Against Celsus 8.72

After this, having expressed a certain wish, “Would that it were possible for those who inhabit Asia, Europe, and Libya, Greeks and barbarians, to the ends of the earth, to agree under one law,” and thinking this impossible, he adds that “whoever thinks this knows nothing.” If one must speak of this too, a little will be said on the subject, which needs much examination and argument to show that what is said about all rational beings agreeing under one law is not only possible but true. The Stoics say that when the element stronger than the others has prevailed, there will be the conflagration, all things changing into fire; but we say that the Word will one day prevail over the whole rational nature and transform every soul into his own perfection, when each, using simply his own power of choice, chooses what he wills and comes to be in what he chose. And we say that it is not likely that, as with diseases and wounds in bodies some of what befalls is stronger than all medical art, so with souls there is anything arising from wickedness that cannot be healed by the rational being who is over all, who is God. For since the Word and the healing in him are more powerful than all the evils in the soul, he applies it to each according to the will of God, and the end of things is that wickedness is destroyed. Whether it is destroyed so that it can never again in any way be permitted, or not, is not for the present discussion to teach. The prophecies say much, in hidden words, about the complete destruction of evils and the correction of every soul; but for the present it is enough to cite the passage from Zephaniah, which runs thus: “Prepare yourself, rise early; all their gleaning is destroyed. Therefore wait for me, says the Lord, on the day of my rising up as a witness; for my judgment is on the gatherings of the nations, to receive kings, to pour out on them all the anger of my wrath. For in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed; for then I will turn to the peoples a tongue for its generation, so that all may call on the name of the Lord, to serve him under one yoke. From the ends of the rivers of Ethiopia they shall offer me sacrifices. On that day you shall not be put to shame for all your practices by which you acted impiously against me; for then I will take away from you the contemptuous things of your pride, and you shall no more boast on my holy mountain. And I will leave in you a people meek and humble, and the remnant of Israel shall reverence the name of the Lord, and they shall do no injustice and speak no vain things, and no deceitful tongue shall be found in their mouth; for they shall feed and lie down, and there shall be none to make them afraid.” Let whoever can, having studied all this, set out the clear meaning of the prophecy, and especially examine what it means that, when all the earth is consumed, a tongue is turned “to the peoples for its generation,” corresponding to the state of things before the confusion; and let him consider what it means that “all call on the name of the Lord, to serve him under one yoke,” so that “the contemptuous things of pride” are taken away, and there is no longer “injustice,” nor vain words, nor a deceitful tongue. It seemed good to me to set out these things moderately and without exact exposition because of Celsus's words, since he thinks it impossible for the Greeks and barbarians who inhabit Asia, Europe, and Libya to agree. And perhaps such a thing is truly impossible for those still in bodies, but not impossible for those set free from them.