"Very blessed," answered the Jews.

"Then," said Constantine, "we are also blessed, because we trust in Him in Whom he also trusted, when he said in the Psalm: 'The man of My peace, in whom I trusted' (Psalm 40:10). This man is Christ God. Whoever trusts in the common man, we also consider accursed.

After this, the Jews proposed another question:

- Why do you, Christians, reject circumcision, when Christ did not reject it, but fulfilled it according to the law?

The philosopher answered:

- Who was the first to say to Abraham, "It shall be for a sign between Me and you," He who came and performed it (circumcision), which is why it was observed from that (Abraham) to this (Christ) [40]. Instead of circumcision, Christ instituted baptism.

Then the Jews said,

- Why then did some please God, not accepting that sign (baptism), but Abraham's (circumcision)?

"None of them," answered the philosopher, "had two wives except Abraham. And therefore God gave him circumcision, in order to set a limit not to transgress further, but to live according to the first example of Adam's life (to have one wife). And he gave Jacob a similar instruction when he injured his leg, because he had two wives. When Jacob understood the guilt of doing this to him, he was then called "Israel," that is, seeing God with his mind. Abraham did not understand this.

"How do you," the Jews asked a new question, "when you worship idols, think that you are pleasing God?"

"First of all," replied the philosopher, "learn to distinguish between names, what is an icon and what is an idol, and then you will see that you are wrongly reproaching Christians. Many indications are found in your books on images. I will ask you about some: Did Moses build the tabernacle in the image that he saw on the mountain, or did he build the tabernacle in the image that was foreseen in his art, he built the tabernacle of trees, leather, wool, and worthy cherubim? But since the former is true, shall we call you that you do honor and bow down to trees, skin, and wool, and not to God, who gave Moses such an image (image) of the tabernacle in his time? I will say the same about the temple of Solomon, in which there were many images of cherubim, angels, and others. In the same way, we, Christians, honoring the rites of those who please God, give honor to God.

"Why do you eat pork and hare," said the Jews, "when it is contrary to God?"

"The first testament (Noah)," said the philosopher, "decreed: 'Everything that moves that lives shall be your food; as herbs I give you all" (Gen. 9:3), because to the pure all things are pure, but to the filthy the conscience is impure. In the same way, God says of all created things: "All things are very good" [41] (Gen. 1:31). Because of your gluttony and for your edification, God has taken away from you the most insignificant things. And how harmful it is for you to overeat, it is written: "And Israel was satisfied, and they forsook God" (Deuteronomy 32:15), or "the people sat down to eat and drink, and then rose up to play" (Exodus 32:6).

Such conversations the blessed philosopher Constantine conducted with the Jews about the Christian faith. These conversations took place every day in the presence of the kagan himself and lasted for quite a long time. They were later written down by Blessed Methodius and divided into eight parts, of which very little is given here.