Against Celsus 3.48

Perhaps also from the words, “For consider your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many powerful, not many well-born; but God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the ignoble and despised things, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, so that no flesh may boast before him,” some have been moved to think that no educated or wise or sensible person comes to the teaching. To such a person too we shall say that it is not said that no one is wise “according to the flesh,” but “not many are wise according to the flesh.” And it is clear that when Paul, in the characteristic description of those called bishops, sets out what sort of person the bishop must be, he also laid down that he be a teacher, saying that he must be able “also to refute those who contradict,” so that he may stop the mouths of empty talkers and deceivers by the wisdom in him. And just as he chooses for the office of bishop one married once rather than one married twice, and one “above reproach” rather than one open to reproach, and one “sober” rather than one who is not, and “self-controlled” rather than one not self-controlled, and “orderly” rather than one even slightly disorderly, so he wants the one who is to be appointed primarily to the office of bishop to be apt to teach and able “to refute those who contradict.” How then does Celsus reasonably accuse us as saying, “Let no one educated approach, no one wise, no one sensible”? No: let the educated, wise, and sensible man approach, whoever wishes; but no less let anyone approach who is ignorant, foolish, uneducated, and a child. For the teaching promises to heal such people too when they come, making them all worthy of God.