The silence and gentleness of Jesus
And since, after his list of so many men, he says, “What did your God say that was like this, while he was being punished?”, we would say to him that by his silence under the scourges and his many torments (Matthew 27:12–14) Jesus showed more endurance and patience than any Greek who spoke out under hardship; if, that is, Celsus is willing to believe even this, recorded in good faith by men who loved the truth, who told even the marvels without falsehood and counted among them his silence under the scourges.
Moreover, when he was mocked, and dressed in the “scarlet cloak”, and the “crown of thorns” was set about his head, and he took the “reed” in his hand in place of a sceptre (Matthew 27:28–29; John 19:5), he showed the utmost gentleness, saying nothing ignoble or resentful to those who dared so much against him. It was not, then, in keeping with one who kept silent under the scourges out of endurance, and who bore with gentleness everything that his mockers brought upon him, to have said out of cowardice, as some think, the words: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).
What seems to be a plea to be spared the cup, as it is called, has indeed its own explanation, which we have examined and set out at greater length elsewhere. But to take the saying more simply, see whether the prayer too was not spoken with piety toward God. For everyone at all regards hardship as not a matter of first choice, and yet, when the occasion calls, endures what does not come about by first choice. Moreover, the voice that says, “Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36), was not the voice of one who had given way, but of one well content with what was happening, and who put first the hardships sent by providence.
Greek
Ἐπεὶ δέ φησι μετὰ τὸν κατάλογον τῶν τοσούτων ἀνδρῶν τό· τί τοιοῦτον ὁ ὑμέτερος θεὸς κολαζόμενος ἐφθέγξατο; εἴποιμεν ἂν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅτι παρὰ ταῖς μάστιξι καὶ ταῖς πολλαῖς αἰκίαις αὐτοῦ σιωπῇ παντὸς τοῦ ἐν Ἕλλησιν ἐν περιστάσεσι τυγχάνοντος φθεγξαμένου μᾶλλον ἐνέφηνε καρτερίαν καὶ ὑπομονήν· εἴ γε κἂν τούτῳ πιστεύειν ὁ Κέλσος βούλεται εὐγνωμόνως ἀναγεγραμμένῳ ὑπὸ φιλαλήθων ἀνδρῶν, τῶν καὶ τὰ παράδοξα ἀψευδῶς εἰρηκότων καὶ τὴν παρὰ ταῖς μάστιξι σιωπὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκείνοις συναριθμησάντων. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμπαιζόμενος καὶ ἐνδυόμενος τὴν „κοκκίνην χλαμύδα“ καὶ τὸν „ἀκάνθινον στέφανον“ τῇ κεφαλῇ περιτιθέμενος καὶ τὸν „κάλαμον“ λαμβάνων ἐπὶ τῆς χειρὸς ἀντὶ σκήπτρου ἄκρᾳ πρᾳότητι ἐχρήσατο, μηδὲν μηδ᾿ ἀγενὲς μηδ᾿ ἀγανακτητικὸν εἰπὼν πρὸς αὐτοὺς, τοσαῦτα κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ τολμήσαντας. οὐκ ἦν οὖν κατὰ τὸν ἀπὸ καρτερίας παρὰ ταῖς μάστιξι σιωπήσαντα καὶ ἀπὸ πρᾳότητος πάντα ὑπομένοντα τὰ παρὰ τῶν ἐμπαιζόντων προσαγόμενα εἰρηκέναι ἀπὸ ἀγεννείας, ὡς οἴονταί τινες, καὶ τό· „πάτερ, εἰ δυνατὸν, τὸ ποτήριον παρελθέτω τοῦτο ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ· πλὴν οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς σύ.“ ἔχει μὲν οὖν λόγον ἡ δοκοῦσα ὑποπαραίτησις εἶναι τοῦ καλουμένου ποτηρίου, ὃν ἐν ἄλλοις ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐξητάσαμεν καὶ ἀποδεδώκαμεν. ἵνα δ᾿ ἁπλούστερον ἀκούσωμεν τοῦ λελεγμένου. ὅρα εἰ μὴ μετὰ τῆς πρὸς τὸν θεὸν εὐσεβείας καὶ ἡ εὐχὴ εἴρηται, παντὸς οὑτινοσοῦν τὸ περιστατικὸν οὐ προηγούμενον εἶναι νομίζοντος, ἀλλ᾿ ὑπομένοντος τὸ μὴ προηγουμένως συμβαῖνον, ὅταν καιρὸς καλῇ. ἀλλὰ καὶ οὐκ ἐνδεδωκότος ην ἡ φωνὴ, εὐαρεστουμένου δὲ τοῖς συμβαίνουσι καὶ προτιμῶντος τὰ ἀπὸ προνοίας περιστατικὰ ἡ λέγουσα φωνή· „πλὴν οὐ τί ἐγὼ θέλω, ἀλλὰ τί σύ.“