{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c005\">But that we may not seem, because of a Hebrew word, to\r\nendeavour to persuade those who are unable to determine\r\nwhether they ought to believe it or not, that the prophet\r\nspoke of this man being born of a virgin, because at his birth\r\nthese words, “God with us,” were uttered, let us make good\r\nour point from the words themselves. The Lord is related\r\nto have spoken to Ahaz thus: “Ask a sign for thyself from\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_435\">435</span>the Lord thy God, either in the depth or height above;”<a id=\"r1178\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f1178\"><sup>[1178]</sup></a>\r\nand afterwards the sign is given, “Behold, a virgin shall\r\nconceive, and bear a son.”<a id=\"r1179\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f1179\"><sup>[1179]</sup></a> What kind of sign, then, would\r\nthat have been—a young woman who was not a virgin giving\r\nbirth to a child? And which of the two is the more appropriate\r\nas the mother of Immanuel (<i>i.e.</i> “God with us”),—whether\r\na woman who has had intercourse with a man, and\r\nwho has conceived after the manner of women, or one who\r\nis still a pure and holy virgin? Surely it is appropriate only\r\nto the latter to produce a being at whose birth it is said, “God\r\nwith us.” And should he be so captious as to say that it is\r\nto Ahaz that the command is addressed, “Ask for thyself a\r\nsign from the Lord thy God,” we shall ask in return, who in\r\nthe times of Ahaz bore a son at whose birth the expression\r\nis made use of, “Immanuel,” <i>i.e.</i> “God with us?” And if\r\nno one can be found, then manifestly what was said to Ahaz\r\nwas said to the house of David, because it is written that\r\nthe Saviour was born of the house of David according to\r\nthe flesh; and this sign is said to be “in the depth or in\r\nthe height,” since “He that descended is the same also that\r\nascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all\r\nthings.”<a id=\"r1180\"></a><a class=\"c007 pginternal\" href=\"#f1180\"><sup>[1180]</sup></a> And these arguments I employ as against a Jew\r\nwho believes in prophecy. Let Celsus now tell me, or any\r\nof those who think with him, with what meaning the prophet\r\nutters either these statements about the future, or the others\r\nwhich are contained in the prophecies? Is it with any foresight\r\nof the future or not? If with a foresight of the future, then\r\nthe prophets were divinely inspired; if with no foresight of\r\nthe future, let him explain the meaning of one who speaks\r\nthus boldly regarding the future, and who is an object of\r\nadmiration among the Jews because of his prophetic powers.</p>","headings":["The Writings of Origen, Vol. 1 of 2","ORIGEN CONTRA CELSUM.","ORIGEN AGAINST CELSUS. BOOK I.","Chapter XXXV."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70561-paragraph-433"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"dd725b4affdf65b5ca17885f9d2ab5463faf38029eeeb37613f490a1b277dd9c","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 1 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie"],"edition_year":1869,"explicit_reference_candidates":[{"book":"EPH","chapter":4,"kind":"unreviewed","source_notation":"Eph. iv. 10","verse":10,"verse_end":10}],"headings":[],"id":"pg70561-f1180","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 1869 English translation; translator died 1889. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f1180","source_ebook":70561,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f1180\">\n<p class=\"c006\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r1180\">1180</a>. </span><abbr class=\"spell\">Cf.</abbr> <abbr title=\"Ephesians\">Eph.</abbr> <abbr title=\"four\">iv.</abbr> 10.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"de125e213d16053354f22b34a1c8d477ac23f201e660e4f4841b2ed7e05bb367","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70561/pg70561-images.html#f1180","text_sha256":"20b8851b04acc5f7088c63b589446337d188f2e21c0e60a4e27400a5ce38d738","verified":false,"work_id":null}