Silence stronger than a spoken defense
Even moderate judges would marvel that the accused, able to clear himself and recount his life and God-given works, chose silence and held the accusers in contempt. Had he answered, Pilate would have released him; the silence was not weakness but greatness of soul.
Greek
Καὶ γὰρ θαυμασμοῦ. ἄξιον ἦν παρὰ τοῖς καὶ μετρίως φρονεῖν δυναμένοις τὸ τὸν κατηγορούμενον καὶ ψευδομαρτυρούμενον, δυνάμενον ἀπολογήσασθαι καὶ παραστῆσαι αὑτὸν οὐδενὶ ἔνοχον ἐγκλήματι καὶ ἐγκώμια τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ βίου διεξελθεῖν καὶ τῶν δυνάμεων, ὡς ἀπὸ θεοῦ γεγένηνται, ἵνα δῷ τῷ δικαστῇ ὁδὸν τοῦ χρηστότερα περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀποφήνασθαι, τοῦτο μὲν μὴ πεποιηκέναι καταπεφρονηκέναι δὲ καὶ μεγαλοφυῶς ὑπερεωρακέναι τοὺς κατηγόρους. ὅτι δὲ, εἰ ἀπελογήσατο. ἀπέλυσεν ἂν ὁ δικαστὴς μηδὲ διστάσας τὸν Ἰησοῦν, δῆλον ἐκ τῶν ἀναγεγραμμένων περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐν οἷς εἶπε· „τίνα θέλετε τῶν δύο ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν, τὸν Βαραββᾶν ἢ Ἰησοῦν τὸν λεγόμενον Χριστόν;“ καὶ τοῦ, ὡς ἐπιφέρει ἡ γραφὴ λέγουσα· „ᾔδει γὰρ ὅτι διὰ φθόνον παρέδωκαν αὐτόν.„ Ἰησοῦς οὖν ἀεὶ ψευδομαρτυρεῖται, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅτε κακίας οὔσης ἐν ἀνθρώποις οὐ κατηγορεῖται. καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν καὶ νῦν σιωπᾷ πρὸς ταῦτα καὶ οὐκ ἀποκρίνεται μὲν διὰ φωνῆς, ἀπολογεῖται δὲ ἐν τῷ βίῳ τῶν γνησίων ἑαυτοῦ μαθητῶν, κεκραγότι τὰ διαφέροντα καὶ πάσης ψευδομαρτυρίας ὄντι κρείττονι, ἐλέγχων καὶ ἀνατρέπων τὰς ψευδομαρτυρίας καὶ κατηγορίας.
About this text
Origen’s Contra Celsum Preface (Greek). Complete on this page: §§2–6.
English follows Koetschau GCS Greek. ANF Crombie and Chadwick were not used as wording. This page is Preface §§2–6 (closeout).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Koetschau GCS 2–3 (1899) — Greek (Greek · Preface §§2–6)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.