Chapter LXX.
But how is it that this Jew of Celsus could say that Jesus concealed Himself? For his words regarding Him are these: "And who that is sent as a messenger ever conceals himself when he ought to make known his message?" Now, He did not conceal Himself, who said to those who sought to apprehend Him, "I was daily teaching openly in the temple, and ye laid no hold upon Me." But having once already answered this charge of Celsus, now again repeated, we shall content ourselves with what we have formerly said. We have answered, also, in the preceding pages, this objection, that "while he was in the body, and no one believed upon him, he preached to all without intermission; but when he might have produced a powerful belief in himself after rising from the dead, he showed himself secretly only to one woman, and to his own boon companions." [3393] Now it is not true that He showed Himself only to one woman; for it is stated in the Gospel according to Matthew, that "in the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there had been a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord had descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone." [3394] And, shortly after, Matthew adds: "And, behold, Jesus met them"--clearly meaning the afore-mentioned Marys--"saying, All hail. And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him." [3395] And we answered, too, the charge, that "while undergoing his punishment he was seen by all, but after his resurrection only by one," when we offered our defence of the fact that "He was not seen by all." And now we might say that His merely human attributes were visible to all men but those which were divine in their nature--I speak of the attributes not as related, but as distinct [3396] --were not capable of being received by all. But observe here the manifest contradiction into which Celsus falls. For having said, a little before, that Jesus had appeared secretly to one woman and His own boon companions, he immediately subjoins: "While undergoing his punishment he was seen by all men, but after his resurrection by one, whereas the opposite ought to have happened." And let us hear what he means by "ought to have happened." The being seen by all men while undergoing His punishment, but after His resurrection only by one individual, are opposites. [3397] Now, so far as his language conveys a meaning, he would have that to take place which is both impossible and absurd, viz., that while undergoing His punishment He should be seen only by one individual, but after His resurrection by all men! or else how will you explain his words, "The opposite ought to have happened?"
[3393] tois heautou thiasotais.
[3394] Matt. xxviii. 1, 2.
[3395] Matt. xxviii. 9.
[3396] lego de ou peri ton schesin pros hetera echonton, alla peri ton kata diaphoran.
[3397] enantion ton men kolazomenon pasin heorasthai, anastanta de heni. The Benedictine editor reads ton men kolazomenon, and Bohereau proposes enantion to kolazomenon men, etc.
Chapter LXXI.
Jesus taught us who it was that sent Him, in the words, "None knoweth the Father but the Son;" [3398] and in these, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." [3399] He, treating of Deity, stated to His true disciples the doctrine regarding God; and we, discovering traces of such teaching in the Scripture narratives, take occasion from such to aid our theological conceptions, [3400] hearing it declared in one passage, that "God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all;" [3401] and in another, "God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." [3402] But the purposes for which the Father sent Him are innumerable; and these any one may ascertain who chooses, partly from the prophets who prophesied of Him, and partly from the narratives of the evangelists. And not a few things also will he learn from the apostles, and especially from Paul. Moreover, those who are pious He leadeth to the light, and those who sin He will punish,--a circumstance which Celsus not observing, has represented Him "as one who will lead the pious to the light, and who will have mercy on others, whether they sin or repent." [3403]
[3398] Cf. Luke x. 22.
[3399] John i. 18.
[3400] hon ichne en tois gegrammenois heuriskontes aphormas echomen theologein.
[3401] 1 John i. 5.
[3402] John iv. 24.
[3403] The text is, tous de hamartanontas e metagnontas eleeson. Bohereau would read me metagnontas, or would render the passage as if the reading were e hamartanontas, e metagnontas. This suggestion has been adopted in the translation.