One God, the Father and the Son
Next, he might seem to say something plausible against us in these words: “If these people worshipped no other but one God, they would perhaps have a strong argument against the others. But as it is, they worship beyond measure this man who appeared only lately, and yet they think they commit no offence against God if His servant also is worshipped.”
To this too we must reply that, if Celsus had understood the words “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), and those spoken in prayer by the Son of God, “as I and You are one” (John 17:22), he would not have supposed that we worship any other besides the God who is over all. For “the Father”, He says, “is in me, and I in the Father” (John 10:38). But if anyone is troubled by these words, fearing that we may somehow be going over to those who deny that the Father and the Son are two distinct realities, let him attend to the words “the heart and soul of all who believed were one” (Acts 4:32), so that he may understand “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). So, as we have explained, we worship one God, the Father and the Son.
And our strong argument against the others still holds; nor do we worship beyond measure one who appeared only lately, as though He had not existed before. For we believe Him who said, “Before Abraham came to be, I am” (John 8:58), and who says, “I am the Truth” (John 14:6). And none of us is so servile in mind as to think that the being of truth did not exist before the time when Christ appeared. We worship, then, the Father of the Truth and the Son who is the Truth, two realities in their distinct existence, but one in unity of mind, in harmony, and in sameness of will. So the one who has seen the Son, who is “the radiance of the glory” and the imprint “of the being” of God (Hebrews 1:3), has seen God in Him (John 14:9), since He is the image of God (Colossians 1:15).
Greek
Δόξαι δ᾿ ἄν τις ἑξῆς τούτοις πιθανόν τι καθ᾿ ἡμῶν λέγειν ἐν τῷ· εἰ μὲν δὴ μηδένα ἄλλον ἐθεράπευον οὗτοι πλὴν ἕνα θεὸν, ἦν ἄν τις αὐτοῖς ἴσως πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους ἀτενὴς λόγος· νυνὶ δὲ τὸν ἔναγχος φανέντα τοῦτον ὑπερθρησκεύουσι καὶ ὅμως οὐδὲν πλημμελεῖν νομίζουσι περὶ τὸν θεὸν, εἰ καὶ ὑπηρέτης αὐτοῦ θεραπευθήσεται. λεκτέον δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο ὅτι, εἴπερ νενοήκει ὁ Κέλσος τὸ „ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν“ καὶ τὸ ἐν εὐχῇ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ „ὡς ἐγὼ καὶ σὺ ἕν ἐσμεν,“ οὐκ ἂν ᾤετο ἡμᾶς καὶ ἄλλον θεραπεύειν παρὰ τὸν ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεόν. „ὁ γὰρ πατὴρ,“ φησὶν, „ἐν ἐμοὶ, κἀγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρί.“ εἰ δέ τις ἐκ τούτων περισπασθήσεται, μή πῃ αὐτομολῶμεν πρὸς τοὺς ἀναιροῦντας δύο εἶναι ὑποστάσεις, πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν, ἐπιστησάτω τῷ „ἦν δὲ πάντων τῶν πιστευσάντων ἡ καρδία καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μία,“ ἵνα θεωρήσῃ τὸ „ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν.“ ἕνα οὖν θεὸν. ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν θεραπεύομεν. καὶ μένει ἡμῖν ὁ πρὸς τοὺς ἄλλους ἀτενὴς λόγος, καὶ οὐ τὸν ἔναγχός γε φανέντα ὡς πρότερον οὐκ ὄντα ὑπερθρησκεύομεν. αὐτῷ γὰρ πειθόμεθα τῷ εἰπόντι· „πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγώ εἰμι“ καὶ λέγοντι· „ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια“· καὶ οὐχ οὕτως τις ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἀνδράποδον, ὡς οἴεσθαι ὅτι ἡ τῆς ἀληθείας οὐσία πρὸ τῶν χρόνων τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιφανείας οὐκ ἦν. θρησκεύομεν οὖν τὸν πατέρα τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ὄντα δύο τῇ ὑποστάσει πράγματα, ἓν δὲ τῇ ὁμονοίᾳ καὶ τῇ συμφωνίᾳ καὶ τῇ ταυτότητι τοῦ βουλήματος· ὡς τὸν ἑωρακότα τὸν υἱὸν ὄντα „ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης“ καὶ χαρακτῆρα „τῆς ὑποστάσεως“ τοῦ θεοῦ ἑωρακέναι ἐν αὐτῷ ὄντι εἰκόνι τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν θεόν.