Against Celsus, Book II · §62 · Origen of Alexandria

Between solid body and bare soul

And it was in keeping with everything prophesied about him, which included this too, and with what he did and what happened to him, that this should prove the greatest wonder of all. For it had been foretold in the prophet, speaking in the person of Jesus: “My flesh will dwell in hope; and you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let your Holy One see corruption” (Psalm 16:9–10).

And at his resurrection he was, as it were, in a kind of borderland between the solidity of the body he had before the passion and the appearing of a soul bare of such a body. Hence, when “his disciples” were together, “and Thomas with them, Jesus comes, though the doors were shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he says to Thomas, ‘Bring your finger here’”, and what follows (John 20:26–27).

In the Gospel according to Luke, too, as Simon and Cleopas were talking “with each other about all that had happened” (Luke 24:14), Jesus came up to them and “went along with them. But their eyes were held so that they did not recognize him. And he said to them, ‘What are these words that you are exchanging with each other as you walk?’” (Luke 24:15–17). And when “their eyes were opened and they recognized him,” then Scripture says in these very words: “And he vanished from them” (Luke 24:31).

So even if Celsus wants to put the events concerning Jesus, and those who saw him after the resurrection, on the same footing as other apparitions and others who have seen apparitions, yet to those who examine the facts fairly and wisely the greater wonder will be plain.

Greek

Καὶ ἀκόλουθόν γε ἦν πᾶσι τοῖς τε προφητευθεῖσι περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐν οἷς καὶ τοῦτο ἦν, καὶ τοῖς πραχθεῖσιν αὐτῷ καὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσι τοῦτο παρὰ πάντα παράδοξον γενέσθαι. προελέλεκτο γὰρ ἐκ προσώπου Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ· „ἡ σάρξ μου κατασκηνώσεῖ ἐπ᾿ ἐλπίδι· καὶ οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, καὶ οὐ δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν.“ καὶ ἦν γε κατὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν αὐτοῦ ὡσπερεὶ ἐν μεθορίῳ τινὶ τῆς παχύτητος τῆς πρὸ τοῦ πάθους σώματος καὶ τοῦ γυμνὴν τοιούτου σώματος φαίνεσθαι ψυχήν. ὅθεν. ὅτ᾿ ἦσαν „οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ Θωμᾶς“ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ „μετ᾿ αὐτῶν, ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον καὶ εἶπεν· εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. εἶτα λέγει τῷ Θωμᾷ· φέρε τὸν δάκτυλόν σου ὧδε“ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. καὶ ἐν τῷ κατὰ Λουκᾶν δὲ εὐαγγελίῳ ὁμιλούντων „πρὸς ἀλλήλους“ Σίμωνος καὶ Κλεόπα „περὶ πάντων τῶν συμβεβηκότων“ αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐπιστὰς αὐτοῖς „συνεπορεύετο μετ᾿ αὐτῶν. καὶ οἱ μὲν ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν ἐκρατοῦντο τοῦ μὴ ἐπιγνῶναι αὐτόν· ὁ δὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς· τίνες οἱ λόγοι, οὓς ἀντιβάλλετε πρὸς ἀλλήλους περιπατοῦντες;“ καὶ ἡνίκα „διηνοίχθησαν αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ. καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν αὐτὸν,“ τότε αὐταῖς λέξεσί φησιν ἡ γραφή· „καὶ αὐτὸς ἄφαντος ἐγένετο ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν.“ κἂν βούληται οὖν κοινοποιεῖν πρὸς ἕτερα φαντάσματα καὶ ἄλλους φαντασθέντας τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ τοὺς ἰδόντας αὐτὸν μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ὁ Κέλσος, ἀλλὰ τοῖς εὐγνωμόνως καὶ φρονίμως ἐξετάζουσι τὰ πράγματα φανεῖται τὸ παραδοξότερον.

Report a mistake in this passage

About this text

Origen answers the Jew whom Celsus brings on stage to speak against the Jews who believe in Jesus, and shows that they have not left the law of their fathers. He goes on to defend Jesus’ foreknowledge of his betrayal, the reality of his suffering and death, and his resurrection, and argues that no mere man could have won so much of the world.

Base text: Koetschau, GCS 2–3 (1899), via the Perseus digital text. The English is a fresh translation from that Greek, chapter by chapter (2.1–79), with an independent clause-by-clause review against the Greek. Crombie and Chadwick were not used.

Printed text used

Translated from Koetschau GCS 2 – 3 (1899) — Greek (Greek · Book II, chapters 1 – 79)

We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

Report a mistake