Our altars and statues are within
After this Celsus says that we shun setting up altars and statues and temples, since he supposes that this is the token by which we keep faith with a hidden and secret fellowship. He does not see that our altars are the ruling mind of each righteous person, from which there truly and spiritually rises fragrant “incense”: “prayers” from a pure conscience. That is why John says in the Revelation: “The incense is the prayers of the saints” (Revelation 5:8); and the Psalmist: “Let my prayer be as incense before you” (Psalm 141:2).
Statues, and offerings fit for God, are with us not made by common artisans. They are given clear shape and form in us by the Word of God: they are the virtues, which are likenesses of “the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15). In him are the patterns of righteousness and self-control and courage and wisdom and piety and the other virtues. In all, then, who in keeping with the divine Word have fashioned in themselves self-control and righteousness and courage and wisdom and piety, and the works of the other virtues, there are statues. With these, we are convinced, it is fitting to honour the original of all statues: “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15), the only-begotten God (John 1:18).
Moreover, those who put off “the old self with its deeds and put on the new, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of the one who created it” (Colossians 3:9–10), taking up the state of being “after the image of the Creator,” make within themselves statues of him, such as the God over all wishes.
Among sculptors some achieve their work marvellously, such as Phidias or Polyclitus, or among painters Zeuxis and Apelles; others make statues less well than these, and others again less well than those of the second rank; and, in a word, there is great difference in the making of statues and images. In the same way some make statues of the God over all better than others, and with perfect knowledge, so that there is no comparison between the Olympian Zeus that Phidias made and the one fashioned after the image of God the Creator (Colossians 3:10). But far better than all those in the whole creation, and surpassing them, is the statue in our Saviour, who says: “The Father is in me” (John 14:11).
Greek
Μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ ὁ Κέλσος φησὶν ἡμᾶς βωμοὺς καὶ ἀγάλματα καὶ νεὼς ἱδρύεσθαι φεύγειν, ἐπεὶ τὸ πιστὸν ἡμῖν ἀφανοῦς καὶ ἀποῤῥήτου κοινωνίας οἴεται εἶναι σύνθημα· οὐχ ὁρῶν ὅτι βωμοὶ μέν εἰσιν ἡμῖν τὸ ἑκάστου τῶν δικαίων ἡγεμονικὸν, ἀφ᾿ οὗ ἀναπέμπεται ἀληθῶς καὶ νοητῶς εὐώδη „θυμιάματα,“ „προσευχαὶ“ ἀπὸ συνειδήσεως καθαρᾶς. διὸ λέγεται παρὰ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ ἐν τῇ Ἀποκαλύψει· „τὰ δὲ θυμιάματά εἰσιν αἱ προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων“ καὶ παρὰ τῷ ὑμνῳδῷ· „γενηθήτω ἡ προσευχή μου ὡς θυμίαμα ἐνώπιόν δου.“ ἀγάλματα δὲ καὶ πρέποντα θεῷ ἀναθήματα, οὐχ ὑπὸ βαναύσων τεχνιτῶν κατεσκευασμένα· ἀλλ᾿ ὑπὸ λόγου θεοῦ τρανούμενα καὶ μορφούμενα ἐν ἡμῖν. αἱ ἀρεταὶ, μιμήματα τυγχάνουσαι τοῦ πρωτοτόκου „πάσης κτίσεως.“ ἐν ᾧ ἐστι δικαιοσύνης καὶ σωφροσύνης καὶ ἀνδρείας καὶ σοφίας καὶ εὐσεβείας καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν παραδείγματα. ἐν πᾶσιν οὖν ἐστι, τοῖς κατὰ τὸν θεῖον λόγον σωφροσύνην ἑαυτοῖς κατασκευάσασι καὶ δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀνδρείαν καὶ σοφίαν καὶ εὐσέβειαν καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν τὰ κατασκευάσματα, ἀγάλματα· οἷς πρέπον εἶναι πεπείσμεθα τιμᾶσθαι τὸ πρωτότυπον πάντων ἀγαλμάτων. τὴν εἰκόνα „τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου.“ τὸν μονογενῆ θεόν. ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ἐκδυόμενοι „τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον σὺν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνδυόμενοι τὸν νέον. τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατ᾿ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος αὐτὸν,“ τὸ „κατ᾿ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος“ εἶναι ἀναλαμβάνοντες. ἀγάλματα ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ποιοῦσιν, ὁποῖα βούλεται ὁ ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεὸς, ἐκείνου. ὥσπερ δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγαλματοποιῶν οἱ μέν τινες εἰσὶ θαυμαστῶς κατορθοῦντες τὸ ἔργον, ὥσπερ εἰπεῖν Φειδίας ἢ Πολύκλειτος ἢ ζωγράφοι Ζεῦξις καὶ Ἀπελλῆς, ἕτεροι δὲ ἔλαττον τούτων ἀγαλματοποιοῦσι, καὶ ἄλλοι ἔτι καὶ τῶν δευτέρων ἔλαττον, καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς πολλὴ διαφορά ἐστι τῆς τῶν ἀγαλμάτων καὶ εἰκόνων κατασκευῆς· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον οἱ μέν τινες εἰσὶ ποιοῦντες ἀγάλματα τοῦ ἐπὶ πᾶσι θεοῦ βέλτιον καὶ κατὰ τελείαν ἐπιστήμην, ὡς μηδεμίαν εἶναι σύγκρισιν τοῦ ὑπὸ Φειδίου κατασκευασθέντος Ὀλυμπίου Διὸς πρὸς τὸν κατασκευασθέντα „κατ᾿ εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος“ θεοῦ· πάντων δὲ τῶν ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ κτίσει πολλῷ βέλτιον καὶ ὑπερέχον ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ σωτῆρι ἡμῶν, τῷ λέγοντι· „ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί.“