Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus

Passages, indeed, might be found where corporeal and external (benefits) are improperly1477 καταχρηστικώτερον. called “good,”—those things, viz., which contribute to the natural life, while those which do the reverse are termed “evil.” It is in this sense that Job says to his wife: “If we have received good at the hand of the Lord, shall we not also receive evil!”1478 Cf. Job ii. 10. Since, then, there is found in the sacred Scriptures, in a certain passage, this statement put into the mouth of God, “I make peace, and create evil;”1479 Cf. Isa. xlv. 7. and again another, where it is said of Him that “evil came down from the Lord to the gate of Jerusalem, the noise of chariots and horsemen,”1480 Cf. Mic. i. 12, 13. The rendering of the Heb. in the first clause of the thirteenth verse is different from that of the LXX.—passages which have disturbed many readers of Scripture, who are unable to see what Scripture means by “good” and “evil,”—it is probable that Celsus, being perplexed thereby, gave utterance to the question, “How is it that God created evil?” or, perhaps, having heard some one discussing the matters relating to it in an ignorant manner, he made this statement which we have noticed. We, on the other hand, maintain that “evil,” or “wickedness,” and the actions which proceed from it, were not created by God. For if God created that which is really evil, how was it possible that the proclamation regarding (the last) judgment should be confidently announced,1481 παῤῥησίαν ἔχειν. which informs us that the wicked are to be punished for their evil deeds in proportion to the amount of their wickedness, while those who have lived a virtuous life, or performed virtuous actions, will be in the enjoyment of blessedness, and will receive rewards from God? I am well aware that those who would daringly assert that these evils were created by God will quote certain expressions of Scripture (in their support), because we are not able to show one consistent series1482 ὕφος. of passages; for although Scripture (generally) blames the wicked and approves of the righteous, it nevertheless contains some statements which, although comparatively1483 ὀλίγα must be taken comparatively, on account of the πολλάς that follows afterwards. few in number, seem to disturb the minds of ignorant readers of holy Scripture. I have not, however, deemed it appropriate to my present treatise to quote on the present occasion those discordant statements, which are many in number,1484 πολλάς. See note 11. and their explanations, which would require a long array of proofs. Evils, then, if those be meant which are properly so called, were not created by God; but some, although few in comparison with the order of the whole world, have resulted from His principal works, as there follow from the chief works of the carpenter such things as spiral shavings and sawdust,1485 τὰ ἑλικοειδῆ ξέσματα καὶ πρίσματα. or as architects might appear to be the cause of the rubbish1486 τὰ παρακείμενα. which lies around their buildings in the form of the filth which drops from the stones and the plaster.

Εὑρεθείη δ' ἂν καταχρηστικώτερον καὶ τὰ σωματικὰ καὶ τὰ ἐκτός, τὰ μὲν συμβαλλόμενα εἰς τὸν κατὰ φύσιν βίον νομιζόμενα ἀγαθὰ τὰ δ' ἐναντιούμενα τούτῳ κακά. Οὕτω γὰρ ὁ Ἰὼβ λέγει πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα τό· "Εἰ γὰρ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐδεξάμεθα ἐκ χειρὸς κυρίου, τὰ κακὰ οὐχ ὑποίσο μεν;" Ἐπεὶ οὖν εὑρίσκεται ἐν ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς ὅπου μὲν ἐκ προσώπου θεοῦ τὸ "Ἐγὼ ὁ ποιῶν εἰρήνην καὶ κτίζων κακά", ὅπου δὲ πάλιν περὶ αὐτοῦ "Ὅτι κατέβη κακὰ παρὰ κυρίου ἐπὶ πύλας Ἱερουσαλήμ, ψόφος ἁρμάτων καὶ ἱππευόντων", ἅπερ ἐτάραξε πολλοὺς τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων τῇ γραφῇ, μὴ δυναμένους καθορᾶν τὰ κατ' αὐτὴν περὶ ἀγαθῶν καὶ κακῶν σημαινόμενα· εἰκὸς ἐντεῦθεν ἤτοι τὸν Κέλσον ἐπαποροῦντα εἰρηκέναι· Πῶς μὲν κακὰ ὁ θεὸς ἐποίει; Ἢ ἀκούσαντά τινος ἰδιωτικώτερον πρεσβεύοντος περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν τόπον τὴν ἐκκειμένην λέξιν τεθεικέναι. Ἡμεῖς δέ φαμεν ὅτι κακὰ μέν, τὴν κακίαν καὶ τὰς ἀπ' αὐτῆς πράξεις, ὁ θεὸς οὐκ ἐποίησε. Πῶς γὰρ οἷόν τ' ἦν τὸ περὶ κρίσεως κήρυγμα παρρησίαν ἔχειν, διδάσκον κολάζεσθαι μὲν ἐπὶ ταῖς κατὰ κακίαν πράξεσι κατ' ἀναλογίαν τῶν ἡμαρτη μένων τοὺς φαύλους, μακαρίους δ' εἶναι καὶ τεύξεσθαι τῶν ἀπὸ θεοῦ γερῶν τοὺς κατ' ἀρετὴν βιώσαντας ἢ τὰς κατ' ἀρετὴν πράξεις ποιήσαντας, εἰ τὰ ὄντως κακὰ πεποιήκει ὁ θεός; Εὖ οἶδα ὅτι ῥητά τινα παραλήψονται τῆς γραφῆς οἱ καὶ ταῦτα βουλόμενοι τολμᾶν φάσκειν ἀπὸ θεοῦ γεγονέναι, μὴ δυνάμενοι ἓν ὕφος ἀποδεῖξαι τῆς γραφῆς, αἰτιωμένης μὲν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας ἀποδεχομένης δὲ τοὺς εὖ πράττοντας καὶ οὐδὲν ἧττον κἀκεῖνα λεγούσης, ἅτινα περισπᾶν δοκεῖ [οὐκ] ὀλίγα ὄντα τοὺς ἀμαθῶς τὰ θεῖα γράμματα ἀναγινώσ κοντας. Ἐκτίθεσθαι δὲ νῦν τὰς περισπώσας λέξεις, πολλὰς τυγχανούσας, καὶ τὰς ἑρμηνείας αὐτῶν πολλῆς κατασκευῆς δεομένας οὐχ ἡγησάμην εἶναι ἁρμόζον τῇ προκειμένῃ συντάξει. Κακὰ τοίνυν, εἰ μὲν τὰ κυρίως οὕτως ὀνομαζόμενα ἐξακούοι τις, ὁ θεὸς οὐ πεποίηκεν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς προηγουμένοις αὐτοῦ ἔργοις ὀλίγα ὡς πρὸς τὴν τῶν ὅλων διάταξιν τυγχά νοντα ἐπηκολούθησεν, ὥσπερ ἐπακολουθεῖ τοῖς προηγου μένοις τοῦ τέκτονος ἔργοις τὰ ἑλικοειδῆ ξέσματα καὶ πρίσματα καὶ τοῖς οἰκοδόμοις [τὸ] ποιεῖν δοκεῖν τὰ παρα κείμενα ταῖς οἰκοδομαῖς ὡσπερεὶ κόπρια ἀποπίπτοντα τῶν λίθων καὶ τῆς κονίας.