Against Celsus 3.32

Since after this Celsus also spoke of the man of Clazomenae, adding to the story about him: “Do they not say this, that his soul often left his body and roamed about bodiless? Yet people did not consider him a god either,” we shall say to this that perhaps some wicked daemons arranged for such things to be written (for I do not believe they arranged for them to happen too), so that what was prophesied about Jesus and said by him might either be slandered as fictions like those, or, as having nothing more than others, not be greatly admired. My Jesus said about his own soul, which was separated from the body not by human necessity but by the marvelous authority given him in this too: “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again.” For since he had “authority to lay it down,” he laid it down when he said, “Father, why have you forsaken me?”, and, “crying with a loud voice, gave up his spirit,” anticipating the executioners of the crucified, who break the legs of those crucified, and break them so that they may not suffer punishment any longer. And he took “his life” again when he showed himself to the disciples, having foretold it in their presence to the Jews who disbelieved him: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” And “he spoke this of the temple of his body”; the prophets too having proclaimed this in many places, including: “Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope; for you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let your holy one see corruption.”