Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus

Celsus, again, having perhaps misunderstood the words, “For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it,”1528 Cf. Isa. i. 20. or perhaps because some ignorant individuals had rashly ventured upon the explanation of such things, and not understanding, moreover, on what principles parts called after the names of the bodily members are assigned to the attributes1529 ἐπὶ τῶν δυνάμεων. of God, asserts: “He has neither mouth nor voice.” Truly, indeed, God can have no voice, if the voice is a concussion of the air, or a stroke on the air, or a species of air, or any other definition which may be given to the voice by those who are skilled in such matters; but what is called the “voice of God” is said to be seen as “God’s voice” by the people in the passage, “And all the people saw the voice of God;”1530 Cf. Ex. xx. 18 (LXX.). The Masoretic text is different. the word “saw” being taken, agreeably to the custom of Scripture, in a spiritual sense. Moreover, he alleges that “God possesses nothing else of which we have any knowledge;” but of what things we have knowledge he gives no indication. If he means “limbs,” we agree with him, understanding the things “of which we have knowledge” to be those called corporeal, and pretty generally so termed. But if we are to understand the words “of which we have knowledge” in a universal sense, then there are many things of which we have knowledge, (and which may be attributed to God); for He possesses virtue, and blessedness, and divinity. If we, however, put a higher meaning upon the words, “of which we have knowledge,” since all that we know is less than God, there is no absurdity in our also admitting that God possesses none of those things “of which we have knowledge.” For the attributes which belong to God are far superior to all things with which not merely the nature of man is acquainted, but even that of those who have risen far above it. And if he had read the writings of the prophets, David on the one hand saying, “But Thou art the same,”1531 Cf. Ps. cii. 27. and Malachi on the other, “I am (the Lord), and change not,”1532 Cf. Mal. iii. 6. he would have observed that none of us assert that there is any change in God, either in act or thought. For abiding the same, He administers mutable things according to their nature, and His word elects to undertake their administration.

Πάλιν τε αὖ ὁ Κέλσος τάχα μὲν παρακούσας τοῦ "Τὸ γὰρ στόμα κυρίου ἐλάλησε ταῦτα" τάχα δὲ καὶ τῶν ἰδιωτῶν προπετευσαμένων περὶ τῆς τῶν τοιούτων διηγή σεως, μὴ νοήσας τε, ἐπὶ τίνων τάσσεται τὰ ὀνόμασι σωμα τικῶν μελῶν ἐπὶ τῶν δυνάμεων τοῦ θεοῦ λεγόμενα, φησίν· Οὐδὲ στόμα αὐτῷ ἐστιν οὐδὲ φωνή. Ἀληθῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἔσται τῷ θεῷ φωνή, εἴπερ ἐστὶν ἡ φωνὴ ἀὴρ πεπληγμένος ἢ πληγὴ ἀέρος ἢ εἶδος ἀέρος ἢ ὅ τι δήποτε ὁρίζονται εἶναι τὴν φωνὴν οἱ περὶ ταῦτα δεινοί· ἀλλ' ἡ λεγομένη φωνὴ θεοῦ ὡς θεοῦ φωνὴ ὁρᾶσθαι λέγεται ὑπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ ἐν τῷ "Πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἑώρα τὴν φωνὴν" τοῦ θεοῦ, τοῦ ὁρᾶσθαι λαμβανομένου, ἵνα κατὰ τὴν συνήθειαν ὀνομάσω τῆς γραφῆς, πνευματικῶς. Ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἄλλο φησὶν εἶναι τῷ θεῷ ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν· τίνων δ' ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν, οὐ σαφηνίζει. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ μελῶν, σύμφαμεν αὐτῷ προσυπακούοντες ὧν ἴσμεν σωμα τικῶς καὶ κοινότερον ὀνομαζομένων· εἰ δὲ καθόλου ἀκούοιμεν τοῦ ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν, πολλῶν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν ἐξακουομένου· ἔστι γὰρ αὐτῷ ἀρετὴ καὶ μακαριότης καὶ θειότης. Εἰ δέ τις ἀκούοι ὑψηλότερον τοῦ ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν, ἐπεὶ πάντα ἃ ἴσμεν ἐλάττονά ἐστι τοῦ θεοῦ· οὐδὲν ἄτοπον καὶ ἡμᾶς παραδέξασθαι ὅτι οὐδέν ἐστι τῷ θεῷ ὧν ἡμεῖς ἴσμεν. Κρείττονα γάρ ἐστι πάντων ὧν οἶδεν οὐ μόνη ἡ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου φύσις ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ὑπεραναβεβηκότων αὐτὴν τὰ προσόντα τῷ θεῷ. Εἰ δ' ἀνεγνώκει τὰς τῶν προφητῶν λέξεις, τοῦ μὲν ∆αυῒδ λέγοντος· "Σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ", τοῦ δὲ Μαλαχίου οἶμαι· "Καὶ οὐκ ἠλλοίωμαι", ἑώρα ἂν ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἡμῶν φησιν εἶναι μεταβολὴν ἐν τῷ θεῷ οὔτ' ἔργῳ οὔτ' ἐπινοίᾳ. Μένων γὰρ "ὁ αὐτὸς" διοικεῖ τὰ μεταβλητά, ὡς πέφυκε, καὶ λόγος αὐτὸς αἱρεῖ διοικεῖσθαι αὐτά.