Chapter V: Book V: , 268-335

Continuation of the subject—chap. i. Celsus repeats his denial that no God, or son of God, has either come, or will come, to earth; that if certain angels did come, by what name are they to be called? whether by that of gods or some other race of beings? in all probability such angels were demons: Refutation—chaps. ii.-v. Celsus proceeds to express surprise that the Jews should worship heaven and angels, and yet pass by the heavenly bodies, as the sun and moon; which procedure is, according to his view, most unreasonable: Refutation—chaps. vi.-x. Defence of Christians against the same charge—chaps. x.-xiii. Celsus declares the Christian belief in the future conflagration of the world, in the salvation of the righteous, in the resurrection of the body, most foolish and irrational, alleging that this belief is not held by some of the Christian believers, and adducing certain considerations regarding the character of God and the nature of bodies which render such things impossible—chap. xiv. Refutation in detail of these objections—chaps. xv.-xxiv. Examination of Celsus’ statement that the various quarters of the earth were from the beginning allotted to different superintending spirits, and that in this way the administration of the world is carried on—chaps. xxv.-xxviii. Considerations of a profounder kind may be stated regarding the original distribution of the various quarters of the earth among different superintending spirits, which considerations may be shown to be free from the absurd consequences which would follow from the views of Celsus; enumeration of these—chaps. xxix.-xxxiii. Statement of Celsus regarding the request of the people of Marea and Apis to the oracle of Ammon, as related by Herodotus, and the inference which he seems to draw from it and other similar instances adduced by him, examined and refuted—chaps. xxxiv.-xxxix. Examination of Celsus’ quotation from Pindar, that “Law is king of all things”—chap. xl. Celsus goes on to state objections which apply to Jews much more than to Christians, viz. that the Jewish doctrine regarding heaven is not peculiar to them, but has long ago been received by the Persians; and proceeds to observe that it makes no difference by what name the Supreme Being is called; nor are the Jews to be deemed holier than other nations because abstaining from swine’s flesh, etc. Detailed examination and refutation of these statements—chaps. xli.-xlix. Celsus denies that the Jews were regarded by God with greater favour than other nations: Answer—chap. l. Statement of Celsus that, admitting Jesus to have been an angel, He was not the first who came to visit men, for the histories relate that there have been many instances, several of which he enumerates—chap. lii. Refutation—chaps. liii.-lviii. Conclusion of Celsus that Jews and Christians have the same God, and that the latter adopt the Jewish accounts regarding the six days; other points of agreement mentioned: examination of these statements, as well as of his admission that certain Christians will admit the identity, while others will deny it—chaps. lix.-lxii. Argument of Celsus against Christianity, founded upon the existence of those who have worshipped demons as their teacher, and of sects that have hated each other, examined and refuted—chap. lxiii. Celsus has misunderstood the prediction of the apostle that deceivers will come in the last times—chap. lxiv. Falsity of Celsus’ statement that all who differ so widely may be heard saying, “The world is crucified to me, and I unto the world”—chap. lxv.