Against Celsus 3.49
Summary: Christ is Savior of all, the wise as well as the simple; true education is a road to virtue and helps, rather than hinders, the knowledge of God.
Greek text · Koetschau 1:245–246
Ψεῦδος δὲ καὶ τὸ μόνους ἠλιθίους καὶ ἀγεννεῖς καὶ ἀναισθήτους καὶ ἀνδράποδα καὶ γύναια καὶ παιδάρια πείθειν ἐθέλειν τοὺς διδάσκοντας τὸν θεῖον λόγον. καὶ τούτους μὲν γὰρ καλεῖ ὁ λόγος, ἵνα αὐτοὺς βελτιώσῃ· καλεῖ δὲ καὶ τοὺς πολλῷ τούτων διαφέροντας· ἐπεὶ „σωτήρ ἐστιν πάντων ἀνθρώπων“ ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ „μάλιστα πιστῶν.“ εἴτε συνετῶν εἴτε ἁπλουστέρων, καὶ „ἱλασμός ἐστι“ „πρὸς τὸν πατέρα“ „περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, οὐ μόνον δὲ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου.“ περισσὸν οὖν τὸ θέλειν μετὰ ταῦτʼ ἀπολογήσασθαι ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὰς Κέλσου λέξεις οὕτως ἐχούσας· τί γάρ ἐστιν ἄλλως κακὸν τὸ πεπαιδεῦσθαι καὶ λόγων τῶν ἀρίστων ἐπιμεμελῆσθαι καὶ φρόνιμον εἶναί τε καὶ δοκεῖν; τί δὲ κωλύει τοῦτο πρὸς τὸ γνῶναι θεόν; τί δʼ οὐχὶ προὔργου μᾶλλον καὶ διʼ οὗ μᾶλλόν τις ἂν ἐφικέσθαι δύναιτο ἀληθείας; τὸ μὲν οὖν ἀληθῶς πεπαιδεῦσθαι οὐ κακόν· ὁδὸς γὰρ ἐπʼ ἀρετήν ἐστιν ἡ παίδευσις· τὸ μέντοι γε ἐν πεπαιδευμένοις ἀριθμεῖν τοὺς ἐσφαλμένα δόγματα ἔχοντας οὐδʼ οἱ Ἑλλήνων σοφοὶ φήσουσι. πάλιν τʼ αὖ τίς οὐκ ἂν ὁμολογήσαι ὅτι λόγων τῶν ἀρίστων ἐπιμεμελῆσθαι ἀγαθόν ἐστιν; ἀλλὰ τίνας ἐροῦμεν τοὺς ἀρίστους λόγους ἢ τοὺς ἀληθεῖς καὶ ἐπʼ ἀρετὴν παρακαλοῦντας; ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ φρόνιμον εἶναι καλόν ἐστιν, οὐκέτι δὲ τὸ δοκεῖν, ὅπερ εἶπεν ὁ Κέλσος. καὶ οὐ κωλύει γε πρὸς τὸ γνῶναι θεὸν ἀλλὰ καὶ συνεργεῖ τὸ πεπαιδεῦσθαι καὶ λόγων ἀρίστων ἐπιμεμελῆσθαι καὶ φρόνιμον εἶναι. καὶ ἡμῖν μᾶλλον πρέπει τοῦτο λέγειν ἢ Κέλσῳ, καὶ μάλιστʼ ἐὰν Ἐπικούρειος ὢν ἐλέγχηται.
English · Claude translation
It is also false that those who teach the divine word want to persuade only the simple-minded, the ignoble, the dull, slaves, silly women, and little children. The word does call these, in order to make them better; but it calls also those who far surpass them, since Christ is “the Savior of all men,” and “especially of believers,” whether intelligent or simpler, and he is “the propitiation” “with the Father” “for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the whole world.” It is superfluous, then, for us after this to want to answer Celsus's words, which run: “For what evil is there otherwise in being educated, and in having studied the best teachings, and in being and appearing sensible? What hindrance is this to knowing God? Is it not rather an advantage, and something by which one might better be able to attain the truth?” Now, to be truly educated is not evil, for education is a road to virtue; but not even the wise men of the Greeks will say that those who hold erroneous doctrines should be counted among the educated. And again, who would not agree that to have studied the best teachings is good? But which shall we call the best teachings, if not those that are true and exhort to virtue? And to be sensible is also good, but no longer to appear so, which Celsus said. And being educated, having studied the best teachings, and being sensible do not hinder the knowledge of God, but even help it. And it befits us to say this more than Celsus, especially if he is shown to be an Epicurean.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are 1 Tim 4:10 and 1 John 2:1–2. Origen repeatedly suspects that Celsus is an Epicurean.
Cite this passage
Origen, Cels. 3.49 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/3/49/).
Plain text
Origen, Cels. 3.49 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/3/49/).
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