Apologetics -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600; Celsus (Platonic philosopher), active 180; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
what God he
preaches? For his words are: “Paul, the servant of Jesus Christ, called
to be an apostle, set apart to the gospel of God, which He had promised
afore by His prophets in the holy Scriptures concerning His Son, who was
made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and who was declared
to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by
the resurrection from the dead of Christ Jesus our Lord,”[192] etc.
Moreover, also the following, “Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox
that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? or saith he it
altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that
he that plougheth should plough in hope, and he that thresheth in hope
of partaking of the fruits.”[193] By which he manifestly shows that God,
who gave the law on our account, _i.e._ on account of the apostles,
says, “Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the
corn;” whose care was not for oxen, but for the apostles, who were
preaching the gospel of Christ. In other passages also, Paul, embracing
the promises of the law, says, “Honour thy father and thy mother, which
is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee,
and that thy days may be long upon the land, the good land, which the
Lord thy God will give thee.”[194] By which he undoubtedly makes known
that the law, and the God of the law, and His promises, are pleasing to
him.
3. But as those who uphold this heresy are sometimes accustomed to
mislead the hearts of the simple by certain deceptive sophisms, I do not
consider it improper to bring forward the assertions which they are in
the habit of making, and to refute their deceit and falsehood. The
following, then, are their declarations. It is written, that “no man
hath seen God at any time.”[195] But that God whom Moses preaches was
both seen by Moses himself, and by his fathers before him; whereas He
who is announced by the Saviour has never been seen at all by any one.
Let us therefore ask them and ourselves whether they maintain that he
whom they acknowledge to be God, and allege to be a different God from
the Creator, is visible or invisible. And if they shall say that he is
visible, besides being proved to go against the declaration of
Scripture, which says of the Saviour, “He is the image of the invisible
God, the first-born of every creature,”[196] they will fall also into
the absurdity of asserting that God is corporeal. For nothing can be
seen except by help of form, and size, and colour, which are special
properties of bodies. And if God is declared to be a body, then He will
also be found to be material, since every body is composed of matter.
But if He be composed of matter, and matter is undoubtedly corruptible,
then, according to them, God is liable to corruption! We shall put to
them a second question. Is matter made, or is it uncreated, _i.e._ not
made? And if they shall answer that it is not made, _i.e._ uncreated, we
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