Against Celsus 2.62
Summary: Origen explains that the risen Jesus was in a state between an ordinary body and a disembodied soul, entering through shut doors and vanishing at Emmaus, as the Gospels record.
Greek text · Koetschau 1:184
Καὶ ἀκόλουθόν γε ἦν πᾶσι τοῖς τε προφητευθεῖσι περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐν οἷς καὶ τοῦτο ἦν, καὶ τοῖς πραχθεῖσιν αὐτῷ καὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσι τοῦτο παρὰ πάντα παράδοξον γενέσθαι. προελέλεκτο γὰρ ἐκ προσώπου Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ· „ἡ σάρξ μου κατασκηνώσει ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι· καὶ οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, καὶ οὐ δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν.“ καὶ ἦν γε κατὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν αὐτοῦ ὡσπερεὶ ἐν μεθορίῳ τινὶ τῆς παχύτητος τῆς πρὸ τοῦ πάθους σώματος καὶ τοῦ γυμνὴν τοιούτου σώματος φαίνεσθαι ψυχήν. ὅθεν. ὅτʼ ἦσαν „οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ Θωμᾶς“ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ „μετʼ αὐτῶν, ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῶν θυρῶν κεκλεισμένων καὶ ἔστη εἰς τὸ μέσον καὶ εἶπεν· εἰρήνη ὑμῖν. εἶτα λέγει τῷ Θωμᾷ· φέρε τὸν δάκτυλόν σου ὧδε“ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. καὶ ἐν τῷ κατὰ Λουκᾶν δὲ εὐαγγελίῳ ὁμιλούντων „πρὸς ἀλλήλους“ Σίμωνος καὶ Κλεόπα „περὶ πάντων τῶν συμβεβηκότων“ αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐπιστὰς αὐτοῖς „συνεπορεύετο μετʼ αὐτῶν. καὶ οἱ μὲν ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν ἐκρατοῦντο τοῦ μὴ ἐπιγνῶναι αὐτόν· ὁ δὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς· τίνες οἱ λόγοι, οὓς ἀντιβάλλετε πρὸς ἀλλήλους περιπατοῦντες;“ καὶ ἡνίκα „διηνοίχθησαν αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ. καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν αὐτὸν, “ τότε αὐταῖς λέξεσί φησιν ἡ γραφή· „καὶ αὐτὸς ἄφαντος ἐγένετο ἀπʼ αὐτῶν.“ κἂν βούληται οὖν κοινοποιεῖν πρὸς ἕτερα φαντάσματα καὶ ἄλλους φαντασθέντας τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ τοὺς ἰδόντας αὐτὸν μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ὁ Κέλσος, ἀλλὰ τοῖς εὐγνωμόνως καὶ φρονίμως ἐξετάζουσι τὰ πράγματα φανεῖται τὸ παραδοξότερον.
English · Claude translation
And it was consistent with all the prophecies about him, among which was this one too, and with his deeds and what happened to him, that this should be marvelous beyond all. For it had been foretold in the person of Jesus in the prophet: “My flesh shall dwell in hope; for you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let your holy one see corruption.” And at his resurrection he was, as it were, on a borderline between the density of the body before the passion and a soul appearing stripped of such a body. So, when “his disciples” were together “and Thomas with them, Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, Bring your finger here,” and what follows. And in the Gospel according to Luke, while Simon and Cleopas were talking “with each other about all that had happened” to them, Jesus came up to them and “went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him; and he said to them, What are these words that you are exchanging with each other as you walk?” And when “their eyes were opened and they recognized him,” then Scripture says in these very words: “And he vanished from their sight.” So even if Celsus wishes to put what concerns Jesus and those who saw him after the resurrection on the same level as other apparitions and others who saw visions, to those who examine the matter fairly and intelligently it will appear the more marvelous.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Ps 16:9–10 (15:9–10 LXX), John 20:26–27, and Luke 24:14–16, 17, 31. Origen names Luke's companion of Cleopas as Simon.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (wrong accent in the digital text): κατασκηνώσεῖ → κατασκηνώσει.
Cite this passage
Origen, Cels. 2.62 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/2/62/).
Plain text
Origen, Cels. 2.62 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-celsum/2/62/).
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