Contra Celsum

Contra Celsum 5.19-34ANF vol. 4 Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Part Fourth; Minucius Felix; Commodian; Origen,. Greek: Origene. Contre Celse, Sources chretiennes, 136, 147, 150 ed. M. Borret, ( Cerf , Paris 1:1967; 2:1968; 3-4:1969) Image: Bernd Witte, Das Ophitendiagramm nach Origenes Contra Celsum, Altenberge 1993, S.

ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΝ ΕΠΙΓΕΓΡΑΜΜΕΝΟΝ ΚΕΛΣΟΥ ΑΛΗΘΗ ΛΟΓΟΝ ΩΡΙΓΕΝΟΥΣ



Contra Celsum, Book 5. chapTER 4


[5.]4. But since he says, in the next place, as if the Jews or Christians had answered regarding those who come down to visit the human race, that they were angels: “But if ye say that they are angels, what do you call them?” he continues, “Are they gods, or some other race of beings?”	Ἐπεὶ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα͵ ὡς ἀποκριναμένων ἂν Ἰουδαίων ἢ Χριστιανῶν περὶ τῶν πρὸς ἀνθρώπους καταβαινόντων ὅτι εἶεν ἄγγελοι͵ φησίν· Εἰ δέ τινας ἀγγέλους φατέ͵ καὶ προσε περωτᾷ λέγων· τίνας τούτους λέγετε; θεοὺς ἢ ἄλλο τι γένος;
and then again introduces us as if answering, “Some other race of beings, and probably demons,”—let us proceed to notice these remarks.	Εἶτα πάλιν οἱονεὶ ἀποκριναμένους ἄγει ὅτι ἄλλο τι ὡς εἰκός͵ τοὺς δαίμονας· φέρε καὶ ταῦτα κατανοήσωμεν.
For we indeed acknowledge that angels are “ministering spirits,” and we say that “they are sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation;”(Cf. Heb. 1:14)and that they ascend, bearing the supplications of men, to the purest of the heavenly places in the universe, or even to supercelestial regions purer still;	Ὁμολογουμένως μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἀγγέλους φαμέν͵ λειτουρ γικὰ ὄντας πνεύματα καὶ εἰς διακονίας ἀποστελλό μενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν͵ ἀναβαίνειν μὲν προσάγοντας τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐντεύξεις ἐν τοῖς καθα ρωτάτοις τοῦ κόσμου χωρίοις ἐπουρανίοις
and that they come down from these, conveying to each one, according to his deserts, something enjoined by God to be conferred by them upon those who are to be the recipients of His benefits.	ἢ καὶ τοῖς τούτων καθαρωτέροις ὑπερουρανίοις͵ καταβαίνειν δ΄ αὖ ἐκεῖθεν φέροντας ἑκάστῳ κατ΄ ἀξίαν τῶν ἀπὸ θεοῦ τι αὐτοῖς διακονεῖν τοῖς εὐεργετουμένοις προστασσομένων.
Having thus learned to call these beings “angels” from their employments, we find that because they are divine they are sometimes termed “god” in the sacred Scriptures, (Cf. Ps. 86:8, 96:4, 136:2) but not so that we are commanded to honour and worship in place of God those who minister to us, and bear to us His blessings.	Τούτους δὴ ἀγγέλους ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔργου αὐτῶν μεμαθηκότες καλεῖν͵ εὑρίσκομεν αὐτοὺς διὰ τὸ θείους εἶναι καὶ θεοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς ποτε ὀνομαζομένους γραφαῖς͵ ἀλλ΄ οὐχ ὥστε προστάσσεσθαι ἡμῖν τοὺς διακονοῦντας καὶ φέροντας ἡμῖν τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ σέβειν καὶ προσκυνεῖν ἀντὶ τοῦ θεοῦ.
For every prayer, and supplication, and intercession, and thanksgiving, is to be sent up to the Supreme God through the High Priest, who is above all the angels, the living Word and God.	Πᾶσαν μὲν γὰρ δέησιν καὶ προσευχὴν καὶ ἔντευξιν καὶ εὐχαριστίαν ἀναπεμπτέον τῷ ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεῷ διὰ τοῦ ἐπὶ πάντων ἀγγέλων ἀρχιερέως͵ ἐμψύχου λόγου καὶ θεοῦ.
And to the Word Himself shall we also pray and make intercessions, and offer thanksgivings and supplications to Him, if we have the capacity of distinguishing between the proper use and abuse of prayer.	Δεησόμεθα δὲ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ λόγου καὶ ἐντευξόμεθα αὐτῷ καὶ εὐχαριστήσομεν καὶ προσευξόμεθα δέ͵ ἐὰν δυνώμεθα κατακούειν τῆς περὶ προσευχῆς κυριολεξίας καὶ καταχρήσεως.



Contra Celsum, Book 5. chapTER 5


[5.] 5. For to invoke angels without having obtained a knowledge of their nature greater than is possessed by men, would be contrary to reason. But, conformably to our hypothesis, let this knowledge of them, which is something wonderful and mysterious, be obtained.	Ἀγγέλους γὰρ καλέσαι μὴ ἀναλαβόντας τὴν ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπους περὶ αὐτῶν ἐπιστήμην οὐκ εὔλογον. ῞ινα δὲ καὶ καθ΄ ὑπόθεσιν ἡ περὶ αὐτῶν ἐπιστήμη θαυμάσιός τις οὖσα καὶ ἀπόρρητος καταληφθῇ͵
Then this knowledge, making known to us their nature, and the offices to which they are severally appointed, will not permit us to pray with confidence to any other than to the Supreme God, who is sufficient for all things, and that through our Saviour the Son of God, who is the Word, and Wisdom, and Truth, and everything else which the writings of God’s prophets and the apostles of Jesus entitle Him.	αὕτη ἡ ἐπιστήμη͵ παραστήσασα τὴν φύσιν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐφ΄ οἷς εἰσιν ἕκαστοι τεταγμένοι͵ οὐκ ἐάσει ἄλλῳ θαρρεῖν εὔχεσθαι ἢ τῷ πρὸς πάντα διαρκεῖ ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεῷ διὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν υἱοῦ θεοῦ· ὅς ἐστι λόγος καὶ σοφία καὶ ἀλήθεια καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα λέγουσι περὶ αὐτοῦ αἱ τῶν προφητῶν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦ Ἰησοῦ γραφαί.
And it is enough to secure that the holy angels of God be propitious to us, (Col. 3:18) and that they do all things on our behalf, that our disposition of mind towards God should imitate as far as it is within the power of human nature the example of these holy angels, who again follow the example of their God;	Ἀρκεῖ δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἵλεως ἡμῖν τοὺς ἁγίους ἀγγέλους εἶναι τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πάντα πράττειν αὐτοὺς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διάθεσις ἡμῶν͵ ὅση δύναμις ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει͵ μιμουμένη τὴν ἐκείνων προαίρεσιν͵ μιμουμένων αὐτῶν τὸν θεόν·
and that the conceptions which we entertain of His Son, the Word, so far as attainable by us, should not be opposed to the clearer conceptions of Him which the holy angels possess, but should daily approach these in clearness and distinctness.	καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ λόγον κατὰ τὸ ἐφικτὸν ἡμῖν διάληψις͵ οὐκ ἐναντιουμένη τῇ τρανοτέρᾳ περὶ αὐτοῦ διαλήψει τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων ἀλλ΄ ἐπ΄ ἐκείνην ὁσημέραι τῇ τρανότητι καὶ διαρθρώσει σπεύδουσα.
But because Celsus has not read our holy Scriptures, he gives himself an answer as if it came from us, saying that we “assert that the angels who come down from heaven to confer benefits on mankind are a different race from the gods,” and adds that “in all probability they would be called demons by us:”	Ὡς μὴ ἀναγνοὺς δὲ τὰς ἱερὰς ἡμῶν γραφὰς ὁ Κέλσος ἑαυτῷ ἀποκρίνεται ὡς ἀφ΄ ἡμῶν ὅτι ἄλλο τι γένος παρὰ θεοῦ φαμεν τοὺς καταβαί νοντας ἐπ΄ εὐεργεσίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀγγέλους καί φησιν ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς λεχθῆναι ἂν αὐτοὺς ὑφ΄ ἡμῶν δαίμονας·
not observing that the name “demons” is not a term of indifferent meaning like that of “men,” among whom some are good and some bad, nor yet a term of excellence like that of “the gods,” which is applied not to wicked demons, or to statues, or to animals, but (by those who know divine things) to what is truly divine and blessed;	οὐχ ὁρῶν ὅτι τὸ τῶν δαιμόνων ὄνομα οὐδὲ μέσον ἐστὶν ὡς τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων͵ ἐν οἷς τινὲς μὲν ἀστεῖοι τινὲς δὲ φαῦλοί εἰσιν͵ οὔτ΄ ἀστεῖον͵ ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ τῶν θεῶν͵ τασσόμενον οὐκ ἐπὶ φαύλων δαιμονίων ἢ ἐπὶ ἀγαλμάτων ἢ ἐπὶ ζῴων͵ ἀλλ΄ ὑπὸ τῶν τὰ θεοῦ ἐγνωκότων ἐπὶ τῶν ἀληθῶς θειοτέρων καὶ μακαρίων.
whereas the term “demons” is always applied to those wicked powers, freed from the encumbrance of a grosser body, who lead men astray, and fill them with distractions, and drag them down from God and supercelestial thoughts to things here below.	Ἀεὶ δ΄ ἐπὶ τῶν φαύλων ἔξω τοῦ παχυτέρου σώματος δυνάμεων τάσσεται τὸ τῶν δαιμόνων ὄνομα͵ πλανώντων καὶ περισπώντων τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ καθελ κόντων ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ὑπερουρανίων ἐπὶ τὰ τῇδε πράγματα.

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