Apologetics -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600; Celsus (Platonic philosopher), active 180; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
καὶ τοῦτό γ’ ἄν ἑρμηνεύοιμι, τὸ “ἡμεῖς” λέγων ἀντὶ τοῦ οἱ λογικοὶ, καὶ
ἔτι μᾶλλον, οἱ σπουδαῖοι λογικοί.
Footnote 589:
ὥστε καὶ ἡ αὐτὴ ἀρετὴ ἀνθρώπου καὶ Θεοῦ. Cf. Cicero, _de leg._ i.:
“Jam vero virtus eadem in homine ac deo est, neque ullo alio in genio
præterea. Est autem virtus nihil aliud, quam in se perfecta, et ad
summum perducta natura. Est igitur homini cum Deo similitudo.” Cf.
also Clemens Alex. _Strom._ vii.: Οὐ γὰρ, καθάπερ οἱ Στωϊκοὶ, ἀθέως,
πάνυ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀρετὴν ἀνθρώπου λέγομεν καὶ Θεοῦ. Cf. Theodoret,
_Serm._ xi.—SPENCER.
Footnote 590:
Cf. Matt. v. 48.
Chapter XXX.
It appears to me that Celsus has also misunderstood this statement, “Let
us make man in our image and likeness;”[591] and has therefore
represented the “worms” as saying that, being created by God, we
altogether resemble Him. If, however, he had known the difference
between man being created “in the image of God” and “after His
likeness,” and that God is recorded to have said, “Let us make man after
our image and likeness,” but that He made man “after the image” of God,
but not then also “after His likeness,”[592] he would not have
represented us as saying that “we are altogether like Him.” Moreover, we
do not assert that the stars are subject to us; since the resurrection
which is called the “resurrection of the just,” and which is understood
by wise men, is compared to the sun, and moon, and stars, by him who
said, “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and
another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in
glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.”[593] Daniel also
prophesied long ago regarding these things.[594] Celsus says further,
that we assert that “all things have been arranged so as to be subject
to us,” having perhaps heard some of the intelligent among us speaking
to that effect, and perhaps also not understanding the saying, that “he
who is the greatest amongst us is the servant of all.”[595] And if the
Greeks say, “Then sun and moon are the slaves of mortal men,”[596] they
express approval of the statement, and give an explanation of its
meaning; but since such a statement is either not made at all by us, or
is expressed in a different way, Celsus here too falsely accuses us.
Moreover, we who, according to Celsus, are “worms,” are represented by
him as saying that, “seeing some among us are guilty of sin, God will
come to us, or will send His own Son, that He may consume the wicked,
and that we other frogs may enjoy eternal life with Him.” Observe how
this venerable philosopher, like a low buffoon,[597] turns into ridicule
and mockery, and a subject of laughter, the announcement of a divine
judgment, and of the punishment of the wicked, and of the reward of the
righteous; and subjoins to all this the remark, that “such statements
would be more endurable if made by worms and frogs than by Christians
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