Letter 1088: The cross — foolishness to the world — is the power of God.

To Asklepios. A Rejoinder Worth Hearing, Addressed to a Pagan, Concerning the Resurrection of the Savior. I once knew a formidable pagan [Hellene] who was disputing with me, a man who held the very highest reputation among many for his power of argument, and I put a stop to his mouth in a few words. For when he brought forward the Passion and the Cross, and poured out broad laughter, I answered him gently: "From where can you prove that he was crucified?" And when all the listeners were astonished, and were wondering what I could possibly mean to establish by saying this, that man answered, as though he were going to carry off the victory without any effort: "It is written in the Gospels." To which I immediately retorted: "Then it is also written in those same Gospels that he both rose again and ascended into the heavens. If, therefore, you believe the Gospels, believe both this and that, since they say both. But if you do not, you are doing a most absurd thing, approving the one while rejecting the other. Surely you do not keep your ears wide open and most keen toward what is insulting, but fenced off toward what is glorious and divine? And especially since those whom you call your gods were defeated by the one who was crucified. If, then, he was crucified, it is plain that he also ascended into the heavens. But if you strike out the glorious things, then do not bring forward the shameful ones either. For the one is bound up with the other, and does not allow itself to be separated." When these things, accordingly, had been said clearly, such an outburst of applause broke out that both I and that man blushed: I, because the praise was beyond my worth; and he, because he had been tied up by his own words. Having reported these things, I think I have answered clearly the matters sent by your sagacity.

Ἀντίθεσις ἀξιάκουστος πρὸς Ἕλληνα, περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Σωτῆρος. Οἶδά ποτε διαλεγόμενον πρός με δεινὸν Ἕλληνα, καὶ παρὰ πολλοῖς ἐπὶ δυνάμει λόγων μεγίστην δόξαν ἔχοντα, ἐν βραχέαν ἐπιστομίσας. Προσφέροντος γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ πάθη, καὶ τὸν σταυρὸν, καὶ πλατὺν καταχέοντος γέλωτα, ἀπεκρίθην ἐγὼ αὐτῷ πράως· «Πόθεν γὰρ ἔχεις δεῖξαι ὅτι ἐσταυρώθη; » Πάντων δὲ τῶν ἀκροωμένων καταπλαγέντων, καὶ ἐννοούντων, τί ἄρα κατασκευάσαι βουλόμενος τοῦτο ἔφην, ἀπεκρίνατο ἐκεῖνος, ὡς δὴ τὴν νίκην ἀπονητί (19) ἀναιρησόμενος· «Ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις γέγραπται. » Ὁ εὐθὺς ἀντεπῆγον· «Οὐκοῦν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι καὶ ἀνέστη, καὶ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀνῆλθε, γέγραπται. Εἰ μὲν οὖν πιστεύεις τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, καὶ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο λέγουσί πίστευσον. Εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἀτοπώτατον ποιεῖς, τὸ μὲν ἐγκρίνων, τὸ δὲ εἰσάλλων (20). Μὴ γὰρ δὴ περὶ τὰς ὕβρεις ἀναπεπταμένας καὶ ὀξυτάτας ἔχετε τὰς ἀκοὰς, περὶ δὲ τὰ λαμπρὰ καὶ θεῖα πεφραγμένας; Καὶ μάλιστα ἐπειδὴ οἱ λεγόμενοί σου θεοὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ σταυρωθέντος ἡττήθησαν. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐσταυρώθη, δῆλον ὅτι καὶ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνῆλθεν. Εἰ δὲ τὰ λαμπρὰ παραγράφη, μηδὲ τὰ ἐπονείδιστα πρόφερε. Θάτερον γὰρ θάτερον ἥρηται, καὶ διαζευχθῆναι οὐκ ἀνέχεται. » Τούτων τaροῦν σαφῶς ῥησέντων, τοσοῦτος ἐξεῤῥάγη κρότος, ὡς κἀμὲ κἀκεῖνον ἐρυθριᾶσαι· ἐμὲ μὲν, ὅτι ὑπὲρ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀξίαν ὁ ἔπαινος ἦν· ἐκεῖνον δὲ, ὅτι ταῖς οἰκείαις συνεδέθη φωναῖς. Ταῦτα μηνύσας, ἀποκεκρίσθαι οἶμαι σαφῶς πρὸς τὰ παρὰ τῆς σῆς συνέσεως ἀποσταλέντα.