Against Celsus 6.75

Next he says: Since a divine spirit was in the body, it must certainly have differed somewhat from the others in size, or beauty, or strength, or voice, or impressiveness, or persuasiveness. For it is impossible that one to whom something divine belonged more than to others should differ in no way from another; but this body differed in no way from another, but, as they say, was small, ugly, and ignoble. Here too it is plain that when he wishes to accuse Jesus, he quotes from the Scriptures as though he believed those that seem to give him grounds for accusation; but where, according to the same Scriptures, things might seem to be said contrary to what he takes up for his accusation, he does not even pretend to know them. It is admittedly written that the body of Jesus was ugly, but not, as he has set out, ignoble too; nor is it clearly shown that he was small. The passage is recorded in Isaiah, who prophesies that he will come to the many not in a comely form or with any surpassing beauty, as follows: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? We announced before him as a child, as a root in a thirsty land; he has no form (nor glory; and we saw him, and he had no form) nor beauty; but his form was without honour, failing beyond the sons of men.” Did Celsus, then, listen to these words because he thought them useful to him for accusing Jesus, but pay no more attention to what is said in the forty-fourth Psalm, where it is said: “Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one, in your comeliness and your beauty; and bend your bow, and prosper, and reign”?