Prophetesses not in assembly; own men; Corinth disorder; stand in the gospel

Click or tap any sentence to jump there. The side buttons skip a paragraph.

husband of the bride. But still let us be fair and meet even their plausible points. They say Philip the evangelist had four daughters and they prophesied. If they prophesied, what is absurd, as those people say, if our women also prophesy as prophetesses? We will solve this. First by saying: our women prophesied—show the signs of prophecy in them. Second: even if Philip’s daughters prophesied, they did not speak in the churches; for we do not have this in the Acts of the Apostles. Nor in the old: Deborah is attested a prophetess, and Miriam sister of Aaron took the tambourine and led the women. But you would not find that Deborah harangued the people like Jeremiah and Isaiah; you would not find that Huldah, being a prophetess, spoke to the people but to one who came to her. And in the gospel Anna is recorded a prophetess, daughter of Phanuel of Asher’s tribe; but she did not speak in church. So even if a woman is granted to be a prophetess from a prophetic sign, she is still not permitted to speak in church. When Miriam the prophetess spoke she was leader of certain women; for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church, and I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man.

I will also show this from elsewhere, even if that was said more securely about the woman not becoming leader by the man’s word: an older woman in a deportment sacred, a good teacher, that she may train the young women—not simply that they teach. For let women also be good teachers, not so that men sit and hear women as if men able to ambassad God’s word were lacking. “If they wish to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.” It seems to me “their own husbands” does not refer only to married men; for virgins would either speak in church or have no teachers, and widows likewise; but perhaps “own men” such as brother and household member and son? Once for all let a woman inquire of her own man according to the generic name “man” over against “woman”; for it is shameful for a woman to speak in church, whatever she may say, even if she says wonders, even if holy things, only because it comes from a woman’s mouth. “Woman in church” is clearly said under the shameful for accusation of the whole church.

1 Corinthians 14:36: “Or did the word of God go out from you, or did it come to you alone?” As if this disorder was in Corinth along with the other sins. So he says God sent his word into the world. Did the truth and the church rule then come only to you Corinthians?

75 on 1 Corinthians 14:37–38: acknowledge what I write are the Lord’s commands; if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant. [Origen:] So that we may know the things of God, let us ask the Giver of gifts to give us a prophetic gift and make us spiritual from the ruling spirit; and so be ready to judge which things are God’s and which are not. For the one deprived of this grace cannot understand; hence he added, “If anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.”

76 on 1 Corinthians 15:1–2: “I make known to you, brothers, the gospel which I gospelled to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, through which also you are saved, by what word I gospelled to you, if you hold it fast—unless you believed in vain.” [Origen:] He calls gospel what he gospels, for this he also handed on; and this one stands in the gospel who has his soul mounted on it as on a boat, through which he is also saved. And he says the one who does not hold the gospel’s word has believed in vain—having heard irrationally and by chance and not by examination. [Origen:] Jews have not stood in the gospel, not receiving Jesus; those from the heresies stand badly, not understanding the gospel but taking it in their own way; those who sin have not stood, not living according to the gospel. Who then have stood in the gospel but those who received it and accepted it and live according to it? And if “by what word I gospelled to you, if you hold fast” is understood, and the following “unless you believed in vain” is understood reasonably with these, we will know that it is impossible for the one who believed in vain thus—

Greek

ἀνδρὸς τῆς νύμφης. ἀλλ' ὅμως εὐγνωμονῶμεν καὶ πρὸς τὰ πιθανὰ ἐκείνων ἀπαντῶντες. τέσσαρές φασι θυγατέρες ἦσαν Φιλίππου τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ καὶ προεφήτευον. εἰ δὲ προεφήτευον, τί ἄτοπόν ἐστι καὶ τὰς ἡμετέρας, ὡς φασὶν ἐκεῖνοι, προφήτιδας προφητεύειν; ταῦτα δὲ λύσομεν. πρῶτον μὲν λέγοντες ὅτι Αἱ ἡμέτεραι προεφήτευον, δείξατε τὰ σημεῖα τῆς προφητείας ἐν αὐταῖς· δεύτερον δὲ Εἰ καὶ προεφήτευον αἱ θυγατέρες Φιλίππου, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ἔλεγον· οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν τοῦτο ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι τῶν Ἀποστόλων. ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἐν τῇ παλαιᾷ· ∆εββῶρα μεμαρτύρηται προφῆτις εἶναι, λαβοῦ α δὲ Μαριὰμ ἡ ἀδελφὴ Ἀαρὼν τὸ τύμπανον ἐξῆρχε τῶν γυναικῶν. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν εὕροις ὅτι ∆εββῶρα ἐδημηγόρησεν εἰς τὸν λαὸν ὥσπερ Ἱερεμίας καὶ Ἡσαΐας· οὐκ ἂν εὕροις ὅτι Ὀλδὰ προφῆτις οὖσα ἐλάλησετῷ λαῷ ἀλλ' ἑνί τινι ἐλθόντι πρὸς αὐτήν. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ἀνα γέγραπται Ἄννα προφῆτι , θυγάτηρ Φανουήλ, ἐκ φυλῆ Ἀ ήρ· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐλάλησεν. ἵνα οὖν καὶ δοθῇ ἐκ σημείου προφητικοῦ εἶναι προφῆτις γυνή, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπιτρέπεται ταύτῃ λαλεῖν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ. ὅτε ἐλάλησε Μαριὰμ ἡ προ φῆτις ἄρχουσα ἦν τινων γυναικῶν· αἰσχρὸν γὰρ γυναικὶ λαλεῖν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ, καὶ διδά κειν δὲ γυναικὶ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπω ἁπλῶς ἀλλ' οὐδὲ αὐθεντεῖν ἀνδρό . Καὶ ἄλλοθεν δὲ τοῦτο παραστήσω, εἰ καὶ ἐκεῖνο ἀσφαλέστερον εἴρηται περὶ τοῦ μὴ τὴν γυναῖκα ἡγεμόνα γίνεσθαι τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ ἀνδρός· πρε βύτιδα ἐν κατα τήματι ἱεροπρεπεῖ , καλοδιδα κάλου , ἵνα ωφρονίζω ι τὰ νέα , οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἵνα διδάσκωσιν. καλοδιδά καλοι μὲν γὰρ ἔστωσαν καὶ γυναῖκες, οὐχ ἵνα ἄνδρες καθήμενοι ἀκούωσι γυναικῶν, ὡς ἐκλειπόντων ἀνδρῶν τῶν δυναμένων πρεσβεύειν τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον. Εἰ δέ τι μαθεῖν ἐθέλουσιν, ἐν οἴκῳ τοὺς ἰδίους ἄνδρας ἐπερωτάτωσαν· αἰσχρὸν γάρ ἐστι γυναιξὶν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ λαλεῖν. δοκεῖ μοι τὸ τοὺς ἰδίους ἄνδρας οὐκ ἐπὶ τοὺς γαμετοὺς ἀναφέρεσθαι μόνον· αἱ παρθένοι γὰρ ἢ λαλήσουσιν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ ἢ οὐχ ἕξουσι τοὺς διδάσκοντας, καὶ αἱ χηρεύουσαι ὁμοίως· ἀλλὰ μήποτε τοὺς ἰδίους ἄνδρας οἷον καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον καὶ τὸν υἱόν; ἅπαξ ἁπλῶς ἀνδρὸς πυνθανέσθω γυνὴ τοῦ ἰδίου κατὰ τὸ γενικὸν ὄνομα ἀνδρὸς πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν γυναικός· αἰσχρὸν γὰρ γυναικὶ λαλεῖν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ, ὁποῖα ἐὰν λαλῇ, κἂν θαυμαστὰ λαλῇ, κἂν ἅγια, μόνον δὲ ἀπὸ στόματος γυναικείου ἐξέρχηται. Γυνὴ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ δηλονότι κατὰ τὸ αἰσχρὸν λέγεται ἐπὶ κατηγορίᾳ τῆς ὅλης ἐκκλησίας. xiv 36 [Ἢ ἀφ' ὑμῶν ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξῆλθεν, ἢ εἰς ὑμᾶς μόνους κατήν τησεν;] Ὡς τῆς ἀταξίας ταύτης οὔσης ἐν Κορίνθῳ μετὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁμαρτημάτων. τοῦτο οὖν λέγει ὅτι ἀπέστειλεν τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον. ἆρ' οὖν ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ὁ κανὼν ὁ ἐκκλησιαστικὸς εἰς ὑμᾶς μόνους τοὺς Κορινθίους κατήντησεν; 75 xiv 37–38 [Εἴ τις δοκεῖ προφήτης εἶναι ἢ πνευματικός, ἐπιγινωσκέτω ἃ γράφω ὑμῖν ὅτι κυρίου εἰσὶν ἐντολαί· εἰ δέ τις ἀγνοεῖ, ἀγνοείτω.] [Ὠριγένους] Ἵν' οὖν ἐπιγινώσκωμεν τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, παρακαλέσωμεν τὸν διδόντα χαρίσματα, ἵνα δώῃ ἡμῖν χάρισμα προφητικὸν καὶ ποιήσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ κρατοῦντος πνεύ ματος πνευματικούς· καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ τοῦ κρίνειν ποῖα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν ἢ ποῖα οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ. ὁ γὰρ τῆς χάριτος ταύτης ἐστερημένος συνεῖναι οὐ δύναται· ὅθεν ἐπήγαγεν Εἰ δέ τις ἀγνοεῖ, ἀγνοείτω. 76 xv 1–2 [Γνωρίζω δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ὃ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, ὃ καὶ παρελάβετε, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἑστήκατε, δι' οὗ καὶ σώζεσθε, τίνι λόγῳ εὐηγγελι σάμην ὑμῖν, εἰ κατέχετε, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ εἰκῇ ἐπιστεύσατε.] [Ὠριγένους] Εὐαγγέλιον καλεῖ ὃ εὐαγγελίζεται, τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ παρέδωκεν· οὗτος δὲ ἕστηκεν ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ὁ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἔχων ἐπιβεβηκυῖαν, ὡς ἐπὶ σκάφει, ἐπ' αὐτῷ δι' οὗ καὶ σώζεται. εἰκῇ δὲ λέγει πεπιστευκέναι τὸν μὴ κατέχοντα τὸν λόγον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, ἀλλ' ἀλόγως καὶ συντυχικῶς καὶ οὐκ ἐξητασμένως ἀκούσαντα. [Ὠριγένους] Ἰουδαῖοι οὐχ ἑστήκασιν ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ, τὸν Ἰησοῦν μὴ παραδεξάμενοι· οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων κακῶς ἑστήκασι, μὴ νοοῦντες τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἀλλ' ἰδίως αὐτὸ ἐκδεχόμενοι· οἱ ἁμαρτάνοντες οὐχ ἑστήκασι, μὴ βιοῦντες κατὰ τὸ εὐ αγγέλιον. τίνες οὖν ἑστήκασιν ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ἢ οἱ παραλαβόντες αὐτὸ καὶ παραδεξάμενοι καὶ κατ' αὐτὸ βιοῦντες; ἐὰν δὲ νοηθῇ Τίνι λόγῳ εὐηγγελισάμην ὑμῖν, εἰ κατέχετε, καὶ νοηθῇ τὸ ἐπιφερόμενον εὐλόγως τούτοις τὸ Ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ εἰκῇ ἐπιστεύσατε, εἰσόμεθα ὅτι ἀδύνατον εἶναι τὸν εἰκῇ πεπιστευκότα οὕτω

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.