A different calling from the robber’s
It is not, then, to the mysteries and to a share in the wisdom hidden “in a mystery,” “which God foreordained before the ages for the glory” of his righteous ones (1 Corinthians 2:7), that we call the unjust man, the thief, the housebreaker, the poisoner, the temple-robber, the grave-robber, and whatever others Celsus might name in his exaggeration; we call them to healing. For in the divinity of the Word there are, on the one hand, healing remedies for those who are “sick,” about whom the Word said: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Matthew 9:12; Mark 2:17). And there are, on the other, remedies that show to those who are pure in soul and body “the revelation of the mystery that was kept in silence through eternal ages, but is now made manifest through the prophetic writings” (Romans 16:25–26) and through “the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 6:14; compare 2 Timothy 1:10), an appearing that shines upon each of the perfect and enlightens the ruling part of the soul for an unerring knowledge of things as they are.
But since, exaggerating his charges against us, he adds to those whom he named among the foulest of men the words, “Whom else would a robber summon by public proclamation?”, we shall reply to this as well: A robber calls such people in order to use their wickedness against those whom he wishes to murder and rob. But a Christian, even if he calls those whom the robber calls, calls them with a different calling, so that he may bind up “their wounds” with the Word (Luke 10:34) and pour on the soul inflamed with evils the remedies that come from the Word, which answer to the wine and oil and poultice and the other aids of the medicine of the soul.
Greek
Οὐκ ἐπὶ μυστήρια οὖν καὶ κοινωνίαν σοφίας „ἐν μυστηρίῳ“ ἀποκεκρυμμένης, „ἣν προώρισεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων εἰς δόξαν“ τῶν δικαίων ἑαυτοῦ, καλοῦμεν τὸν ἄδικον καὶ κλέπτην καὶ τοιχωρύχον καὶ φαρμακέα καὶ ἱερόσυλον καὶ τυμβωρύχον καὶ ὅσους ἂν ἄλλους δεινοποιῶν ὁ Κέλσος ὀνομάσαι, ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ θεραπείαν, ἔστι γὰρ ἐν τῇ τοῦ λόγου θειότητι ἄλλα μὲν τὰ θεραπευτικὰ τῶν „κακῶς“ ἐχόντων βοηθήματα, περὶ ὧν εἶπεν ὁ λόγος τό· „οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ᾿ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες.“ ἄλλα δὲ τὰ τοῖς καθαροῖς ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα παραδεικνύντα „ἀποκάλυψιν μυστηρίου, χρόνοις αἰωνίοις σεσιγημένου φανερωθέντος δὲ νῦν διά τε γραφῶν προφητικῶν“ καὶ „τῆς ἐπιφανείας τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,“ ἑκάστῳ τῶν τελείων ἐπιφαινομένης καὶ φωτιζούσης εἰς ἀψευδῆ γνῶσιν τῶν πραγμάτων τὸ ἡγεμονικόν, ἐπεὶ δὲ δεινοποιῶν τὰ καθ᾿ ἡμῶν ἐγκλήματα ἐπιφέρει οἷς ὠνόμασεν ἐν ἀνθρώποις μιαρωτάτοις τὸ τίνας ἄλλους προκηρύττων λῃστὴς ἐκάλεσε; καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο φήσομεν ὅτι λῃστὴς μὲν τοὺς τοιούτους καλεῖ, χρώμενος αὐτῶν τῇ πονηρίᾳ κατ᾿ ἀνθρώπων, οὓς φονεύειν καὶ συλᾶν βούλεται· Χριστιανὸς δὲ κἂν καλῇ οὓς ὁ λῃστὴς καλεῖ, διάφορον κλῆσιν αὐτοὺς καλεῖ, ἵν᾿ αὐτῶν καταδήσῃ „τὰ τραύματα“ τῷ λόγῳ καὶ ἐπιχέῃ τῇ φλεγμαινούσῃ ἐν κακοῖς ψυχῇ τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου φάρμακα, ἀνάλογον οἴνῳ καὶ ἐλαίῳ καὶ μαλάγματι καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀπὸ ἰατρικῆς ψυχῆς βοηθήμασιν.