Apologetics -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600; Celsus (Platonic philosopher), active 180; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
Although Jesus was only a single individual, He was nevertheless more
things than one, according to the different standpoint from which He
might be regarded;[181] nor was He seen in the same way by all who
beheld Him. Now, that He was more things than one, according to the
varying point of view, is clear from this statement, “I am the way, and
the truth, and the life;” and from this, “I am the bread;” and this, “I
am the door,” and innumerable others. And that when seen He did not
appear in like fashion to all those who saw Him, but according to their
several ability to receive Him, will be clear to those who notice why,
at the time when He was about to be transfigured on the high mountain,
He did not admit all His apostles [to this sight], but only Peter, and
James, and John, because they alone were capable of beholding His glory
on that occasion, and of observing the glorified appearance of Moses and
Elijah, and of listening to their conversation, and to the voice from
the heavenly cloud. I am of opinion, too, that before He ascended the
mountain where His disciples came to Him alone, and where He taught them
the beatitudes, when He was somewhere in the lower part of the mountain,
and when, as it became late, He healed those who were brought to Him,
freeing them from all sickness and disease, He did not appear the same
person to the sick, and to those who needed His healing aid, as to those
who were able by reason of their strength to go up the mountain along
with Him. Nay, even when He interpreted privately to His own disciples
the parables which were delivered to the multitudes without, from whom
the explanation was withheld, as they who heard them explained were
endowed with higher organs of hearing than they who heard them without
explanation, so was it altogether the same with the eyes of their soul,
and, I think, also with those of their body.[182] And the following
statement shows that He had not always the same appearance, viz. that
Judas, when about to betray Him, said to the multitudes who were setting
out with him, as not being acquainted with Him, “Whomsoever I shall
kiss, the same is he.”[183] And I think that the Saviour Himself
indicates the same thing by the words: “I was daily with you, teaching
in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.”[184] Entertaining, then, such
exalted views regarding Jesus, not only with respect to the Deity
within, and which was hidden from the view of the multitude, but with
respect to the transfiguration of His body, which took place when and to
whom He would, we say, that before Jesus had “put off the governments
and powers,”[185] and while as yet He was not dead unto sin, all men
were capable of seeing Him; but that, when He had “put off the
governments and powers,” and had no longer anything which was capable of
being seen by the multitude, all who had formerly seen Him were not now
able to behold Him. And therefore, sparing them, He did not show Himself
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