Chapter LIV.

And since Celsus, although professing to know all about the Gospel, reproaches the Saviour because of His sufferings, saying that He received no assistance from the Father, or was unable to aid Himself; we have to state that His sufferings were the subject of prophecy, along with the cause of them; because it was for the benefit of mankind that He should die on their account,104    ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. and should suffer stripes because of His condemnation.  It was predicted, moreover, that some from among the Gentiles would come to the knowledge of Him (among whom the prophets are not included); and it had been declared that He would be seen in a form which is deemed dishonourable among men.  The words of prophecy run thus:  “Lo, my Servant shall have understanding, and shall be exalted and glorified, and raised exceedingly high.  In like manner, many shall be astonished at Thee; so Thy form shall be in no reputation among men, and Thy glory among the sons of men.  Lo, many nations shall marvel because of Him; and kings shall close their mouths:  because they, to whom no message about Him was sent, shall see Him; and they who have not heard of Him, shall have knowledge of Him.”105    Cf. Isa. lii. 13–15 in the Septuagint version (Roman text).  “Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom was the arm of the Lord revealed?  We have reported, as a child before Him, as a root in a thirsty ground.  He has no form nor glory; and we beheld Him, and He had not any form nor beauty:  but His appearance was without honour, and deficient more than that of all men.  He was a man under suffering, and who knew how to bear sickness:  because His countenance was averted, He was treated with disrespect, and was made of no account.  This man bears our sins, and suffers pain on our behalf; and we regarded Him as in trouble, and in suffering, and as ill-treated.  But He was wounded for our sins, and bruised for our iniquities.  The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; by His stripes we were healed.  We all, like sheep, wandered from the way.  A man wandered in his way, and the Lord delivered Him on account of our sins; and He, because of His evil treatment, opens not His mouth.  As a sheep was He led to slaughter; and as a lamb before her shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth.  In His humiliation His judgment was taken away.  And who shall describe His generation? because His life is taken away from the earth; because of the iniquities of My people was He led unto death.”106    Cf. Isa. liii. 1–8 in the Septuagint version (Roman text).

Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὁ ἐπαγγελλόμενος εἰδέναι τὰ τοῦ λόγου πάντα Κέλσος ὀνειδίζει τῷ σωτῆρι ἐπὶ τῷ πάθει ὡς μὴ βοηθηθέντι ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἢ μὴ δυνηθέντι ἑαυτῷ βοηθῆσαι, παραθετέον ὅτι τὸ πάθος αὐτοῦ ἐπροφητεύετο μετὰ τῆς αἰτίας, ὅτι χρήσιμον ἦν ἀνθρώποις τὸ ἐκεῖνον ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀποθανεῖν καὶ μώλωπα τὸν ἐπὶ τῷ καταδεδικάσθαι παθεῖν. Προείρητο δὲ καὶ ὅτι "συνήσουσιν" αὐτὸν οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν, παρ' οἷς οὐ γεγόνασιν οἱ προφῆται, καὶ λέλεκτο ὅτι "εἶδος ἄτιμον" ἐν ἀνθρώποις φαινόμενον ἔχων ὀφθήσεται. Οὕτω δ' ἔχει ἡ λέξις· "Ἰδοὺ συνήσει ὁ παῖς μου, καὶ ὑψωθήσεται καὶ δοξασθήσεται καὶ μετεωρισθήσεται σφόδρα. Ὃν τρόπον ἐκστήσονται ἐπὶ σὲ πολλοί, οὕτως ἀδοξήσει ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων τὸ εἶδός σου, καὶ ἡ δόξα σου ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Οὕτως θαυμάσονται ἔθνη πολλὰ ἐπ' αὐτῷ, καὶ συνέξουσι βασιλεῖς τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν· ὅτι οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται, καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασι συνήσουσι. Κύριε, τίς ἐπίστευσε τῇ ἀκοῇ ἡμῶν; Καὶ ὁ βραχίων κυρίου τίνι ἀπεκαλύφθη; Ἀνηγγείλαμεν ὡς παιδίον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ, ὡς ῥίζα ἐν γῇ διψώσῃ· οὐκ ἔστιν εἶδος αὐτῷ οὐδὲ δόξα. Καὶ εἴδομεν αὐτόν, καὶ οὐκ εἶχεν εἶδος οὐδὲ κάλλος, ἀλλὰ τὸ εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἄτιμον καὶ ἐκλεῖπον παρὰ πάντας ἀνθρώπους· ἄνθρωπος ἐν πληγῇ ὢν καὶ εἰδὼς φέρειν μαλακίαν, ὅτι ἀπέστραπται τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, ἠτιμάσθη καὶ οὐκ ἐλογίσθη. Οὗτος τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν φέρει καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν ὀδυνᾶται, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐλογισάμεθα αὐτὸν εἶναι ἐν πόνῳ καὶ ἐν πληγῇ καὶ ἐν κακώσει. Αὐτὸς δὲ ἐτραυματίσθη διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, καὶ μεμαλάκισται διὰ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν· παιδεία εἰρήνης ἡμῶν ἐπ' αὐτόν, τῷ μώλωπι αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς ἰάθημεν. Πάντες ὡς πρόβατα ἐπλανήθημεν, ἄνθρωπος τῇ ὁδῷ αὐτοῦ ἐπλανήθη· καὶ κύριος παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἡμῶν, καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ τὸ κεκακῶσθαι οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ· [ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος ἄφωνος, οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ.] Ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει αὐτοῦ ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη· τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; Ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ, ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνομιῶν τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἤχθη εἰς θάνατον."