Unit 4 rem close
then we will fall into numbness, crowding our conscience about the sins, and we will hand ourselves over, not resisting even a little the fleshly desires, to licentiousness for the working of every uncleanness, along with defrauding those whose marriages we adulterate.
And if we want to understand “who having become past feeling gave themselves up to licentiousness,” let us compare those with a bad conscience, tormented by knowing something base in themselves, with those who with all license multiply their falls. The former have not yet become past feeling, but still feel pain; therefore it is possible, if they meet rational help, for them to be healed so as to live the time ahead blamelessly. The latter no longer feel pain when they sin; therefore, not resisting even a little and not practicing self-control, they gave themselves up to licentiousness for the work of every uncleanness in greed.
Yet into all these there is danger of falling for everyone who is in the mind’s vanity and darkened in understanding; hence we must care for our mind and understanding, that the understanding may be enlightened, the darkness being loosed by the true light—which is the Word of God—and the mind, turned back from affection for vain things, may be led toward God through the word of Wisdom.
If indeed through ignorance and hardness of heart those alienated from God’s life are alienated from it by their mind having come into vanity and their understanding into darkness, they are alienated from that life not by nature but from causes arising from us out of what is in our power.
And I think uncleanness in greed is adultery; for elsewhere he says this in the first to the Thessalonians, in which: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in holiness and honor, not in passion of desire like the nations that do not know God; that no one transgress and defraud his brother in the matter, because the Lord is an avenger concerning all these things, as we also foretold you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness but in holiness and honor. Therefore the one who rejects does not reject a human but God, who gives his Holy Spirit into you.”
And observe that, urging us toward purity, he says one defrauds his brother in the matter if someone takes a brother’s wife; yet the Lord is an avenger concerning all these who have been defrauded, whether brothers or also unbelievers.
Eph. 4:20–22: “But you did not so learn Christ, if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, that you put off, according to the former way of life, the old man who is being corrupted according to the desires of deceit.” Origen says: to learn Christ is the same as to learn virtue, and to hear him does not differ from understanding the word of the recorded conceptions of the Son of God. So if someone has learned Christ and heard him, since he learned him as Wisdom and heard him as God’s Word, receiving what he learned and heard, he will not walk in the vanity of his mind, nor be darkened in understanding, nor alienated from God’s life.
Let us therefore learn Christ and hear him; yet one must not despair also of being taught by a divine power that subjects to our purified mind a perfect and true word about Christ, as truth is in Jesus. He taught what learning Christ and hearing and being taught is by saying “as truth is in Jesus”; for the prototype substance of the truth is in Jesus alone, who says, “I am the truth.”
And “that you put off according to the former way of life the old man,” being disconnected, see whether we can restore it thus: but you did not so learn Christ, if indeed you heard him and were taught in him to put off according to the former way of life the old man being corrupted according to the desires of deceit, as truth is in Jesus—so that the sense is: as truth is in Jesus, so it will also be in you who have learned Christ and heard him and been taught in him, having put off according to the former way of life the old man being corrupted according to the desires of deceit. And the old man whom one must already put off is the one made old by the
Greek
ἐπιτρέποντα–τότε εἰς ἀναισθησίαν ἐμπεσούμεθα, συνωθοῦντες ἡμῶν τὸ συνειδὸς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτανομένοις, καὶ παραδώσομεν ἑαυτούς, οὐδὲ κατά ποσον ἀνθιστάμενοι ταῖ αρκικαῖ ἐπιθυμίαι , τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας ἁπάσης, μετὰ τοῦ πλεονεκτεῖν ἐκείνους δέ, ὧν τοὺς γάμους νοθεύομεν. εἰ δὲ θέλομεν νοῆσαι τὸ οἵτινες ἀπηλγηκότες ἑαυτοὺς παρέδωκαν τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ, συγκρίν<ω>μεν τοὺς δυσσυνειδητοῦντας καὶ βασανιζομένους ἐπὶ τῷ συνεγνωκέναι τι ἑαυτοῖς φαῦλον τοῖς μετὰ πάσης ἀδείας πολλαπλασίονα πταίουσιν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ οὐδέπω ἀπηλγήκασιν, ἀλλ' ἔτι ἀλγοῦσιν· διόπερ δυνατόν ἐστιν τυχόντας αὐτοὺς βοηθείας λογικῆς θεραπευθῆναι, ὥστε τὸν ἑξῆς βιῶσαι ἀνεπιλήπτως χρόνον. οἱ δὲ οὐκέτι ἀλγοῦσιν ἁμαρτάνοντες· διόπερ μηδὲ ἐπί ποσον ἀντιτείνοντες μηδὲ ἐγκρατευόμενοι ἑαυτοὺς παρέδωκαν τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ εἰς ἔργον ἀκαθαρσίας πάσης ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ. πλὴν εἰς ταῦτα πάντα κίνδυνος ἐμπεσεῖν παντὶ τῷ ἐν ματαιότητι τοῦ νοὸς τυγχάνοντι καὶ ἐσκοτισμένῳ τῇ διανοίᾳ· ὅθεν τοῦ νοῦ καὶ τῆς διανοίας ἡμῖν ἐπιμελητέον, ἵνα ἡ μὲν διάνοια ᾖ πεφωτισμένη, λυομένου τοῦ σκότους ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ φωτό , ὅπερ ἐστὶν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, ὁ δὲ νοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς περὶ τὰ μάταια προσπαθείας ἀνατρεπόμενος προάγοιτο τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ λόγου τῆς οφία . εἰ μέντοιγε διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν καὶ π<ώ>ρωσιν τῆς καρδίας ἀπαλλοτριοῦνται τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ οἱ ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι αὐτῆς, τῷ ἐν ματαιότητι γεγονέναι αὐτῶν τὸν νοῦν καὶ ἐν σκοτισμῷ τὴν διάνοιαν, οὐκ ἐκ φύσεως ἀλλ' ἐξ αἰτιῶν τῶν παρ' ἡμῶν γινομένων ἐκ τοῦ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἀλλοτριοῦνται τῆς ζωῆς ἐκεῖνοι οἱ ἀλλοτριού μενοι αὐτῆς. ἀκαθαρσίαν δὲ ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ τὴν μοιχείαν οἴομαι εἶναι· ἀλλαχοῦ γὰρ τοῦτό φησιν ἐν τῇ πρὸς Θεσσαλονικεῖς προτέρᾳ, ἐν ᾗ ταῦτα· τοῦτο γάρ ἐ τι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀπέχε θαι ὑμᾶ ἀπὸ τῆ πορνεία · εἰδέναι ἕκα τον ὑμῶν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ κεῦο κτᾶ θαι ἐν ἁγια μῷ καὶ τιμῇ, μὴ ἐν πάθει ἐπιθυμία καθάπερ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ εἰδότα τὸν Θεόν, τὸ μὴ ὑπερβαίνειν καὶ πλεονεκτεῖν ἐν τῷ πράγματι τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, διότι ἔκδικο ὁ Κύριο περὶ πάντων τούτων, καθὼ προείπομεν ὑμῖν καὶ διεμαρτυράμεθα· οὐ γὰρ ἐκάλε εν ἡμᾶ ὁ Θεὸ ἐπὶ ἀκαθαρ ίᾳ ἀλλ' ἐν ἁγια μῷ καὶ τιμῇ. τοιγαροῦν ὁ ἀθετῶν οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ἀθετεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸν Θεὸν τὸν διδόντα τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ τὸ ἅγιον εἰ ὑμᾶ . παρατήρει δὲ ὅτι προτρεπόμενος ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγνείαν ἡμᾶς πλεονεκτεῖν ἐν τῷ πράγματι τὸν ἀδελφόν φησιν εἴ τις τὴν ἀδελφοῦ λαμβάνοι γυναῖκα· πλὴν ἔκδικο Κύριο περὶ πάντων τούτων τῶν πεπλεονεκτημένων, εἴτε ἀδελφῶν εἴτε καὶ ἀπίστων. 19 Eph. iv20–22 [ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστόν, εἴγε αὐτὸν ἠκούσατε καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐδιδάχθητε, καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης.] [Ὠριγένης φησίν] τὸ μαθεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν ταὐτόν ἐστι τῷ μαθεῖν τὴν ἀρετήν, καὶ τὸ ἀκοῦσαι αὐτὸν οὐ διαφέρει τοῦ συνιέναι τὸν λόγον τῶν ἀναγεγραμμένων ἐπινοιῶν τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. εἴ τις οὖν ἔμαθε τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ ἤκουσεν αὐτόν, ἐπεὶ ἔμαθεν αὐτὸν ὄντα Σοφίαν καὶ ἤκουσεν αὐτὸν ὡς Θεοῦ Λόγον, παραδεξάμενος ἃ μεμάθηκε καὶ ἤκουσεν, οὐ περιπατήσει ἐν τῇ ματαιότητι τοῦ νοὸς αὐτοῦ, οὐδ' ἔσται τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐσκοτισμένος, οὐδὲ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπηλλοτριωμένος. μάθωμεν τοίνυν τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ ἀκούσωμεν αὐτόν· οὐκ ἀπογνωστέον μέντοιγε καὶ τὸ διδαχθῆναι θείᾳ δυνάμει ὑποβαλλούσῃ τῷ νῷ ἡμῶν κεκαθαρμέν<ῳ> λόγον τὸν περὶ Χριστοῦ τέλειον καὶ ἀληθινόν, καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ. ἐδίδαξε τί τὸ μαθεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ ἀκοῦσαι καὶ διδαχθῆναι, εἰπὼν καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ· ἡ γὰρ τῆς ἀληθείας πρωτότυπος οὐσία ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ μόνῳ λέγοντι ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀλήθεια. τὸ δὲ ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀσυνάρτητον ὄν, ὅρα εἰ δυνάμεθα οὕτως ἀποκαταστῆσαι· ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστόν, εἴγε αὐτὸν ἠκούσατε καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐδιδάχθητε ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης, καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ· ἵνα ὁ νοῦς ᾖ, ὅτι ὥς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ, οὕτως ἔσται καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν μαθοῦσι τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ αὐτὸν ἀκούσασι καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ διδαχθεῖσιν, ἀποθεμένοις τε κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης. παλαιὸν δὲ ἄνθρωπον ὃν δεῖ ἤδη ἀποθέσθαι τὸν πεπαλαιωμένον ὑπὸ τῆς
About this text
Origen of Alexandria, Fragmenta ex commentariis in epistulam ad Ephesios (Greek).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 14 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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