Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus

But as it is in mockery that Celsus says we speak of “God coming down like a torturer bearing fire,” and thus compels us unseasonably to investigate words of deeper meaning, we shall make a few remarks, sufficient to enable our hearers to form an idea658 γεῦσαι. of the defence which disposes of the ridicule of Celsus against us, and then we shall turn to what follows. The divine word says that our God is “a consuming fire,”659 Cf. Deut. iv. 24; ix. 3. and that “He draws rivers of fire before Him;”660 Cf. Dan. vii. 10. nay, that He even entereth in as “a refiner’s fire, and as a fuller’s herb,”661 Cf. Mal. iii. 2. to purify His own people. But when He is said to be a “consuming fire,” we inquire what are the things which are appropriate to be consumed by God. And we assert that they are wickedness, and the works which result from it, and which, being figuratively called “wood, hay, stubble,”662 Cf. 1 Cor. iii. 12. God consumes as a fire. The wicked man, accordingly, is said to build up on the previously-laid foundation of reason, “wood, and hay, and stubble.” If, then, any one can show that these words were differently understood by the writer, and can prove that the wicked man literally663 σωματικῶς. builds up “wood, or hay, or stubble,” it is evident that the fire must be understood to be material, and an object of sense. But if, on the contrary, the works of the wicked man are spoken of figuratively under the names of “wood, or hay, or stubble,” why does it not at once occur (to inquire) in what sense the word “fire” is to be taken, so that “wood” of such a kind should be consumed? for (the Scripture) says: “The fire will try each man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work be burned, he shall suffer loss.”664 Cf. 1 Cor. iii. 13–15. But what work can be spoken of in these words as being “burned,” save all that results from wickedness? Therefore our God is a “consuming fire” in the sense in which we have taken the word; and thus He enters in as a “refiner’s fire,” to refine the rational nature, which has been filled with the lead of wickedness, and to free it from the other impure materials, which adulterate the natural gold or silver, so to speak, of the soul.665 τὴν τοῦ χρυσοῦ (ἵν᾽ οὕτως ὀνομάσω), φύσιν τῆς ψυχῆς, ἢ τὴν ἀργύρου, δολωσάντων. And, in like manner, “rivers of fire” are said to be before God, who will thoroughly cleanse away the evil which is intermingled throughout the whole soul.666 [See note supra, cap. x. S.] But these remarks are sufficient in answer to the assertion, “that thus they were made to give expression to the erroneous opinion that God will come down bearing fire like a torturer.”

Ἐπεὶ δὲ χλευάζων ὁ Κέλσος φησὶν ἡμᾶς λέγειν τὸν θεὸν δίκην βασανιστοῦ πῦρ φέροντα καταβαίνειν καὶ ἀναγκάζει ἡμᾶς οὐ κατὰ καιρὸν βαθυτέρους ἐξετάζειν λόγους, ὀλίγα εἰπόντες, ὅσον γεῦσαι τοὺς ἀκροατὰς ἀπολογίας καθαιρούσης τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν τοῦ Κέλσου χλεύην, ἐπὶ τὰ ἑξῆς τραπησόμεθα. Φησὶ δὴ ὁ θεῖος λόγος τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν εἶναι "πῦρ κατανα λίσκον", καὶ "ποταμοὺς πυρὸς ἕλκειν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ", ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν εἰσπορεύεσθαι "ὡς πῦρ χωνευτηρίου καὶ ὡς ποίαν πλυνόντων", ἵνα χωνεύσῃ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λαόν. Ἐπὰν οὖν λέγηται "πῦρ" εἶναι "καταναλίσκον", ζητοῦμεν, τίνα πρέπει ὑπὸ θεοῦ καταναλίσκεσθαι, καί φαμεν ὅτι τὴν κακίαν καὶ τὰ ἀπ' αὐτῆς πραττόμενα καὶ τροπικῶς λεγόμενα "ξύλα" εἶναι καὶ "χόρτον" καὶ "καλάμην" καταναλίσκει ὁ θεὸς ὡς πῦρ. "Ἐποικοδομεῖν" γοῦν ὁ φαῦλος λέγεται τῷ προϋποβεβλημένῳ λογικῷ θεμελίῳ "ξύλα" καὶ "χόρτον" καὶ "καλάμην". Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἔχει δεῖξαι ἄλλως νενοῆσθαι ταῦτα τῷ ἀναγράψαντι, καὶ σωματικῶς δύναταί τις παρασ τῆσαι ἐποικοδομοῦντα τὸν φαῦλον "ξύλα" ἢ "χόρτον" ἢ "καλάμην", δῆλον ὅτι καὶ τὸ πῦρ ὑλικὸν καὶ αἰσθητὸν νοηθήσεται· εἰ δ' ἄντικρυς τροπολογεῖται τὰ τοῦ φαύλου ἔργα, λεγόμενα εἶναι "ξύλα" ἢ "χόρτος" ἢ "καλάμη", πῶς οὐκ αὐτόθεν προσπίπτει, ποδαπὸν πῦρ παραλαμβάνεται, ἵνα τὰ τοιαῦτα "ξύλα" ἀναλωθῇ; "Ἑκάστου" γάρ φησι "τὸ ἔργον ὁποῖόν ἐστι, τὸ πῦρ αὐτὸ δοκιμάσει. Εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον μένει, ὃ ἐπῳκοδόμησε, μισθὸν λήψεται· εἴ τινος τὸ ἔργον κατακαήσεται, ζημιωθήσεται." Ἔργον δὲ κατακαιό μενον ποῖον ἂν ἐν τούτοις λέγοιτο ἢ πᾶν τὸ ἀπὸ κακίας πραττόμενον; Οὐκοῦν ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν "πῦρ καταναλίσκον" ἐστίν, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, καὶ οὕτως "εἰσπορεύεται ὡς πῦρ χωνευτηρίου", χωνεύσων τὴν λογικὴν φύσιν, πεπληρωμένην τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας μολύβδου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀκαθάρτων ὑλῶν, τὴν τοῦ χρυσοῦ, ἵν' οὕτως ὀνομάσω, φύσιν τῆς ψυχῆς ἢ τὴν ἀργύρου δολωσάντων. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ ποταμοὶ "πυρὸς" "ἔμπροσθεν" λέγονται εἶναι τοῦ θεοῦ, τοῦ ἐξαφανιοῦντος τὴν δι' ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς ἀνακεκραμένην κακίαν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ ταῦτα πρὸς τὸ ταῦτ' αὐτοὺς ἐποίησεν ἐσφαλμένῃ δόξῃ λέγειν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς καταβήσεται δίκην βασανιστοῦ πῦρ φέρων.