Against Celsus, Preface · §2 · Origen of Alexandria

His disciples’ lives are his defence

Indeed, to anyone of even moderate understanding, it was a thing to wonder at. Here was a man accused and falsely witnessed against. He could have made a defence and shown that he was guilty of no charge; he could have recounted the praises of his own life, and of his mighty works and how they had come from God, so as to give the judge a way to pronounce more favourably about him. Yet he did not do so, but despised his accusers and, with greatness of soul, disregarded them.

That the judge would have released Jesus without hesitation, had he made a defence, is clear from what is recorded about him. There the judge said, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:17, 21); and Scripture adds, saying, “For he knew that they had handed him over out of envy” (Matthew 27:18).

Jesus, then, is always falsely witnessed against, and so long as there is wickedness among men, there is no time when he is not accused. And even now he keeps silent in the face of these things and does not answer with his voice. Instead he makes his defence in the life of his true disciples. That life cries aloud what is excellent and is stronger than all false witness; and by it he refutes and overthrows the false witness and the charges.

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.

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About this text

Origen tells his patron Ambrose that Jesus met false witness with silence, that the lives of Christ’s true disciples are his defence, and that no argument can separate a believer from the love of God. He writes a reply to Celsus’s “True Doctrine” all the same, for those who have had no taste of faith in Christ and for those who are weak in faith.

Translated from the Greek of Koetschau, GCS 2–3 (1899), via the Perseus digital text, which serves as the base text. Each chapter was translated from the Greek and then checked clause by clause against it in an independent review. No earlier English translation was consulted.

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Translated from Koetschau GCS 2 – 3 (1899) — Greek (Greek · Preface, chapters 1 – 6)

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.

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