CHAP. XV. ----A reply to the Greek philosophers who disparage the poverty of style of the Divine Scriptures, and allege that the noble truths of Christianity have been better expressed among the Greeks. They further assert that the body of the Lord was ill-favoured; with the reason of the different forms of the Word. From the treatise against Celsus, who wrote against Christians, Volumes VI. and VII.

1. In beginning this sixth book, we desire, holy Ambrose, to meet the charges brought by Celsus against Christians, not, as might be supposed, what he has borrowed from philosophy. For he quoted numerous passages, mainly from Plato, making common property of such portions of the sacred Scriptures as might mislead even an intelligent reader, alleging that they have been "better expressed by Greeks, and without the violent expedient of a message supposed to come from God or from the Son of God." Now we maintain that if the aim of those who represent the truth is to do as much good as possible to as many as possible, and out of love for men to win over to the truth, as far as may be, every single man, not only the quick and ready, but also him that is void of understanding: or, to put it another way, not Greeks only, nor Barbarians only,----and it is a mark of great humanity if a man is capable of converting rustics and ignorant folk,----it is obvious that a speaker must cultivate a style both popular and profitable, and such as will win everybody's ear. And men who tell us that they say farewell to the ignorant as being no better than slaves, and to such as have no ear for the close connection of the words and the order of the incidents, and who therefore pay attention only to hearers who have had a literary and scientific bringing up, these men reduce the fellowship of the Gospel to very narrow limits.

2. I have said this in reply to the charge brought against the Scriptures by Celsus and others on account of their poverty of style, though that seems to vanish in the grandeur of the composition.241 For our Prophets, and Jesus and His Apostles had the insight to adopt a mode of delivery which not only conveys the truth, but can win the many, until they are drawn to be Catechumens and then, every one so far as he can, rise to the ineffable mysteries contained in the seemingly poor language. And if I may dare say so, the ornate and polished style of Plato and his imitators benefits only a few, if indeed it does benefit them; while the style of those who have taught and written less elegantly, but. nevertheless with a direct and practical aim, keeping in view the wants of the greater number, has benefited many. At all events, you may see Plato in the hands of those who are regarded as literary men, but Epictetus is the admiration of the man in the street and of all who are inclined to improve themselves, for they are conscious of the benefits to be derived from his writings. We do not say this to disparage Plato, for the great world of men has found even him useful, but in order to show the meaning of those who said, "And my speech and my preaching was not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." 242

3. For there is a demonstration of the Word, all its own, more Divine than the dialectic of the Greeks, which the Apostle calls "a demonstration of the Spirit and of power ";243 "of the Spirit," because of the prophecies which are enough to convince the reader, particularly in things relating to Christ: and "of power," because of the marvellous powers which one must be prepared to admit, as on many other grounds, so also, inasmuch as the traces of them are still preserved among those who live according to the intent of the Word.

4. Further, the Divine Word also asserts that what is said, although it be in itself true and most persuasive, is not of itself sufficient to reach man's soul, unless a certain power from God be given to the speaker and grace be shed over his words,244 and effective speakers cannot have this grace without God's help. At all events, the Prophet says in the 67th Psalm that "the Lord shall give a word to them that publish the tidings with great power." 245 Granting, then, that in some cases the Greeks have the same doctrines as ours, it by no means follows that even the same doctrines avail for winning souls and disposing them accordingly. Hence it is that the disciples of Jesus, unlearned and ignorant men as regards Greek philosophy, compassed many nations of the world, impressing each individual hearer as the Word desired, according to his deserts; for the hearers profited in proportion as their will inclined to receive the blessing.

5. Well, then, let the wise men of old be explained to those who can understand them. Let Plato, the son of Aristo, in one of his epistles express his views on the Chief Good, and let him maintain that the Chief Good is by no means communicable in words, but is acquired through much with it, and, kindled as it were from flaming fire,246 suddenly illuminates the soul. When we hear these things (for we are careful not to incur odium for anything that is well said, and if the enunciators of the truth are outside the Faith, we are studious not to vie with them, nor seek to upset sound sense) we admit that they are well spoken, "for God manifested it unto them," 247 and whatsoever else is good in their utterances. And this is why we say that they who have true conceptions of God, and do not lead a godly life worthy of the truth concerning Him, are liable to the chastisements of sinners. For this is precisely what Paul asserts concerning such men, viz, that "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold down the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God manifested it unto them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse; because that, knowing God, they glorified him not as God, neither gave thanks; but became vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and of four-footed beasts, and creeping things." 248 They certainly do "hold down the truth," as our Word also testifies, who think that "the Chief Good is not communicable in words," 249 and who say that "from much with the thing itself and from living with it, it suddenly, lighted as from flaming fire, illuminates the soul, and straightway nourishes itself."  

6. They who wrote such things concerning the Chief Good nevertheless go down to the Piraeus that they may offer up a prayer to the goddess Artemis, and because they want to see how the national festival is kept by the common folk;250 and after so finely discussing the soul and surveying the conduct of a soul that has lived a good life, they forsake the greatness of the things which God manifested to them for mean and paltry conceptions, and pay a cock they owe to Asclepios.251 And although they could imagine the invisible things of God and the eternal forms of Being from the creation of the world and things that are seen, from which they rise to intelligible 252 things, and although they have no ignoble vision of His everlasting power and Godhead, they none the less become vain in their reasonings, and their heart, inasmuch as it is foolish, is overwhelmed with darkness and ignorance, so far I mean as concerns the service of God. And we may see men who pride themselves on wisdom and their knowledge of theology worshipping the likeness of the image of a corruptible man to show how they honour him; and we sometimes see them descending, like the Egyptians, to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. And even if "some do seem to have risen above this, they will nevertheless "exchange the truth of God for a lie, and worship and serve the creature more than the Creator." 253 Wherefore, because the wise and learned Greeks err in their religious observances, "God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame them that are wise; and the base things of the world, and the weak things, and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, that he may bring to nought the things that are; and that truly no one may glory before God." 254 But our wise men, Moses the most ancient of them all, and the Prophets who came after him, knowing that the Chief Good is not at all communicable in words, and believing that God manifests Himself to fit and suitable persons, were the first to write that God appeared to Abraham, for instance, or to Isaac, pr to Jacob. But Who He was that appeared, whence He came, and how, and for what object connected with mankind, they have left for those to investigate who can put themselves into God's hands as did the saints to whom God appeared, for He was seen, not with their bodily eyes, but with the pure heart. As our Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see their God."

7. As for the sudden kindling in the soul of a burning light as it were from flaming fire, the Word 255 knew this before Plato,256 for, speaking by the prophet, He said, "Light up for yourselves the light of knowledge." 257 And John, who came long after, tells us that "What was in the Word was life, and the life was the light of men";258 the true light which lighteneth every man as he cometh into the real "intelligible" world, and maketh him a light of the world.259 For this light shone in our hearts to give the illumination of the gospel of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.260 Wherefore a very ancient Prophet, who prophesied generations before the rise of the kingdom of Cyrus, for he was earlier than that monarch by more than fourteen generations, says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?" 261 and, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my paths";262 and, "The light of thy countenance, O Lord, was lifted up as a banner over us";263 and,"In thy light shall we see light." 264 And, urging us to come to this light, the Word in Isaiah says, "Shine, shine, Jerusalem; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord hath risen upon thee." 265 And this same Isaiah, prophesying of the coming of Jesus, Who turns men from the worship of idols and images and demons, says, "To them which sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did the light spring up." 266 And again, "The people which sat in darkness saw a great light." 267 Observe, then, the difference between Plato's fine saying respecting the Chief Good, and what is said in the Prophets concerning the light of the blessed; and observe further that the truth in Plato concerning the Chief Good did not at all help his readers to attain to pure and undefiled religion; and. what is more, it did not benefit the philosopher him-self who thus expounded the Chief Good. But the diction of the Divine Scriptures, poor as it is, has given inspiration to true readers----those who nourish this light with the oil spoken of in the parable,268 the oil which keeps alight the torches of the five virgins.

8. Now let us see what he has to say next. "They have," he says, "a precept to the effect that we are not to avenge ourselves on any one who treats us with insolence and violence. Even if a man strikes you on the one cheek, you are, according to it, to offer him the other also. This is an old saw; it was well enough expressed before; the Christians have revived it in a rougher form. Plato makes Socrates say in his argument with Crito,269 'Then we must do no wrong. Certainly not. Nor when injured injure in return, as the many imagine; for we must injure no one at all. Clearly not,'" and so on. Our reply to this and to all those passages which Celsus has made out to be common property, alleging, because he could not face the truth of them, that the same things have been said by Greek authors, is something like this. If the doctrine is serviceable and its purpose sound and wise, and it has been taught the Greeks by Plato or some other philosopher, and the Jews by Moses or some other Prophet, and Christians in the recorded sayings of Jesus or of one of the Apostles, we must not suppose that what is held by Jews or Christians is prejudiced by the fact that the same things have been said by Greeks, particularly if Jewish teaching can be shown to be older than Grecian. Nor, again, must we suppose that a given statement is by reason of the beauty of Greek phraseology of necessity better than what is expressed with less elegance and in simpler terms by Jewish or Christian authors, though we must bear in mind that the primitive language of the Jews, which the Prophets employed in the books which they have left us, is perpetuated in the Hebrew, and with a wise regard to the possibilities of composition in that tongue.

9. If we must, however, show that when the doctrines are the same they are better expressed by Jewish Prophets or Christian oracles, let us, though the argument may seem strange, take an illustration in proof of our position from different kinds of food and their preparation. Suppose some wholesome and nutritious food to be cooked and seasoned a certain way, and let the partakers of it not be rustics, and the inmates of hovels, and poor folk who know nothing of such dainties, but only rich people accustomed to live delicately. And suppose myriads of persons to eat the same food not cooked that way, to suit the palates of acknowledged epicures, but to suit the tastes of the poor, of rustics, and the majority of men. Now, if we grant that the epicures alone gain health and strength from the food prepared one way, and that no ordinary person cares for such food, while whole multitudes of men thrive on the food cooked the other way, which set of cooks are we to regard as the greatest public benefactors on account of the wholesome food they provide? Shall we give the credit to those who cook to suit the learned few, or to those who cater for the masses? We may concede that whichever way the cooking is done, the food is equally wholesome and nourishing; humanity itself, however, and the public welfare teach us that a physician who takes thought for the health of the many, renders a greater service to the public than he who cares only for the health of the few.

10. If the illustration is understood, let us apply it to the quality of the rational food of rational creatures. And consider whether Plato and the wise men of the Greeks do not in their choice dicta resemble physicians who attend only better-class patients, while they despise the bulk of men. But the Jewish Prophets and the disciples of Jesus, bidding a long farewell to the embroidery of diction, and, as Scripture terms it, "the wisdom of men" and "wisdom after the flesh " 270 (hinting at the tongue), would be like the cooks who take care, the quality of the food remaining the same, to prepare it the most wholesome way; they have at their command a style which reaches the masses of mankind, adapts itself to their speech, and does not by its strangeness close men's ears to such discourses because they are unfamiliar. For if the real object of eating the rational food, if I may so speak, is to make the eater submissive and meek, must we not think that the Word which produces multitudes of forbearing and meek hearers, or sets them on the way to becoming so, is better prepared than that which makes a mere handful, to concede so much, forbearing and meek? And if Plato, a Greek, intended to benefit Greek or Syrian adherents by sound doctrine, he would take care to learn the languages of his future hearers, and, as the Greeks phrase it, would rather be a "barbarian" to do the Egyptians and Syrians good, than remain a Greek and be incapable of speaking anything of use to the Egyptians and Syrians. Just so, the Divine Nature taking thought not only for those who are reputed learned among the Greeks, but also for the rest of the Greeks, condescended to the ignorance of the majority of hearers, so that, employing words familiar to them, it might encourage the unlearned multitude to hearken; for after the first introduction they can easily endeavour to get a hold on the deeper truths hidden in the Scriptures. For even an ordinary reader soon discovers that many passages have a deeper signification than appears on the surface, a signification revealed to devoted students of the Word, and revealed in proportion to the time they spend upon the Word and to their zeal in putting into practice what they read.

11. So, then, it has been proved that if Jesus did, as Celsus alleges, speak somewhat roughly when He said, "To him that striketh thee on the one cheek, turn the other also": 271 and, "If any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also":272 He has by thus speaking expressed and applied the precept to better purpose than Plato did in the Crito. The unlearned cannot in the least understand it there, and even they who have received a good school education before attempting the grave philosophy of Greece, can understand it only with difficulty. And we must further observe that the true teaching respecting forbearance is not "corrupted" by the poor diction in which it is conveyed; but even here Celsus slanders the Word when he says, "But as for those and all other corrupting precepts let the foregoing suffice."

Again in Book VI., in reply to the statement of Celsus that our Lord's body was unsightly, Origen writes thus:----

12. After this Celsus says, "Since there was a Divine Spirit in the body of Jesus, that body would of necessity vary at all events in some respects from other bodies, in size, or beauty, or strength, or voice; it would have some astonishing or attractive characteristics. Tor it is impossible that a body having more of the Divine Nature than other bodies should no way differ from any other; but the body of Jesus was not at all different; indeed, so they say, it was small, ill-favoured, and ignoble." Now here again, it is clear that if Celsus wishes to disparage Jesus, he quotes the Scriptures as if he believed such of them as seem to him to justify the charge; but wherever, in the same Scriptures, any one might suppose the opposite of what constitutes the charge to be asserted, Celsus professes not to know it. We admit, then, that there are passages which speak of the body of Jesus as ill-favoured, but not ignoble, as our opponents maintain; nor is there clear evidence that it was small. The exact description given by Isaiah in the prophecy that He would not visit the many in a graceful form, or with surpassing beauty, runs thus: "Lord who hath believed our report? 273 and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? for he grew up before him as a tender 274 plant, as a root in a dry ground: he hath no form (nor glory: and we saw him and he had no form) nor comeliness; but his form was unhonoured,. marred more than the sons of men": Celsus noted all this, for he thought it would serve him in disparaging Jesus; but he paid no attention to the words of the 45th Psalm, the Psalm "for the Beloved," how it is said, "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O Mighty One, in thy grace and beauty, and in thy majesty ride on prosperously."275

13. But maybe Celsus had not read the prophecy, or perhaps he had read it but was misled by interpreters who erroneously hold that it does not refer to Jesus Christ. Well, what will he make of the Gospel narrative in which we are told that He went up to a high mountain,276 and was transfigured before His disciples and appeared in glory; when both Moses and Elias also appeared in glory,277 and spake of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem? Or again, if the Prophet says, "We beheld him, and he had no form, nor beauty," 278 and so on, Celsus admits that the prophecy may be referred to Jesus, but it is a blind admission, for he does not see that the, fact of a prophecy giving particulars of the form of Jesus, many years before His birth, is a strong confirmation of the truth that Jesus Who seemed to have no "form" was the Son of God. But if another Prophet says that Jesus had grace and beauty, why will not Celsus allow that this prophecy refers to Jesus Christ? Further, if it were possible to clearly gather from the Gospels that our Lord had no form nor beauty, but that His form was without honour, marred more than the sons of men, one might say that Celsus in his argument followed not the Prophets but the Evangelists. The fact, however, is that neither the Gospels, nor even the Apostles, give any intimation that He had no form or beauty; and it is obvious that Celsus is bound to admit the declaration of prophecy 279 to be a true description of Christ; and this being so, there is an end to the disparaging statements concerning Jesus.

14. Again, we have the statement that "inasmuch as the body was tenanted by a Divine Spirit it must have varied at all events in some respects from other bodies, either in size, or voice, or strength, in astonishing or attractive characteristics." How came Celsus to overlook the fact that our Lord's body varied according to the capacity of the observers, and that a useful purpose was served when its appearance was such as was necessary for each individual? And it is nothing wonderful that matter; by nature mutable and variable and convertible to every-thing the Creator 280 chooses, and receptive of every quality the Artificer desires, should sometimes have a quality corresponding to the description, "He hath neither form nor beauty," and sometimes should be so glorious, astonishing, and marvellous, that the three Apostles who ascended the Mount with Jesus at the sight of such wondrous beauty fell upon their faces.281 But we shall be told that these are fictions, no better than fables, like the rest of the strange stories about Jesus.

15. Our answer is that to reconstruct almost any historical scene, even if true, so as to give a vivid impression of what actually occurred, is exceedingly difficult, and sometimes impossible. Suppose some one to assert that there never was a Trojan war, mainly on the ground that the impossible story of a certain Achilles being the son of a sea goddess Thetis and a man Peleus is mixed up with it; or that Sarpedon was the son of Zeus, or Ascalaphus and Ialmenus sons of Ares; or that Aeneas was Aphrodite's son: how could we dispose of such an objection? Should we not be very hard pressed to explain the strange blending of a fiction with the universal belief that there was war between Greeks and Trojans at Troy? Or let us suppose some one to doubt the story of Oedipus and Jocaste, and of their sons Eteocles and Polynices, because that a sort of half-woman, the Sphinx, is mixed up with the story; how should we clear up the difficulty? Well, the prudent reader of the narratives, who wishes to guard against deception, will use his own judgment as to what he will allow to be historical, and what he will regard as figurative; he will try to discover what the writers meant by inventing such stories; and to some things he will refuse his assent on the ground that they were recorded to gratify certain persons. And this we have premised, having in view the history of Jesus as a whole contained in the Gospels; for we do not invite intelligent readers to a bare unreasoning faith, but we wish to show that future readers will have to exercise prudence, and make careful inquiry, and, so to speak, penetrate the very heart of the writers, if the exact purport of every passage is to be discovered.

16. Celsus, in fact, so that he may impeach the Word, appears to believe just as much as he pleases of what our Scriptures contain; but to avoid acknowledging the manifest Divinity proclaimed in the same books, he will not believe the Gospels: for any one who sees what lovers of truth the writers were, must, judging by the way they treat less important matters, believe them in things more Divine.

17. Now, if they had not been lovers of the truth, but, as Celsus supposes, had recorded fictions, they would never have told us of Peter's denial or informed us that the disciples of Jesus were offended. For though such things did happen, who was there to prove the fact? And, really, these incidents would probably have been passed over in silence by men who wished to teach readers of the Gospels to despise death for the sake of confessing Christianity. But, as the case stands, seeing that the Word will mightily prevail over men, they gave these particulars, which, strangely enough, were destined not to injure the readers or afford a pretext for denial.  

18. And the Word has a more meaning also, for it shows that the different appearances 282 of Jesus are related to the nature of the Divine Word,283 which does not appear the same to the many,284 and to those who can follow Him to the lofty mountain 285 of which we have given an account. For in the eyes of those who are below and are not yet ready for the ascent, the Word hath neither form nor beauty;286 to such as these its form is without honour, and marred more than the words "born of men," in the passage before us figuratively called "sons of men." For we might say that the words of the philosophers, being "sons of men," look far more beautiful than the Word of God preached to the many, which even draws attention to the foolishness of the preaching,287 and it is because of the foolishness of the preaching that men who regard the preaching only, say, "We beheld it, and it hath neither form nor beauty." But for those who through obeying Him have received strength to follow Him even when He ascends the lofty mountain, He hath a Diviner appearance. And a man sees Him thus, if he is a Peter making room for the building of the Church within him through the Word, gaining such strength of character that no gate of hell shall prevail against him,288 inasmuch as he has been lifted up through the Word from the gates of death that he may declare all the praises of God in the gates of the daughter of Zion;289 and others see it thus also, men who have been born of words with a great voice, such as have the full tones of spiritual thunder.290

19. And down below the Word has other garments; they are not white, they are not like the light; if thou shalt ascend to the lofty mountain, thou shalt see His light and His garments. The garments of the Word are the phrases of the Scripture; the Divine thoughts are clothed in these expressions. As then down below He looks different, but having ascended is transfigured, His face beaming like the sun, so it is with His clothing, so it is with His garments. When thou art below, they do not shine, they are not white; but if thou ascend, thou shalt see the beauty and the light of the garments, and shalt marvel at the transfigured face of Jesus. And consider whether the Gospels do not also give us the same teaching respecting Jesus. The particulars of His generation, His descent from Abraham and birth of the seed of David according to the flesh, is the Book of the generation of Jesus Christ; 291 but as for the more Divine and more important things to be said concerning Him, and proclaimed by Him, John says, "I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that should be written." 292 For we must not, like some, admit that if the world cannot contain the books that should be written, it is because of the multitude of the writings, but rather that it is on account of the greatness of the incidents; their greatness is not only indescribable, but they cannot be proclaimed by fleshly tongue, nor be made known in the language and speech of men. This is why Paul, when he is about to learn things more Divine, leaves our world of earth and is rapt into the third heaven,293 that he may be able to hear the unutterable words thence proceeding. For we are told of what was said there and considered to be the Word of God, the Word made flesh,294 and who, as regards being God with God,295 emptied Himself. Wherefore we see the Word of God 296 on earth, for that He became man, in human guise; for even in the Scriptures the Word became flesh that He might tabernacle among us.297 But if we incline on the bosom of the Word made flesh 298 and are able to follow Him when He ascends the lofty mountain, we shall say, "We saw his glory." 299 Some perhaps who are not like those who lie upon His bosom and follow Him to the lofty mountain may say, "We saw his glory," but they will not add "Glory as of an only-begotten from a Father, full of grace and truth": for this language becomes John and such as are like him. And, according to a loftier interpretation, they who are able to walk in the footsteps of Jesus as He ascends, and is transfigured out of sight of earth, shall behold His transfiguration in every scripture; for instance, when Jesus shows Himself to the many, this is the function of the simpler diction; but when He ascends a lofty mountain and is transfigured, showing Himself to very few of the disciples, and to those who have become able to follow Him to the heights above, this is the work of the highest, sublimest sense, containing oracles of the wisdom hidden in a mystery, which wisdom "God foreordained before the worlds unto the glory of his righteous ones." 300

20. But how can Celsus, and the enemies of the Divine Word, and such as do not investigate Christianity with a love of truth, know the meaning of the different appearances of Jesus? I refer to the different periods of His life, to anything He did before the Passion, and whatever happened after His Resurrection from the dead.

[1] Πρὸς τοὺς Ἑλλήνων φιλοσόφους τὸ εὐτελὲς τῆς τῶν θείων γραφῶν φράσεως διασύροντας, καὶ τὰ ἐν χριστιανισμῷ καλὰ βέλτιον παρ' Ἕλλησιν εἰρῆσθαι φάσκοντας, καὶ προσέτι δυσειδὲς τὸ τοῦ κυρίου σῶμα λέγοντας: καὶ τίς ὁ λόγος τῶν διαφόρων τοῦ λόγου μορφῶν. ἐκ τῶν κατὰ Κέλσου, τοῦ κατὰ χριστιανῶν γράψαντος, τόμου Ϛʹ καὶ ζʹ. Ἕκτον τοῦτον ἐνιστάμενοι λόγον πρὸς τὰς Κέλσου κατὰ χριστιανῶν κατηγορίας χρῄζομεν ἐν αὐτῷ, ἱερὲ Ἀμβρόσιε, ἀγωνίσασθαι οὐ πρὸς τὰ ἀπὸ φιλοσοφίας ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐκτιθέμενα, ὡς οἰηθείη ἄν τις. παρέθετο γὰρ πλείονα μάλιστα Πλάτωνος ὁ Κέλσος, κοινοποιῶν τὰ δυνάμενα ἑλεῖν τινὰ καὶ συνετὸν ἐκ τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων: φάσκων ‘βέλτιον αὐτὰ παρ' Ἕλλησιν εἰρῆσθαι, καὶ χωρὶς ἀνατάσεως καὶ ἀπαγγελίας τῆς ὡς ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἢ υἱοῦ θεοῦ.’ φαμὲν οὖν ὅτι, εἴπερ τὸ προκείμενόν ἐστι τοῖς πρεσβεύουσι τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας πλείους ὅση δύναμις ὠφελεῖν, καὶ προσάγειν ὡς οἷόν τέ ἐστιν αὐτῇ διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν πάνθ' ὁντινοῦν, οὐ μόνον ἐντρεχῆ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνόητον, πάλιν δ' αὖ οὐχὶ Ἕλληνας μὲν οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ βαρβάρους: πολὺ δὲ τὸ ἥμερον ἐὰν καὶ τοὺς ἀγροικοτάτους καὶ ἰδιώτας οἷός τέ τις γένηται ἐπιστρέφειν: δῆλόν ἐστιν ὅτι καὶ χαρακτῆρος ἐν τῷ λέγειν φροντιστέον αὐτῷ κοινωφελοῦς καὶ δυναμένου πᾶσαν ἐπαγαγέσθαι ἀκοήν. ὅσοι δὲ, πολλὰ χαίρειν φράσαντες ὡς ἀνδραπόδοις τοῖς ἰδιώταις καὶ μὴ οἵοις τε κατακούειν τῆς ἐν φράσει λόγων καὶ τάξει ἀπαγγελλομένων ἀκολουθίας, μόνον ἐφρόντισαν τῶν ἀνατραφέντων ἐν λόγοις καὶ μαθήμασιν: οὗτοι τὸ κοινωνικὸν εἰς κομιδῇ στενὸν καὶ βραχὺ συνήγαγον.
[2] Ταῦτα δέ μοι λέλεκται ἀπολογουμένῳ περὶ τῆς κατηγορουμένης ὑπὸ Κέλσου καὶ ἑτέρων ἐν λέξεσιν εὐτελείας τῶν γραφῶν, ἀμαυροῦσθαι δοκούσης ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν συνθέσει λέξεως λαμπρότητος: ἐπεὶ οἱ καθ' ἡμᾶς προφῆται, Ἰησοῦς τε καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι αὐτοῦ, ἐνεῖδον τρόπῳ ἀπαγγελίας οὐ τὰ ἀληθῆ μόνον περιεχούσης, ἀλλὰ καὶ δυναμένης ἐπαγαγέσθαι τοὺς πολλοὺς, ἕως προτραπέντες καὶ εἰσαχθέντες ἕκαστος κατὰ δύναμιν ἀναβῶσιν ἐπὶ τὰ ἐν ταῖς δοκούσαις εἶναι εὐτελέσι λέξεσιν ἀπορρήτως εἰρημένα. καὶ, εἰ χρή γε τολμήσαντα εἰπεῖν, ὀλίγους μὲν ὤνησεν, εἴγε ὤνησεν, ἡ περικαλλὴς καὶ ἐπιτετηδευμένη Πλάτωνος καὶ τῶν παραπλησίως φρασάντων λέξις: πλείονας δὲ ἡ τῶν εὐτελέστερον ἅμα καὶ πραγματικῶς καὶ ἐστοχασμένως τῶν πολλῶν διδαξάντων καὶ γραψάντων. ἔστι γοῦν ἰδεῖν τὸν μὲν Πλάτωνα ἐν χερσὶ τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι φιλολόγων μόνον: τὸν δὲ Ἐπίκτητον καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν τυχόντων καὶ ῥοπὴν πρὸς τὸ ὠφελεῖσθαι ἐχόντων θαυμαζόμενον, αἰσθομένων τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ βελτιώσεως. καὶ ταῦτά γε οὐκ ἐγκαλοῦντες Πλάτωνί φαμεν: ὁ γὰρ πολὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων κόσμος χρησίμως καὶ τοῦτον ἤνεγκεν: ἀλλὰ δεικνύντες τὸ βούλημα τῶν εἰπόντων τό: Καὶ ὁ λόγος μου καὶ τὸ κήρυγμά μου οὐκ ἐν πειθοῖς σοφίας λόγοις, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀποδείξει πνεύματος καὶ δυνάμεως: ἵν' ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν μὴ ᾖ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἀνθρώπων ἀλλ' ἐν δυνάμει θεοῦ.
[3] Ἔστι γάρ τις οἰκεία ἀπόδειξις τοῦ λόγου, θειοτέρα παρὰ τὴν ἀπὸ διαλεκτικῆς Ἑλληνικήν: ἣν ὁ ἀπόστολος ὀνομάζει ἀπόδειξιν πνεύματος καὶ δυνάμεως: πνεύματος μὲν διὰ τὰς προφητείας, ἱκανὰς πιστοποιῆσαι τὸν ἐντυγχάνοντα μάλιστα εἰς τὰ περὶ τοῦ χριστοῦ: δυνάμεως δὲ διὰ τὰς τεραστίους δυνάμεις, ἃς κατασκευαστέον γεγονέναι καὶ ἐκ πολλῶν μὲν ἄλλων, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἴχνη δὲ αὐτῶν ἔτι σώζεσθαι παρὰ τοῖς κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ λόγου βιοῦσιν.
[4] Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ θεῖος λόγος: οὐκ αὔταρκες εἶναι τὸ λεγόμενον, κἂν καθ' αὑτὸ ἀληθὲς καὶ πιστικώτατον ᾖ, πρὸς τὸ καθικέσθαι ἀνθρωπίνης ψυχῆς, ἐὰν μὴ καὶ δύναμίς τις θεόθεν δοθῇ τῷ λέγοντι καὶ χάρις ἐπανθήσῃ τοῖς λεγομένοις, καὶ αὕτη οὐκ ἀθεεὶ ἐγγινομένη τοῖς ἀνυσίμως λέγουσι. φησὶ γοῦν ὁ προφήτης ἐν ἑξηκοστῷ καὶ ἑβδόμῳ ψαλμῷ, ὅτι Κύριος δώσει ῥῆμα τοῖς εὐαγγελιζομένοις δυνάμει πολλῇ. ἵν' οὖν ἐπί τινων δοθῇ τὰ αὐτὰ δόγματα εἶναι Ἕλλησι καὶ τοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου ἡμῶν, ἀλλ' οὔτι γε καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ δύναται πρὸς τὸ ὑπαγαγέσθαι καὶ διαθεῖναι ψυχὰς κατὰ ταῦτα. διόπερ οἱ ἰδιῶται, ὡς πρὸς φιλοσοφίαν Ἑλληνικὴν, μαθηταὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐκπεριῆλθον πολλὰ ἔθνη τῆς οἰκουμένης, διατιθέντες ὡς ὁ λόγος ἐβούλετο κατ' ἀξίαν ἕκαστον τῶν ἀκουόντων: οἳ καὶ ἀνάλογον τῇ ῥοπῇ τοῦ αὐτεξουσίου αὐτῶν πρὸς ἀποδοχὴν τοῦ καλοῦ πολλῷ βελτίους ἐγένοντο.
[5] Παλαιοὶ τοίνυν ἄνδρες καὶ σοφοὶ δηλούσθωσαν τοῖς ἐπίστασθαι δυναμένοις. καὶ δὴ καὶ Πλάτων ὁ τοῦ Ἀρίστωνος τὰ περὶ τοῦ πρώτου ἀγαθοῦ διασημαινέτω ἔν τινι τῶν ἐπιστολῶν, καὶ φασκέτω μηδαμῶς εἶναι ῥητὸν τὸ πρῶτον ἀγαθὸν, ἀλλ' ἐκ πολλῆς συνουσίας ἐγγιγνόμενον, καὶ ἐξαίφνης οἷον ἀπὸ πυρὸς πηδήσαντος ἐξαφθὲν φῶς ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ. ὧν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀκούσαντες (οἱ μελετήσαντες μηδενὶ ἀπεχθάνεσθαι τῶν καλῶς λεγομένων, κἂν οἱ ἔξω τῆς πίστεως λέγωσι καλῶς, μὴ προσφιλονεικεῖν αὐτοῖς, μηδὲ ζητεῖν ἀνατρέπειν τὰ ὑγιῶς ἔχοντα) συγκατατιθέμεθα ὡς καλῶς λεγομένοις: ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς ταῦτα, καὶ ὅσα καλῶς λέλεκται, ἐφανέρωσε. διὰ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τοὺς τὰ ἀληθῆ περὶ θεοῦ ὑπολαβόντας, καὶ μὴ τὴν ἀξίαν τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀληθείας θεοσέβειαν ἀσκήσαντας, φαμὲν ὑποκεῖσθαι ταῖς τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων κολάσεσιν. αὐταῖς γὰρ λέξεσί φησι περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ὁ Παῦλος, ὅτι Ἀποκαλύπτεται ὀργὴ θεοῦ ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ἀσέβειαν καὶ ἀδικίαν ἀνθρώπων τῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐν ἀδικίᾳ κατεχόντων, διότι τὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φανερόν ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὁ θεὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐφανέρωσε: τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασι νοούμενα καθορᾶται, ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θειότης, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἀναπολογήτους, διότι γνόντες τὸν θεὸν οὐχ ὡς θεὸν ἐδόξασαν ἢ ηὐχαρίστησαν, ἀλλ' ἐματαιώθησαν ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐσκοτίσθη ἡ ἀσύνετος αὐτῶν καρδία: φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν, καὶ ἤλλαξαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἀφθάρτου θεοῦ ἐν ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πετεινῶν καὶ τετραπόδων καὶ ἑρπετῶν. καὶ ἀλήθειαν γοῦν κατέχουσιν, ὡς καὶ ὁ ἡμέτερος μαρτυρεῖ λόγος, οἱ φρονοῦντες ὅτι Ῥητὸν οὐδαμῶς ἐστὶ τὸ πρῶτον ἀγαθὸν, καὶ λέγοντες ὡς Ἐκ πολλῆς συνουσίας γινομένης περὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα αὐτὸ καὶ τοῦ συζῇν, ἐξαίφνης οἷον ἀπὸ πυρὸς πηδήσαντος ἐξαφθὲν φῶς ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ γενόμενον αὐτὸ ἑαυτὸ ἤδη τρέφει.
[6] Ἀλλ' οἱ τοιαῦτα περὶ τοῦ πρώτου ἀγαθοῦ γράψαντες καταβαίνουσιν εἰς Πειραιέα, προσευξόμενοι ὡς θεῷ τῇ Ἀρτέμιδι, καὶ ὀψόμενοι τὴν ὑπὸ ἰδιωτῶν ἐπιτελουμένην πανήγυριν: καὶ τηλικαῦτά γε φιλοσοφήσαντες περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τὴν διαγωγὴν τῆς καλῶς βεβιωκυίας διεξελθόντες, καταλιπόντες τὸ μέγεθος ὧν αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς ἐφανέρωσεν εὐτελῆ φρονοῦσι καὶ μικρὰ, ἀλεκτρυόνα τῷ Ἀσκληπιῷ ἀποδιδόντες: καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὰς ἰδέας φαντασθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν, ἀφ' ὧν ἀναβαίνουσιν ἐπὶ τὰ νοούμενα, τήν τε ἀΐδιον αὐτοῦ δύναμιν καὶ θειότητα οὐκ ἀγεννῶς ἰδόντες, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐματαιώθησαν ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ὡς ἀσύνετος αὐτῶν ἡ καρδία ἐν σκότῳ καὶ ἀγνοίᾳ καλινδεῖται τῇ περὶ τοῦ θεραπεύειν τὸ θεῖον. καὶ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τοὺς ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ μέγα φρονοῦντας καὶ θεολογίᾳ, ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου προσκυνοῦντας εἰς τιμήν φησιν ἐκείνου: ἔσθ' ὅτε δὲ καὶ καταβαίνοντας μετ' Αἰγυπτίων ἐπὶ τὰ πετεινὰ ἢ τετράποδα ἢ ἑρπετά. ἵνα δὲ καὶ δοκῶσί τινες ταῦτα ὑπεραναβεβηκέναι, ἀλλ' εὑρεθήσονται ἀλλάξαντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ψεύδει, καὶ σέβοντες καὶ λατρεύοντες τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα. διόπερ τῶν ἐν Ἕλλησι σοφῶν καὶ πολυμαθῶν τοῖς ἔργοις περὶ τὸ θεῖον πλανωμένων, ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸς τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφοὺς, καὶ τὰ ἀγενῆ καὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ καὶ τὰ ἐξουθενημένα καὶ τὰ μὴ ὄντα, ἵνα τὰ ὄντα καταργήσῃ: καὶ ἀληθῶς ἵνα μὴ καυχήσηται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ. πρῶτον δὲ ἡμῶν σοφοὶ, Μωσῆς ὁ ἀρχαιότατος καὶ οἱ ἑξῆς αὐτῷ προφῆται, οὐδαμῶς ῥητὸν ἐπιστάμενοι τὸ πρῶτον ἀγαθὸν, ἔγραψαν μὲν, ὡς θεοῦ ἑαυτὸν ἐμφανίζοντος τοῖς ἀξίοις καὶ ἐπιτηδείοις, ὅτι ὤφθη ὁ θεὸς φέρ' εἰπεῖν τῷ Ἀβραὰμ, ἢ τῷ Ἰσαὰκ, ἢ τῷ Ἰακώβ. τίς δὲ ὢν ὤφθη καὶ ποταπὸς καὶ τίνα τρόπον καὶ τίνι τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν, καταλελοίπασιν ἐξετάζειν τοῖς δυναμένοις ἑαυτοὺς ἐμπαρέχειν παραπλησίους ἐκείνοις οἷς ὤφθη ὁ θεὸς, ὀφθεὶς αὐτῶν οὐ τοῖς τοῦ σώματος ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀλλὰ τῇ καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ. καὶ γὰρ κατὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἡμῶν: Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται.
[7] Τὸ δ' ἐξαίφνης οἷον ἀπὸ πυρὸς πηδήσαντος ἐξάπτεσθαι φῶς ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ, πρότερος οἶδεν ὁ λόγος, εἰπὼν ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ: Φωτίσατε ἑαυτοῖς φῶς γνώσεως. καὶ Ἰωάννης δὲ ὕστερον ἐκείνου γενόμενος λέγει ὅτι Ὃ γέγονεν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων: ὅπερ φῶς ἀληθινὸν φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν ἀληθινὸν καὶ νοητὸν κόσμον, καὶ ποιεῖ αὐτὸν φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. ἔλαμψε γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ φῶς ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν, πρὸς φωτισμὸν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν προσώπῳ Χριστοῦ. διό φησιν ἀρχαιότατος προφήτης πρὸ πολλῶν γενεῶν τῆς Κύρου βασιλείας προφητεύσας, ὑπὲρ τὰς τεσσαρεσκαίδεκα γὰρ γενεὰς πρεσβύτερος αὐτοῦ ἦν, τό: Κύριος φωτισμός μου καὶ σωτήρ μου, τίνα φοβηθήσομαι; καί: Λύχνος τοῖς ποσί μου ὁ νόμος σου, καὶ φῶς ταῖς τρίβοις μου. καί: Ἐσημειώθη ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου, κύριε: καί: Ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς. καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ φῶς τοῦτο προτρέπων ἡμᾶς ὁ ἐν τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ λόγος φησί: Φωτίζου, φωτίζου, Ἱερουσαλήμ: ἥκει γάρ σου τὸ φῶς, καὶ ἡ δόξα κυρίου ἐπὶ σὲ ἀνέτειλεν. ὁ δ' αὐτὸς οὗτος προφητεύων περὶ τῆς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐπιδημίας, ἀφίσταντος τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων καὶ ἀγαλμάτων καὶ δαιμόνων θεραπείας, φησὶν ὅτι Καθημένοις ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου φῶς ἀνέτειλεν αὐτοῖς: καὶ πάλιν: Λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότει φῶς εἶδεν μέγα. ὅρα οὖν τὴν διαφορὰν τοῦ καλῶς λελεγμένου ὑπὸ τοῦ Πλάτωνος περὶ τοῦ πρώτου ἀγαθοῦ, καὶ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐν τοῖς προφήταις περὶ τοῦ φωτὸς τῶν μακαρίων: καὶ ὅρα ὅτι ἡ μὲν ἐν Πλάτωνι περὶ τούτου ἀλήθεια οὐδὲν ὡς πρὸς εἰλικρινῆ εὐσέβειαν ὤνησε τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας, ἀλλ' οὐδ' αὐτὸν τὸν τοιαῦτα περὶ τοῦ πρώτου ἀγαθοῦ φιλοσοφήσαντα: ἡ δὲ τῶν θείων γραμμάτων εὐτελὴς λέξις ἐνθουσιᾷν πεποίηκε τοὺς γνησίως ἐντυγχάνοντας αὐτῇ: παρ' οἷς τρέφεται τοῦτο τὸ φῶς τῷ ἔν τινι παραβολῇ εἰρημένῳ ἐλαίῳ, τηροῦντι τῶν δᾴδων τὸ φῶς ἐν ταῖς φρονίμοις πέντε παρθένοις.
[8] Μετὰ ταῦτα ἴδωμεν καὶ τὴν ἑξῆς αὐτοῦ λέξιν, τοῦ Κέλσου δηλονότι, οὕτως ἔχουσαν: ‘Ἔστιν αὐτοῖς καὶ τοιόνδε παράγγελμα, τὸν ὑβρίζοντα μὴ ἀμύνεσθαι: κἂν τύπτῃ, φησὶ, τὴν ἑτέραν γνάθον, σὺ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην πάρεχε. ἀρχαῖον καὶ τοῦτο εὖ μάλα πρόσθεν εἰρημένον, ἀγροικότερον δ' αὐτὸ ἀπεμνημόνευσαν. ἐπεὶ καὶ Πλάτωνι πεποίηται Σωκράτης Κρίτωνι διαλεγόμενος τάδε: Οὐδαμῶς ἄρα δεῖ ἀδικεῖν. Οὐ δῆτα. Οὐδ' ἀδικούμενον ἄρα ἀνταδικεῖν, ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ οἴονται: ἐπειδή γε οὐδαμῶς δεῖ ἀδικεῖν. Οὐ φαίνεται.’ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. πρὸς τοῦτο δὴ, καὶ πρὸς πάντα ὅσα ἐκοινοποίησεν ὁ Κέλσος, μὴ δυνηθεὶς αὐτῶν ἀντιβλέψαι τῇ ἀληθότητι, φάσκων αὐτὰ καὶ παρ' Ἕλλησιν εἰρῆσθαι, τοιαῦτα λεκτέον: Εἰ ὠφέλιμόν ἐστι τὸ δόγμα καὶ τὸ βούλημα αὐτοῦ ὑγιὲς, εἴρηται δὲ Ἕλλησι μὲν παρὰ Πλάτωνι ἤ τινι τῶν ἑλληνικῶν σοφῶν, Ἰουδαίοις δὲ παρὰ Μωσῇ ἤ τινι τῶν προφητῶν, χριστιανοῖς δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἀναγραφεῖσιν Ἰησοῦ λόγοις ἢ λελεγμένοις παρά τινι τῶν ἀποστόλων αὐτοῦ: οὐ νομιστέον κατηγορεῖσθαι τὸ λεγόμενον παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἢ παρὰ χριστιανοῖς, ἐκ τοῦ καὶ παρ' Ἕλλησιν αὐτὰ εἰρῆσθαι: καὶ μάλιστα ἐὰν ἀποδεικνύηται τὰ Ἰουδαίων πρεσβύτερα τῶν ἑλληνικῶν. οὐδὲ πάλιν ὑπὸ τοῦ κάλλους τῆς ἑλληνικῆς φράσεως λεγόμενον τὸ αὐτὸ πάντως κρεῖττον εἶναι νομιστέον τοῦ εὐτελέστερον ἀπαγγελλομένου καὶ ἁπλουστέραις λέξεσι παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἢ χριστιανοῖς: καίτοι γε ἡ πρώτη Ἰουδαίων λέξις, ᾗ οἱ προφῆται χρησάμενοι καταλελοίπασιν ἡμῖν βιβλία, Ἑβραίων διαλέκτῳ καὶ σοφῇ συνθέσει τῶν ἐν τῇ διαλέκτῳ κατ' ἐκείνους ἀναγέγραπται.
[9] Εἰ δὲ χρὴ καὶ τὴν τῶν δογμάτων ταυτότητα, κἂν παράδοξος ὁ λόγος εἶναι δοκῇ, δεῖξαι βέλτιον εἰρημένην παρὰ τοῖς Ἰουδαίων προφήταις ἢ τοῖς λογίοις χριστιανῶν: οὕτω τὸν λόγον κατασκευαστέον, ἀπό τινος τοῦ περὶ τὰς τροφὰς καὶ τὴν σκευασίαν αὐτῶν παραδείγματος. ἔστω τι ὑγιεινὸν βρῶμα καὶ ἰσχύος τοῖς ἐσθίουσιν ἐμποιητικὸν, τοῦτο δὲ οὕτω μὲν σκευασθὲν καὶ τοιοῖσδε ἡδύσμασιν ἀρτυθὲν λαμβανέτωσαν οὐχ οἱ μὴ μαθόντες ἄγροικοι καὶ ἐν ἐπαύλεσιν ἀνατεθραμμένοι καὶ πένητες τὰ τοιάδε ἐσθίειν, ἀλλ' οἱ πλούσιοι καὶ ἁβροδίαιτοι μόνοι: οὐκ ἐκείνως δὲ καὶ ὡς δοκεῖ τοῖς νομιζομένοις καθαριωτέροις σκευασθὲν, ἀλλ' ὡς μεμαθήκασιν ἐσθίειν οἱ πένητες καὶ οἱ ἀγροικότεροι καὶ οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐσθιέτωσαν μυριάδες ὅλαι. εἰ οὖν καὶ διδοῖτο ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς τοιᾶσδε σκευασίας τοὺς νομιζομένους καθαριωτέρους μόνους ὑγιάζεσθαι, οὐδενὸς τῶν πολλῶν προσβάλλοντος τοῖς τοιοῖσδε βρώμασιν, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς τοιᾶσδε τὰ πλήθη τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑγιεινότερον διάγειν: τίνας μᾶλλον τοῦ κοινωνικοῦ ἕνεκεν ἀποδεξόμεθα τῶν ὑγιεινῶν βρωμάτων χάριν; ἆρά γε τοὺς τοῖς λογίοις χρησίμως αὐτὰ σκευάζοντας, ἢ τοὺς τοῖς πλήθεσι; τῆς ἴσης (δεδόσθω γὰρ) ὑγιείας καὶ εὐεξίας ἐγγινομένης ἀπὸ τῶν οὑτωσὶ σκευασθέντων ἢ οὑτωσὶ, ἀλλὰ φανερὸν ὅτι αὐτὸ τὸ φιλάνθρωπον καὶ τὸ κοινωνικὸν ὑποβάλλει, κοινωφελέστερον εἶναι ἰατρὸν τὸν τῆς τῶν πολλῶν ὑγιείας προνοησάμενον, ἤπερ τὸν τῆς τῶν ὀλίγων μόνον.
[10] Εἰ νενόηται δὴ τὸ παράδειγμα, μεταβιβαστέον αὐτὸ ἐπὶ τὴν ποιότητα τῆς τῶν λογικῶν ζώων λογικῆς τροφῆς. καὶ ὅρα εἰ μὴ Πλάτων μὲν καὶ οἱ Ἑλλήνων σοφοὶ, ἐν οἷς λέγουσι καλῶς, παραπλήσιοί εἰσι τοῖς προνοησαμένοις ἰατροῖς τῶν καθαριωτέρων εἶναι νομιζομένων μόνων, τοῦ πλήθους δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων καταφρονησάντων: οἱ δὲ ἐν Ἰουδαίοις προφῆται καὶ οἱ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μαθηταὶ, οἱ μακρὰν χαίρειν εἰπόντες τῇ ποικίλῃ τῶν λέξεων συνθέσει καὶ τῇ, ὡς ὠνόμασεν ἡ γραφὴ, σοφίᾳ ἀνθρώπων καὶ σοφίᾳ κατὰ σάρκα, τὴν γλῶσσαν αἰνισσομένη, ὁμοιωθεῖεν ἂν τοῖς τὴν αὐτὴν τῶν βρωμάτων ποιότητα ὑγιεινοτάτην προνοησαμένοις συνθέσει λέξεων σκευάσαι καὶ εὐτρεπίσαι φθανούσῃ ἐπὶ τὰ πλήθη τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ μὴ ξενιζούσῃ τὴν διάλεκτον αὐτῶν, μηδὲ διὰ τοῦ ξενισμοῦ ἀποστρεφούσῃ ἀκούειν ὡς ἀσυνήθων τῶν τοιῶνδε διαλέξεων. καὶ γὰρ εἴπερ πρόκειται τῷ, ἵν' οὕτως ὀνομάσω, λογικῷ βρώματι ἀνεξίκακον καὶ πρᾶον ποιῆσαι τὸν ἐμφαγόντα: πῶς οὐ βέλτιον συνεσκευασμένος εἴη ἂν λόγος ὁ πλήθη ἀνεξικάκων καὶ πράων κατασκευάζων ἢ προκοπτόντων γε ἐπὶ ταύτας τὰς ἀρετὰς, παρὰ τὸν πάνυ ὀλίγους καὶ εὐαριθμήτους, ἵνα καὶ τοῦτο δοθῇ, ἀνεξικάκους καὶ πράους ποιοῦντα; ὥσπερ δὲ εἰ ὁ [Πλάτων] τοὺς αἰγυπτιάζοντας ἢ τοὺς συριάζοντας ὠφελεῖν ὑγιέσι δόγμασιν ἐβούλετο Ἕλλην τυγχάνων, προενοήσατο ἂν μαθεῖν τὰς τῶν ἀκουσομένων διαλέκτους καὶ, ὡς Ἕλληνες ὀνομάζουσι, βαρβαρίζειν μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ τῆς Αἰγυπτίων καὶ Σύρων βελτιώσεως ἢ Ἕλλην μένων μηδὲν δύνασθαι χρήσιμον λέγειν Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ Σύροις: οὕτως ἡ προνοουμένη θεία φύσις οὐ τῶν πεπαιδεῦσθαι νομιζομένων μόνον τὰ Ἑλλήνων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν Ἑλλήνων, συγκατέβη τῇ ἰδιωτείᾳ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἀκροωμένων, ἵνα ταῖς συνήθεσιν αὐτοῖς χρησαμένη λέξεσι προκαλέσηται ἐπὶ ἀκρόασιν τὸ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν πλῆθος, δυνάμενον ἐξ εὐχεροῦς μετὰ τὴν ἅπαξ γενομένην εἰσαγωγὴν φιλοτιμήσασθαι πρὸς τὸ καὶ βαθύτερα τῶν κεκρυμμένων νοημάτων ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς καταλαβεῖν. καὶ τῷ τυχόντι γὰρ δῆλον ταύτας ἀναγινώσκοντι, ὅτι πολλὰ βαθύτερον τοῦ αὐτόθεν ἐμφαινομένου ἔχειν δύναται νοῦν, τοῖς ἀνατιθεῖσιν ἑαυτοὺς τῇ ἐξετάσει τοῦ λόγου φανερούμενον, καὶ φανερούμενον κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς εἰς τὸν λόγον σχολῆς καὶ εἰς τὴν ἄσκησιν αὐτοῦ προθυμίας.
[11] Οὐκοῦν κατεσκεύασται ὅτι, ὥς φησι Κέλσος, ἀγροικότερον εἰπὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς: Τῷ τύπτοντί σε εἰς τὴν σιαγόνα πάρεχε καὶ τὴν ἄλλην: καὶ τῷ θέλοντί σοι κριθῆναι καὶ τὸν χιτῶνά σου λαβεῖν, ἄφες καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον: βιωφελέστερον κεκίνηκε τὸν λόγον καὶ παρέστησεν οὕτως εἰπὼν, ἢ ὡς ἐν τῷ Κρίτωνι Πλάτων, οὗ μηδ' ἀκούειν ἰδιῶται δύνανται, ἀλλὰ μόγις οἱ τὰ ἐγκύκλια πρὸ τῆς σεμνῆς Ἑλλήνων φιλοσοφίας μεμαθηκότες. κατανοητέον δὲ καὶ ὅτι οὐ παραφθείρεται ὁ περὶ ἀνεξικακίας νοῦς ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν λέξεων εὐτελείας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ συκοφαντεῖ τὸν λόγον λέγων ὁ Κέλσος: ‘Ἀλλὰ τῶνδε μὲν πέρι καὶ ἄλλων, ὅσα παραφθείρουσιν, ἀρκείτω τὰ εἰρημένα.’ [12] Καὶ ἐν τῷ Ϛʹ πάλιν τόμῳ, πρὸς τὸν δυσειδὲς τὸ σῶμα τοῦ κυρίου λέγοντα Κέλσον οὕτως. Ἑξῆς δὲ τούτοις λέγει, ὁ Κέλσος δηλονότι: ‘Ἐπειδὴ θεῖον πνεῦμα ἦν ἐν σώματι, πάντως τι παραλλάττειν αὐτὸ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐχρῆν, ἢ κατὰ μέγεθος ἢ κάλλος ἢ ἀλκὴν ἢ φωνὴν ἢ κατάπληξιν ἢ πειθώ. ἀμήχανον γὰρ ὅτῳ θεῖόν τι πλέον τῶν ἄλλων προσῆν μηδὲν ἄλλου διαφέρειν: τοῦτο δὲ οὐδὲν ἄλλου διέφερεν, ἀλλ', ὥς φασι, μικρὸν καὶ δυσειδὲς καὶ ἀγεννὲς ἦν.’ φαίνεται δὴ καὶ ἐν τούτοις ὅτι, ἐὰν μὲν κατηγορεῖν θέλῃ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὡς πιστεύων ταῖς παρέχειν δοκούσαις αὐτῷ γραφαῖς ἀφορμὰς κατηγορίας λέγει τὰ ἀπ' αὐτῶν: ὅπου δὲ κατὰ τὰς αὐτὰς γραφὰς δόξαι ἄν τις τὰ ἐναντία λέγεσθαι τοῖς εἰς κατηγορίαν παραλαμβανομένοις, ταῦτα οὐδὲ προσποιεῖται εἰδέναι. ὁμολογουμένως τοίνυν γέγραπται τὰ περὶ τοῦ δυσειδὲς γεγονέναι τὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ σῶμα: οὐ μὴν ὡς ἐκτέθειται καὶ ἀγεννές: οὐδὲ σαφῶς δηλοῦται ὅτι μικρὸν ἦν. ἔχει δὲ ἡ λέξις οὕτω παρὰ τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ ἀναγεγραμμένη, προφητεύοντι αὐτὸν ἐπιδημήσοντα τοῖς πολλοῖς οὐκ ἐν ὡραίῳ εἴδει οὐδέ τινι ὑπερέχοντι κάλλει: Κύριε, τίς ἐπίστευσε τῇ ἀκοῇ ἡμῶν; καὶ ὁ βραχίων κυρίου τίνι ἀπεκαλύφθη; ἀνηγγείλαμεν ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, ὡς παιδίον, ὡς ῥίζα ἐν γῇ διψώσῃ. οὐκ ἔστιν εἶδος αὐτῷ [οὐδὲ δόξα: καὶ εἴδομεν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος] οὐδὲ κάλλος: ἀλλὰ τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἄτιμον, ἐκλεῖπον παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. ἄρ' οὖν τούτων μὲν ὁ Κέλσος ἤκουεν, ἐπεὶ ᾤετο αὐτῷ χρήσιμα εἶναι εἰς τὸ κατηγορεῖσθαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν: οὐκέτι δὲ προσέσχε τοῖς λεγομένοις ἐν τεσσαρακοστῷ τετάρτῳ ψαλμῷ, τῷ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ, τίνα τρόπον λέγεται: Περίζωσαι τὴν ῥομφαίαν σου ἐπὶ τὸν μηρόν σου, δυνατέ, τῇ ὡραιότητί σου καὶ τῷ κάλλει σου, καὶ ἔντεινον καὶ κατευοδοῦ καὶ βασίλευε.
[13] Ἔστω δὲ μὴ ἀνεγνωκέναι αὐτὸν τὴν προφητείαν, ἢ ἀνεγνωκότα περιεσπᾶσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν παρερμηνευόντων αὐτὴν, ὡς οὐ περὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ προφητευομένην: τί φήσει καὶ περὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, ἐν ᾧ ἀναβὰς εἰς τὸ ὑψηλὸν ὄρος μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν τῶν μαθητῶν καὶ ὤφθη ἐν δόξῃ: ὅτε καὶ Μωσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας ὀφθέντες ἐν δόξῃ ἔλεγον τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ, ἣν ἔμελλε πληροῦν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ; ἢ ἐὰν μὲν προφήτης λέγῃ: Εἴδομεν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος, καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς: καὶ ὁ Κέλσος παραδέχεται τὴν προφητείαν ταύτην ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀναφέρεσθαι, τυφλώττων περὶ τὴν παραδοχὴν τοῦ λεγομένου, καὶ οὐχ ὁρῶν ὅτι μεγάλη κατασκευή ἐστι τοῦ τὸν ἄμορφον εἶναι δοκοῦντα Ἰησοῦν υἱὸν εἶναι θεοῦ, τὸ πρὸ πολλῶν ἐτῶν τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ πεπροφητεῦσθαι καὶ περὶ τοῦ εἴδους αὐτοῦ: ἐὰν δὲ ἄλλος προφήτης ὡραιότητα καὶ κάλλος εἶναι λέγῃ περὶ αὐτὸν, οὐκέτι βούλεται τὴν προφητείαν εἰς Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἀναφέρεσθαι; καὶ εἰ μὲν σαφῶς ἦν ἀπὸ τῶν εὐαγγελίων λαβεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος, ἀλλὰ τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἄτιμον ἦν, ἐκλεῖπον παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων: εἴποι ἄν τις οὐ κατὰ τὸ προφητικὸν εἰρηκέναι ταῦτα τὸν Κέλσον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγελικόν. νυνὶ δὲ οὔτε τῶν εὐαγγελίων, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐμφαινόντων ὅτι οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος: σαφὲς ὅτι τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς προφητείας ἀναγκάζεται παραδέχεσθαι ὡς ἀληθευόμενον περὶ Χριστοῦ: ὅπερ οὐκέτι ἐπιτρέπει τὰς περὶ Ἰησοῦ κατηγορίας προβαίνειν.
[14] Πάλιν τε αὖ ὁ λέγων: ‘Ἐπειδὴ θεῖον πνεῦμα ἦν ἐν σώματι, πάντως τι παραλλάττειν αὐτὸ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐχρῆν, ἢ κατὰ μέγεθος ἢ φωνὴν ἢ ἀλκὴν ἢ κατάπληξιν ἢ πειθώ:’ πῶς οὐχ ἑώρα τὸ παραλλάττον τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ τοῖς ὁρῶσι δυνατὸν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο χρήσιμον, τοιοῦτο φαινόμενον ὁποῖον ἔδει ἑκάστῳ βλέπεσθαι; καὶ οὐ θαυμαστὸν τὴν φύσει τρεπτὴν καὶ ἀλλοιωτὴν καὶ εἰς πάντα ἃ βούλεται ὁ δημιουργὸς ὕλην μεταβλητὴν, καὶ πάσης ποιότητος ἣν ὁ τεχνίτης βούλεται δεκτικὴν, ὁτὲ μὲν ἔχειν ποιότητα καθ' ἣν λέγεται τό: Οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος: ὁτὲ δὲ οὕτως ἔνδοξον καὶ καταπληκτικὴν καὶ θαυμαστὴν, ὡς ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πεσεῖν τοὺς θεατὰς τοῦ τηλικούτου κάλλους συνανελθόντας τῷ Ἰησοῦ τρεῖς ἀποστόλους. ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ ταῦτ' εἶναι πλάσματα καὶ μύθων οὐδὲν διαφέροντα, ὡς καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν περὶ Ἰησοῦ παραδόξων.
[15] Πρὸς τοῦτο δὲ λεκτέον ὅτι σχεδὸν πᾶσαν ἱστορίαν, κἂν ἀληθὴς ᾖ, βούλεσθαι κατασκευάζειν ὡς γεγενημένην, καὶ καταληπτικὴν ἐμποιῆσαι περὶ αὐτῆς φαντασίαν, τῶν σφόδρα ἐστὶ χαλεπωτάτων, καὶ ἐν ἐνίοις ἀδύνατον. φέρε γάρ τινα λέγειν μὴ γεγονέναι τὸν Ἰλιακὸν πόλεμον, μάλιστα διὰ τὸ ἀδύνατον προσπεπλέχθαι λόγον περὶ τοῦ γεγενῆσθαί τινα Ἀχιλλέα θαλασσίας θεᾶς Θέτιδος υἱὸν καὶ ἀνθρώπου Πηλέως, ἢ Σαρπηδόνα Διὸς, ἢ Ἀσκάλαφον καὶ Ἰάλμενον Ἄρεος, ἢ Αἰνείαν Ἀφροδίτης: πῶς ἂν κατασκευάσαιμεν τὸ τοιοῦτον, μάλιστα θλιβόμενοι ὑπὸ τοῦ οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως παρυφανθέντος πλάσματος τῇ κεκρατηκυίᾳ παρὰ πᾶσι δόξῃ περὶ τοῦ ἀληθῶς γεγονέναι τὸν ἐν Ἰλίῳ πόλεμον Ἑλλήνων καὶ Τρώων; φέρε δὲ καί τινα ἀπιστεῖν περὶ Οἰδίποδος καὶ Ἰοκάστης καὶ τῶν γεννηθέντων ἀπὸ ἀμφοτέρων Ἐτεοκλέους καὶ Πολυνείκους, διὰ τὸ προσπεπλέχθαι τῷ λόγῳ τὴν Σφίγγα μιξοπάρθενόν τινα: πῶς ἂν τὸ τοιοῦτον ἀποδείξαιμεν; ἀλλ' ὁ εὐγνωμόνως ἐντυγχάνων ταῖς ἱστορίαις καὶ βουλόμενος ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν καὶ ἐν ἐκείναις ἀνεξαπάτητον κρινεῖ, τίσι μὲν συγκαταθήσεται, τίνα δὲ τροπολογήσει, τὸ βούλημα ἐρευνῶν τῶν ἀναπλασαμένων τὰ τοιάδε: καὶ τίσιν ἀπιστήσει, ὡς διὰ τὴν πρός τινας χάριν ἀναγεγραμμένοις. καὶ τοῦτο προλαβόντες δι' ὅλην τὴν φερομένην ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἱστορίαν εἰρήκαμεν, οὐκ ἐπὶ ψιλὴν πίστιν καὶ ἄλογον τοὺς ἐντρεχεστέρους ἐκκαλούμενοι, ἀλλὰ βουλόμενοι παραστῆσαι ὅτι εὐγνωμοσύνης χρεία τοῖς ἐντευξομένοις καὶ πολλῆς ἐξετάσεως καὶ, ἵν' οὕτως ὀνομάσω, εἰσόδου εἰς τὸ βούλημα τῶν γραψάντων, ἵν' εὑρεθῇ ποίᾳ διανοίᾳ ἕκαστον γέγραπται.
[16] Ἔοικεν δὲ ὁ Κέλσος, ἵνα μὲν ἐγκαλέσῃ τῷ λόγῳ, πιστεύειν ὅπου θέλει τοῖς γεγραμμένοις: ἵνα δὲ τὴν ἐμφαινομένην θειότητα ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς βιβλίοις ἀπαγγελλομένην μὴ παραδέξηται, ἀπιστεῖν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις: δέον τὸ φιλάληθες ἰδόντα τῶν γραψάντων ἐκ τῆς περὶ τῶν χειρόνων ἀναγραφῆς πιστεῦσαι καὶ περὶ τῶν θειοτέρων.
[17] Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἦσαν φιλαλήθεις ἀλλ', ὡς οἴεται Κέλσος, πλάσματα ἀναγράφοντες, οὐκ ἂν Πέτρον ἀνέγραψαν ἀρνησάμενον ἢ τοὺς μαθητὰς Ἰησοῦ σκανδαλιζομένους. τίς γὰρ, εἰ καὶ γέγονε τοιαῦτα, ἤλεγξε τὸν λόγον, ὅτι οὕτως ἀπήντησε; καί τοί γε κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἐχρῆν σεσιωπῆσθαι ταῦτα ἀνθρώποις βουλομένοις διδάσκειν τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις θανάτου καταφρονεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς ὁμολογίας τοῦ χριστιανισμοῦ. νυνὶ δ' ὁρῶντες ὅτι ὁ λόγος δυνάμει κρατήσει τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἔθηκαν καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως οὐ βλάψοντα τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας οὐδὲ πρόφασιν δώσοντα ἀρνήσεως.
[18] Ἔχει δέ τι καὶ μυστικώτερον ὁ λόγος, ἀπαγγέλλων τὰς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ διαφόρους μορφὰς ἀναφέρεσθαι ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ θείου λόγου φύσιν, οὐχ ὁμοίως φαινομένου τοῖς τε πολλοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτῷ εἰς ὑψηλὸν, ὃ ἀποδεδώκαμεν, ὄρος δυναμένοις. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἔτι κάτω τυγχάνουσι καὶ μηδέπω ἐπὶ τὸ ἀναβαίνειν παρεσκευασμένοις ὁ λόγος οὐκ ἔχει εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος: τὸ γὰρ εἶδος αὐτοῦ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐστὶν ἄτιμον, καὶ ἐκλεῖπον παρὰ τοὺς ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων γεγενημένους λόγους, τροπικῶς ἐν τούτοις καλουμένους υἱοὺς ἀνθρώπων. εἴποιμεν γὰρ ἂν πολλῷ ὡραιοτέρους φαίνεσθαι τοὺς τῶν φιλοσοφούντων λόγους, ὄντας υἱοὺς ἀνθρώπων, παρὰ τὸν τοῖς πολλοῖς κηρυσσόμενον τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον, ὃς ἐμφαίνει καὶ μωρίαν κηρύγματος: καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐμφαινομένην μωρίαν τοῦ κηρύγματος λέγουσιν οἱ τοῦτο μόνον θεωροῦντες: Εἴδομεν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος. τοῖς μέντοι ἐκ τοῦ ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτῷ δύναμιν ἀνειληφόσι πρὸς τὸ ἕπεσθαι καὶ ἀναβαίνοντι αὐτῷ εἰς τὸ ὑψηλὸν ὄρος, θειοτέραν μορφὴν ἔχει: ἣν βλέπουσιν, εἴ τίς ἐστι Πέτρος χωρήσας τὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐν ἑαυτῷ οἰκοδομὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου, καὶ τοσαύτην ἕξιν ἀναλαβὼν ὡς μηδεμίαν πύλην ᾅδου κατισχύσειν αὐτοῦ, ὑψωθέντος διὰ τὸν λόγον ἐκ τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ θανάτου, ὅπως ἂν ἐξαγγείλῃ πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ταῖς πύλαις τῆς θυγατρὸς Σιών: καὶ εἴ τινές εἰσιν ἐκ λόγων τὴν γένεσιν λαβόντες μεγαλοφώνων, οἵτινες οὐδὲν ἀποδέουσι νοητῆς βροντῆς.
[19] Καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια δὲ αὐτοῦ κάτω ἄλλα ἐστὶν, οὐκ ἔστι λευκὰ, οὐκ ἔστιν ὡς τὸ φῶς: ἐὰν ἀναβῇς εἰς τὸ ὄρος τὸ ὑψηλὸν, ὄψει αὐτοῦ φῶς καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια. τὰ ἱμάτια τοῦ λόγου αἱ λέξεις εἰσὶ τῆς γραφῆς: ἔνδυμα τῶν θείων νοημάτων τὰ ῥήματά ἐστι ταῦτα. ὡς οὖν αὐτὸς κάτω ἀλλοῖος φαίνεται, καὶ ἀναβὰς μεταμορφοῦται, καὶ γίνεται τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, οὕτω καὶ τὰ ἐνδύματα αὐτοῦ, οὕτω καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια: ὅταν δὲ ᾖς κάτω, οὐκ ἔστι λαμπρὰ, οὐκ ἔστι λευκά: ἐὰν δὲ ἀναβῇς, ὄψει τὸ κάλλος καὶ τὸ φῶς τῶν ἱματίων, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον θαυμάσεις τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μεταμορφωθέν. ὅρα δὲ εἰ μὴ ὅμοιόν ἐστι καὶ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος μαθεῖν. τὰ μὲν γὰρ περὶ τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ, γενεαλογουμένου ἐξ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ γεννωμένου ἐκ σπέρματος Δαυεὶδ κατὰ σάρκα, Βίβλος ἐστὶ γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ: τὰ δὲ θειότερα καὶ μείζονα τῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ λεχθησομένων ἂν καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἀπαγγελλομένων φησὶν ὁ Ἰωάννης ὡς ἄρα Οὐδὲ τὸν κόσμον οἶμαι χωρεῖν τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία. τὸ γὰρ μὴ χωρεῖν τὸν κόσμον τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία οὐ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν γραμμάτων, ὥς τινες, ἐκδεκτέον, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τῶν πραγμάτων: τοῦ μεγέθους τῶν πραγμάτων οὐ μόνον οὐ δυναμένου γράφεσθαι, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ διὰ γλώσσης σαρκίνης ἀπαγγέλλεσθαι, οὐδὲ ἐν διαλέκτοις καὶ φωναῖς ἀνθρωπίναις σημαίνεσθαι. ὅθεν καὶ Παῦλος, ἐπὰν μανθάνειν μέλλῃ τὰ θειότερα, ἔξω τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς περιγείου κόσμου γίνεται καὶ εἰς τρίτον οὐρανὸν ἁρπάζεται, ἵνα τὰ ἐκεῖθεν ἄρρητα ῥήματα ἀκοῦσαι δυνηθῇ. τὰ γὰρ ἐνθάδε λαλούμενα καὶ λόγος εἶναι θεοῦ νομιζόμενα, τοῦ λόγου σαρκωθέντος, καὶ καθ' ὃ θεός ἐστι πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἑαυτὸν κενοῦντος, ἀπαγγέλλεται. διόπερ τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον ἐπὶ γῆς, ἐπεὶ ἄνθρωπος γέγονε, ἀνθρώπινον βλέπομεν: ἀεὶ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ἵνα κατασκηνώσῃ ἐν ἡμῖν: ἀλλ', ἐὰν εἰς τὸ στῆθος τοῦ σαρκωθέντος λόγου ἀνακλιθῶμεν καὶ ἀνιόντι αὐτῷ εἰς τὸ ὑψηλὸν ὄρος ἀκολουθῆσαι δυνηθῶμεν, ἐροῦμεν τό: Εἴδομεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ: τάχα μέν τινων καὶ ἑτέρων παρὰ τοὺς ἀνακλιθέντας ἐπὶ τοῦ στήθους αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθήσαντας αὐτῷ εἰς τὸ ὄρος τὸ ὑψηλὸν λεξόντων τό: Εἴδομεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ: οὐκέτι δὲ προσθησόντων τό: Δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρὸς, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας: Ἰωάννῃ γὰρ καὶ τοῖς ὁμοίοις πρέπουσα αὕτη ἡ φωνή. καὶ καθ' ἑτέραν δὲ ὑψηλοτέραν διήγησιν οἱ δυνηθέντες τοῖς ἴχνεσιν Ἰησοῦ κατακολουθεῖν ἀναβαίνοντος καὶ μεταμορφουμένου ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπὶ γῆς ὄψεως, ὄψονται αὐτοῦ τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν καθ' ἑκάστην γραφήν: οἱονεὶ τοῦ μὲν τοῖς πολλοῖς φαινομένου Ἰησοῦ τῆς προχείρου λέξεως ὄντος: τοῦ δὲ εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν ἀνιόντος καὶ μεταμορφουμένου, σφόδρα ὀλίγοις τῶν μαθητῶν καὶ τοῖς ἀκολουθῆσαι εἰς τὰ ὑψηλὰ δεδυνημένοις, τοῦ ἀνωτάτου καὶ ὑψηλοτάτου νοῦ περιέχοντος λόγια τῆς ἐν μυστηρίῳ ἀποκεκρυμμένης σοφίας, ἣν προώρισεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων εἰς δόξαν τῶν δικαίων αὐτοῦ.
[20] Ἀλλὰ πόθεν Κέλσῳ καὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς τοῦ θείου λόγου καὶ μὴ φιλαλήθως τὰ χριστιανισμοῦ ἐξετάσασιν εἰδέναι τὸ βούλημα τῶν διαφόρων τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μορφῶν; ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω καὶ ἡλικιῶν, καὶ εἴ τι τῶν πρὸ τοῦ παθεῖν αὐτῷ πεπραγμένων, καὶ τῶν μετὰ τὸ ἀναστῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν.