Dialogue with Heraclides
Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–c. 254) was the most learned Christian of the third century: textual scholar of the Hebrew Bible, preacher at Caesarea, and the first writer of systematic theology. He died of injuries suffered in the Decian persecution.
The Dialogue with Heraclides records a real church council in Arabia (c. 244–249), where Origen gently corrected Bishop Heraclides on the Trinity and the resurrection — stenographers' minutes of theology done face to face. On Pascha sets out the meaning of Christ our Passover.
This volume holds the Dialogue and On Pascha, with navigable Bible references.
© 2026 SaneApps. This translation is free to share and adapt, even commercially, as long as you credit SaneApps. Draft translation, prepared with AI assistance and not yet independently reviewed. Verify against the original before citing.
Heraclides confesses; the Son was God before the body§1
1When the bishops present had opened a discussion of bishop Heraclides' faith, so that he might confess before them all how he believes, and each had said what came to him and had asked his questions, bishop Heraclides spoke.
Heraclides said: I too believe what the divine scriptures say: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him not even one thing came to be. Do we then agree in the faith? And according to this, do we also believe that Christ has taken flesh, that he was born, that he went up into the heavens in the flesh in which he rose, that he sits at the right hand of the Father, about to come from there and judge the living and the dead — God and man?
Origen said: Since an examination is taking place once for all, I will speak to the point under examination. The whole church is present and listening. One church ought not to differ in knowledge from another church. If you lie, you are not a church. I ask you, Bishop Heraclides: God is the Almighty, the unbegotten, the one who has made the universe over all things. Are you content with this?
Heraclides said: I am content. I too believe this.
Origen said: Christ Jesus was in the form of God, and he is other than the God in whose form he was. Was he God before he came into a body, or not?
Heraclides said: He was God before.
Origen said: Was he God before he came into a body, or not?
Heraclides said: Yes.
Origen said: Another God besides this God in whose form he himself was (John 1:1–3) (2 Timothy 4:1) (Philippians 2:6) (Mark 16:19) (1 Peter 4:5) (Psalm 110:1)?
Greek · §1
ΩΡΙΓΕΝΟΥΣ ∆ΙΑΛΕΚΤΟΣ ΠΡΟΣ ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙ∆ΑΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥΣ ΣΥΝ ΑΥΤΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΥΙΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΨΥΧΗΣ.
Λόγων κινηθέντων ὑπὸ τῶν παρόντων ἐπισκόπων περὶ τῆς πίστεως Ἡρακλείδα τοῦ ἐπισκόπου, ἵνα ἐπὶ πάντων ὁμολογήσῃ τὸ πῶς πιστεύει, καὶ ἑκάστου εἰπόντος τὸ παραστὰν αὐτῷ καὶ πυθομένου,
Ἡρακλείδης ἐπίσκοπος εἶπεν· «Καὶ ἐγὼ πιστεύω ἅπερ αἱ θεῖαι γραφαὶ λέγουσιν· «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν». Ἆρα οὖν τῇ πίστει συμφερόμεθα καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο καὶ πιστεύομεν ὅτι εἴληφε σάρκα ὁ Χριστός, ὅτι ἐγεννήθη, ὅτι ἀνῆλθεν εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ ᾗ ἀνέστη, ὅτι κάθηται ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρὸς μέλλων ἐκεῖθεν ἔρχεσθαι καὶ «κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς», θεὸς καὶ ἄνθρωπος.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Ἐπεὶ ἅπαξ ἀνάκρισις γίνεται εἰπεῖν τι εἰς τὸν τόπον τῆς ἀνακρίσεως, ἐρῶ. Ὅλη ἡ ἐκκλησία πάρεστιν ἀκούουσα. Οὐκ ὀφείλει ἐκκλησία ἐκκλησίας διαφορὰν ἔχειν ἐν γνώσει, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐκκλησία ἡ ψευδομένη. Παρακαλῶ σε, πάπα Ἡρακλείδα· Θεός ἐστιν ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ὁ ἀγένητος, ὁ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ποιήσας τὰ ὅλα· ἀρέσκει τοῦτο;»
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «Ἀρέσκει· οὕτω γὰρ κἀγὼ πιστεύω.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς «ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων», ἕτερος ὢν παρὰ τὸν Θεὸν οὗ «ἐν μορφῇ» ὑπῆρχεν, Θεὸς ἦν πρὸ τοῦ ἔλθῃ εἰς σῶμα ἢ οὔ;»
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «Θεὸς πρὸ ἦν.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Θεὸς ἦν πρὶν ἔλθῃ εἰς σῶμα ἢ οὔ;»
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «Ναί.».
Ὠριγένῃς εἶπεν· «Ἕτερος Θεὸς παρὰ τοῦτον τὸν Θεὸν οὗ «ἐν μορφῇ» ὑπῆρχεν αὐτός;»
Two Gods, and one power§2
2Heraclides said: Clearly he is of another, and being in that one's form he belongs to the one who created all things.
Origen said: So then the only-begotten Son of God, the firstborn of all creation, was God, the Son of God — and we need not be over-scrupulous in saying, in one respect, two Gods, and in another respect, one God?
Heraclides said: What you say is clear. But we say that God is the Almighty, God without beginning, without end, containing all things and not contained; and that his Word is the Son of the living God, God and man, through whom all things have come to be — God according to spirit, man according to his birth from Mary.
Origen said: What I asked, you do not seem to have answered. Make it clear, then; perhaps I did not follow. Is the Father God?
Heraclides said: Entirely.
Origen said: Is the Son other than the Father?
Heraclides said: How can he be a son, if he is also father?
Origen said: The Son, being other than the Father — is he also God?
Heraclides said: He too is God.
Origen said: And do the two become one?
Heraclides said: Yes.
Origen said: Do we confess two Gods?
Heraclides said: Yes; the power is one.
Origen said: But our brothers take offense at there being two Gods. So the wording must be tended with care, and we must show in what respect they are two, and in what respect the two are one God. The divine scriptures have taught that many twos are one — and not only two. Even some things more than two, and even things far more in number, they have taught to be one. The task before us now is not to take a problem and skip past it and string words together, but to chew it, for the simpler people, as if it were meat, and to put the word into the hearers' ears little by little (Colossians 1:15) (John 1:18) (John 1:3) (Philippians 2:6).
Greek · §2
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «∆ηλονότι ἄλλου τινός, καὶ ὢν <ἐν> μορφῇ ἐκείνου ἐστὶν τοῦ πάντα κτίσαντος.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Οὐκοῦν Θεὸς ἦν Θεοῦ υἱὸς ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ, «ὁ πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως», καὶ οὐ δεισιδαιμονοῦμεν πῇ μὲν εἰπεῖν δύο Θεούς, πῇ δὲ εἰπεῖν ἕνα Θεόν;»
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «Τοῦτο μὲν σαφὲς λέγεις· ἡμεῖς δὲ λέγομεν Θεὸν εἶναι τὸν παντοκράτορα, Θεὸν ἄναρχον, ἀτελεύτητον, ἐμπεριέχοντα τὰ πάντα καὶ μὴ ἐμπεριεχόμενον, καὶ τὸν τούτου λόγον υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, θεὸν καὶ ἄνθρωπον, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα γέγονεν, θεὸν μὲν κατὰ πνεῦμα, ἄνθρωπον δὲ καθ' ὃ γεγέννηται ἐκ τῆς Μαρίας.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Ὃ ἐπυθόμην οὐκ ἔδοξας εἰρηκέναι. Σαφήνισον οὖν· ἴσως γὰρ οὐ παρηκολούθησα. Θεὸς ὁ Πατήρ;»
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «Πάντως.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Ἕτερος τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁ Υἱός;»
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «Πῶς γὰρ δύναται υἱὸς εἶναι, ἐὰν καὶ πατὴρ ᾖ;»
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Ἕτερος ὢν τοῦ Πατρὸς ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν Θεός;»
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «Καὶ αὐτός ἐστιν Θεός.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Καὶ γίνονται ἓν δύο Θεοί;»
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «Ναί.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Ὁμολογοῦμεν δύο Θεούς;»
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «Ναί· ἡ δύναμις μία ἐστίν.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ προσκόπτουσιν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν δύο εἶναι Θεούς, τὸν λόγον θεραπευτέον, καὶ <δεῖ> δεῖξαι κατὰ τί δύο εἰσὶν καὶ κατὰ τί εἷς Θεός εἰσιν οἱ δύο. Καὶ αἱ θεῖαι γραφαὶ πολλὰ δύο ἐδίδαξαν εἶναι ἕν, καὶ οὐ μόνον δύο ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείονα τῶν δύο τινὰ καὶ εἰ πολλῷ πλείονα τῷ ἀριθμῷ ἐδίδαξαν εἶναι ἕν. Τὸ νῦν προκείμενόν ἐστιν οὐ λαβόντα πρόβλημα
How two are one: flesh, spirit, God§3
3Origen went on: The task is not to take a problem and skip past it and string words together, but to chew it, for the simpler people, as if it were meat, and to put the word into the hearers' ears little by little.
Many twos, then, are said in the scriptures to be one. Which scriptures? Adam is one person; the woman is another. Adam is other than the woman, and the woman other than the man. And it is said at once in the Making of the World that the two are one: For the two shall be into one flesh. So then it is possible at times for two to be one flesh.
But keep this for me: in the case of Adam and Eve it is not said that the two shall be into one spirit, nor that the two shall be into one soul, but the two shall be into one flesh.
The righteous man again, being other than Christ, is said by the apostle to be one toward Christ: For he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. Is it not that the one is of a lesser, lower, inferior substance, and Christ of a more divine, more glorious, more blessed? Therefore they are no longer two?
For the man and the woman are no longer two but one flesh, and the righteous human being and Christ are one spirit. So our Savior and Lord, toward the Father and God of all, is not one flesh, nor one spirit, but what is above both flesh and spirit: one God.
For it was necessary that, in the case of human beings joined to one another, the name 'flesh' should be set; and in the case of a righteous human being joined to Christ, the name 'spirit'; and in the case of Christ being united to the Father, neither the name 'flesh' nor the name 'spirit' should be set, but what is more honorable than these: the name 'God.' (Genesis 2:24) (1 Corinthians 6:17) (Matthew 19:6) (Matthew 19:5)
Greek · §3
πρόβλημα παρέρχεσθαι καὶ εἴρειν, ἀλλὰ διαμασήσασθαι διὰ τοὺς ἀκεραιοτέρους ὡσπερεὶ τὰ κρέα καὶ κατὰ βραχὺ τὸν λόγον ἐντιθέναι ταῖς ἀκοαῖς τῶν ἀκουόντων. Πολλὰ τοίνυν δύο κατὰ τὰς γραφὰς λέγεται εἶναι ἕν. Ποίας γραφάς; Ἀδὰμ ἕτερος, ἡ γυνὴ ἑτέρα. Ἀδὰμ ἕτερος τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἑτέρα τοῦ ἀνδρός· καὶ εἴρηται εὐθέως ἐν τῇ Κοσμοποιΐᾳ ὅτι οἱ δύο ἕν εἰσιν· «Ἔσονται γὰρ οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν.». Οὐκοῦν ἔνεστίν ποτε δύο εἶναι μίαν σάρκα.
Ἀλλὰ τήρει μοι ὅτι ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ καὶ Εὔας οὐκ εἴρηται ὅτι ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς πνεῦμα ἕν, οὐδὲ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς ψυχὴν μίαν, ἀλλ' «ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν». Ὁ δίκαιος πάλιν ἕτερος ὢν τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγεται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου πρὸς τὸν Χριστὸν εἶναι ἕν· «Ὁ γὰρ κολλώμενος τῷ Κυρίῳ ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστιν.».
Οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς μὲν οὐσίας ὑποδεεστέρας ἢ καταβεβηκυίας καὶ ἐλάττονος, Χριστὸς δὲ θειοτέρας καὶ ἐνδοξοτέρας καὶ μακαριωτέρας; Οὐκοῦν οὐκέτι εἰσὶν δύο; Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ καὶ γυνὴ «οὐκέτι εἰσὶν δύο ἀλλὰ σὰρξ μία», καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ δίκαιος καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς πνεῦμα ἕν· οὕτως ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν καὶ Κύριος πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ Θεὸν τῶν ὅλων ἐστὶν οὐ μία σάρξ, οὐχὶ ἓν πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀνωτέρω καὶ σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος, εἷς Θεός.
Ἔδει γὰρ ἐπὶ μὲν ἀνθρώπων κολλωμένων ἀλλήλοις τὸ «σαρκὸς» ὄνομα κεῖσθαι, ἐπὶ δὲ δικαίου ἀνθρώπου κολλωμένου Χριστῷ τὸ «πνεῦμα» ὄνομα κεῖσθαι, ἐπὶ δὲ Χριστοῦ ἑνουμένου τῷ Πατρὶ οὐ τὸ «σάρξ», οὐ τὸ «πνεῦμα» ὄνομα
I and the Father are one; offering to God through God§4
4Origen went on: In the case of Christ united to the Father, neither the name 'flesh' nor the name 'spirit' should be set, but what is more honorable than these: the name 'God.' Hence let us understand I and the Father are one in this way.
Let us pray — on account of those who keep the dyad, and on account of those who introduce the monad — so that we neither fall into the opinion of those who have split from the church into a fantasy of monarchy, doing away with the Son from the Father and in power doing away with the Father as well, nor fall into another impious teaching, the one that denies the divinity of Christ.
How then do the divine scriptures speak, as in Before me no other God came to be, and after me there shall not be, and in I am, and there is no God besides me? With these utterances we must not suppose that the 'one' as applied to the God of all lacuna is apart from Christ; nor indeed Christ apart from God. But let us say that they are in the way Jesus says, I and my Father are one.
We have to work at these words, because many things have been stirred in this church. They often write that people should subscribe, and that the bishop should subscribe, and those under suspicion, and subscribe before the whole people, so that there may no longer be faction or any inquiry about this.
With God permitting, then, and secondly the bishops, and thirdly the presbyters and the people too, I will speak again of what is stirring me at this point. The offering is always made to God Almighty through Jesus Christ, as offering his divinity to the Father. Let the offering not be made twice, but to God through God.
I shall seem bold in speaking, as we pray to remain in the covenants. If it does not happen, you shall not take a man's face nor marvel at a ruler's face (John 10:30) (Isaiah 43:10) (Isaiah 45:5) (Leviticus 19:15) (Deuteronomy 32:39) (Deuteronomy 16:19).
Greek · §4
κεῖσθαι, ἀλλὰ τούτων τιμιώτερον τὸ «Θεός». Ὅθεν τὸ «Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν» οὕτω νοῶμεν. Εὐχώμεθα διὰ μὲν τοὺς τηροῦντες τὴν δυάδα, διὰ δὲ τοὺς ἐμποιοῦντες τὴν ἑνάδα, καὶ οὕτως οὐδὲ εἰς τὴν γνώμην τῶν ἀποσχισθέντων ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας εἰς φαντασίαν μοναρχίας ἐμπίπτομεν, ἀναιρούντων Υἱὸν ἀπὸ Πατρὸς καὶ δυνάμει ἀναιρούντων καὶ τὸν Πατέρα, οὔτε εἰς ἄλλην ἀσεβῆ διδασκαλίαν ἐμπίπτομεν τὴν ἀρνουμένην τὴν θεότητα τοῦ Χριστοῦ.
Πῶς οὖν λέγουσιν αἱ θεῖαι γραφαὶ ὥσπερ ἐν τῷ «Ἔμπροσθέν μου οὐκ ἐγένετο ἄλλος Θεός, καὶ μετ' ἐμὲ οὐκ ἔσται» καὶ ἐν τῷ «Ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν Θεὸς πλὴν ἐμοῦ». Ταύταις ταῖς φωναῖς οὐ νομιστέον τὸ ἓν ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων † τῷ ἀχράντῳ χωρὶς Χριστοῦ· μήτε μὴν Χριστοῦ χωρὶς Θεοῦ· ἀλλὰ οὕτως λέγωμεν εἶναι ὡς Ἰησοῦς λέγει τὸ «Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατήρ μου ἕν ἐσμεν». <Ἐν> τούτοις τοῖς λόγοις μελετᾶν δεῖ διὰ τὸ πολλὰ κεκινῆσθαι ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ.
Πολλάκις γράφουσιν ὑπογράψαι, καὶ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ὑπογράψαι καὶ τοὺς ὑπονοουμένους καὶ ὑπογράψαι ἐπὶ τοῦ λαοῦ παντός, ἵνα μηκέτι περὶ τούτου γένηται στάσις ἢ ζήτησίς τις. Ἐπιτρέποντος οὖν τοῦ Θεοῦ, δεύτερον καὶ τῶν ἐπισκόπων, τρίτον τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ δέ, τὸ κινοῦν με πάλιν εἰς τὸν τόπον ἐρῶ. Ἀεὶ προσφορὰ γίνεται Θεῷ παντοκράτορι διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὡς προσφόρου τῷ Πατρὶ τὴν θεότητα αὐτοῦ· μὴ δὶς ἀλλὰ Θεῷ διὰ Θεοῦ προσφορὰ γινέσθω.
Τολμηρὸν δόξω λέγειν, εὐχόμενοι ἐμμένειν ταῖς συνθήκαις· ἐὰν μὴ γένηται, «οὐ μὴ λήμψῃ πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπου οὐδὲ θαυμάσεις πρόσωπον
Covenants; a dead body, not a spiritual one§5
5[lacuna — several words around 'bishop' and 'covenants' are daggered and unreadable]. If this is not done, lacuna these covenants would give occasions for inquiries lacuna. A bishop or a presbyter is not a bishop, is not a presbyter; if a deacon, he is not a deacon nor a layman; if he is a layman, he is not a layman, nor is he gathered in the assembly. If it seems good, let these covenants be made.
Some add that, as to the matters of the divinity, offering the divinity in this way, in substance, to Jesus Christ, I have confessed the resurrection of a dead body before the church. And since our Savior and Lord took a body, let us examine what the body was.
The church alone, against all the heresies that deny the resurrection, confesses the resurrection of a dead body, as following from the firstfruits having been raised from the dead, that the dead are raised. Christ the firstfruits: for this reason his body became a dead body. For if his body had not become dead — able to be wrapped in linen, to receive myrrh and whatever else belongs to the dead, and to be laid in a tomb — a spiritual body cannot suffer these things. For it is in no way possible for what is spiritual to be made dead, or for what is spiritual to become without sensation. If a spiritual thing can be made dead, there is a fear that after the resurrection of the dead, when our body is raised according to the apostle who says, It is sown a soulish body, it is raised a spiritual body, we may all die (1 Corinthians 15:20) (1 Corinthians 15:23) (John 19:40) (Mark 15:46) (1 Corinthians 15:44).
Greek · §5
πρόσωπον δυνάστου» ἐπίσκοπός ἐστιν αν † οὕτως καὶ ἀνίσταται ἐπὶ πάντων εἰ μὴ τοῦτο γίνεται ουτ † συνθήκας ταύτας ἀφορμὰς παρέχοι ζητήσεσιν και ναι † ἐπίσκοπος ἢ πρεσβύτερος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπίσκοπος, οὐκ ἔστιν πρεσβύτερος· εἰ διάκονος, οὐκ ἔστιν διάκονος οὐδὲ λαικός· εἰ λαικός ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν λαικὸς οὐδὲ συνάγεται. Εἰ δοκεῖ, αὗται αἱ συνθῆκαι γενέσθωσαν. Ἐπιλέγουσίν τινες ὅτι τὰ μὲν περὶ τῆς θεότητος οὐσιωδῶς οὕτω προσφέρων Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ τὴν θεότητα ὡμολόγησα ἀνάστασιν νεκροῦ σώματος ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας.
Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀνέλαβεν σῶμα ὁ Σωτὴρ καὶ Κύριος ἡμῶν, τὸ σῶμα ἐξετάσωμεν τί ἦν. Μόνη ἡ ἐκκλησία <παρὰ> πάσας τὰς αἱρέσεις ἀρνουμένας τὴν ἀνάστασιν ὁμολογεῖ ἀνάστασιν νεκροῦ σώματος, ὡς ἀκολούθου ὄντος τῷ τὴν ἀπαρχὴν ἐγηγέρθαι ἐκ νεκρῶν τοῦ τοὺς νεκροὺς ἐγείρεσθαι. «Ἀπαρχὴ Χριστός»· διὰ τοῦτο νεκρὸν γέγονεν αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα.
Εἰ γὰρ μὴ νεκρὸν γέγονεν αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα, δυνάμενον ἑλιγῆναι σινδόνι, σμύρναν λαβεῖν καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τοῖς νεκροῖς, καὶ ἀπο τεθῆναι ἐν μνήματι, ταῦτα δὲ σῶμα πνευματικὸν παθεῖν οὐ δύναται· πάντῃ γὰρ τὸ πνευματικὸν νεκρωθῆναι οὐχ οἷόν τέ ἐστιν, ἢ ἀναίσθητον τὸ πνευματικὸν γενέσθαι οὐχ οἷόν τέ ἐστιν· εἰ γὰρ δύναται πνευματικὸν νεκρωθῆναι, φόβος ἐστὶν μὴ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν, ὅταν ἐγερθῇ ἡμῶν τὸ σῶμα κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον λέγοντα «Σπείρεται ψυχικόν, ἐγείρεται πνευματικόν
Christ dies no more; Maximus; spirit, soul, body§6
6Origen went on from the apostle's word — It is sown a soulish body, it is raised a spiritual body — lest, if a spiritual thing can be made dead, we may all die. For Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more. And not only does Christ, raised from the dead, die no more, but also those who are Christ's, once raised from the dead, die no more. If these things please, these too, on the testimony of the people, shall be enacted and fixed. What else concerning the faith? Do these things seem good to you, Maximus, lacuna?
Maximus said: May it come about that all become like me. Before God and the church I both subscribe and anathematize. Only, lest I be wholly in doubt and double-minded, I ask about a certain point corrupt stretch. For the brothers know that I used to say: I have to be benefited by the brother and taught this. If the spirit has been handed over to the Father according to Father, into your hands I commit my spirit, and the spirit is apart, the flesh having died and lying in a tomb — when it is opened, how do the dead rise?
Origen said: We have learned from the holy scriptures that the human being is composite. For the apostle says: May God sanctify your spirit and the soul and the body; and May he sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and the soul and the body be kept complete, blamelessly, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This spirit is not the Holy Spirit, but a part of the human being's constitution, as the same apostle teaches when he says: The Spirit bears witness with our spirit. For if it were the Holy Spirit, he would not have said: The Spirit bears witness with our spirit (1 Corinthians 15:44) (Romans 6:9) (1 Corinthians 15:23) (Luke 23:46) (1 Thessalonians 5:23) (Romans 8:16) (Psalm 31:5).
Greek · §6
πνευματικόν», ἀποθνῄσκωμεν πάντες. «Χριστὸς γὰρ ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν οὐκέτι ἀποθνῄσκει.». Οὐ μόνον δὲ «Χριστὸς ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν οὐκέτι ἀποθνῄσκει» ἀλλὰ καὶ «οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ» ἐγερθέντες ἐκ νεκρῶν οὐκέτι ἀποθνῄσκουσιν. Εἰ ἀρέσκει ταῦτα, καὶ ταῦτα ἐπὶ διαμαρτυρίας τοῦ λαοῦ ἔσται νενομοθετημένα καὶ πεπηγμένα. Τί ἄλλο περὶ τῆς πίστεως; δοκεῖ σοι ταῦτα, Μάξιμε, † ειπεναι;»
Μάξιμος εἶπεν· «Γένοιτο πάντας ὁμοίους μοι γενέσθαι. Ἐπὶ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐκκλησίας, καὶ <ὑπο>γράφω καὶ καταθεματίζω· πλὴν μέντοι ἵνα μὴ δισταχθεὶς ὅλως καὶ διψυχήσω † περί τινος πυνθάνομαι· καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο οἴδασιν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ὅτι ἔλεγον· «Ἔχω παρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ὠφεληθῆναι καὶ τοῦτο διδαχθῆναι.». Ὄντος τοῦ πνεύματος παραδεδομένου τῷ Πατρὶ κατὰ τὸ «Πάτερ, εἰς χεῖράς σου παρατίθημι τὸ πνεῦμά μου», τοῦ τε πνεύματος χωρὶς τῆς σαρκὸς ἀποθανούσης καὶ κειμένης ἐν μνημείῳ, ὡς ἀνοίγεται καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ πῶς ἀνίστανται;»
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Σύνθετον εἶναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον μεμαθήκαμεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερῶν γραφῶν. Φησὶν γὰρ ὁ ἀπόστολος· «Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἁγιάσαι ὑμῶν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ τὸ σῶμα·» τὸ δὲ «Ἁγιάσαι ὑμᾶς ὁλοτελεῖς, καὶ ὁλόκληρον ὑμῶν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἀμέμπτως ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τηρηθείη», τοῦτο τὸ πνεῦμα οὐκ ἔστιν τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, ἀλλὰ μέρος τῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου συστάσεως, ὡς διδάσκων ὁ αὐτὸς ἀπόστολος λέγει· «Τὸ πνεῦμα συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν.». Εἰ γὰρ ἦν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, οὐκ ἂν ἔλεγεν· «Τὸ πνεῦμα
The whole man taken up; deposit of the spirit§7
7Origen went on: The Spirit bears witness with our spirit. If it were the Holy Spirit, he would not have said it that way.
Our Savior and Lord, then, wanting to save a human being in the way he wanted to save, for this reason wanted to save a body in this way, as he likewise wanted to save a soul, and he wanted to save the remaining part of the human being as well, the spirit. The whole human being would not have been saved if he had not taken up the whole human being.
They set aside the salvation of the human body when they say the Savior's body is spiritual. They set aside the salvation of the human spirit, about which the apostle says: No one among men knows the things of the man except the spirit of the man that is in him. Wanting to save the spirit of the man, about which the apostle said these things, he took up a human spirit as well.
These three were divided at the time of the Passion; these three were united at the time of the resurrection. At the time of the Passion they were divided. How? The body in the tomb, the soul in Hades, the spirit he committed to the Father. The soul in Hades: You will not abandon my soul to Hades. If he committed the spirit to the Father, he has given the spirit as a deposit. It is one thing to grant as a gift, another to hand over, another to place as a deposit. The one who places a deposit places it in order to receive the deposit back. To whom, then, did the spirit have to commit the deposit, if not to the Father?
This is above me and my condition and my mind; for I am not of such stature as to say that just as the body could not go down into Hades — even if those who call Jesus' body spiritual say this — so neither could the spirit go down into Hades, and therefore he gave the spirit as a deposit to the Father until he should rise from the dead (Romans 8:16) (1 Corinthians 2:11) (Psalm 16:10) (Luke 23:46) (Acts 2:27).
Greek · §7
συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν.». Ὁ τοίνυν Σωτὴρ καὶ Κύριος ἡμῶν θέλων ἄνθρωπον σῶσαι ὥσπερ ἠθέλησεν σῶσαι, διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως ἠθέλησεν σῶσαι σῶμα, ὡς ἠθέλησεν ὁμοίως σῶσαι καὶ ψυχήν, ἠθέλησεν καὶ τὸ λεῖπον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου σῶσαι, τὸ πνεῦμα. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ ὅλος ἄνθρωπος ἐσώθη, εἰ μὴ ὅλον τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀνειλήφει. Ἀθετοῦσι τὴν σωτηρίαν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου πνευματικὸν λέγοντες τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Σωτῆρος· ἀθετοῦσι τὴν σωτηρίαν τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου πνεύματος περὶ οὗ λέγει ὁ ἀπόστολος· «Οὐδεὶς οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ.».
Θέλων σῶσαι τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, περὶ οὗ τάδε εἶπεν ὁ ἀπόστολος, ἀνέλαβεν καὶ ἀνθρώπου πνεῦμα. Τὰ τρία ταῦτα παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ πάθους διηρέθη, τὰ τρία ταῦτα παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἡνώθη. Παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ πάθους διηρέθη. Πῶς; Τὸ σῶμα ἐν τῷ μνημείῳ, ἡ ψυχὴ ἐν ᾅδου, τὸ πνεῦμα παρέθετο τῷ Πατρί. Ἡ ψυχὴ ἐν ᾅδου· «Οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς τὸν ᾅδην.». Εἰ παρέθετο τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ Πατρί, παρακαταθήκην δέδωκεν τὸ πνεῦμα. Ἄλλο ἐστὶν χαρίσασθαι, καὶ ἄλλο παραδοῦναι, καὶ ἄλλο τὸ παρακαταθέσθαι.
Ὁ παρακατατιθέμενος παρακατατίθεται ἵνα ἀπολάβῃ τὴν παρακαταθήκην. Τίνι οὖν ἔδει τὴν παρακαταθήκην παραθέσθαι τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ Πατρί; Ὑπὲρ ἐμέ ἐστιν καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν ἕξιν καὶ τὸν ἐμὸν νοῦν, οὐ γάρ εἰμι τηλικοῦτος εἰπεῖν ὅτι ὥσπερ τὸ σῶμα οὐχ οἷόν τε ἦν εἰς
Do not touch me; faith and life together§8
8Origen went on: I am not of such stature as to say that just as the body could not go down into Hades — even if those who call Jesus' body spiritual say this — so neither could the spirit go down into Hades, and therefore he gave the spirit as a deposit to the Father until he should rise from the dead.
Having committed this deposit to the Father, he receives it back. When? Not at the same moment as the resurrection, but immediately after the resurrection. Bring me the gospel writing as witness. The Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Mary met him, and he says to her: Do not touch me. For he wanted the one who touched him to touch him as complete, so that by touching him complete she might be benefited — the body from the body, the soul from the soul, the spirit from the spirit. For I have not yet gone up to the Father. He goes up to the Father and comes to the disciples. So then he goes up to the Father. For what? To receive the deposit back.
The matters of the faith, as many as have been indicated to us, have been examined together. But we should know that we are judged in the divine court not concerning faith only, as if life were not examined, nor concerning life only, as if faith were not searched. When both are set right we are justified; when both are not set right we are punished for both. There are some who will not be punished for both but for the one: some for the faith as having stumbled, but not for the life as not having been set right; and others, conversely, will not be punished for the faith, but will be punished for the life, as having lived contrary to the right word (John 20:17) (John 20:19).
Greek · §8
ᾅδου καταβῆναι, κἂν τοῦτο λέγωσιν οἱ πνευματικὸν λέγοντες τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, οὕτως οὐδὲ τὸ πνεῦμα οἷόν τε ἦν καταβῆναι εἰς ᾅδου, διὸ παρακαταθήκην ἔδωκεν ἕως ἀναστῇ ἐκ νεκρῶν τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ Πατρί. Ταύτην τὴν παραθήκην παραθέμενος τῷ Πατρί, ἀπολαμβάνει. Πότε; Οὐχ ἅμα τῇ ἀναστάσει, ἀλλ' εὐθέως μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Μάρτυρά μοι φέρε τὴν γραφὴν τὴν εὐαγγελικήν.
Ἀνέστη ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐκ νεκρῶν· ἀπήντησεν αὐτῷ ἡ Μαρία, καί φησιν πρὸς αὐτήν· «»Μή μου ἅπτου.»«Ἐβούλετο γὰρ τὸν ἁπτόμενον αὐτοῦ ὁλοτελοῦς ἅψασθαι, ἵνα ἁψάμενος ὁλοτελοῦς ὠφεληθῇ ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος τὸ σῶμα, ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ψυχήν, τὸ πνεῦμα ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος· «»Οὔπω γὰρ ἀναβέβηκα πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα»«· ἀναβαίνει πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ ἔρχεται πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς. Οὐκοῦν ἀναβαίνει πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα. Ἕνεκα τίνος; τὴν παρακαταθήκην ἀπολαβεῖν.
Τὰ μὲν περὶ τῆς πίστεως, ὅσα ἔσηνεν ἡμᾶς, συνεξετάσθη· εἰδέναι δὲ χρὴ ὅτι κρινόμεθα ἐν τῷ θείῳ δικαστηρίῳ οὐ περὶ πίστεως μόνης, ὡς τοῦ βίου μὴ ἐξεταζομένου, οὐδὲ περὶ βίου μόνου, ὡς τῆς πίστεως μὴ ἐρευνωμένης. Ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων κατορθουμένων δικαιούμεθα, ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων μὴ κατορθουμένων ἐπ' ἀμφοτέροις κολαζόμεθα. Εἰσὶν δέ τινες οὐκ ἐπ' ἀμφοτέροις κολασθησόμενοι, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ ἑτέρῳ, οἱ μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει ὡς ἐπταισμένῃ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ βίῳ ὡς οὐ
Pure heart and clean hands; lesser sins too§9
9Origen went on: Some will not be punished for both, but for the one. Some for the faith, as having stumbled, but not for the life, as not having been set right; and others, conversely, will not be punished for the faith, but will be punished for the life, as having lived contrary to the right word.
I think that in Solomon's Proverbs these two generic things — I mean the matter of how we believe and know, and the matter of how we live — are spoken by Solomon in this way: Who will boast of having a pure heart? Or who will stand forth saying he is clean from sins? For we take the difference of these thus: the heart concerning the mind, and the sins concerning the deeds. Who will boast of having a pure heart, not defiled by falsely named knowledge, not defiled by a lie? Or who will stand forth saying he is clean from sins, having sinned nothing in the practical life?
If then we want to be saved, let us not, while occupied with the faith, neglect the life in practice, nor again put our trust in the life. From both let us know, grasp, believe that we shall have either the blameless or even the blessed — or the opposite of these.
Of the things for which people are punished, it is not only the frightful and terrible — which ought not even to be named among both — but also the things supposed to be lesser. For this reason the apostle seems to have listed, with the (if we must call them that) unlawful and abominable and defiling things, the things despised by the many (Proverbs 20:9) (1 Timothy 6:20) (Ephesians 5:3).
Greek · §9
κατωρθωμένῳ, οἱ δὲ ἀνάπαλιν ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει οὐ κολασθήσονται, ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ βίῳ ὡς παρὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον βιώσαντες κολασθήσονται. Ἐγὼ νομίζω ἐν ταῖς Σολομῶντος Παροιμίαις τὰ γενικὰ ταῦτα δύο, λέγω δὲ τὸ περὶ τοῦ πῶς πιστεύομεν καὶ γινώσκομεν καὶ τὸ περὶ τοῦ πῶς βιοῦμεν, λέγεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ Σολομῶντος τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον· «Τίς καυχήσεται ἁγνὴν ἔχων τὴν καρδίαν; Ἢ τίς παραστήσεται λέγων καθαρὸς εἶναι ἀπὸ ἁμαρτιῶν;» Τὴν γὰρ διαφορὰν τούτων οὕτω λαμβάνομεν, περὶ μὲν φρόνημα τὴν καρδίαν, περὶ δὲ τὰς πράξεις τὰς ἁμαρτίας.
«Τίς καυχήσεται ἁγνὴν ἔχων τὴν καρδίαν» μὴ μεμολυμμένην «ψευδωνύμῳ γνώσει», μὴ μεμολυμμένην ψεύδει; «Ἢ τίς παραστήσεται λέγων καθαρὸς εἶναι ἀπὸ ἁμαρτιῶν» ἐν τῷ πρακτικῷ μηδὲν ἁμαρτήσας; Εἴπερ οὖν βουλόμεθα σώζεσθαι, μὴ περὶ τὴν πίστιν μὲν γινόμενοι περὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν ἀμελῶμεν τοῦ βίου, μὴ οὐδὲ πάλιν τῷ βίῳ θαρρῶμεν· ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων γινώσκωμεν, καταλαμβάνωμεν, πιστεύωμεν ἢ τὸ ἀνέγκλητον ἕξειν ἢ καὶ τὸ μακάριον, ἢ τὸ ἐναντίον τούτοις.
Τῶν οὖν κολαζομένων ἐστὶν οὐ μόνον τὰ φρικτὰ καὶ φοβερά, ἃ οὐδὲ ὀνομάζεσθαι ὀφείλει ἐν ἀμφοτέροις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ νομιζόμενα εἶναι ὑποδεέστερα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δοκεῖ ὁ ἀπόστολος κατειλεχέναι τοῖς (εἰ δεῖ οὕτως ὀνομάσαι) τοῖς ἀθεμίτοις
Drunkard and reviler; is the soul blood?§10
10Origen went on: With the (if we must call them that) unlawful and abominable and defiling things, the apostle seems also to have listed the things despised by the many. For what does he say? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor the soft, nor men who lie with men, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor revilers will inherit the kingdom of God. You see: with evils of such size — the man who lies with men, the soft, the adulterer, the fornicator — he numbered the drunkard, the reviler, sins despised by all of us, so that we may be taught that we are not cast out of the kingdom of God for those only, but also for these that are thought to be smaller. Therefore let us neither revile, nor get drunk, nor seize, nor steal, nor do the things that are not lawful, even if we are led astray.
If anything is lacking concerning the rule, remind me. For the rest, we will speak to the scripture.
Dionysius said: Is the soul the blood?
Origen said: It has come to my hearing, and I say it as fully persuaded, that some of those here and of those in the neighboring towns think that after the departure from here the soul perceives nothing, but is in the tomb, in the body. And I know that I was carried more harshly on this matter against the other Heraclides and Celer who was before him — so harshly that he left and wanted to go away. And yet, for the sake of honor and of the word, he had sent for us. We came down into the discussion; he gave a statement, as that man cleared himself toward us with statements of faith lacuna that it was as toward God (1 Corinthians 6:9–10).
Greek · §10
καὶ μυσαροῖς καὶ μιαροῖς τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν πολλῶν καταφρονούμενα. Τί γὰρ λέγει; «Μὴ πλανᾶσθε· οὔτε πόρνοι, οὔτε μοιχοί, οὔτε μαλακοί, οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται, οὔτε κλέπται, οὐ μέθυσοι, οὐ λοίδοροι βασιλείαν Θεοῦ κληρονομήσουσιν.». Ὁρᾷς τοῖς τηλικούτοις κακοῖς, τῷ ἀρσενοκοίτῃ, τῷ μαλακῷ, τῷ μοιχῷ, τῷ πόρνῳ συνηρίθμησεν τὸν μέθυσον, τὸν λοίδορον, ἁμαρτήματα καταφρονούμενα ὑπὸ πάντων ἡμῶν, ἵνα διδαχθῶμεν ὅτι οὐκ ἐπ' ἐκείνοις μόνοις ἐκβαλλόμεθα ἐκ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἃ νομίζεται εἶναι ἐλάττονα. ∆ιόπερ μήτε λοιδορῶμεν, μήτε μεθύωμεν, μήτε ἁρπάζωμεν, μήτε κλέπτωμεν, μηδὲ τὰ οὐ θεμιτὰ πράττωμεν, κἂν πλανώμεθα. Εἴ τι περὶ κανόνος λείπει, ὑπομνήσατε· ἔτι λοιπὸν εἰς τὴν γραφὴν ἐροῦμεν.».
∆ιονύσιος εἶπεν· «Εἰ ἡ ψυχὴ τὸ αἷμα;»
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Ἦλθέν μου εἰς τὰς ἀκοάς, καὶ πεπληροφορημένος λέγω, ὅτι τινὲς τῶν ἐνταῦθα καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς ἀστυγείτοσιν οἴονται μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀπαλλαγὴν τὴν ψυχὴν μηδὲν αἰσθάνεσθαι, ἀλλὰ εἶναι ἐν τῷ μνημείῳ, ἐν τῷ σώματι. Καὶ οἶδα περὶ τούτου τραχύτερον ἐνεχθεὶς πρὸς τὸν ἄλλον Ἡρακλείδαν καὶ Κέλερα τὸν πρὸ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοσοῦτον τραχύτερον ὥστε καταλιπεῖν καὶ θελῆσαι ἀπελθεῖν· καίτοι τιμῆς ἕνεκεν καὶ τοῦ λόγου μετεπέμψατο ἡμᾶς· συγκατέβημεν εἰς
The texts that pull them aside; two men§11
11Origen went on: We came down into the discussion; he gave a statement, as that man cleared himself toward us with statements of faith lacuna that it was as toward God.
Necessarily, then, beloved Dionysius inquires about this too. The texts by which they are pulled aside — lest any of them escape me — I will first set out, and to each, God granting, according to your prayer, we will answer.
What has pulled them aside is this: The soul of all flesh is blood. And this text has terribly stirred those who have not understood it. And You shall not eat the soul with the flesh; take strong care not to eat blood; you shall not eat the soul with the flesh. This is what has pulled them aside; for the other things that have pulled them aside are far less than the force of the sense in these.
I, for my part, praying to be helped in reading the divine things — for we need help so that we may not think something besides the truth — lacuna. I found that things not bodily are named with the same names as all the bodily things, so that the bodily things belong to the outer man, and the things with the same names as the bodily belong to the inner. Scripture says that the human being is two men: For if our outer man is being destroyed, yet our inner is being renewed day by day; and I delight in the law of God according to the inner man. These two men the apostle everywhere sets out, in each person (Leviticus 17:11) (Leviticus 17:14) (Deuteronomy 12:23) (2 Corinthians 4:16) (Romans 7:22) (Genesis 9:4).
Greek · §11
τὸν λόγον, ἔδωκεν φωνὴν ὡς ἐκεῖνος ἐκάθαρεν αὑτὸν ὡς πρὸς ἡμᾶς φωναῖς πίστεως † ὅτι ὡς πρὸς Θεόν. Ἀναγκαίως οὖν καὶ τοῦτο ζητεῖ ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ∆ιονύσιος. Τὰ ῥητὰ ὑφ' ὧν περισπῶνται, μή τί με λάθῃ αὐτῶν, πρῶτον ἐκθήσομαι, καὶ πρὸς ἕκαστον, Θεοῦ διδόντος, κατὰ τὴν εὐχὴν ὑμῶν ἀποκρινούμεθα. Τὸ μὲν περισπάσαν ἐστὶν ὅτι «Ἡ ψυχὴ πάσης σαρκὸς αἷμά ἐστιν»· καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ῥητὸν δεινῶς ἐκίνησεν τοὺς μὴ νοήσαντας αὐτό· καὶ «Οὐ φάγεσθε τὴν ψυχὴν μετὰ τῆς σαρκός· πρόσεχε ἰσχυρῶς τοῦ μὴ φαγεῖν αἷμα· οὐ φάγεσθε τὴν ψυχὴν μετὰ τῆς σαρκός».
Τὸ περισπάσαν τοῦτό ἐστιν· τὰ γὰρ ἕτερα τὰ περισπάσαντα πολλῷ ἐλάττονά ἐστιν τῆς ἐμφάσεως τῆς κατὰ ταῦτα διανοίας. Ἐγὼ δὲ κατὰ τὰ ἐμὰ μέρη, εὐχόμενος βοηθεῖσθαι ἐν τῷ ἀναγινώσκειν τὰ θεῖα (βοηθείας γὰρ δεόμεθα ἵνα μὴ ἄλλο τι παρὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν φρονήσωμεν) ...
Εὗρον ὁμωνύμως πᾶσι τοῖς σωματικοῖς ὀνομαζόμενα οὐ σωματικά, ἵνα τὰ μὲν σωματικὰ ᾖ κατὰ τὸν ἔξω ἄνθρωπον, τὰ δὲ ὁμώνυμα τοῖς σωματικοῖς κατὰ τὸν ἔσω. ∆ύο ἀνθρώπους ἡ γραφὴ λέγει εἶναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον· «Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὁ ἔξω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθείρεται, ἀλλ' ὁ ἔσω ἡμῶν ἀνακαινοῦται ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ»· καὶ «Συνήδομαι τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον.». Τούτους τοὺς δύο ἀνθρώπους ὁ μὲν ἀπόστολος πανταχοῦ
Not a human-shaped God; pearls and dogs§12
12Origen went on: These two men the apostle everywhere sets out, in each person. And it seems to me he has not dared to innovate this account himself, but, having understood more nakedly what the scriptures said more obscurely, has spoken it.
Some think that in the Making of the World, after the creation of the human being, And God took dust from the earth and formed the human being is a repetition. It follows for these people that the 'according to the image' (Genesis 2:7) is the body, and that they grant God to be human-shaped, or that the form of God is according to this figure. But we are not so mad as to say either that God is composite from worse and better, so that the 'according to the image' (Genesis 1:26–27) would be on both, or that the whole lacuna, God being, the 'according to the image' (Matthew 7:6) has come to be in the worse rather than in the better.
The words are rather fine; we need hearers who have a lean mind. I ask the hearers, then, to watch themselves, lest they ever become the cause of my being charged with throwing the holy things to dogs, to shameless souls. For the barking ones, the dog-like, those stretched toward fornications, toward revilings, do nothing else but yelp, and I must not throw the holy things to such as these. So too I ask the hearers not to become the cause of my being charged with setting pearls of such size — which we try to gather as good merchants — before those who wallow in the uncleannesses of bodies, and who for this reason are called swine.
Greek · §12
παρίστησιν καθ' ἕκαστον. ∆οκεῖ δέ μοι οὐκ αὐτὸς τετολμηκέναι τοῦτον τὸν λόγον καινοτομεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν ἀσαφέστερον εἰρηκυιῶν γυμνότερον νενοηκὼς εἰρηκέναι. Οἴονταί τινες ἐν τῇ Κοσμοποιΐᾳ ἐπανάλημψιν εἶναι μετὰ τὴν κτίσιν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ «Ἔλαβεν ὁ Θεὸς χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἔπλασεν τὸν ἄνθρωπον». Τούτοις ἀκολουθεῖ τὸ «κατ' εἰκόνα» τὸ σῶμα εἶναι καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀνθρωπόμορφον διδόναι, ἢ τὴν μορφὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναι κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ σχῆμα.
Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως μεμήναμεν ὡς εἰπεῖν ἢ σύνθετον εἶναι τὸν Θεὸν ἐκ χείρονος καὶ κρείττονος, ἵνα τὸ «κατ' εἰκόνα» ἐπ' ἀμφότερον <ᾖ>, ἢ ὁλόκληρον, † ὄντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸ «κατ' εἰκόνα» γέγονεν ἐν τῷ χείρονι μᾶλλον, καὶ μὴ ἐν τῷ κρείττονι. Οἱ λόγοι λεπτότεροί εἰσιν· δεόμεθα ἀκροατῶν ἰσχνὴν διάνοιαν ἐχόντων. Παρακαλῶ οὖν τοὺς ἀκροατὰς προσέχειν ἑαυτοῖς, μή ποτε αἴτιοί μοι γένωνται τοῦ ἐγκληθῆναι ὅτι τὰ ἅγια παραβάλλω κυσίν, ἀναιδέσι ψυχαῖς.
Οἱ γὰρ ὑλακτικοί, οἱ κυνώδεις, οἱ ταῖς πορνείαις, οἱ ταῖς λοιδορίαις τεταμένοι οὐδὲν ἄλλο ποιοῦσιν ἢ βαϋβίζουσιν, καὶ οὐ δεῖ τὰ ἅγιά με τοῖς τοιούτοις παραβάλλειν. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ παρακαλῶ τοὺς ἀκροατὰς μὴ αἰτίους μοι γενέσθαι τοῦ ἐγκληθῆναι ὡς μαργαρίτας τηλικούτους, οὓς συναγαγεῖν πειρώμεθα ὡς καλοὶ
Swine, pearls, be transformed§13
13Origen went on: I ask the hearers not to become the cause of my being charged with setting pearls of such size — which we try to gather as good merchants — before those who wallow in the uncleannesses of bodies, and who for this reason are called swine. For I would say that the one who is always rolling in bodily things and wallowing in the mire of life, and not hastening toward the clean life, toward the holy, is in all a swine.
If then, the kingdom of the heavens being likened to a man, a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, I find the beautiful pearls, and having bought them with toils and watchings I throw them to pleasure-loving souls, and to those wallowing in the mires around the bodily things and in the uncleannesses, I too shall have broken the law, because I threw the pearls to the swine. And the swine, receiving the pearls, since they do not see their beauty nor perceive their superiority, trample them — by speaking badly the things said well — and not only do they trample the pearls, but turning they also tear the servants of the pearls.
I beg you, then: be transformed. Do you want to learn that it is in you to be transformed, and to put off the form of the swine, which is according to the unclean soul, and the form of the dog, which is according to the barking and yelping and evil-speaking human being? And it is possible to be transformed from serpents. For an evil human being is called a serpent and offspring of vipers (Matthew 13:45–46) (Matthew 7:6) (2 Corinthians 3:18) (Romans 12:2).
Greek · §13
ἔμποροι, παρατιθέντες τοῖς ἐγκυλιομένοις ἐν ταῖς ἀκαθαρσίαις τῶν σωμάτων, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο χρηματίζουσιν χοίροις· εἴποιμι γὰρ ἂν τὸν ἐν σωματικοῖς ἀεὶ κυλιόμενον καὶ ἐγκυλινδόμενον ἐπὶ τοῖς βορβόροις τοῦ βίου καὶ μὴ σπεύδοντα ἐπὶ τὸν καθαρὸν βίον, ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιον, τοῦτον πάντα εἶναι χοῖρον.
Ἐὰν οὖν, ὁμοιουμένης «τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ ἐμπόρῳ ζητοῦντι καλοὺς μαργαρίτας», εὑρίσκω τοὺς καλοὺς μαργαρίτας, καὶ ὠνούμενος καὶ καμάτοις καὶ ἀγρυπνίαις παραβάλλω ψυχαῖς φιληδόνοις, καὶ τοῖς περὶ τὰ σωματικὰ βορβόροις καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀκαθαρσίαις ἐγκυλιομέναις, ἔσομαι κἀγὼ παρανομήσας ὅτι ἔβαλον τοὺς μαργαρίτας τοῖς χοίροις.
Οἱ χοῖροι δὲ παραλαβόντες τοὺς μαργαρίτας, ἅτε μὴ βλέποντες αὐτῶν τὸ κάλλος μηδὲ αἰσθανόμενοι τῆς ὑπεροχῆς αὐτῶν, καταπατοῦσιν αὐτούς, διὰ τὸ κακῶς λέγειν τὰ καλῶς λεγόμενα, καὶ οὐ μόνον καταπατοῦσιν τοὺς μαργαρίτας, ἀλλὰ καὶ στρεφόμενοι τοὺς διακόνους τῶν μαργαριτῶν ῥηγνύουσιν. ∆έομαι οὖν ὑμῶν, μεταμορφώθητε· θέλετε μαθεῖν ὅτι ἐν ὑμῖν ἔστιν τὸ μεταμορφωθῆναι, καὶ ἀποθέσθαι τὴν τοῦ χοίρου μορφήν, οὖσαν κατὰ τὴν ἀκάθαρτον ψυχήν, καὶ τὴν μορφὴν τοῦ κυνός, οὖσαν κατὰ τὸν ὑλακτικὸν καὶ βαϋβίζοντα καὶ κακολογοῦντα ἄνθρωπον. Ἔστιν δὲ
From dogs, swine, serpents; fruits of repentance§14
14Origen went on: And it is possible to be transformed from serpents. For an evil human being is called a serpent and offspring of vipers. If then we want to hear that it is in us to be transformed from serpents, from swine, from dogs, let us learn from the apostle the transformation that is in our power. For he says thus: And we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image.
If you were a barker and the Word formed you and remade you, you have been transformed from a dog into a human being. If you were unclean and the Word reached your soul and you offered yourself to the Word's forming, you have changed from a swine into a human being. If you were beast-like, hearing a word that tames, that domesticates, that changes you into a human being at the will of the Word, you will no longer hear serpent, offspring of vipers. For if it were impossible for these serpents — the serpents according to the soul through vice — to change, the Savior would not have said (or John): Make fruits worthy of repentance, then. Having repented you are no longer a serpent, offspring of vipers.
Since, then, it lies before us to speak about the human being, and to inquire about the soul of the human being whether it is not blood, and the word has required us to arrive at the account of two men in each person, and we have come to a mystical word, we ask you that I may not be charged because of you with throwing the pearls to swine, the holy things to dogs, with casting the divine things to the serpents, with giving a share of the tree of life to the serpent (Matthew 3:7) (2 Corinthians 3:18) (Luke 3:8) (Matthew 3:8) (Matthew 7:6) (Matthew 12:34).
Greek · §14
μεταμορφωθῆναι ἀπὸ ὄφεων· πονηρὸς γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἀκούει «ὄφις» καὶ «γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν»· εἰ τοίνυν θέλομεν ἀκούειν ὅτι ἐν ἡμῖν ἔστιν μεταμορφωθῆναι ἀπὸ ὄφεων, ἀπὸ χοίρων, ἀπὸ κυνῶν, μάθωμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου τὴν ἐφ' ἡμῖν μεταμόρφωσιν. Φησὶν γὰρ οὕτως· «Ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα.». Εἰ ὑλακτικὸς ἦς καὶ ὁ λόγος σε ἔπλασεν καὶ μετεποίησέν σε, μετεμορφώθης ἀπὸ κυνὸς εἰς ἄνθρωπον.
Εἰ ἀκάθαρτος ἦς καὶ ὁ λόγος καθίκετό σου τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ παρέσχες σεαυτὸν τῇ τοῦ λόγου πλάσει, μετέβαλες ἀπὸ χοίρου εἰς ἄνθρωπον. Εἰ θηριώδης ἦς, ἀκούων λόγον τὸν ἡμεροῦντα, τὸν τιθασσεύοντα, τὸν εἰς ἄνθρωπόν σε μεταβάλλοντα ἐπὶ τῷ βουλήματι τοῦ λόγου, οὐκέτι ἀκούσει «ὄφις, γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν». Οὐκ ἂν γὰρ εἰ ἀδύνατον ἦν τοὺς ὄφεις τούτους, <τοὺς> κατὰ ψυχὴν διὰ κακίαν ὄφεις, μεταβαλεῖν, ὁ Σωτὴρ ἔλεγεν (ἢ ὁ Ἰωάννης)· «Ποιήσατε οὖν καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας.». Μετανοήσας οὐκέτι εἶ «ὄφις, γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν».
Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν περὶ ἀνθρώπου πρόκειται λέγειν, καὶ περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ζητεῖν εἰ μή ἐστιν αἷμα, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἡμᾶς ἀπῄτησε φθάσαι ἐπὶ τὸν περὶ δύο ἀνθρώπων καθ' ἕκαστον λόγον, καὶ ἤλθομεν ἐπὶ λόγον μυστικόν, παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς ἵνα μὴ ἐγκληθῶ δι' ὑμᾶς ὡς τοὺς μαργαρίτας χοίροις, ὡς τὰ ἅγια κυσὶ
Agony of speaking; inside and outside; the first man§15
15Origen went on: We ask you that I may not be charged because of you with throwing the pearls to swine, the holy things to dogs, with casting the divine things to the serpents, with giving a share of the tree of life to the serpent. That I may not be charged, be transformed: put away malice, faction, anger, fights, wrath, griefs, discord, so that there may no longer be schisms among you, but that you may be fitted together in the same mind and the same judgment.
I am in agony both to speak and not to speak. Because of those who are worthy I want to speak, lest I be charged with having deprived of the word those able to hear. Because of those who are not worthy I hesitate to speak, because of what has been said already, lest I ever throw the holy things to dogs and cast the pearls to the swine.
It was the work of Jesus alone to know how to separate, among the hearers, those outside from those inside, so that to those outside he may speak in parables, and to those who have entered his house he may loose the parables. The 'outside' and the entering into the house is mystical. For what is it to me to judge those outside? Everyone who sins is outside. For this reason let it be spoken in parables to those outside, if somehow they may be able, leaving the outside, to become inside. Entering the house is mystical: the genuine disciple of Jesus enters Jesus' house; he enters by thinking the things of the church, by living in the church's way. The inside and the outside is spiritual.
You see how much I say in a preface, preparing the hearers. I hesitate to speak, being about to put it off even while speaking. What do I want to do? To take a word that heals the souls of those who hear.
The human being, then, being created, was first created the one according to the image, of whom matter is not found. For the one according to the image is not from matter either. And God said: Let us make a human being according to our image and according to our likeness, and let them rule, and the rest (Genesis 2:9) (Colossians 3:8) (1 Corinthians 1:10) (Matthew 13:10–13) (Mark 4:11) (1 Corinthians 5:12) (Genesis 1:26) (Genesis 3:22) (Ephesians 4:31).
Greek · §15
βαλών, ὡς ῥίψας τὰ θεῖα τοῖς ὄφεσιν, ὡς μεταδοὺς «τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς» τῷ ὄφει. Ἵνα μὴ ἐγκληθῶ, μεταμορφώθητε, «ἀπόθεσθε τὴν κακίαν», στάσιν, «ὀργήν», μάχας, «θυμόν», λύπας, διχόνοιαν, ἵνα μὴ ᾖ μηκέτι «ἐν ὑμῖν σχίσματα ἀλλ' ἦτε κατηρτισμένοι τῷ αὐτῷ νοῒ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ γνώμῃ». Ἀγωνιῶ καὶ εἰπεῖν, ἀγωνιῶ καὶ μὴ εἰπεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοὺς ἀξίους θέλω εἰπεῖν, μὴ ἐγκληθῶ ὡς τῶν δυναμένων ἀκούειν ἀποστερήσας τὸν λόγον· διὰ τοὺς μὴ ἀξίους ὀκνῶ εἰπεῖν, διὰ τὰ προειρημένα, μή ποτε ῥίψω τὰ ἅγια κυσὶν καὶ βαλῶ τοὺς μαργαρίτας τοῖς χοίροις.
Ἰησοῦ μόνου ἔργον ἦν εἰδέναι χωρίζειν ἐν τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς τοὺς ἔξω ἀπὸ τῶν ἔσω, ἵνα τοῖς μὲν ἔξω ἐν παραβολαῖς λέγῃ, τοῖς δὲ εἰσελθοῦσιν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν λύσῃ τὰς παραβολάς. Τὸ ἔξω καὶ τὸ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν μυστικόν ἐστιν. «Τί γάρ μοι τοὺς ἔξω κρίνειν;» Πᾶς ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἔξω ἐστίν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐν παραβολαῖς λεγέσθω τοῖς ἔξω, ἐάν πως δυνηθῶσιν καταλιπόντες τὰ ἔξω γενέσθαι ἔσω.
Τὸ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν μυστικόν ἐστιν· εἰσέρχεται εἰς τὴν Ἰησοῦ οἰκίαν ὁ γνήσιος αὐτοῦ μαθητής, εἰσέρχεται διὰ τοῦ φρονεῖν τὰ ἐκκλησιαστικά, διὰ τοῦ βιοῦν ἐκκλησιαστικῶς. Τὸ ἔσω καὶ τὸ ἔξω πνευματικόν ἐστιν. Ὁρᾷς πόσα λέγω ἐν προοιμίῳ εὐτρεπίζων τοὺς ἀκροατάς. Ὀκνῶ εἰπεῖν μέλλων ἐν τῷ λέγειν ὑπερτιθέμενος. Τί ποιῆσαι βούλομαι; Λαβεῖν λόγον θεραπεύοντα τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἀκουόντων.
Ὁ ἄνθρωπος τοίνυν κτιζόμενος πρότερον μὲν ἐκτίσθη ὁ «κατ' εἰκόνα», οὗ ὕλη οὐχ εὑρίσκεται· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐξ ὕλης ἐστὶν ὁ «κατ' εἰκόνα»· «Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν ἡμετέραν
Image without dust; eyes of the inner man§16
16Origen went on: And God said, Let us make a human being according to our image and according to our likeness, and let them rule, and the rest. And God made the human being — not taking dust from the earth as in the case of the second, but according to the image of God he made him.
And that the 'according to the image of God' (Genesis 1:26–27) is known as immaterial, better than every bodily subsistence, not by Moses only but also by the apostle, his wording shows when he says: Having put off the old man with his deeds and having put on the new, the one being renewed unto knowledge according to the image of the one who created him.
There are, then, two men in each of us. How is it said, The soul of all flesh is blood? The problem is great. As, then, the outer man is named with the same name as the inner, so also his members, so that one may say that every member of the outer man is also named according to the inner man.
The outer man has eyes, and the inner is said to have eyes: Lighten my eyes, lest I sleep unto death. He is not speaking about these eyes, nor about perceptible sleep, nor about the common death. The commandment of the Lord is bright, lighting the eyes. It is not that by keeping the Lord's commandments we become sharper-sighted according to the body, but that by keeping the divine commandments we become sharper-sighted according to the mind. The eyes of the inner man see through more than ours: Uncover my eyes, and I will consider the wonders of your law (Genesis 2:7) (Colossians 3:9–10) (Leviticus 17:11) (Psalm 13:3) (Psalm 19:8) (Psalm 119:18).
Greek · §16
ἡμετέραν· καὶ ἀρχέτωσαν» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· «Καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον» οὐ «χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς» λαβὼν ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ δευτέρου, ἀλλὰ «κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτόν». Ὅτι δὲ τὸ «κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ» οὐ μόνος Μωϋσῆς οἶδεν ἄϋλον, κρεῖττον πάσης σωματικῆς ὑποστάσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος, παρίστησιν ἡ λέξις αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· «Ἐκδυσάμενοι τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον σὺν ταῖς πράξεσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν νέον, τὸν ἀνακαινούμενον εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ κτίσαντος.». ∆ύο οὖν καθ' ἕκαστον ἡμῶν εἰσιν ἄνθρωποι.
Πῶς λέγεται «ψυχὴ πάσης σαρκὸς αἷμά ἐστιν»; Μέγα τὸ πρόβλημά ἐστιν. Ὡς οὖν ὁμωνυμεῖ ὁ ἔξω ἄνθρωπος τῷ ἔσω, οὕτω καὶ τὰ μέλη αὐτοῦ, ὥστε εἰπεῖν ὅτι πᾶν μέλος τοῦ ἔξω ἀνθρώπου ὀνομάζεται καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον. Ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχει ὁ ἔξω ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ὁ ἔσω λέγεται ἔχειν ὀφθαλμούς· «Φώτισον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, μή ποτε ὑπνώσω εἰς θάνατον.». Οὐ περὶ τούτων τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν λέγει, οὔτε περὶ τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ ὕπνου, οὔτε περὶ τοῦ κοινοῦ θανάτου.
«Ἡ ἐντολὴ Κυρίου τηλαυγὴς φωτίζουσα ὀφθαλμούς»· οὐχὶ ἐκ τοῦ τηρεῖν τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου ὀξυδερκέστεροι γινόμεθα κατὰ τὸ σῶμα, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ τηρεῖν τὰς θείας ἐντολὰς κατὰ τὸν νοῦν γινόμεθα ὀξυδερκέστεροι. Οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου μᾶλλον ἡμῶν διαβλέπουσιν· «Ἀποκάλυψον τοὺς
Eyes of the mind; ears in our power§17
17Origen went on: Uncover my eyes, and I will consider the wonders of your law — not as though his eyes were covered, but our eyes are the mind. It belongs to Jesus alone to uncover, so that we may be able to behold the things written and to understand the things said in a hidden way.
The outer man has ears, and the inner man is said to have ears. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. All had the ears of sense, but not all had succeeded in having the inner hearings cleansed. These ears are not in our power; those are in our power. And since it is in our power to have those ears, for this reason the prophet says: Hear, you deaf, and you blind, look up to see. And who is deaf but my servants, and who is blind but those who lord it over them? And the slaves of God were blinded.
That it is in our power to become deaf lacuna (let us attend; what is said is about to touch all of us; the inner man must be described so that the blood may be found) — that it is in our power to become deaf according to those hearings, hear the prophet saying: The sinners have been alienated from the womb; they have gone astray from the belly; they have spoken falsehoods. Wrath is theirs according to the likeness of the serpent, as of a deaf asp that stops her ears, which will not listen to the voice of charmers, of a drug being mixed by a wise man (Psalm 119:18) (Matthew 11:15) (Isaiah 42:18–19) (Psalm 58:3–4).
Greek · §17
ὀφθαλμούς μου, καὶ κατανοήσω τὰ θαυμάσια τοῦ νόμου σου», ὡς κεκαλυμμένων αὐτοῦ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν οὐχί, ἀλλ' εἰσὶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν ὁ νοῦς. Τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μόνου ἐστὶν ἀποκαλύψαι, ἵνα δυνηθῶμεν τὰ γεγραμμένα θεωρῆσαι καὶ τὰ κεκρυμμένως εἰρημένα κατανοῆσαι. Ὦτα ἔχει ὁ ἔξω ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος λέγεται ὦτα ἔχειν. «Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω.». Πάντες εἶχον ὦτα τὰ τῆς αἰσθήσεως, ἀλλ' οὐ πάντες ἦσαν κατωρθωκότες τὸ ἔχειν τὰς ἔνδον ἀκοὰς κεκαθαρμένας.
Ταῦτα τὰ ὦτα οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν, ἐκεῖνα ἐφ' ἡμῖν· καὶ ἐπεὶ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἔχειν ἐκεῖνα τὰ ὦτα, διὰ τοῦτο λέγει ὁ προφήτης· «Οἱ κωφοὶ ἀκούσατε, καὶ οἱ τυφλοὶ ἀναβλέψατε ἰδεῖν· καὶ τίς κωφὸς ἀλλ' ἢ οἱ παῖδές μου καὶ τίς τυφλὸς ἀλλ' ἢ οἱ κυριεύοντες αὐτῶν; Καὶ ἐτυφλώθησαν οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ.».
Ὅτι ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστιν τὸ κωφωθῆναι ... (προσέχωμεν· μέλλει ἅπτεσθαι πάντων ἡμῶν τὰ λεγόμενα· τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον δεῖ διαγράψαι ἵνα τὸ αἷμα εὑρεθῇ), ὅτι ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστιν τὸ κωφωθῆναι κατ' ἐκείνας τὰς ἀκοάς, ἄκουε τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· «Ἀπηλλοτριώθησαν οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀπὸ μήτρας, ἐπλανήθησαν ἀπὸ γαστρός, ἐλάλησαν ψευδῆ. Θυμὸς αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὴν ὁμοίωσιν τοῦ ὄφεως, ὡσεὶ
The deaf asp; fragrance of Christ§18
18Origen went on from the psalm: Wrath is theirs according to the likeness of the serpent, as of a deaf asp that stops her ears, which will not listen to the voice of charmers, of a drug being mixed by a wise man.
And you, as many as know yourselves to be at fault, if you hear a word and a drug being mixed by a wise man, and you hear words of charmers, so that it may settle your wrath and your vice, and then you stop your ears, not opening them nor spreading them for the reception of what is said — the word will reach you: Wrath is theirs according to the likeness of the serpent, as of a deaf asp that stops her ears, which will not listen to the voice of charmers, of a drug being mixed by a wise man.
The outer man smells with nostrils, receiving fragrance and stench. And the inner man receives the fragrance of righteousness and the stench of sins with other nostrils — fragrance, as the apostle teaches, saying: We are the fragrance of Christ to God in every place, among those being saved and among those perishing: to the one a smell from death to death, to the other a smell from life to life. And Solomon too says in the Song of Songs, in the person of the young women, the daughters of Jerusalem: After you we will run to the smell of your ointments. As, then, with the nostrils we receive perceptible fragrance and perceptible stench, so according to the inner man there is a reception, in the one who is healthy according to the divine senses, of the fragrance of righteousness (Psalm 58:4–5) (2 Corinthians 2:15–16) (Song of Solomon 1:4).
Greek · §18
ἀσπίδος κωφῆς καὶ βυούσης τὰ ὦτα αὐτῆς, ἥτις οὐκ εἰσακούσεται φωνὴν ἐπᾳδόντων αὐτῇ φαρμάκου τε φαρμακευομένου παρὰ σοφοῦ.».
Καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὅσοι σύνοιδατε ἑαυτοῖς ἐν αἰτίᾳ εἶναι, εἰ ἀκούετε λόγου καὶ «φαρμάκου φαρμακευομένου παρὰ σοφοῦ» καὶ ἀκούετε λόγων ἐπᾳδόντων, ἵνα καταστείλῃ ὑμῶν τὸν θυμὸν καὶ τὴν κακίαν, εἶτα βύετε τὰ ὦτα οὐκ ἀνοίγοντες οὐδὲ ἀναπεταννύντες αὐτὰ πρὸς παραδοχὴν τῶν λεγομένων, φθάσει ἐφ' ὑμᾶς τὸ «Θυμὸς αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὴν ὁμοίωσιν τοῦ ὄφεως ὡσεὶ ἀσπίδος κωφῆς καὶ βυούσης τὰ ὦτα αὐτῆς, ἥτις οὐκ εἰσακούσεται φωνὴν ἐπᾳδόντων φαρμάκου τε φαρμακευομένου παρὰ σοφοῦ».
Ὁ ἔξω ἄνθρωπος ὀσφραίνεται μυκτῆρσιν, ἀντιλαμβανόμενος εὐωδίας καὶ δυσωδίας· καὶ ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος ἀντιλαμβάνεται εὐωδίας δικαιοσύνης καὶ δυσωδίας ἁμαρτημάτων ἄλλοις μυκτῆρσιν, εὐωδίας μὲν ὡς ὁ ἀπόστολος διδάσκει λέγων· «Εὐωδία Χριστοῦ ἐσμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ, ἐν τοῖς σωζομένοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις, οἷς μὲν ὀσμὴ ἐκ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον, οἷς δὲ ὀσμὴ ἐκ ζωῆς εἰς ζωήν.». Φησὶν δὲ καὶ ὁ Σολομὼν ἐν τῷ Ἄσματι τῶν ᾀσμάτων ἐκ προσώπου τῶν νεανίδων τῶν θυγατέρων Ἱερουσαλήμ· «Ὀπίσω σου εἰς ὀσμὴν μύρων σου δραμοῦμεν.». Ὥσπερ οὖν τοῖς
Stench, taste, and the woman's touch§19
19Origen went on: As with the nostrils we receive perceptible fragrance and perceptible stench, so according to the inner man there is a reception, in the one who is healthy according to the divine senses, of the fragrance of righteousness, which the apostle had, and of the stench of sins. What stench of sins? About which the prophet says thus: My bruises have grown rancid and rotten from the face of my folly.
The outer man has the tasting faculty, and the inner man has the spiritual tasting faculty, about which it is said: Taste and see that the Lord is kind.
The outer man has perceptible touch, and the inner man has touch — that touch by which the woman with the flow of blood touched the hem of Jesus. She touched. For the one who said, Who touched me? bore witness. And a little before, Peter was saying to him: The crowds are pressing you, and you say, Who touched me? He thinks that those who touch bodily are touching, not spiritually. So those pressing Jesus were not touching him; for they were not touching him by faith. But she alone, having a certain divine touch, touched Jesus and for this reason was healed. And since she touched with his divine touch, for this reason power of Jesus went out upon her divine touch (Psalm 38:5) (Psalm 34:8) (Luke 8:43–46) (Mark 5:30–31) (Matthew 9:20–22).
Greek · §19
μυκτῆρσιν ἀντιλαμβανόμεθα αἰσθητῆς εὐωδίας καὶ αἰσθητῆς δυσωδίας, οὕτως κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον ἔστιν ἀντίλημψις τοῦ ὑγιαίνοντος κατὰ τὰ θεῖα αἰσθητήρια, εὐωδίας δικαιοσύνης, ἣν εἶχεν ὁ ἀπόστολος, καὶ δυσωδίας ἁμαρτημάτων. Ποίας δυσωδίας ἁμαρτημάτων; Περὶ ἧς λέγει ὁ προφήτης οὕτως· «Προσώζεσαν καὶ ἐσάπησαν οἱ μώλωπές μου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ἀφροσύνης μου.». Ὁ ἔξω ἄνθρωπος ἔχει τὸ γευστικόν, καὶ ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος ἔχει τὸ πνευματικὸν γευστικόν, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται· «Γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ Κύριος.».
Ὁ ἔξω ἄνθρωπος ἔχει ἁφὴν τὴν αἰσθητήν, καὶ ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος ἔχει ἁφήν, ἐκείνην τὴν ἁφὴν ᾗ ἥψατο ἡ αἱμορροῦσα τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Ἥψατο· ἐμαρτύρησεν γὰρ ὁ εἰπών· «Τίς ἥψατό μου;» Καί γε πρὸ βραχέος ὁ Πέτρος αὐτῷ ἔλεγεν· «»Οἱ ὄχλοι θλίβουσίν σε καὶ σὺ λέγεις Τίς ἥψατό μου;»«Οἴεται ὅτι οἱ ἁπτόμενοι σωματικῶς ἅπτονται, οὐ πνευματικῶς. Οἱ οὖν θλίβοντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν οὐχ ἥπτοντο αὐτοῦ· οὐ γὰρ πίστει αὐτοῦ ἥπτοντο. Ἐκείνη δὲ μόνη ἔχουσα θείαν τινὰ ἁφὴν ἥψατο τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐθεραπεύθη· καὶ ἐπεὶ θείᾳ αὐτοῦ ἁφῇ ἥψατο, διὰ τοῦτο δύναμις
Hands, feet, the wise man's head§20
20Origen went on: And since she touched with his divine touch, for this reason power of Jesus went out upon her divine touch. He says then: Who touched me? For I knew power had gone out from me.
About this more divine touch John speaks: And our hands handled concerning the word of life. So we have other hands, about which it is said: The lifting of my hands is an evening sacrifice. For if I lift these hands, but the hands of my soul lie below, and I do not lift them through holy and good deeds, the lifting of my hands does not become an evening sacrifice.
I have other feet as well, about which Solomon promised me, saying: Your foot shall not stumble. Something strange is said in Ecclesiastes. To the one who does not understand it will seem senseless; but to the wise it has been said from Ecclesiastes: The eyes of the wise man are in his head. In what head? For of every human being, even of the senseless and the fool, the perceptible eyes are in a perceptible head; but the eyes of the wise man, the ones spoken of before, the ones lit by the Lord's commandment, are in his head — in Christ, since the head of a man is Christ, the apostle says. The thinking faculty is in Christ. My belly, my belly I ache, said Jeremiah (Luke 8:46) (1 John 1:1) (Psalm 141:2) (Proverbs 3:23) (Ecclesiastes 2:14) (1 Corinthians 11:3) (Jeremiah 4:19) (Psalm 91:12).
Greek · §20
τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐξῆλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν θείαν αὐτῆς ἁφήν. Λέγει οὖν· «»Τίς ἥψατό μου; Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔγνων δύναμιν ἐξεληλυθυῖαν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ»«. Περὶ ταύτης τῆς θειοτέρας ἁφῆς Ἰωάννης λέγει. «Καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς.». Οὕτως ἔχομεν ἄλλας χεῖρας, περὶ ὧν λέγεται· «Ἔπαρσις τῶν χειρῶν μου θυσία ἑσπερινή.». Οὐ γὰρ ἐὰν ταύτας ἐπάρω τὰς χεῖρας, κάτω δέ μου κέωνται αἱ χεῖρες τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ μὴ ἐπάρω αὐτὰς διὰ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἀγαθῶν πράξεων γίνεταί μου «ἔπαρσις τῶν χειρῶν θυσία ἑσπερινή».
Ἔχω καὶ ἄλλους πόδας, περὶ ὧν ἐπηγγείλατό μοι ὁ Σολομὼν λέγων· «Ὁ πούς σου μὴ προσκόψῃ.». Λέγεται <ἄτοπόν> τι ἐν τῷ Ἐκκλησιαστῇ· τῷ μὴ συνιέντι γὰρ δόξει ἀνόητον εἶναι, τῷ δὲ σοφῷ ἀπὸ Ἐκκλησιαστοῦ εἴρηται· «Τοῦ σοφοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ.». Ἐν ποίᾳ κεφαλῇ; Παντὸς γὰρ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ τοῦ ἀνοήτου καὶ τοῦ ἄφρονος, οἱ αἰσθητοὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἐν κεφαλῇ αἰσθητῇ εἰσιν, ἀλλὰ «τοῦ σοφοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ» οἱ προειρημένοι, οἱ φωτιζόμενοι ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ἐντολῆς, «ἐν κεφαλῇ» αὐτοῦ, ἐν Χριστῷ, ἐπεὶ «Κεφαλὴ ἀνδρὸς ὁ Χριστός», ὁ ἀπόστολος λέγει.
Τὸ διανοητικόν ἐστιν ἐν Χριστῷ. «Τὴν κοιλίαν μου, τὴν κοιλίαν μου ἀλγῶ», εἶπεν
Belly, bones, and the saw§21
21Origen went on: My belly, my belly I ache, said Jeremiah. What belly does he ache with? The one we too ache with — the belly with which, since he was in labor for the people, I ache in my belly, and the senses, not these but of my heart.
If I come even to the fine parts of the body, I see them without flesh upon the soul. Lord, do not rebuke me in your wrath, nor discipline me in your anger. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord, for my bones were troubled. What bones of the prophet were troubled? The harmony of his soul and the firmness of his mind were troubled, and he asks for the restoration of those bones.
Our bones were scattered beside Hades. What bones of the speaker were scattered beside Hades? If you see for me the one who has sinned, and you see his harmonies in the region of sin, in the region of the dead, in the region of vice, you will say of such a one that his bones were scattered. All my bones will say: Lord, who is like you? These bones speak, converse, say, perceive God — and these bodily bones are without sensation, as physicians' pupils show when they saw bones of one who does not perceive in the sawing. All my bones, then, will say: Lord, who is like you? Bones the inner man has, all of them (Jeremiah 4:19) (Psalm 6:1–2) (Psalm 141:7) (Psalm 35:10).
Greek · §21
Ἱερεμίας. Ποίαν κοιλίαν ἀλγεῖ; Ἣν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀλγοῦμεν, ᾗ ἐπεὶ ὤδινεν τὸν λαὸν «τὴν κοιλίαν ἀλγῶ» καὶ «τὰ αἰσθητήρια», οὐ ταῦτα ἀλλὰ «τῆς καρδίας μου». Ἐὰν καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ λεπτὰ μέρη ἔλθω τοῦ σώματος, βλέπω αὐτὰ ἄσαρκα ἐπὶ τὴν ψυχήν. «Κύριε, μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με, μηδὲ τῇ ὀργῇ σου παιδεύσῃς με. Ἐλέησόν με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἀσθενής εἰμι· ἴασαι με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐταράχθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου.». Ποῖα ὀστᾶ ἐταράχθη τοῦ προφήτου; Ἡ ἁρμονία τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τὸ στερρὸν τῆς διανοίας αὐτοῦ ἦν τεταραγμένον, καὶ παρακαλεῖ περὶ τῆς ἀποκαταστάσεως ἐκείνων τῶν ὀστέων.
«Ἐσκορπίσθησαν τὰ ὀστᾶ ἡμῶν παρὰ τὸν ᾅδην.». Ποῖα ὀστᾶ τοῦ λέγοντος ἐσκορπίσθη παρὰ τὸν ᾅδην; Ἐὰν ἴδῃς μοι τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα καὶ ἴδης αὐτοῦ τὰς ἁρμονίας ἐν τῷ χωρίῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐν τῷ χωρίῳ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἐν τῷ χωρίῳ τῆς κακίας, ἐρεῖς περὶ τοῦ τοιούτου ὅτι τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτοῦ ἐσκορπίσθη. «Πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου ἐροῦσιν· Κύριε, τίς ὅμοιός σοι;» Ταῦτα τὰ ὀστᾶ λαλεῖ, διαλέγεται, λέγει, αἰσθάνεται τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα ἀναίσθητα ὡς ἰατρῶν παῖδες παριστᾶσιν πρίζοντες ὀστᾶ τοῦ μὴ αἰσθανομένου ἐν τῇ πρίσει. «Πάντα οὖν τὰ ὀστᾶ μου ἐροῦσιν· Κύριε, τίς ὅμοιός σοι;» Ὀστᾶ
Lost heart, numbered hairs, inner blood§22
22Origen went on: Bones the inner man has, all of them. The inner man has a heart: Hear me, you who have lost the heart. Those people had this heart of the body; for that heart is not lost. But when someone neglects the cultivation of the intelligent condition, and from much idleness puts away the thinking faculty, he has lost the heart, and it is said to such a one: Hear me, you who have lost the heart.
And the hairs of your head are all numbered. What hairs? For which reason they were Nazirites spiritually. Since you have all these things of the perceptible body in the case of the inner man, no longer hesitate also about the blood, that with the same name as the perceptible blood, as with the other members of the body, there is blood according to the inner man.
That blood of a sinful soul is poured out. For the blood of your souls shall be required. He did not say 'your blood,' but the blood of your souls. And The blood from the hand of the watchman I will require. What blood does God require from the hand of the watchman, if not that which is poured out of the sinner? So the heart of the fool is lost, and it is said, Hear me, you who have lost the heart, as the blood is poured out and the vital power of the soul (Isaiah 46:12) (Matthew 10:30) (Genesis 9:5) (Ezekiel 33:6) (Numbers 6:5).
Greek · §22
πάντα ἔχει ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος. Ἔχει καρδίαν ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος· «Ἀκούσατέ μου οἱ ἀπολωλεκότες τὴν καρδίαν.». Ἐκεῖνοι καρδίαν εἶχον ταύτην τὴν τοῦ σώματος· οὐ γὰρ ἀπόλλυται ἐκείνη ἡ καρδία. Ὅταν δέ τις ἀμελήσῃ τῆς γεωργίας τῆς ἕξεως νοητικῆς, καὶ ἀπὸ πολλῆς ἀργίας ἀποθῆται τὸ διανοητικόν, ἀπολώλεκεν τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ λέγεται πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον. «Ἀκούσατέ μου οἱ ἀπολωλεκότες τὴν καρδίαν.». «Ὑμῶν δὲ καὶ αἱ τρίχες τῆς κεφαλῆς πᾶσαι ἠριθμημέναι εἰσίν.». Ποῖαι τρίχες; ∆ι' ὃ ἦσαν πνευματικῶς ναζιραῖοι.
Ἐπεὶ ἔχεις ταῦτα πάντα τοῦ αἰσθητοῦ σώματος περὶ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, μηκέτι δίσταζε καὶ περὶ τοῦ αἵματος ὅτι ὁμωνύμως τῷ αἰσθητῷ αἵματι, ὡς καὶ τὰ ἄλλα μέλη τοῦ σώματος, ἐστὶν κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον. Ἐκεῖνο τὸ αἷμα ψυχῆς ἁμαρτωλοῦ ἐκχεῖται· καὶ γὰρ «Τὸ αἷμα τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἐκζητηθήσεται». Οὐκ εἶπεν Τὸ αἷμα ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ «Τὸ αἷμα τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν». Καὶ «Τὸ αἷμα ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ σκοποῦ ἐκζητήσω».
Ποῖον αἷμα ἐκζητεῖ ὁ Θεὸς «ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ σκοποῦ» ἢ ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἐκχεόμενον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ; Οὕτως ἀπόλλυται καρδία τοῦ ἄφρονος, καὶ λέγεται «Ἀκούσατέ μου οἱ ἀπολωλεκότες τὴν καρδίαν», ὡς ἐκχεῖται τὸ αἷμα
Better to depart and be with Christ§23
23Origen went on: So the heart of the fool is lost, and it is said, Hear me, you who have lost the heart, as the blood is poured out and the vital power of the soul.
If the soul has been understood, and understood according to the inner man, and it has been understood that in that one is the 'according to the image,' (Philippians 1:23) it is clear that Paul says well: For it is better to depart and to be with Christ. Before the resurrection the righteous man is with Christ, and in that very soul he lives with Christ. For this reason: For it is better to depart and to be with Christ.
But according to you who say that the soul lies in the tomb with the body, it has not gone out from the body, it does not rest, it has not come to be in the paradise of God, it does not rest in Abraham's bosom. And according to you who say such things, it is not better to depart and to be with Christ; for he is not with Christ at the moment of departing, if the soul is blood. If the soul lies in the tombs, how can it be with Christ?
But according to me and the word of God, the soul that has departed from the labors, that has departed from the sweats, that has been released from the body, that can say, Now you release your servant, Master, in peace, goes out in peace and rests with Christ. So Abraham's soul heard: And you shall go to your fathers in peace, nourished in a good old age. He goes away to the fathers. Which fathers? About whom Paul says: For this reason I bend my knees to the Father, from whom every family (Luke 16:22) (Luke 2:29) (Genesis 15:15) (Luke 23:43).
Greek · §23
καὶ ἡ δύναμις ἡ ζωτικὴ τῆς ψυχῆς. Εἰ νενόηται ἡ ψυχή, καὶ νενόηται κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, καὶ νενόηται ὅτι ἐν ἐκείνῃ ἐστὶν τὸ «κατ' εἰκόνα», δῆλον ὅτι καλῶς ὁ Παῦλος λέγει· «Κάλλιον γὰρ ἀναλῦσαι καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι.». Πρὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως σὺν Χριστῷ ἐστιν ὁ δίκαιος καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ψυχῇ ζῇ μετὰ Χριστοῦ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο «κάλλιον γὰρ ἀναλῦσαι καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι».
Κατὰ δὲ ὑμᾶς τοὺς λέγοντας ὅτι ἡ ψυχὴ κεῖται ἐν τῷ μνημείῳ μετὰ τοῦ σώματος, οὐκ ἐξῆλθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος, οὐκ ἀναπαύεται, οὐ γέγονεν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐκ ἀναπαύεται ἐν κόλποις Ἀβραάμ· κατὰ δὲ ὑμᾶς τοὺς τὰ τοσαῦτα λέγοντας οὐ «κάλλιον ἀναλῦσαι καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι»· οὐ γὰρ σὺν Χριστῷ ἐστιν ἅμα τῷ ἀναλῦσαι, εἰ ἡ ψυχὴ αἷμα.
Εἰ ἡ ψυχὴ κεῖται ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις, πῶς δύναται «εἶναι σὺν Χριστῷ»; Κατὰ δὲ ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἡ ἀναλύσασα ἀπὸ τῶν καμάτων, ἡ ἀναλύσασα ἀπὸ τῶν ἱδρώτων ψυχή, ἡ ἀπολυθεῖσα τοῦ σώματος, ἡ δυναμένη λέγειν «Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα, μετ' εἰρήνης», ἐξέρχεται ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ μετὰ Χριστοῦ ἀναπαύεται. Οὕτως ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἤκουσεν· «Σὺ δὲ ἀπελεύσει πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας σου μετ' εἰρήνης τραφεὶς ἐν γήρει καλῷ.». Ἀπέρχεται πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας. Ποίους
Ready for death; Demetrius on immortality§24
24Origen went on: He goes away to the fathers. Which fathers? About whom Paul says: For this reason I bend my knees to the Father, from whom every family. Thus according to us Aaron was released. For it is also written in Ecclesiastes about the righteous man who has contested well, who has gone out from the bodily bond, that He shall come out of the house of prisoners to reign.
Thus I am persuaded to die for the truth; thus I despise the so-called death, ready; thus — bring beasts, bring crosses, bring fire, bring tortures. I know that at the moment of being released I go out of the body; I rest with Christ. For this reason let us contest, for this reason let us wrestle, let us groan being in the body — not as about to be in the tombs again at once, in the body, but as about to be released, and as changing the body toward the more spiritual. And being about to depart and be with Christ, how do we groan, we who are in the body?
When bishop Philip had entered, Demetrius, another bishop, said: Brother Origen teaches that the soul is immortal.
Origen said: Bishop Demetrius's word has given us the beginning of another problem. He said we had said that the soul is immortal. To this word I will say that the soul is both immortal and the soul is not immortal (Ephesians 3:14–15) (Ecclesiastes 4:14) (Romans 8:23) (Philippians 1:23) (Numbers 20:26–28) (2 Corinthians 5:4) (1 Corinthians 15:44).
Greek · §24
πατέρας; Περὶ ὧν λέγει ὁ Παῦλος· «Τούτου χάριν κάμπτω μου τὰ γόνατα πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα ἐξ οὗ πᾶσα πατριά.». Οὕτω καθ' ἡμᾶς «ἀπελύθη Ἀαρών»· καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Ἐκκλησιαστῇ γέγραπται περὶ τοῦ δικαίου τοῦ καλῶς ἀγωνισαμένου, τοῦ ἐξελθόντος ἀπὸ τοῦ σωματικοῦ δεσμοῦ ὅτι «Ἐξ οἴκου τῶν δεσμίων ἐξελεύσεται τοῦ βασιλεῦσαι». Οὕτω πείθομαι ἀποθνῄσκειν ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας, οὕτως ἑτοίμου τοῦ λεγομένου θανάτου καταφρονῶ, οὕτως φέρε θηρία, φέρε σταυρούς, φέρε πῦρ, φέρε βασάνους.
Οἶδα ὅτι ἅμα τῷ ἀπαλλαγῆναι ἐξέρχομαι τοῦ σώματος, μετὰ Χριστοῦ ἀναπαύομαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀγωνισώμεθα, διὰ τοῦτο παλαίσωμεν, στενάζωμεν ὄντες ἐν τῷ σώματι, οὐχ ὡς πάλιν ἐσόμενοι ἄρτι ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις ἐν τῷ σώματι, ἀλλ' ἀπολυθησόμενοι μέν, μεταβαλοῦντες δὲ τὸ σῶμα ἐπὶ τὸ πνευματικώτερον· ἀναλύσοντες δὲ καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ ἐσόμενοι, πῶς στενάζομεν οἱ ὄντες ἐν τῷ σώματι;»
Εἰσελθόντος Φιλίππου ἐπισκόπου,
∆ημήτριος, ἄλλος ἐπίσκοπος, εἶπεν· «∆ιδάσκει ὁ ἀδελφὸς Ὠριγένης ὅτι ἡ ψυχὴ ἀθάνατός ἐστιν.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Ὁ λόγος τοῦ πάπα ∆ημητρίου ἄλλου προβλήματος δέδωκεν ἡμῖν ἀρχήν. Ἔφασκεν ἡμᾶς εἰρηκέναι ὅτι ἀθάνατος ἡ ψυχή. Πρὸς τοῦτον τὸν
Three deaths; immortal and not immortal§25
25Origen said: To this word I will say that the soul is both immortal and the soul is not immortal. Let us first distinguish the name of death and how many things are signified from the utterance 'death.' I will try to set out how many things are signified, not according to the Greeks, but how many are signified according to the divine scripture. Perhaps someone wiser than I will also set out other significations; I, at any rate, for the present know three deaths. What are these three deaths?
Someone lives to God and has died to sin, according to the apostle. This death is blessed: someone dies to sin. This death my Lord died. For that which he died, he died to sin.
I know another death as well, according to which someone dies to God, about which it is said: The soul that sins, it shall die.
I know also a third death, according to which we commonly think those released from the body have died. For Adam lived thirty and nine hundred years, and he died.
There being, then, three deaths, let us see whether the human soul is immortal according to the three deaths, or not according to the three deaths, but immortal according to some of them. According to the middle death we all die, which we take to be dissolution. This death no human soul dies. For if it died, it would not be punished after death (Romans 6:10–11) (Romans 6:2) (Ezekiel 18:4) (Ezekiel 18:20) (Genesis 5:5).
Greek · §25
λόγον ἐρῶ ὅτι καὶ ἀθάνατος ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ οὐκ ἀθάνατος ἡ ψυχή. Τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θανάτου πρῶτον διαστείλωμεν καὶ ὅσα σημαίνεται ἐκ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου φωνῆς. Παραστῆσαι πειράσομαι ὅσα σημαίνεται οὐ καθ' Ἕλληνας, ἀλλ' ὅσα σημαίνεται κατὰ τὴν θείαν γραφήν. Ἴσως μέν μου σοφώτερος καὶ ἄλλα σημαινόμενα παραστήσει· ἐγὼ μέντοι γε ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος οἶδα τρεῖς θανάτους. Ποίους τούτους τρεῖς θανάτους; «Ζῇ» τις «τῷ Θεῷ» καὶ «ἀπέθανεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ» κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον. Οὗτος μακάριος ὁ θάνατος· ἀποθνῄσκει τις τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ· τοῦτον τὸν θάνατον ὁ Κύριός μου ἀπέθανεν.
«Ὃ γὰρ ἀπέθανεν, τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀπέθανεν.». Οἶδα καὶ ἄλλον θάνατον καθ' ὃν ἀποθνῄσκει τις τῷ Θεῷ, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται· «Ψυχὴ ἡ ἁμαρτάνουσα αὐτὴ ἀποθανεῖται.». Οἶδα καὶ τρίτον θάνατον καθ' ὃν κοινῶς νομίζομεν τοὺς ἀπαλλαγέντας τοῦ σώματος ἀποτεθνάναι· «ἔζησεν» γὰρ Ἀδὰμ «ἔτη τριάκοντα καὶ ἐνακόσια, καὶ ἀπέθανεν». Τριῶν τοίνυν ὄντων θανάτων, ἴδωμεν ἡ ψυχὴ ἀνθρωπίνη πότερόν ἐστιν κατὰ τοὺς τρεῖς θανάτους ἀθάνατος, ἢ οὐ κατὰ τοὺς τρεῖς θανάτους, ἀλλὰ κατά τινας τούτων ἀθάνατος.
Κατὰ τὸν μέσον θάνατον πάντες ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνῄσκομεν· ὃν διάλυσιν νομίζομεν εἶναι. <Τοῦτον> τὸν θάνατον οὐδεμία ψυχὴ ἀνθρώπου ἀποθνῄσκει
They will seek death; Balaam; perhaps not always mortal§26
26Origen went on: This death no human soul dies. For if it died, it would not be punished after death. Human beings, he says, will seek death and will not find it. For the souls being punished will seek death; they will want rather not to be than to be and be punished. For this reason human beings will seek death and will not find it. According to this signification every human soul is immortal.
But according to the remaining significations, according to the one the soul is mortal, and blessed if it dies to sin. About this death Balaam, prophesying, spoke, praying in a divine spirit: May my soul die in the souls of the righteous. About this death Balaam prophesied in a strange way, and he prayed the finest things for himself in the word of God. For he prayed to die to sin in order to live to God. And for this reason he said: May my soul die in the souls of the righteous, and may my seed be as the seed of these.
And there is another death, according to which we are not immortal, but we are able, from keeping watch, not to die. And perhaps the mortal of the soul is not always mortal. For so long as it admits of sinning such a sin that it becomes the soul that sins, it shall die, the soul is mortal of the real death. But if it comes to be in firmness of blessedness so as to be incapable of death, the one that has the eternal life is no longer mortal, but has become immortal according to this signification too (Revelation 9:6) (Numbers 23:10) (Romans 6:11) (Ezekiel 18:4).
Greek · §26
ἀποθνῄσκει· εἰ γὰρ ἀπέθνῃσκεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκολάζετο μετὰ τὸν θάνατον. «Ζητήσουσιν, φησίν, οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὸν θάνατον καὶ οὐχ εὑρήσουσιν αὐτόν.». Αἱ γὰρ κολαζόμεναι ψυχαὶ ζητήσουσιν τὸν θάνατον, θελήσουσιν μᾶλλον εἰ μὴ ἔσονται ἤπερ ἵνα ὦσιν μέν, κολάζωνται δέ· διὰ τοῦτο «ζητήσουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὸν θάνατον καὶ οὐ μὴ εὑρήσουσιν αὐτόν». Κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ σημαινόμενον πᾶσα ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη ἀθάνατος. Κατὰ δὲ τὰ λοιπὰ τὰ σημαινόμενα, κατὰ μὲν τὸ ἕτερον θνητὴ ψυχή, καὶ μακαρία ἐὰν ἀποθάνῃ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ.
Περὶ τούτου τοῦ θανάτου Βαλαὰμ προφητεύων ἔλεγεν εὐχόμενος ἐν πνεύματι θείῳ· «Ἀποθάνοι ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν ψυχαῖς δικαίων.». Περὶ τούτου τοῦ θανάτου παραδόξως ἐπροφήτευσεν ὁ Βαλαάμ, καὶ ἑαυτῷ ἐν λόγῳ Θεοῦ τὰ κάλλιστα ηὔχετο· ηὔχετο γὰρ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀποθανεῖν ἵνα ζήσῃ τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν· «Ἀποθάνοι ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν ψυχαῖς δικαίων, καὶ γένοιτο τὸ σπέρμα μου ὡς τὸ σπέρμα τούτων.». Ἄλλος δὲ θάνατος ἔστιν, καθ' ὃν οὐκ ἐσμὲν μὲν ἀθάνατοι, δυνάμεθα δὲ ἐκ τοῦ φυλάττεσθαι μὴ ἀποθανεῖν.
Καὶ τάχα τὸ θνητὸν τῆς ψυχῆς οὐκ ἀεί ἐστιν θνητόν· ὅσον μὲν γὰρ ἐπιδέχεται τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν τοιαύτην ἁμαρτίαν ὥστε γενέσθαι «ψυχὴ ἡ ἁμαρτάνουσα αὐτὴ ἀποθανεῖται», θνητὴ τοῦ ὄντως θανάτου ἐστὶν ἡ ψυχή· ἐὰν δὲ γένηται
He who alone has immortality; life set before us§27
27Origen went on: But if the soul comes to be in firmness of blessedness so as to be incapable of death, the one that has the eternal life is no longer mortal, but has become immortal according to this signification too.
How has it been said by the apostle, He who alone has immortality, of God? I am searching in order to find that Christ Jesus died for all apart from God. You have how God alone has immortality.
Let us take up the eternal life, then; let us take it up from what is in our power. God does not give it to us, but sets it before us: See, I have given life before your face. It is in our power to stretch out the hand, to act with good deeds, and to take the life and store it in the soul.
This life is Christ, who said, I am the life. This life which now is present to the righteous in a shadow, but then face to face. For the spirit before our face is Christ the Lord, of whom we said: In his shadow we shall live among the nations. If your shadow of the life grants such goods — such as Moses had when prophesying, such as Isaiah had when seeing the Lord Sabaoth sitting on a throne high and lifted up, such as Jeremiah had when hearing, Before I formed you in the belly I know you, and before I formed you in the belly I know you, and before you came out of the womb I consecrated you — such as Ezekiel had when seeing the cherubim, seeing the wheels, the unspeakable mysteries — how shall we live when we no longer live under the shadow of the life, but come to be in the life itself (1 Timothy 6:16) (Hebrews 2:9) (Deuteronomy 30:15) (Deuteronomy 30:19) (John 14:6) (1 Corinthians 13:12) (Lamentations 4:20) (Isaiah 6:1) (Jeremiah 1:5) (John 11:25)?
Greek · §27
ἐν βεβαιώσει τῆς μακαριότητος ὥστε ἀνεπίδεκτος εἶναι τοῦ θανάτου, ἡ δὲ ἔχουσα τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν οὐκέτι ἐστὶν θνητή, ἀλλὰ γέγονεν καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ σημαινόμενον ἀθάνατος. Πῶς εἴρηται παρὰ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ «Ὁ μόνος ἔχων ἀθανασίαν» ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ; Ζητῶ ἵν' εὕρω ὅτι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς «ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν χωρὶς Θεοῦ». Ἔχεις ὅπως μόνος ὁ Θεὸς ἔχει τὴν ἀθανασίαν. Ἀναλαμβάνωμεν οὖν τὴν αἰώνιον ζωήν· ἀναλαμβάνωμεν ἐκ τοῦ ἐφ' ἡμῖν. Οὐ δίδωσιν αὐτὴν ἡμῖν ὁ Θεός, ἀλλὰ παρατίθησιν· «Ἰδοὺ δέδωκα πρὸ προσώπου σου τὴν ζωήν.».
Ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἐκτεῖναι τὴν χεῖρα, πρᾶξαι πράξεσιν ἀγαθαῖς καὶ λαβεῖν τὴν ζωὴν καὶ ἐναποθέσθαι τῇ ψυχῇ. Αὕτη ἡ ζωὴ Χριστός ἐστιν εἰπών· «Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ζωή», αὕτη ἡ ζωὴ ἣ νῦν μὲν δικαίοις πάρεστιν ἐν σκιᾷ, «τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον»· «Πνεῦμα» γὰρ «πρὸ προσώπου ἡμῶν Χριστὸς [Κύριος] οὗ εἴπωμεν· Ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ αὐτοῦ ζησόμεθα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν».
Εἰ τοσαῦτα ἀγαθὰ παρέχει ἡ σκιά σου τῆς ζωῆς, οἵαν εἶχεν Μωϋσῆς προφητεύων, ὁποίαν εἶχεν Ἡσαΐας βλέπων «τὸν Κύριον Σαβαὼθ καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπηρμένου», ὁποίαν εἶχεν Ἱερεμίας ἀκούων «Πρὸ τοῦ με πλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ, ἐπίσταμαί σε, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ με πλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ, ἐπίσταμαί σε, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ
From the shadow into the life§28
28Origen went on from Jeremiah's call: Before I formed you in the belly I know you, and before you came out of the womb I consecrated you — such as Ezekiel had when seeing the cherubim, seeing the wheels, the unspeakable mysteries — how shall we live when we no longer live under the shadow of the life, but come to be in the life itself?
For now our life is hidden with Christ; but when Christ, our life, is manifested, then we too will be manifested with him in glory. Let us hasten toward this life, groaning, grieving that we are in the tent, that we are at home in the body. So long as we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord. Let us long to be away from the body and at home with the Lord, so that being at home with him we may become one toward the God of all, and [perhaps: behold] his only-begotten Son, being saved in all things and becoming blessed, in Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power unto the ages of the ages (Jeremiah 1:5) (Ezekiel 1:15–21) (Colossians 3:3–4) (2 Corinthians 5:4) (2 Corinthians 5:6–8) (Ezekiel 10:1–22) (1 Peter 4:11) (Jude 1:25).
Greek · §28
σε ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ μήτρας, ἡγίακά σε», ὁποίαν εἶχεν Ἰεζεκιὴλ βλέπων τὰ Χερουβίμ, βλέπων τοὺς τροχούς, τὰ ἀπόρρητα μυστήρια, πῶς ζησόμεθα, ὅταν μηκέτι ὑπὸ τὴν σκιὰν ζῶμεν τῆς ζωῆς, ἀλλὰ γενώμεθα ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ζωῇ. Νῦν γὰρ «ἡ ζωὴ» ἡμῶν «κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ· ὅταν δὲ Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν, τότε καὶ» ἡμεῖς «σὺν αὐτῷ» φανερωθησόμεθα «ἐν δόξῃ». Ἐπὶ ταύτην τὴν ζωὴν σπεύσωμεν, στενάζοντες, λυπούμενοι ὅτι ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ σκηνώματι, ὅτι ἐνδημοῦμεν ἐν τῷ σώματι. Ὅσον «ἐνδημοῦμεν ἐν τῷ σώματι, ἐκδημοῦμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου».
Ἐπιποθήσωμεν «ἐκδημῆσαι ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος καὶ ἐνδημῆσαι πρὸς τὸν [Κύριον]», ἵν' ἐνδημοῦντες αὐτῷ γενώμεθα ἓν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τῶν ὅλων [καὶ] τὸν μονογενῆ αὐτοῦ Υἱὸν [ὁρῶμεν] πρὸς πάντα σωζόμενοι καὶ μακάριοι γινόμενοι, ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.