{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">In the next place, with regard to the declaration of Jesus\r\nagainst rich men, when He said, “It is easier for a camel to go\r\nthrough the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into\r\nthe kingdom of God,”<a id=\"r1121\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1121\"><sup>[1121]</sup></a> Celsus alleges that this saying manifestly\r\nproceeded from Plato, and that Jesus perverted the words of\r\nthe philosopher, which were, that “it was impossible to be distinguished\r\nfor goodness, and at the same time for riches.”<a id=\"r1122\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1122\"><sup>[1122]</sup></a> Now\r\nwho is there that is capable of giving even moderate attention\r\nto affairs—not merely among the believers on Jesus, but among\r\nthe rest of mankind—that would not laugh at Celsus, on hearing\r\nthat Jesus, who was born and brought up among the Jews,\r\nand was supposed to be the son of Joseph the carpenter, and\r\nwho had not studied literature—not merely that of the Greeks,\r\nbut not even that of the Hebrews—as the truth-loving Scriptures\r\ntestify regarding Him,<a id=\"r1123\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1123\"><sup>[1123]</sup></a> had read Plato, and being pleased with\r\nthe opinion he expressed regarding rich men, to the effect that\r\n“it was impossible to be distinguished for goodness and riches\r\nat the same time,” had perverted this, and changed it into, “It\r\nis easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for\r\na rich man to enter into the kingdom of God!” Now, if Celsus\r\nhad not perused the Gospels in a spirit of hatred and dislike, but\r\nhad been imbued with a love of truth, he would have turned\r\nhis attention to the point why a camel—that one of animals\r\nwhich, as regards its physical structure, is crooked—was chosen\r\nas an object of comparison with a rich man, and what signification\r\nthe “narrow eye of a needle” had for him who saw that\r\n“strait and narrow was the way that leadeth unto life;”<a id=\"r1124\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f1124\"><sup>[1124]</sup></a> and\r\nto this point also, that this animal, according to the law, is\r\ndescribed as “unclean,” having one element of acceptability,\r\nviz. that it ruminates, but one of condemnation, viz. that it does\r\nnot divide the hoof. He would have inquired, moreover, how\r\noften the camel was adduced as an object of comparison in the\r\nsacred Scriptures, and in reference to what objects, that he\r\nmight thus ascertain the meaning of the Logos concerning the\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_355\">355</span>rich men. Nor would he have left without examination the\r\nfact that “the poor” are termed “blessed” by Jesus, while\r\n“the rich” are designated as “miserable;” and whether these\r\nwords refer to the rich and poor who are visible to the senses,\r\nor whether there is any kind of poverty known to the Logos\r\nwhich is to be deemed “altogether blessed,” and any rich man\r\nwho is to be wholly condemned. For even a common individual\r\nwould not thus indiscriminately have praised the poor, many of\r\nwhom lead most wicked lives. But on this point we have said\r\nenough.</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK VI.","Chapter XVI."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-409"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"61dbab1045396244994350386ee805bf55d1c8dd7b4ab9679e86ed46ea9b083a","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie","W. H. Cairns"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[{"book":"MAT","chapter":19,"kind":"unreviewed","source_notation":"Matt. xix. 24","verse":24,"verse_end":24}],"headings":[],"id":"pg70693-f1121","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Existing 1872 English edition; listed translators died 1889 and 1872. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f1121","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f1121\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r1121\">1121</a>. </span><abbr class=\"spell\">Cf.</abbr> <abbr title=\"Matthew\">Matt.</abbr> <abbr title=\"nineteen\">xix.</abbr> 24.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f1121","text_sha256":"e56d0f5f6a1e3a06e97992fa05d096ba4f713e4c14388590d7063d782491c03e","verified":false,"work_id":null}