Fragments on 1 Corinthians · §31 · Origen of Alexandria

Two senses of prophecy; hyperbole and love above gifts

—prophecy that has surpassed and a prophecy that has gone up. He will call the more catholic sort, imitating the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, second rank after the apostleship; but this last-ranked sort after the gifts already named is such as: if you prophesy, and an unbeliever or ungifted person comes in, he is convicted by all, examined by all, the secrets of his heart become plain, and so falling on his face he will worship God and announce that God is truly among youFor this is not far from the working of powers and the gift of healings that happen for the amazement of those who see, so that the one prophesying may say, “You have this in your heart; from this sin you have come to the church.” This prophecy can also be later in rank than the former ones, while that more divine and greater one is second, of which he says, God set in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers.

To establish that two things are signified from the name “prophecy,” I set out beforehand what I said. See whether I can still show the saying more clearly: God set in the church first apostles—but not all are apostles; for if all were apostles, to whom would they minister the apostleship? Second, prophets—not all are prophets; yet according to the other prophecy, “if you all prophesy, and an unbeliever or ungifted person comes in,” it is spoken not as of an impossibility but as of a possibility that all prophesy in that way. So there are two significations from the name “prophecy.” Therefore here too the apostle’s order is kept that says first apostles, second prophets, and the rest. So much concerning the order, since the phrase “to another prophecy,” ranked last in another wording, seemed to press us.

On 1 Corinthians 13:1–2And I show you a still more excellent way. If I speak with the tongues of humans and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a sounding bronze or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” [Origen:] We ask here whether someone in this life can both have prophecy and know all the mysteries without love, and altogether whether it is given to anyone to know all mysteries; for Paul says, If anyone thinks he has come to know something, he does not yet know as he ought to know; and again, we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done awaySaying these things about himself and the apostles like him shows that it is not possible to know all mysteries and all knowledge. How then does he speak as if it were possible to know all knowledge and understand all mysteries?

If we look at the preface of the words, in which he says, “And I show you a still more excellent way,” and understand what “excellence” (hyperbole) is, all this will be clarified. Hyperbole, then, as even the Greeks defined it, is speech that for the sake of emphasis overshoots the truth; and they use the example that some are said to be whiter than snow—not that anything can be whiter than snow, but it is said by hyperbole. And again: some horses run like wind—not that such a thing is possible, but for emphasis, so that the horses’ speed may be shown, such a thing is said of them. And in the Scripture of the Psalms it is said of the sea, their waves go up to the heavens and go down to the abysses—which is impossible, but said for emphasis. And in the law you will find the manner of hyperbole written where it is written, We saw cities great and walled up to heavenHow can this be? Yet it is said hyperbolically, the speech not altogether presenting the thing signified itself but showing the greatness of the waves or the lowliness, and the greatness of the walls, or something near these.

So also here the apostle takes a hypothesis in order that the nature of gifts and the nature of love may be examined—not that it is possible for a gift, and so great a gift, to exist without love; or that it is possible in this life for someone to know all knowledge without love, or to have such faith as to move mountains; but wanting to show that if love were set in a balance—the word being spoken by hypothesis. He says, then, that one must especially zealously pursue love. Do angels—

Greek

μὲν προφητείαν ὑπερβεβηκυῖαν τινὰ δὲ προφητείαν ἀναβεβηκυῖαν. τὴν μὲν γὰρ καθολικωτέραν καὶ μιμουμένην τὰς προφητείας Ἡσαΐου καὶ Ἱερεμίου δευτέραν τάξιν μετὰ τὴν ἀποστολὴν ἐρεῖ, ταύτην δὲ τὴν τελευταίαν τεταγμένην τάξιν μετὰ τὰ εἰρημένα χαρίσματα τοιαύτην οὖσαν· Ἐὰν δὲ προφητεύητε, εἰ έλθῃ δέ τι ἄπι το ἢ ἰδιώτη , ἐλέγχεται ὑπὸ πάντων, ἀνακρίνεται ὑπὸ πάντων, τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆ καρδία αὐτοῦ φανερὰ γίνεται, καὶ οὕτω πε ὼν ἐπὶ πρό ωπον προ κυνή ει τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἀπαγγέλλει ὅτι ὄντω θεὸ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐ τιν. τοῦτο γὰρ οὐ μακράν ἐστι τοῦ ἐνεργήματο τῶν δυνάμεων καὶ χαρί ματο ἰαμάτων ἐπὶ ἐκπλήξει γινο μένων τῶν ὁρώντων, ἵνα ὁ προφητεύων εἴπῃ Τόδε ἔχεις ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου· Ἀπὸ τοῦδε τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος ἐλήλυθας ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. δύναται δὲ καὶ αὕτη ἡ προφητεία τάξει εἶναι ὑστέρα παρὰ τὰ πρότερα, κἀκείνη ἡ θειοτέρα καὶ μείζων δευτέρα εἶναι, περὶ ἧς λέγει Ὁ θεὸς ἔθετο ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ πρῶτον ἀποστόλους, δεύτερον προφήτας, τρίτον διδασκάλους. εἰς κατασκευὴν τοῦ δύο σημαίνεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ τῆς προφητείας ὀνόματος τὰ προειρημένα προεθέμην ἃ προεῖπον. ὅρα εἰ δύναμαι ἔτι παραστῆσαι σαφέστερον τὸ λεγόμενον Ὁ θεὸς ἔθετο ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ πρῶτον ἀποστόλους· ἀλλ' οὐ πάντες ἀπόστολοι, ἐὰν γὰρ πάντες ἀπόστολοι, τίσι διακονοῦνται τὴν ἀποστολήν; δεύτερον προφήτας· οὐ πάντες προφῆται· κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἄλλην προφητείαν ἐὰν δὲ πάντε προφητεύητε, εἰ έλθῃ δὲ ἄπι το ἢ ἰδιώτη , οὐχ ὡς ἀδυνάτου ἀλλ' ὡς δυνατοῦ ὄντος τοῦ πάντα οὕτως προφητεύειν. δύο οὖν σημαινόμενά ἐστιν ἀπὸ τοῦ τῆς προφητείας ὀνόματος. διὸ καὶ ἐνθάδε τετήρηται ἡ τάξις τῷ ἀποστόλῳ ἡ λέγουσα πρῶτον ἀποστόλους, δεύτερον προφήτας καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ταῦτα μὲν ὡς περὶ τῆς τάξεως, ἐπειδὴ ἔδοξεν ἡμᾶς θλίβειν τὸ Ἄλλῳ δὲ προφητεία, τελευταία τεταγμένη ἐν ἄλλῃ λέξει. 49 xiii1–2 [καὶ ἔτι καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ὁδὸν ὑμῖν δείκνυμι. ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκὸς ἠχῶν ἢ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον. κἂν ἔχω προφητείαν καὶ εἰδῶ τὰ μυστήρια πάντα καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν κἂν ἔχω πᾶσαν τὴν πίστιν ὥστε ὄρη μεθι στάνειν, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐθέν εἰμι.] [Ὠριγένους] Ζητοῦμεν ἐνταῦθα εἰ δύναταί τις ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ καὶ προφητείαν ἔχειν καὶ τὰ μυστήρια ἅπαντα γνῶναι χωρὶς ἀγάπης, καὶ ὅλως εἰ δίδοταί τινι τὰ μυστήρια πάντα γνῶναι· φησὶ γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος Εἴ τι δοκεῖ ἐγνωκέναι τι, οὔπω ἔγνω καθὼ δεῖ γνῶναι· καὶ πάλιν Ἐκ μέρου φησὶ γινώ κομεν καὶ ἐκ μέρου προφητεύομεν· ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τὸ ἐκ μέρου καταργηθή εται. τὸ δὲ ταῦτα λέγειν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν παραπλησίων ἀποστόλων αὐτῷ δηλοῖ ὅτι οὐ δυνατόν ἐστιν εἰδέναι πάντα τὰ μυστήρια καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν. πῶς οὖν ὡς δυνατοῦ ὄντος τοῦ εἰδέναι πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν καὶ πάντα τὰ μυστήρια ἐπίστασθαι ταῦτα φησίν; ἐὰν ἴδωμεν τὸ προοίμιον τῶν λόγων, ἐν <ᾧ> φησὶ Καὶ ἔτι καθ' ὑπερ βολὴν ὁδὸν ὑμῖν δείκνυμι, καὶ νοήσωμεν τί ἐστιν ὑπερβολή, ταῦτα πάντα ἔσται σεσαφηνισμένα. ὑπερβολὴ τοίνυν ἐστίν, ὡς καὶ Ἕλληνες ὡρίσαντο, λόγος ἐμφάσεως ἕνεκεν ὑπεραίρων τὴν ἀλήθειαν· καὶ χρῶνται ἐκεῖνοι παρα δείγματι, ὅτι λευκότεροι χιόνος λέγονταί τινες εἶναι· οὐχ ὅτι δυνατόν τι εἶναι λευκότερον χιόνος, ἀλλὰ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν λέλεκται. καὶ ἔτι Τρέχουσί τινες ἵπποι ὡς ἄνεμος· οὐχ ὅτι δυνατόν ἐστι τὸ τοιοῦτον, ἀλλ' ἐμφάσεως ἕνεκεν, ἵνα τὸ τάχος τῶν ἵππων παραστῇ, λέγεται τὸ τοιοῦτον περὶ αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἐν τῇ γραφῇ δὲ λέγεται τῶν Ψαλμῶν περὶ τῆς θαλάσσης Ἀναβαίνου ι τὰ κύματα αὐτῆ ἕω τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ καταβαίνου ιν ἕω τῶν ἀβύ ων· ὅπερ ἀδύνατον, ἀλλ' ἐμφάσεως ἕνεκεν εἴρηται. καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ δὲ εὑρήσεις γεγραμμένον τῆς ὑπερβολῆς τὸν τρόπον ἔνθα γέγραπται Εἴδομεν πόλει μεγάλα καὶ τεixήρει ἕω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. πῶς δὲ τοῦτο δύναται εἶναι; ἀλλ' ὑπερβολικῶς λέγεται, οὐ πάντως αὐτὸ τὸ δηλούμενον παριστῶντος τοῦ λόγου ἀλλ' ἵνα δηλώσῃ τὸ μέγεθος τῶν κυμάτων ἢ τὴν ταπείνωσιν, καὶ τὸ μέγεθος τῶν τεixῶν, ἤ τι τούτοις παραπλήσιον. οὕτω καὶ ἐνθάδε ὑπόθεσιν λαμβάνει ὁ ἀπόστολος ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἐξετασθῆναι φύσιν χαρισμάτων, φύσιν ἀγάπης. οὐχ ὅτι δυνατόν ἐστιν εἶναι χάρισμα, καὶ ταῦτα τηλικοῦτον, χωρὶς ἀγάπης· ἢ ὅτι δυνατὸν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ εἰδέναι τινὰ πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν χωρὶς ἀγάπης, ἢ ἔχειν πίστιν τηλικαύτην ὥστε ὄρη μεθιστάνειν· ἀλλὰ βουλόμενος παραστῆσαι ὅτι εἰ ἐν ζυγῷ τεθείη ἡ ἀγάπη, καθ' ὑπόθεσιν εἰρημένου τοῦ λόγου. δεῖ οὖν φησι μάλιστα ζηλοῦν τὴν ἀγάπην. Ἆρα δὲ ἄγγελοι