Not many wise, but not none
Perhaps, too, some have been led by the words, “Consider your calling, brothers: not many were wise according to the flesh, not many powerful, not many of noble birth; but God chose the foolish things of the world to put the wise to shame; and God chose the low-born things and the despised things, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, so that no flesh might boast before him” (1 Corinthians 1:26–29), to suppose that no one educated or wise or sensible comes to the word.
To such a person we shall reply that it does not say “no one wise according to the flesh,” but “not many wise according to the flesh.” And it is clear that when Paul, in his sketch of those called bishops, describes what kind of man the bishop must be, he also made him a teacher, saying that he must be able “also to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9), so that by the wisdom in him he may stop the mouths of empty talkers and deceivers (Titus 1:10–11). And just as for the office of bishop he prefers a man married once to one married twice, the “blameless” to the blameworthy, the “sober” to one who is not, the “self-controlled” to one who lacks self-control, and the “orderly” to one who is even slightly disorderly (1 Timothy 3:2), so he wants the man who is to be appointed bishop to be, above all, apt to teach (1 Timothy 3:2) and able “to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9).
How, then, can Celsus reasonably accuse us of saying, “Let no educated person come, no wise person, no sensible person”? No: let the educated, wise and sensible person come, whoever wishes; but let anyone who is ignorant, foolish, uneducated or childish come no less. For the word promises to heal such people too when they come, making all worthy of God.
Greek
Τάχα δὲ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ „βλέπετε δὲ τὴν κλῆσιν ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι οὐ πολλοὶ σοφοὶ κατὰ σάρκα, οὐ πολλοὶ δυνατοὶ, οὐ πολλοὶ εὐγενεῖς· ἀλλὰ τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸς. ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφοὺς, καὶ τὰ ἀγενῆ καὶ τὰ ἐξουθενημένα ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸς καὶ τὰ μὴ ὄντα, ἵνα τὰ ὄντα καταργήσῃ, ἵνα μὴ καυχήσηται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ“ ἐκινήθησάν τινες πρὸς τὸ οἴεσθαι ὅτι οὐδεὶς πεπαιδευμένος ἢ σοφὸς ἢ φρόνιμος προσέρχεται τῷ λόγῳ. καὶ πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον δὲ φήσομεν ὅτι οὐκ εἴρηται ὅτι οὐδεὶς σοφὸς „κατὰ σάρκα,“ ἀλλ᾿ „οὐ πολλοὶ σοφοὶ κατὰ σάρκα.“ καὶ δῆλον ὅτι ἐν τῷ χαρακτηριστικῷ τῶν καλουμένων ἐπισκόπων διαγράφων ὁ Παῦλος, ὁποῖον εἶναι χρὴ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον, ἔταξε καὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον, λέγων δεῖν αὐτὸν εἶναι δυνατὸν „καὶ τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας ἐλέγχειν,“ ἵνα τοὺς ματαιολόγους καὶ φρεναπάτας ἐπιστομίζῃ διὰ τῆς ἐν αὐτῷ σοφίας. καὶ ὥσπερ μονόγαμον μᾶλλον διγάμου αἱρεῖται εἰς ἐπισκοπὴν καὶ „ἀνεπίληπτον“ ἐπιλήπτου καὶ „νηφάλιον“ τοῦ μὴ τοιούτου καὶ „σώφρονα“ τοῦ μὴ σώφρονος καὶ „κόσμιον“ παρὰ τὸν κἂν ἐπ᾿ ὀλίγον ἄκοσμον, οὕτως θέλει τὸν προηγουμένως εἰς ἐπισκοπὴν κατασταθησόμενον εἶναι διδακτικὸν καὶ δυνατὸν πρὸς τὸ „τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας ἐλέγχειν.“ πῶς οὖν εὐλόγως ἐγκαλεῖ ὁ Κέλσος ἡμῖν ὡς φάσκουσι· μηδεὶς προσίτω πεπαιδευμένος. μηδεὶς σοφὸς. μηδεὶς φρόνιμος; ἀλλὰ προσίτω μὲν πεπαιδευμένος καὶ σοφὸς καὶ φρόνιμος ὁ βουλόμενος· οὐδὲν δ᾿ ἧττον προσίτω καὶ εἴ τις ἀμαθὴς καὶ ἀνόητος καὶ ἀπαίδευτος καὶ νήπιος. καὶ γὰρ τοὺς τοιούτους προσελθόντας ἐπαγγέλλεται θεραπεύειν ὁ λόγος, πάντας ἀξίους κατασκευάζων τοῦ θεοῦ.