Against Celsus 4.20

Then, since he represents in their own persons the Jews explaining the reason for the coming of Christ which they expect, and the Christians speaking about the coming of the Son of God into human life which has already taken place, come, let us consider these things too briefly, as far as possible. The Jews in his work say that “life, being filled with every wickedness, needs one sent down from God, so that the unjust may be punished and all things purified, as in the first flood that happened.” And since the Christians are said to add other things to these, it is clear that he says these things are said by them too. What absurdity is there in one coming, when wickedness overflows, to purify the world and treat each according to his worth? For it is not in keeping with God not to stop the spread of wickedness and renew all things. The Greeks too know that the earth is purified periodically by flood or fire, as Plato somewhere says thus: “When the gods, purifying the earth with waters, flood it, those in the mountains,” and so on. It must be said, then: If they say these things, are the things promised dignified and worthy of consideration, but if we too establish some such things praised by the Greeks, are these no longer good doctrines? And yet those who care for the careful and accurate treatment of everything written will try to show not only the antiquity of those who wrote these things, but also the dignity of what was said and its consistency.