Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus 44

I address these words to the Jew, not because the Christian disbelieves Ezekiel and Isaiah, but out of reverence for what has been commonly entrusted to us: that this one is far more worthy of belief when he says he has seen such things and, as is likely, handed down to the disciples the vision he saw and the voice he heard (Matthew 3:16-17). Another might object that not all who heard Jesus recount these things were the ones who wrote down the account of the dove's appearance and the voice from heaven. Yet the same Spirit that taught Moses the earlier history — beginning from the creation of the world (Genesis 1:1) down to the time of Abraham his father — also taught the gospel writers the paradox that occurred at the time of Jesus' baptism. And the one adorned with the charism called 'word of wisdom' will recount the reason for the opening of the heavens and the appearance of the dove, and why the Holy Spirit appeared to Jesus in the form of this creature and not another. Our present discussion does not require us to recount that now; for the task at hand is to refute Celsus, who has improperly, like a Jew, thrown in unbelief about a matter that has more likely occurred than what he believed.