Against Celsus 3.46
Summary: The New Testament too values wisdom: Jesus explained the parables privately to his disciples, promised to send wise men, and Paul ranked the word of wisdom first among the gifts, while Stephen praised Moses' learning.
Greek text · Koetschau 1:242–243
Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ μετὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν γεγραμμένα ἔλθῃς βιβλία, εὕροις ἂν τοὺς μὲν ὄχλους τῶν πιστευόντων τῶν παραβολῶν ἀκούοντας ὡς ἔξω τυγχάνοντας καὶ ἀξίους μόνον τῶν ἐξωτερικῶν λόγων. τοὺς δὲ μαθητὰς κατʼ ἰδίαν τῶν παραβολῶν μανθάνοντας τὰς διηγήσεις· „κατʼ ἰδίαν“ γὰρ „τοῖς ἰδίοις μαθηταῖς ἐπέλυεν ἅπαντα“ ὁ Ἰησοῦς. προτιμῶν παρὰ τοὺς ὄχλους τοὺς τῆς σοφίας αὐτοῦ ἐπιδικαζομένους. ἐπαγγέλλεται δὲ τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύουσι πέμψαι „σοφοὺς καὶ γραμματεῖς“ λέγων· „ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστελῶ εἰς ὑμᾶς σοφοὺς καὶ γραμματεῖς, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀποκτενοῦσι καὶ σταυρώσουσι.“ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δʼ ἐν τῷ καταλόγῳ τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ διδομένων χαρισμάτων πρῶτον ἔταξε τὸν λόγον τῆς σοφίας καὶ δεύτερον, ὡς ὑποβεβηκότα παρʼ ἐκεῖνον, τὸν λόγον τῆς γνώσεως τρίτον δέ που καὶ κατωτέρω τὴν πίστιν. καὶ ἐπεὶ τὸν λόγον προετίμα τῶν τεραστίων ἐνεργειῶν, διὰ τοῦτʼ „ἐνεργήματα δυνάμεων“ καὶ „χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων“ ἐν τῇ κατωτέρω τίθησι χώρᾳ παρὰ τὰ λογικὰ χαρίσματα. μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τῇ Μωϋσέως πολυμαθείᾳ ὁ ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι τῶν ἀποστόλων Στέφανος, πάντως ἀπὸ τῶν παλαιῶν καὶ μὴ εἰς πολλοὺς ἐφθακότων γραμμάτων λαβών· φησὶ γάρ· „καὶ ἐπαιδεύθη Μωϋσῆς ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ Αἰγυπτίων.“ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς τεραστίοις ὑπενοεῖτο, μή ποτʼ οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ θεόθεν ἥκειν ἐποίει αὐτὰ ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὰ Αἰγυπτίων μαθήματα, σοφὸς ὢν ἐν αὐτοῖς. τοιαῦτα γὰρ ὑπονοῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκάλεσε τοὺς ἐπαοιδοὺς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ τοὺς σοφιστὰς καὶ τοὺς φαρμακεῖς, οἵτινες ἠλέγχθησαν τὸ οὐδὲν ὄντες ὡς πρὸς τὴν ἐν Μωϋσεῖ σοφίαν ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν Αἰγυπτίων σοφίαν.
English · Claude translation
And if you come also to the books written after Jesus, you would find that the crowds of believers hear the parables as being outside and worthy only of the outward words, but the disciples learn privately the explanations of the parables; for “privately” Jesus “explained everything to his own disciples,” honoring above the crowds those who laid claim to his wisdom. And he promises to send to those who believe in him “wise men and scribes,” saying: “Behold, I will send to you wise men and scribes, and some of them they will kill and crucify.” And Paul, in the list of the gifts given by God, placed first the word of wisdom, and second, as inferior to it, the word of knowledge, and third, somewhere lower, faith. And since he valued the word above miraculous workings, he therefore puts “workings of powers” and “gifts of healings” in a lower place than the gifts of speech. And Stephen in the Acts of the Apostles bears witness to Moses' great learning, surely taking it from ancient writings that had not reached many; for he says: “And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.” For this reason he was even suspected in his miracles of doing them, perhaps, not, as he professed, by coming from God, but by the learning of the Egyptians, being wise in it. For the king, suspecting such things about him, called the enchanters of the Egyptians, the sophists, and the sorcerers, who were proved to be nothing compared with the wisdom in Moses, which surpassed all the wisdom of the Egyptians.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Mark 4:34, Matt 23:34, and Acts 7:22; the list of gifts is 1 Cor 12:8–10; the Egyptian magicians are Exod 7:11.
Cite this passage
Origen, Cels. 3.46 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/3/46/).
Plain text
Origen, Cels. 3.46 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/3/46/).
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