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Chapter X.
But what promise did Jesus make which He did not
perform? Let Celsus produce any instance of such, and make good
his charge. But he will be unable to do so, especially since it
is from mistakes, arising either from misapprehension of the Gospel
narratives, or from Jewish stories, that he thinks to derive the
charges which he brings against Jesus or against ourselves.
Moreover, again, when the Jew says, “We both found him guilty,
and condemned him as deserving of death,” let them show how they
who sought to concoct false witness against Him proved Him to be
guilty. Was not the great charge against Jesus, which His
accusers brought forward, this, that He said, “I am able to
destroy the temple of God, and after three days to raise it up
again?”3246
But in so
saying, He spake of the temple of His body; while they thought, not
being able to understand the meaning of the speaker, that His reference
was to the temple of stone, which was treated by the Jews with greater
respect than He was who ought to have been honoured as the true Temple
of God—the Word, and the Wisdom, and the Truth. And who can
say that “Jesus attempted to make His escape by disgracefully
concealing Himself?” Let any one point to an act deserving
to be called disgraceful. And when he adds, “he was taken
prisoner,” I would say that, if to be taken prisoner implies an
act done against one’s will, then Jesus was not taken prisoner;
for at the fitting time He did not prevent Himself falling into the
hands of men, as the Lamb of God, that He might take away the sin of
the world. For, knowing all things that were to come upon Him, He
went forth, and said to them, “Whom seek ye?” and they
answered, “Jesus of Nazareth;” and He said unto them,
“I am He.” And Judas also, who betrayed Him, was
standing with them. When, therefore, He had said to them,
“I am He,” they went backwards and fell to the
ground. Again He asked them, “Whom seek ye?” and they
said again, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them,
“I told you I am He; if then ye seek Me, let these go
away.”3247
Nay, even to
Him who wished to help Him, and who smote the high priest’s
servant, and cut off his ear, He said: “Put up thy sword
into its sheath: for all they who draw the sword shall perish by
the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot even now pray to My
Father, and He will presently give Me more than twelve legions of
angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled,
that thus it must
be?”3248
And if any
one imagines these statements to be inventions of the writers of the
Gospels, why should not those statements rather be regarded as
inventions which proceeded from a spirit of hatred and hostility
against Jesus and the Christians? and these the truth, which proceed
from those who manifest the sincerity of their feelings towards Jesus,
by enduring everything, whatever it may be, for the sake of His
words? For the reception by the disciples of such power of
endurance and resolution continued even to death, with a disposition of
mind that would not invent regarding their Teacher what was not true,
is a very evident proof to all candid judges that they were fully
persuaded of the truth of what they wrote, seeing they submitted to
trials so numerous and so severe, for the sake of Him whom they
believed to be the Son of God.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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