Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus

But Celsus perhaps has misunderstood certain of those whom he has termed “worms,” when they affirm that “God exists, and that we are next to Him.” And he acts like those who would find fault with an entire sect of philosophers, on account of certain words uttered by some rash youth who, after a three days’ attendance upon the lectures of a philosopher, should exalt himself above other people as inferior to himself, and devoid of philosophy. For we know that there are many creatures more honourable726 τιμιώτερα. than man; and we have read that “God standeth in the congregation of gods,”727 Cf. Ps. lxxxii. 1. but of gods who are not worshipped by the nations, “for all the gods of the nations are idols.”728 δαιμόνια. Cf. Ps. xcvi. 5. We have read also, that “God, standing in the congregation of the gods, judgeth among the gods.”729 Cf. Ps. lxxxii. 1. We know, moreover, that “though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be gods many and lords many), but to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.”730 1 Cor. viii. 5, 6. And we know that in this way the angels are superior to men; so that men, when made perfect, become like the angels. “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but the righteous are as the angels in heaven,”731 Cf. Matt. xxii. 30. and also become “equal to the angels.”732 Cf. Luke xx. 36. We know, too, that in the arrangement of the universe there are certain beings termed “thrones,” and others “dominions,” and others “powers,” and others “principalities;” and we see that we men, who are far inferior to these, may entertain the hope that by a virtuous life, and by acting in all things agreeably to reason, we may rise to a likeness with all these. And, lastly, because “it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like God, and shall see Him as He is.”733 Cf. 1 John iii. 2. And if any one were to maintain what is asserted by some (either by those who possess intelligence or who do not, but have misconceived sound reason), that “God exists, and we are next to Him,” I would interpret the word “we,” by using in its stead, “We who act according to reason,” or rather, “We virtuous, who act according to reason.”734 καὶ τοῦτό γ᾽ ἂν ἑρμηνεύοιμι, τὸ “ἡμεῖς” λέγων ἀντὶ τοῦ οἱ λογικοὶ, καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον, οἱ σπουδαῖοι λογικοί. For, in our opinion, the same virtue belongs to all the blessed, so that the virtue of man and of God is identical.735 ὥστε καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ ἀνθρώπου καὶ Θεοῦ. Cf. Cicero, de Leg., i.: “Jam vero virtus eadem in homine ac deo est, neque ullo alio in genio præterea. Est autem virtus nihil aliud, quam in se perfecta, et ad summum perducta natura. Est igitur homini cum Deo similitudo.” Cf. also Clemens Alex., Strom., vii. c. 14: Οὐ γὰρ, καθάπερ οἱ Στωϊκοὶ, ἁθέως, πάνυ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀρετὴν ἀνθρώπου λέγομεν καὶ Θεοῦ. [See vol. ii. p. 549. S.] Cf. Theodoret, Serm., xi.—Spencer. And therefore we are taught to become “perfect,” as our Father in heaven is perfect.736 Cf. Matt. v. 48. No good and virtuous man, then, is a “worm rolling in filth,” nor is a pious man an “ant,” nor a righteous man a “frog;” nor could one whose soul is enlightened with the bright light of truth be reasonably likened to a “bird of the night.”

Τάχα δέ τινων παρήκουσεν ὁ Κέλσος ὅτι ὁ θεός ἐστιν, εἶτα μετ' ἐκεῖνον ἡμεῖς, οὓς ὠνόμασε σκώληκας. Καὶ ὅμοιον ποιεῖ τοῖς ὅλῃ αἱρέσει φιλοσοφίας ἐγκαλοῦσι διά τινα λεγόμενα ὑπὸ προπετοῦς μειρακίου, τριῶν ἡμερῶν φοιτήσαντος εἰς φιλοσόφου καὶ ἐπαιρομένου κατὰ τῶν λοιπῶν ὡς ἐλαττόνων καὶ ἀφιλοσόφων. Ἴσμεν γὰρ ὅτι πολλά ἐστιν ἀνθρώπου τιμιώτερα, καὶ ἀνέγνωμεν ὅτι "Ὁ θεὸς ἔστη ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν", θεῶν δὲ οὐ τῶν προσκυνουμένων ὑπὸ τῶν λοιπῶν–"πάντες γὰρ οἱ θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν δαι μόνια"–, καὶ ἀνέγνωμεν ὅτι "Ὁ θεὸς" στὰς "ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν ἐν μέσῳ θεοὺς διακρίνει"· οἴδαμεν δὲ καὶ ὅτι "Εἴπερ εἰσὶ θεοὶ λεγόμενοι, εἴτ' ἐν οὐρανῷ εἴτε ἐπὶ γῆς, ὥσπερ εἰσὶ θεοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ κύριοι πολλοί, ἀλλ' ἡμῖν εἷς θεὸς ὁ πατήρ, ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς αὐτόν, καὶ εἷς κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς δι' αὐτοῦ"· οἴδαμεν δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους οὕτως εἶναι ἀνθρώπων κρείττονας ὥστε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τελειωθέντας ἰσαγγέλους γίνεσθαι· "Ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν νεκρῶν οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτ' ἐγγαμίζονται, ἀλλ' εἰσὶν ὡς οἱ ἄγγελοι τῶν οὐρανῶν" οἱ δίκαιοι καὶ γίνονται "ἰσάγγελοι"· οἴδαμεν δ' ἐν τῇ διατάξει τῶν ὅλων εἶναί τινας τοὺς καλου μένους θρόνους καὶ ἄλλους κυριότητας καὶ ἄλλους ἐξουσίας καὶ ἄλλους ἀρχάς· καὶ ὁρῶμεν ὅτι πολὺ τούτων ἡμεῖς οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀπολειπόμενοι ἐλπίδας ἔχομεν ἐκ τοῦ καλῶς βιοῦν καὶ πάντα πράττειν κατὰ τὸν λόγον ἀναβαίνειν ἐπὶ τὴν τούτων πάντων ἐξομοίωσιν. Καὶ τελευταῖον ἐπεὶ "Μήπω ἐφανερώθη, τί ἐσόμεθα, οἴδαμεν ὅτι, ἐὰν φανερωθῇ, ἐσόμεθα ὅμοιοι τῷ θεῷ καὶ ὀψόμεθα αὐτόν, καθώς ἐστιν". Εἰ δέ τις τὸ λεγόμενον ὑπό τινων, εἴτε τῶν νοούντων εἴτε τῶν μὴ συνιέντων ἀλλὰ παρακουσάντων λόγου ὑγιοῦς, φάσκοι, ὅτι ὁ θεός ἐστιν, εἶτα μετ' ἐκεῖνον ἡμεῖς· καὶ τοῦτό γ' ἂν ἑρμηνεύοιμι, τὸ ἡμεῖς λέγων ἀντὶ τοῦ οἱ λογικοὶ καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον οἱ σπουδαῖοι λογικοί· καθ' ἡμᾶς γὰρ ἡ αὐτὴ ἀρετή ἐστι τῶν μακαρίων πάντων, ὥστε καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ ἀρετὴ ἀνθρώπου καὶ θεοῦ. ∆ιόπερ γίνεσθαι "τέλειοι, ὡς ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστι", διδασκόμεθα. Οὐδεὶς οὖν καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθὸς σκώληξ ἐστὶν ἐννηχόμενος βορβόρῳ καὶ οὐδεὶς εὐσεβὴς μύρμηξ καὶ οὐδεὶς δίκαιος βάτραχος, καὶ οὐδεὶς τῷ λαμπρῷ φωτὶ τῆς ἀληθείας καταυγαζόμενος τὴν ψυχὴν νυκτερίδι ἂν εὐλόγως παραβάλλοιτο.