17
Whatever are the legitimate criticisms of its obvious Christian-oriented context and outcome, TA
may actually represent the essence of real Jewish-Christian discussion and debate as it could have been
conducted after the firm establishment of Christianity in the fifth and sixth centuries. More issues will be
addressed about the wisdom (or lack thereof) of its presentation of the Christian argument in the
"Conclusion" of this paper.
Unlike its predecessors AZ and ST, it is difficult to isolate a clear progression of themes presented
in TA. This is due to its many repetitions and digressions, some of which form the most interesting
sections of the dialogue. The issues of God's unity, the person of the Messiah including his deity and
suffering, plus the spiritual obstinacy of the Jews weave in and out of the thrust and parry of the
arguments. This lack of distinct progression, however, may be evidence of the dialogue as it originally
took place, rather than exemplify a planned treatise on the Messiahship of Jesus contra Judaeos.
Instead of a detailed outline of the Dialogue, I offer a set of "problems" raised by Aquila and
answered by Timothy in the body of the dialogue proper as they appear between the opening (1-4) and the
closing chapters (57):
1. Problem: How could the Jesus of the Gospels be God? 5-29
2. Problem: Is Christ proclaimed in the Law and Prophets? 30-34
3. Problem: Why is he called "son of David"? 35-36
4. Problem: Is the Lord abolishing his covenant with Israel? 37-38
Digression on the LXX and the translator Aquila. 39-40
5. Problem: Has not God promised to restore Jerusalem? 41-46
6. Problem: In what sense did God become man? 47-56
Some of the following additional features of TA should also be noted: 1. The repeated requests
by Aquila to Timothy for him to actually present the evidence for his claims, which requests were not
always met (7.2,4; 12.1; 19.1; 30.5-7; 21.5; 35.3; 56.1); 2. The extended section on Mary's perpetual
virginity, an emphasis lacking in the earlier dialogues (18.1-20.21); 3. The accusations of "insult" from