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In a final section of his Alēthēs Logos Celsus singles out his opponents' vaunted monotheism for special attack. The Christians' refusal to worship the traditional δαίμονες (“divinities”) and ἥρωες (“heroes”) is irrational. God alone is the source of direction in the universe, and if God has delegated his authority to subordinates who perfectly reflect his will, they are deserving of veneration. When the Christians respond with Jesus' dictum about the impossibility of serving more than one lord (Matt 6:24 // Luke 16:13), to Celsus's mind this is merely the projection of their own rebellious and antisocial spirit onto the person of God (Origen Cels. 7.68; 8.2). Celsus continues (8.11), taking up a charge that he has leveled against the Christians before (5.61; 6.42, 52): the assertion that only one being is named κύριος (“lord”) introduces faction into the divine economy; God as “master” forms one party, and another, whether Satan or an inferior god, revolts against him and opposes his will. Celsus concludes with the assertion (8.12, 14) that if the Christians really did worship no other god but one, they would perhaps have a tenable argument against the others. But in fact they lavish an excessive cult on Jesus; they do not consider it discordant with their monotheism or a violation of Jesus' dictum if they serve God's servant as well. If Christians were taught that Jesus is not God's special son and that God is the only one deserving of true worship, they would not listen because Jesus is the actual focus of their cult. When they call Jesus Son of God, they are not paying supreme reverence to God but conferring a supreme exaltation upon Jesus. |
