Against Celsus 8.11

Next after this he says: “And indeed whoever claims that one Lord has been spoken of, meaning God, acts impiously in dividing the kingdom of God and stirring up sedition, as though there were factions and some other rival opposed to him.” This would have had force if he had shown by geometric proofs that those worshipped as gods by the nations are gods, and had shown that those supposed to dwell in the images, temples, and altars are not some wicked demons. But as for the kingdom of God, continually spoken of and written about among us, we pray both to understand it and to become such that we may be ruled by God alone, and the kingdom of God may be ours too. He, on the other hand, teaching us to worship many gods, ought, if he considers what is consistent with himself, to speak of a kingdom of gods rather than of God. There are no factions with God, then, nor is there any god who is his rival, even if some, like Giants or Titans, wish in their own wickedness to fight against God together with Celsus and those who have made war on him who has established the facts about Jesus through countless proofs, and on Jesus himself, who, being the Word, has given himself for the salvation of our race to the whole world at once, as each can receive him.