Christ’s testimony confirmed; gifts; faithful God; baptism and the cross (1 Cor 1:6–18)
among you. Christ is, if I may put it this way, the chief martyr; and though there are many witnesses to Christ through their death, he is the ruler of the martyrs. This testimony of Christ is firm in some, and in others it is not firm but shaken. For if faith about the testimony is such that from a true disposition one can say, “I am persuaded that neither death nor life” and what follows “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” then the testimony is firm in such a person; but if we are not like that, and are shaken by what happens, the testimony of Christ has not yet been confirmed in us. And again we may take the saying another way: every Scripture that bears witness about Christ is a testimony of Christ; so it is good to be confirmed also in the testimony of Christ that comes from the Scriptures. And otherwise: look at the testimony of Christ—signs and wonders and various powers and distributions of the Holy Spirit according to his will also bore witness with him; and the testimony of Christ is firm in the saints.
“So that you are not lacking in any gift”: as there are many gifts, he will discuss them also later in the letter. “Awaiting the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ”: the righteous person does not have his hopes in this age, but while suffering and facing danger he awaits the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ—that is, what Christ Jesus reveals. “Who will also confirm you to the end”: who confirms? Christ Jesus, the Word, Wisdom; and the testimony that is being confirmed is not for a few days, but to the end. “Blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”: until we arrive there, we do not yet have blamelessness; for we do not know what the coming day will bring forth, and even if someone seems to have blamelessness for the present, it is in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
On 1 Corinthians 1:9: “God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” Origen: keep believing him always; for you were called so that we might simply be under Jesus. Great is what God grants the saints: we were called into fellowship with his Son; therefore heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. On 1 Corinthians 1:10: “and that there be no divisions among you.” Origen: the one who agrees in everything with the right word and the church’s dogma concerning Father and Son and Holy Spirit, and further concerning the economy that touches us, concerning resurrection and judgment, and who also follows the church’s canons, is not in a schism.
On 1 Corinthians 1:14, 17: “I thank God that I baptized none of you… for Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, not in wisdom of word, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied.” Origen: preaching the gospel is greater than baptizing; and because Paul knew that some were set apart for baptizing, he thanks God for having a better lot than baptizing. In Acts the apostles’ works appear: Philip baptized, but Philip did not minister the Spirit to the baptized; rather Peter laid hands on those Philip baptized, and the Spirit came upon them. Philip baptized with water those being born again of water and Holy Spirit, and Peter with the Spirit. Origen again: there is need not so much of word as of power; therefore it is written, “The Lord will give a word to those who preach good news with great power,” the King of the powers of the Beloved. So Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the gospel, not in wisdom of word, not in clarity of diction; for if I do that and want to hand on the word that way, the power of Christ does not reach the soul of the hearers, and I empty and tear down the grace of the power.
On 1 Corinthians 1:18: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Origen: the name of the cross seems a scandal; but if someone lends his ears to the word of God and to grace, he will see that this too is a great mystery. Even the pagans have handed down that often, when great plagues or floods or droughts came, these ceased when a person gave himself up for the common good. Why then is it surprising if, when the whole world was sick with error, one had to die for the true plague—to destroy the plague of ignorance and darkness and ruin? And who was able to take this on? Not a prophet, not an apostle, nor any other righteous person; but a divine power had to come down from heaven
Greek
ἐν ὑμῖν· ὁ Χριστός, ἵν' οὕτως ὀνομάσω, ἀρχίμαρτύς ἐστι, καὶ πολλῶν ὄντων μαρτύρων εἰς Χριστὸν διὰ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτῶν ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἄρχων ἐστὶ τῶν μαρτύρων. τοῦτο μὲν τὸ μαρτύριον χριστοῦ παρ' οἷς μὲν βέβαιόν ἐστι, παρ' οἷς δὲ οὐκ ἔστι βέβαιον ἀλλὰ σείεται. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἡ πίστις τοιαύτη ἐστὶν ἡ περὶ τοῦ μαρτυρίου ὥστε δύνασθαι ἀπὸ διαθέσεως ἀληθοῦς εἰπεῖν Πέπει μαι δὲ ὅτι οὔτε θάνατο οὔτε ζωὴ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δυνή εται ἡμᾶ χωρί αι τῆ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ τῆ ἐν Χρι τῷ Ἰη οῦ τῷ κυρίωι ἡμῶν, βέβαιόν ἐστι τὸ μαρτύριον ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ· εἰ δὲ μὴ τοιοῦτοί ἐσμεν ἀλλὰ σειόμεθα ὑπὸ τῶν συμβαινόντων, οὔπω τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐβε βαιώθη ἐν ἡμῖν. καὶ πάλιν ἄλλως ἐκληψόμεθα τὸ ῥητόν· πᾶσα γραφὴ ἡ μαρ τυροῦσα περὶ Χριστοῦ μαρτύριόν ἐστι Χριστοῦ· καλὸν οὖν ἐστὶ βεβαιωθῆναι καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν μαρτυρίῳ Χριστοῦ. καὶ ἄλλως· ἴδε τὸ μαρτύριον Χριστοῦ, υνεπιμαρτυροῦντο αὐτῷ ημείοι καὶ τέρα ι καὶ ποικίλαι δυνάμε ι καὶ πνεύματο ἁγίου μερι μοῖ κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ θέλη ιν· καὶ βέβαιόν ἐστι τὸ μαρτύριον Χριστοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις. ὥστε ὑμᾶς μὴ ὑστερεῖσθαι ἐν μηδενὶ χαρίσματι· ὡς πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν χαρισμάτων διαλέγεται καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς τῆς ἐπιστολῆς. ἀπεκδεχομένους τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· ὁ δίκαιος οὐκ ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ ἔχει τὰς ἐλπίδας, ἀλλὰ πάσχων, κινδυνεύων, ἀπεκ δέχεται τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἤτοι ἣν Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἀποκαλύπτει. Ὃς καὶ βεβαιώσει ὑμᾶς ἕως τέλους· τίς βεβαιοῖ; Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, ὁ λόγο , ἡ οφία· μαρτύριον δὲ τὸ βεβαιούμενον οὐ πρὸς ἡμέρας, ἀλλ' ἕως τέλους. ἀνεγκλήτους ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. ἕως ἔλθωμεν ἐκεῖ, οὔπω ἔχομεν τὸ ἀνέγκλητον· οὐ γὰρ οἴδαμεν τί τέξεται ἡ ἐπιοῦ α, κἂν ἔχειν τις δοκῇ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος τὸ ἀνέγκλητον, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. 3 i 9 [Πιστὸς ὁ θεὸς δι' οὗ ἐκλήθητε εἰς κοινωνίαν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν.] [Ὠριγένους] Πίστευε αὐτῷ ἀεί· ἐκλήθητε γὰρ ἵνα ἁπλῶς ὑπὸ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὦμεν. μέγα ἐστὶν ὃ χαρίζεται ὁ θεὸς τοῖς ἁγίοις· ἐκλήθημεν εἰς κοινωνίαν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ· διὸ κληρονόμοι μὲν θεοῦ υγκληρονόμοι δὲ χρι τοῦ. 4 i 10 [καὶ μὴ ᾖ ἐν ὑμῖν σχίσματα.] [Ὠριγένους] Ὁ ἐν ἅπασι τῷ ὀρθῷ λόγῳ καὶ τῷ ἐκκλησιαστικῷ δόγματι περί τε πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος συμφωνῶν, ἔτι δὲ περὶ τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς οἰκονομίας, περί τε ἀνα τά εω καὶ κρίσεως, καὶ τοῖς κανόσι δὲ τοῖς ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς ἑπό μενος, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν σχίσματι. 5 i 14, 17 [Εὐχαριστῶ ὅτι οὐδένα ὑμῶν ἐβάπτισα ... οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλέν με Χριστὸς βαπτίζειν ἀλλ' εὐαγγελίζεσθαι οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ λόγου, ἵνα μὴ κενωθῇ ὁ σταυρὸς τοῦ χριστοῦ.] [Ὠριγένους] Μεῖζον τὸ εὐαγγελίζεσθαι τοῦ βαπτίζειν· καὶ ἐπειδὴ ᾔδει ὁ Παῦλος ἀφ ωρισμένους τινὰς πρὸς τὸ βαπτίζειν, εὐχαριστεῖ ἐπὶ τ<ῷ> κρείττονα κλῆρον ἔχειν τοῦ βαπτίζειν. ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι τῶν Ἀποστόλων φαίνεται τίνα τῶν ἀποστόλων ἔργα· οἷον Φίλιππος ἐβάπτιζεν, τὸ πνεῦμα δὲ οὐ διηκονεῖτο Φίλιππος τῷ βαπτιζομένῳ, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὑπ' ἐκείνου βαπτιζομένους ἐχειροθέτει ὁ Πέτρος καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ἐπήρχετο ἐπ' αὐτούς. καὶ ὁ μὲν Φίλιππος τοὺς ἀναγεννω μένου ἐξ ὕδατο καὶ πνεύματο ἁγίου ἐβάπτιζεν ὕδατι, ὁ δὲ Πέτρος τῷ πνεύματι. [Ὠριγένους] Χρεία οὐ τοσοῦτον λόγου ὅσον δυνάμεως· διὸ γέγραπται κύριο δώ ει ῥῆμα τοῖ εὐαγγελιζομένοι δυνάμει πολλῇ, ὁ βα ιλεὺ τῶν δυνάμεων τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ. ἀπέστειλεν οὖν με Χριστὸς οὐ βαπτίζειν ἀλλ' εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ λόγου, οὐκ ἐν τρανώσει λέξεως· ἐὰν γὰρ τοῦτο ποιῶ καὶ θέλω οὕτω παρα διδόναι τὸν λόγον, ἡ τοῦ χριστοῦ δύναμις οὐ καθικνεῖται τῆς ψυχῆς τῶν ἀκουόντων καὶ ἐκκενῶ καὶ καθαιρῶ τὴν χάριν τῆς δυνάμεως. 6 i 18 [ὁ λόγος γὰρ ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ τοῖς μὲν ἀπολλυμένοις μωρία ἐστίν, τοῖς δὲ σωζομένοις ἡμῖν δύναμις θεοῦ ἐστίν.] [Ὠριγένους] Τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ <σταυροῦ> δοκεῖ σκάνδαλον εἶναι· ἀλλ' ἐάν τις παρέxv τὰς ἀκοὰς τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῇ χάριτι, ὄψεται καὶ τοῦτο μέγα μυ τήριον. καὶ οἱ ἐθνικοὶ παραδεδώκασιν ὅτι πολλάκις, λοιμῶν μεγάλων γενομένων ἢ ἐπομ βριῶν ἢ αὐχμῶν, ταῦτα ἐπαύσατο ἀνθρώπου ἑαυτὸν παραδόντος ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ· τί οὖν θαυμαστὸν εἰ, ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου λοιμώττοντος τῇ πλάνῃ, ὑπὲρ τοῦ λοιμοῦ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ ἐχρῆν ἕνα ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ καταλύσαι τὸν τῆς ἀγνοίας καὶ τοῦ σκότους καὶ τῆς ἀπωλείας λοιμόν; τίς δὲ ἠδύνατο τοῦτο ἀνα δέξασθαι; οὐ προφήτης, οὐκ ἀπόστολος, οὐδέ τις ἄλλος δίκαιος· ἀλλ' ἔδει ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταβῆναι θείαν δύναμιν
About this text
Origen of Alexandria, Fragmenta ex commentariis in epistulam i ad Corinthios (Greek).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 14 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.