent them from shouting, but even sanctioned their acclamation, for, said He, "I tell you that if these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out."
Eran. -He put up with this style of address before the resurrection in condescension to the weakness of them that had not yet properly believed. But after the resurrection these names are needless.
Orth. -Where shall we rank the blessed Paul? among the perfect or the imperfect?
Eran. -It is wrong to joke about serious things.
Orth. -It is wrong to make light of the reading of the divine oracles.
Eran. -And who is such a wretch as to despise his own salvation?
Orth. -Answer my question, and thenyou will learn your ignorance.
Eran. -What question?
Orth. -Where are we to rank the divine Apostle?
Eran. -Plainly among the most perfect, and one of the perfect teachers.
Orth. -And when did he begin his teaching?
Eran. -After the ascension of the Saviour, the coming of the Spirit, and the stoning of the victorious Stephen.
Orth. -Paul, at the very end of his life, when writing his last letter to his disciple Timothy, and in giving him, as it were, his paternal inheritance by will, added "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel." Then he went on to mention his sufferings on behalf of the gospel, and thus showed its truth saying, "Wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer even unto bonds."
It were easy for me to adduce many similar testimonies, but I have judged it needless to do so.
Eran. -You promised to prove that the Lord supplied the lacking instruction to them that needed, and you have shown that He discoursed about His own Godhead to the Pharisees, and to the rest of the Jews. But that He gave also His instruction about the flesh you have not shewn.
Orth. -It would have been quite superfluous to have discoursed about the flesh which was before their eyes, for He was plainly seen eating and drinking and toiling and sleeping. Furthermore, to omit the many and various events before the passion, after His resurrection He proved to His disbelieving disciples not His Godhead but His manhood; for He said, "Behold my hands and my feet that it is I myself. Handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have."