Chapter LXXVII.

After this the Jew remarks, manifestly in accordance with the Jewish belief:  “We certainly hope that there will be a bodily resurrection, and that we shall enjoy an eternal life; and the example and archetype of this will be He who is sent to us, and who will show that nothing is impossible with God.”  We do not know, indeed, whether the Jew would say of the expected Christ, that He exhibits in Himself an example of the resurrection; but let it be supposed that he both thinks and says so.  We shall give this answer, then, to him who has told us that he drew his information from our own writings:  “Did you read those writings, friend, in which you think you discover matter of accusation against us, and not find there the resurrection of Jesus, and the declaration that He was the first-born from the dead?  Or because you will not allow such things to have been recorded, were they not actually recorded?”  But as the Jew still admits the resurrection of the body, I do not consider the present a suitable time to discuss the subject with one who both believes and says that there is a bodily resurrection, whether he has an articulate357    εἶτε διαρθροῦντα τὸ τοιοῦτον παρ᾽ ἑαυτῷ. understanding of such a topic, and is able to plead well on its behalf,358    καὶ δυνάμενον πρεσβεῦσαι περὶ τοῦ λόγου καλῶς. or not, but has only given his assent to it as being of a legendary character.359    ἀλλὰ μυθικώτερον συγκατατιθέμενον τῷ λόγῳ.  Let the above, then, be our reply to this Jew of Celsus.  And when he adds, “Where, then, is he, that we may see him and believe upon him?” we answer:  Where is He now who spoke in the prophecies, and who wrought miracles, that we may see and believe that He is part of God?  Are you to be allowed to meet the objection, that God does not perpetually show Himself to the Hebrew nation, while we are not to be permitted the same defence with regard to Jesus, who has both once risen Himself, and led His disciples to believe in His resurrection, and so thoroughly persuaded them of its truth, that they show to all men by their sufferings how they are able to laugh at all the troubles of life, beholding the life eternal and the resurrection clearly demonstrated to them both in word and deed?

Μετὰ ταῦτα ὁ Ἰουδαῖος αὐτῷ λέγει, δηλονότι κατὰ τὸ Ἰουδαίοις ἀρέσκον, ὅτι ἐλπίζομεν δή που ἀναστήσεσθαι ἐν σώματι καὶ βιοτὴν ἕξειν αἰώνιον, καὶ τούτου παράδειγμα καὶ ἀρχηγέτην τὸν πεμπόμενον ἡμῖν ἔσεσθαι, δεικνύντα ὅτι οὐκ ἀδύνατόν τινα τῷ θεῷ σὺν τῷ σώματι [ἀναστῆσαι]. Οὐκ οἴδαμεν οὖν εἰ τὸν προσδοκώμενον Χριστὸν ὁ Ἰουδαῖος ἐρεῖ παράδειγμα τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐν ἑαυτῷ δεικνύναι· ἀλλ' ἔστω, δεδόσθω τοῦτ' αὐτὸν καὶ φρονεῖν καὶ λέγειν. Καὶ ἀποκρινούμεθά γε πρὸς τὸν εἰπόντα ἐκ τῶν ἡμετέρων συγγραμμάτων ἡμῖν λελαληκέναι· ὅτι, ὦ οὗτος, ἆρ' ἐκεῖνα μὲν ἀνέγνως, ἐν οἷς κατηγορεῖν ἡμῶν ὑπολαμβάνεις, τὴν δ' ἀνάστασιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ὅτι "πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν" ἐστιν, οὐ διεξελήλυθας; Ἢ ἐπεὶ μὴ βούλει ταῦτα λελέχθαι, οὐδ' εἴρηται; Ἐπεὶ δ' ὁ Ἰουδαῖος ἔτι λέγει καὶ προσίεται παρὰ τῷ Κέλσῳ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τῶν σωμάτων, οὐχ ἡγοῦμαι νῦν εὔκαιρον εἶναι περὶ τούτου διεξελθεῖν πρὸς τὸν καὶ πιστεύοντα καὶ λέγοντα ἀνάστασιν εἶναι σωμάτων, καὶ εἴτε διαρθροῦντα τὸ τοιοῦτον παρ' ἑαυτῷ καὶ δυνάμενον πρεσβεῦσαι περὶ τοῦ λόγου καλῶς εἴτε μή, ἀλλὰ μυθικώτερον συγκατατιθέμενον τῷ λόγῳ. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν οὕτως πρὸς τὸν Κέλσου Ἰουδαῖον λελέχθω. Ἐπεὶ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτά φησι· Ποῦ οὖν ἐστιν; ἵνα ἴδωμεν καὶ πιστεύσωμεν, ἐροῦμεν πρὸς αὐτόν· ποῦ οὖν ἐστι νῦν ὁ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις λέγων καὶ ὁ τεράστια πεποιηκώς; ἵνα ἴδωμεν καὶ πιστεύσωμεν ὅτι μερίς ἐστι τοῦ θεοῦ. Ἢ ὑμῖν μὲν ἔξεστιν ἀπολογεῖσθαι περὶ τοῦ μὴ ἀεὶ ἐπιφαίνεσθαι τῷ γένει τῶν Ἑβραίων τὸν θεόν, ἡμῖν δὲ οὐ δίδοται ἡ αὐτὴ ἀπολογία περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἅπαξ καὶ ἀναστάντος καὶ πείσαντος περὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀναστάσεως τοὺς μαθητὰς καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον πείσαντος, ὥστε δι' ὧν πάσχουσι δεικνύναι πᾶσιν ὅτι βλέποντες τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν καὶ τὴν ὑποδεδειγμένην αὐτοῖς καὶ λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ ἀνάστασιν παίζουσι πάντα τὰ ἐν τῷ βίῳ ἐπίπονα;