For the law and the prophets are full of marvels similar to those
recorded of Jesus at His baptism, viz. regarding the dove and the voice
from heaven. And I think the wonders wrought by Jesus are a proof of the
Holy Spirit’s having then appeared in the form of a dove, although
Celsus, from a desire to cast discredit upon them, alleges that He
performed only what He had learned among the Egyptians. And I shall
refer not only to His miracles, but, as is proper, to those also of the
apostles of Jesus. For they could not without the help of miracles and
wonders have prevailed on those who heard their new doctrines and new
teachings to abandon their national usages, and to accept their
instructions at the danger to themselves even of death. And there are
still preserved among Christians traces of that Holy Spirit which
appeared in the form of a dove. They expel evil spirits, and perform
many cures, and foresee certain events, according to the will of the
Logos. And although Celsus, or the Jew whom he has introduced, may treat
with mockery what I am going to say, I shall say it nevertheless,—that
many have been converted to Christianity as if against their will, some
sort of spirit having suddenly transformed their minds from a hatred of
the doctrine to a readiness to die in its defence, and having appeared
to them either in a waking vision or a dream of the night. Many such
instances have we known, which, if we were to commit to writing,
although they were seen and witnessed by ourselves, we should afford
great occasion for ridicule to unbelievers, who would imagine that we,
like those whom they suppose to have invented such things, had ourselves
also done the same. But God is witness of our conscientious desire, not
by false statements, but by testimonies of different kinds, to establish
the divinity of the doctrine of Jesus. And as it is a Jew who is
perplexed about the account of the Holy Spirit having descended upon
Jesus in the form of a dove, we would say to him, “Sir, who is it that
says in Isaiah, ‘And now the Lord hath sent me and His Spirit?’”[1193]
In which sentence, as the meaning is doubtful—viz. whether the Father
and the Holy Spirit sent Jesus, or the Father sent both Christ and the
Holy Spirit—the latter is correct. For, because the Saviour was sent,
afterwards the Holy Spirit was sent also, that the prediction of the
prophet might be fulfilled; and as it was necessary that the fulfilment
of the prophecy should be known to posterity, the disciples of Jesus for
that reason committed the result to writing.
Footnote 1193:
Cf. Isa. xlviii. 16.