Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 65

Trypho said, "Overwhelmed by so many passages, I do not know what to say about the passage Isaiah spoke, in which God declares He will not give His glory to another, putting it like this: 'I am the Lord God; this is My name. I will not give My glory to another, nor My virtues' (Isaiah 42:8)." I replied, "If you have spoken these words simply and without malice — having kept silent about what precedes them and without connecting what follows — you are excusable. But if you do it to make it seem you can throw the argument into confusion so that I would say the Scriptures contradict each other, you are deceived. I will never dare to think or say such a thing. Rather, if some passage appears to have a pretext of being contrary, since I am convinced that no Scripture contradicts another, I will admit that I do not understand what has been said, and I will strive to persuade those who think the Scriptures contradict each other to think as I do. How you have framed the problem, God knows. As has been said, I will remind you of the passage so that you may also know from it that God gives His glory to His Christ alone. I will take up a few brief words, men, that are connected with what Trypho said and that follow in the same sequence; for I will not cite them from another section, but as they are joined together under one heading. So attend with your minds. They are these: 'Thus says the Lord God, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it' (Isaiah 42:5). 'I, the Lord God, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand and keep you; I have given you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open eyes that are blind, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who sit in darkness from the prison house' (Isaiah 42:6-7). 'I am the Lord God; that is My name. I will not give My glory to another, nor My virtues to carved idols' (Isaiah 42:8). 'See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring up I tell you of them' (Isaiah 42:9). 'Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea and all that is in it, you islands and all who live in them' (Isaiah 42:10). 'Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops. Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim His praise in the islands' (Isaiah 42:11-12). 'The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior He will stir up His zeal; with a shout He will raise the battle cry and will triumph over His enemies' (Isaiah 42:13)." Having said these things, I said to them, "Have you perceived, friends, that God says He will give glory to this One, whom He has appointed as a light to the nations, and not to another? Not, as Trypho said, as though God were keeping His glory for Himself?" And Trypho answered, "We have perceived this too; proceed then with the rest of the argument."