Apologetics -- History -- Early church, ca. 30-600; Celsus (Platonic philosopher), active 180; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
To the best of our ability, therefore, as in a treatise of this nature,
we have answered the objection, that “if Jesus had really wished to
manifest his divine power, he ought to have shown himself to those who
ill-treated him, and to the judge who condemned him, and to all without
reservation.” There was, however, no obligation on Him to appear either
to the judge who condemned Him, or to those who ill-treated Him. For
Jesus spared both the one and the other, that they might not be smitten
with blindness, as the men of Sodom were when they conspired against the
beauty of the angels entertained by Lot. And here is the account of the
matter: “But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house
to them, and shut to the door. And they smote the men who were at the
door of the house with blindness, both small and great; so that they
wearied themselves to find the door.”[196] Jesus, accordingly, wished to
show that His power was divine to each one who was capable of seeing it,
and according to the measure of His capability. And I do not suppose
that He guarded against being seen on any other ground than from a
regard to the fitness of those who were incapable of seeing Him. And it
is in vain for Celsus to add, “For he had no longer occasion to fear any
man after his death, being, as you say, a God; nor was he sent into the
world at all for the purpose of being hid.” Yet He was sent into the
world not only to become known, but also to be hid. For all that He was,
was not known even to those to whom He was known, but a certain part of
Him remained concealed even from them; and to some He was not known at
all. And He opened the gates of light to those who were the sons of
darkness and of night, and had devoted themselves to becoming the sons
of light and of the day. For our Saviour Lord, like a good physician,
came rather to us who were full of sins, than to those who were
righteous.
Footnote 196:
Cf. Gen. xix. 10, 11.
Chapter LXVIII.
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