Against Celsus 8.70
Summary: A Christian Rome would be protected by God, as ten righteous men would have saved Sodom's cities, for Christians are the salt of the earth; persecution comes only when God permits it, and Christ has overcome the world.
Greek text · Koetschau 2:286–287
Ἀλλʼ οἱ καθʼ ὑπόθεσιν Κέλσου πάντες ἂν πεισθέντες Ῥωμαῖοι εὐχόμενοι περιέσονται τῶν πολεμίων ἢ οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν πολεμήσονται. φρουρούμενοι ὑπὸ θείας δυνάμεως, τῆς διὰ πεντήκοντα δικαίους πέντε πόλεις ὅλας ἐπαγγειλαμένης διασῶσαι. ἅλες γὰρ εἰσι τηρητικοὶ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς συστάσεων τοῦ κόσμου οἱ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ συνέστηκε τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς, ὅσον οἱ ἅλες οὐ τρέπονται· „ἐὰν γὰρ τὸ ἅλας μωρανθῇ, “ „οὔτʼ εἰς γῆν οὔτʼ εἰς κόπρον“ „ἰσχύει ἔτι“ ἀλλὰ „βληθὲν ἔξω“ καταπατηθήσεται „ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.“ „ὁ δʼ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκουέτω, “ πῶς ταῦτα λέγεται. καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ, ὅτε μὲν ἐπιτρέπει ὁ θεὸς τῷ πειράζοντι δοὺς ἐξουσίαν τὴν τοῦ διώκειν ἡμᾶς, διωκόμεθα· ὅτε δʼ ὁ θεὸς (οὐ) βούλεται τοῦθʼ ἡμᾶς πάσχειν, καὶ ἐν μισοῦντι ἡμᾶς τῷ κόσμῳ παραδόξως εἰρήνην ἄγομεν καὶ θαῤῥοῦμεν ἐπὶ τῷ εἰπόντι· „θαρσεῖτε, ἐγὼ νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον.“ καὶ ἀληθῶς νενίκηκε „τὸν κόσμον, “ διόπερ (ἰσχύει ὁ κόσμος) εἰς ὅσον νικήσας αὐτὸν βούλεται, λαβὼν ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς τὸ νικᾶν „τὸν κόσμον·“ θαῤῥοῦμεν δὲ τῇ ἐκείνου νίκῃ. εἰ δὲ βούλεται πάλιν ἡμᾶς ἀθλεῖν καὶ ἀγωνίζεσθαι περὶ εὐσεβείας, ἡκέτωσαν ἀνταγωνισταὶ, πρὸς οὓς ἐροῦμεν· „πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν.“ καὶ γὰρ δύο στρουθίων πιπρασκομένων, ὡς ὠνόμασεν ἡ γραφὴ, „ἀσσαρίου, “ „ἓν εἰς παγίδα οὐ πίπτει ἄνευ τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς πατρός.“ καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον πάντα ἡ θεία περιείληφε πρόνοια, ὡς μηδὲ τὰς τρίχας „τῆς κεφαλῆς“ ἡμῶν ἐκπεφευγέναι τὸ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ ἠριθμῆσθαι.
English · Claude translation
But on Celsus's hypothesis, if all the Romans were persuaded, they would by praying overcome their enemies, or would not even make war at all, guarded by the divine power that promised to save five whole cities for the sake of fifty righteous men. For the men of God are the salt that preserves the order of the world on earth, and earthly things hold together as long as the salt does not lose its savour; for “if the salt has lost its taste,” it “is no longer good either for the soil or for the manure heap,” but “is thrown out” and trampled “by men.” “He who has ears, let him hear” how these things are said. And we, when God allows the tempter and gives him authority to persecute us, are persecuted; and when God does not wish us to suffer this, even in a world that hates us we are wonderfully at peace, and take courage because of him who said, “Take courage, I have overcome the world.” And he has truly overcome “the world”; therefore the world has strength only as far as he who overcame it wills, having received from the Father to overcome “the world”; and we take courage in his victory. And if he wishes us again to contend and struggle for piety, let the opponents come, to whom we shall say, “I can do all things in him who strengthens me, Christ Jesus our Lord.” For when two sparrows are sold, as Scripture puts it, “for a penny,” “not one of them falls into a snare without the Father in heaven.” And divine providence embraces all things to such an extent that not even the hairs “of the head” have escaped being numbered by him.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The allusions and quotations are Gen 18:24–26 (the five cities of the plain), Matt 5:13 with Luke 14:34–35, John 15:18–19, John 16:33, Phil 4:13, and Matt 10:29–30.
Cite this passage
Origen, Cels. 8.70 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/8/70/).
Plain text
Origen, Cels. 8.70 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/8/70/).
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