Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus

Celsus, in the next place, as one who has heard the subject of humility greatly talked about,1281 ὡς περιηχηθεὶς τὰ περὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης. but who has not been at the pains to understand it,1282 μὴ ἐπιμελῶς αὐτὴν νοήσας. would wish to speak evil of that humility which is practised among us, and imagines that it is borrowed from some words of Plato imperfectly understood, where he expresses himself in the Laws as follows: “Now God, according to the ancient account, having in Himself both the beginning and end and middle of all existing things, proceeds according to nature, and marches straight on.1283 εὐθείᾳ περαίνει κατὰ φύσιν παραπορευόμενος. He is constantly followed by justice, which is the avenger of all breaches of the divine law: he who is about to become happy follows her closely in humility, and becomingly adorned.”1284 Plato, de Legibus, iv. p. 716. He did not observe, however, that in writers much older than Plato the following words occur in a prayer: “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty, neither do I walk in great matters, nor in things too wonderful for me; if I had not been humble,”1285 Ps. cxxxi. 1, 2 (LXX.). The clause, “If I had not been humble,” seems to belong to the following verse. etc. Now these words show that he who is of humble mind does not by any means humble himself in an unseemly or inauspicious manner, falling down upon his knees, or casting himself headlong on the ground, putting on the dress of the miserable, or sprinkling himself with dust. But he who is of humble mind in the sense of the prophet, while “walking in great and wonderful things,” which are above his capacity—viz., those doctrines that are truly great, and those thoughts that are wonderful—“humbles himself under the mighty hand of God.” If there are some, however, who through their stupidity1286 τῇ ἰδιωτείᾳ. have not clearly understood the doctrine of humiliation, and act as they do, it is not our doctrine which is to be blamed; but we must extend our forgiveness to the stupidity1287 τῇ ἰδιωτείᾳ. of those who aim at higher things, and owing to their fatuity of mind1288 διὰ τὸν ἰδιωτισμόν. fail to attain them. He who is “humble and becomingly adorned,” is so in a greater degree than Plato’s “humble and becomingly adorned” individual: for he is becomingly adorned, on the one hand, because “he walks in things great and wonderful,” which are beyond his capacity; and humble, on the other hand, because, while being in the midst of such, he yet voluntarily humbles himself, not under any one at random, but under “the mighty hand of God,” through Jesus Christ, the teacher of such instruction, “who did not deem equality with God a thing to be eagerly clung to, but made Himself of no reputation, and took on Him the form of a servant, and being found in fashion as a man, humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”1289 Cf. Phil. ii. 6, 8. And so great is this doctrine of humiliation, that it has no ordinary individual as its teacher; but our great Saviour Himself says: “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”1290 Cf. Matt. xi. 20.

Εἶτα μετὰ ταῦτα ὁ Κέλσος ὡς περιηχηθεὶς τὰ περὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ μὴ ἐπιμελῶς αὐτὴν νοήσας βούλεται μὲν τὴν παρ' ἡμῖν κακολογεῖν, οἴεται δ' αὐτὴν παράκουσμα εἶναι τῶν Πλάτωνος λόγων, ὅς φησι ποὺ ἐν τοῖς Νόμοις· "Ὁ μὲν δὴ θεός, ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ παλαιὸς λόγος, ἀρχήν τε καὶ τελευτὴν καὶ μέσα τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων ἔχων εὐθείᾳ περαίνει κατὰ φύσιν περιπορευόμενος· τῷ δ' ἀεὶ ξυνέπεται δίκη τῶν ἀπολελειμμένων τοῦ θείου νόμου τιμωρός, ἧς ὁ μὲν εὐδαιμονή σειν μέλλων ἐχόμενος ξυνέπεται ταπεινὸς καὶ κεκοσμημέ νος"· οὐχ ὁρῶν ὅτι παρὰ τοῖς πολὺ Πλάτωνος ἀρχαιοτέροις λέλεκται ἐν εὐχῇ τό· "Κύριε, οὐχ ὑψώθη μου ἡ καρδία, οὐδὲ ἐμετεωρίσθησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου, οὐδὲ ἐπορεύθην ἐν μεγάλοις οὐδὲ ἐν θαυμασίοις ὑπὲρ ἐμέ, εἰ μὴ ἐταπεινο φρόνουν." Ἅμα δὲ δηλοῦται διὰ τούτων ὅτι οὐ πάντως ὁ ταπεινοφρονῶν ἀσχημόνως καὶ ἀπαισίως ταπεινοῦται, χαμαι πετὴς ἐπὶ τῶν γονάτων καὶ πρηνὴς ἐρριμμένος, ἐσθῆτα δυ στήνων ἀμφισκόμενος καὶ κόνιν ἐπαμώμενος. Ὁ γὰρ κατὰ τὸν προφήτην ταπεινοφρονῶν, πορευόμενος "ἐν μεγάλοις καὶ θαυμασίοις" τοῖς ὑπὲρ αὐτόν, τοῖς ἀληθῶς "μεγάλοις" δόγμασι καὶ τοῖς "θαυμασίοις" νοήμασι, ταπεινοῖ ἑαυτὸν "ὑπὸ τὴν κραταιὰν χεῖρα τοῦ θεοῦ". Εἰ δέ τινες διὰ τὴν ἰδιωτείαν μὴ τρανώσαντες τὸ περὶ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης δόγμα τοιαῦτα ποιοῦσιν, οὐ τὸν λόγον αἰτιατέον, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἰδιωτείᾳ τῶν προθεμένων μὲν τὰ κρείττονα διὰ δὲ τὸν ἰδιωτισμὸν ἀποτυγχανόντων συγγνωστέον. Μᾶλλον γὰρ τοῦ κατὰ Πλάτωνα ταπεινοῦ καὶ κεκοσμημένου "ταπεινὸς καὶ κεκοσμημένος" ἐστὶν ὁ κεκοσμημένος μὲν διὰ τὸ πορεύεσθαι "ἐν μεγάλοις" καὶ "θαυμασίοις" ὑπὲρ αὐτόν· ταπεινὸς δέ, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐν τούτοις ὢν ταπεινοῦται ἑκών, οὐχ ὑπὸ τὸν τυχόντα ἀλλ' "ὑπὸ τὴν κραταιὰν χεῖρα τοῦ θεοῦ", διὰ τοῦ διδασκάλου τῶν τοιούτων μαθημάτων Ἰησοῦ· "ὃς" "οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε μορφὴν δούλου λαβών", "καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν, γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ". Καὶ οὕτω μέγα δόγμα τὸ περὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης ἐστίν, ὡς μὴ τὸν τυχόντα διδάσκαλον ἔχειν περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν λέγειν τὸν τηλικοῦτον ἡμῶν σωτῆρα· "Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾷός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν."