Not denying — to Ambrose and Protoctetus
And not only toward not denying does this profit, Ambrose — priest bearing Christ's cross, with Protoctetus — but toward filling up what lacks of Christ's afflictions in the flesh, for his body the church. For as the cherubim with flaming sword guarding Paradise's road are passed by none unworthy, but admit the worthy through confession's fire — the denial-wood burning away — so, treading the serpent under feet, given authority 'to tread on serpents and scorpions,' (Colossians 1:24) the martyr enters Paradise, whence Adam fell, and finds the tree of life (Genesis 3:24) (Luke 10:19).
Greek
ν ἐλεγχϑέντων ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ τοῖ πειρασμοῦ xal ἀρνησαμένων, οὗς ὡς ἀδοκίμους ἀρνεῖται ἔμπροσϑεν
10 τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς πατρὸς καὶ ,ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων τοῦ ϑεοῦ"“ 6 τὸν ἄξιον ἀρνήσεως ἀρνούμενος;
XXXVI. Kal οὐ μόνον γε πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀρνήσασϑαι ἀγωνιστέον ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὸ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν αἰσχυνϑῆναι νομιζόμενον παρὰ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις ϑεοῦ αἰσχύνης | ἄξια πάσχειν" καὶ μάλιστα εἰ δοξασϑ εὶς καὶ 298
15 ἀποδεχϑεὶς ὑπὸ πλείστων ἔσων πόλεων νῦν εἡσπερεὶ πομπεύεις αἴρων τὸν σταυρὸν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἱερὲ ᾿Αμβρόσιε, καὶ ἀχολουϑῶν αὐτῷ προσά- γοντί σε ἐπὶ ἡγεμόνας καὶ βασιλεῖς, ἵνα αὐτός σοι συμπορευϑεὶς αὐτός ὅσοι καὶ δῷ στόμα καὶ σοφίαν καὶ σοὶ τῷ συναγωνιστῇ αὐτοῦ, Πρω- τόχτητε, καὶ συμμαρτυροῦσιν ὑμῖν τοῖς ἀναπληροῦσι »τὰ ὑστερήματα“
:20 τῶν παϑημάτων »τοῦ Χριστοῦ“, (καὶ) σὺν ὑμῖν γένηται ἐπὶ τὸν παρά- δειδον τοῦ ϑεοῦ ὑποδεικνὺς, πῶς ἂν διοδεύσητέ τε »τὰ χερουβὶμ χαὶ τὴν φλογίνην ῥομφαίαν, τὴν στρεφομένην καὶ φυλάσσουσαν τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς". ταῦτα γὰρ ἀμφότερα εἰ xal φυλάσσει »τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς“, φυλάσσει, ἵνα μηδεὶς ἀνάξιος ἐπειτραπῇ
25 αὐτὴν διελϑὼν ἐλϑεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς. ἡ μὲν γὰρ φλογίνη ῥομφαία καϑέξει τοὺς ἐποιχοδομήσαντας τῷ κειμένῳ ϑεμελίῳ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ ,Ξξύλα ἢ χόρτον ἢ καλάμην“ χαὶ τὸ εὐχκαυστότατον καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖον καιόμενον ξύλον τῆς, ἵν οὕτως ὀνομάσω, ἀρνήσεως᾽ τὰ δὲ
χερουβὶμ τοὺς οὐ πεφυχότας χρατεῖσϑαι ὑπὸ τῆς φλογίνης δομφαίας τῷ μηδὲν συγγενὲς αὐτῇ φῳκοδομηχέναι παραλαβόντα παραπέμψει ἐπὶ „ro τῆς ζωῆς ξύλον" καὶ πάντα ἃ »ἐφύτευσεν ὃ ϑεὸς" ἐν ταῖς ἀνα- τολαῖς καὶ ,ἐξαμέτεελεν" „ex τῆς γῆς". Ἰησοῦ δὲ συνοδεύοντος ὑμῖν ἐπὶ ὅ τὸν παράδεισον καταφρονήσατε τοῦ ἔφεως νενικημένου καὶ συντρι- βέντος ὑπὸ τοὺς Ἰησοῦ πόδας καὶ δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑπὸ τοὺς ὑμετέρους, δεδωκότος οὑμῖν ἐξουσίαν πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σχορπίων καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν
About this text
Written for Ambrose and Protoctetus. Open the Greek under each section.
English follows Paul Koetschau, Origenes Werke I (GCS, 1899). The Archive OCR of that same print was checked. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Koetschau, Origenes Werke I (GCS 2, 1899) (Greek · Exhortation to Martyrdom)
- Checked print Archive.org OCR of GCS 2 (Greek · Same print)
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.