Martyrdom as a second baptism
We must expect impiety's prophet too — perhaps not one but more — speaking to us as the Lord's 'word' what the Lord 'commanded not,' or a wisdom-word foreign to wisdom, to kill us with his mouth's word. But even then, when the sinner stands against us, let us say: 'But I as one deaf heard not, and as one dumb who opens not his mouth. And I became as a man who hears not.' (Psalm 38:14–15 (LXX 37)) For deafness toward impious words is fair, when we despair of correcting those who say the worse (Psalm 38:14–15).
Greek
τὸν ϑεόν σου προσκυνήσεις καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις." γενητὸς εἰμι κἀγώ“ τί βούλει προσχυνεῖν τὸν προσκυμοῦντα; κἀγὼ γὰρ τῷ ϑεῷ καὶ πατρὶ προσχυνῶ καὶ λατρείω xal αὐτοῦ πειϑόμενος τοῖς ἐπιτάγμασι „Ti ματαιότητι" ὑποτέταγμαι „ba τὸν ὑποτάξαντα ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι" καὶ ἐλευϑερωϑήσομαι ,ἀπὸ τῆς δου- λείας τῆς φϑορᾶς“" νῦν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐνδεδεμένος φϑαρτῷ σώματι, εἰς τὴν ἐλευϑερίαν τῆς δόξης τῶν τέχνων τοῦ ϑεοῦ."
VIN. Ἔστε προσδοκῆσαι καὶ τῆς ἀσεβείας τα ἃ προφήτην τάχα οὐχ ἕνα ἀλλὰ πλείονας λαλήσοντας ἡμῖν ὡς κυρίου ,ῥῆμα, ὃ οὐ προσέ- ταξε" κύριος, ἢ αἷς σοφίας λόγον τὸν ἀλλότριον τῆς σοφίας, ἵν᾿ ἡμᾶς ἀποκτείνῃ τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ. ἀλλ᾽ ἡμεῖς καὶ τότε ἐν τῷ συστῆναι τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐναντίον ἡμῶν εἴπωμεν" «ἐγὼ δὲ ασεὶ κωφὸς οὐκ ἤκουον καὶ ὡσεὶ ἄλαλος οὐκ ἀνοίγων τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ" καὶ ἐγε- νόμην ὡσεὶ ἄνϑρωπος οὐκ ἀκούων“. καλὴ γὰρ ἡ πρὸς τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς λόγους κώφωσις, ἐπὰν ἀπογινώσκωμεν τὴν τῶν τὰ χείρονα λεγόντων ἐπανόρϑοσιν.
ΙΧ. Χρήσιμον δὲ ἡμᾶς ἐννοεῖν ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς τῶν ἐπὶ τὰ ἐναντία προκαλουμένων, τί διδάξαι βουλόμενος ὁ ϑεός φησι τό" ,ἐγώ εἰμε κύριος ὁ ϑεός σου ζηλωτής.“ καὶ οἶμαί γε ὅτι ὃν τρόπον νυμφίος ἐπι- στρέφων τὴν νύμφην πρὸς τὸ σεμνῶς βιοῦν συνάγουσαν μὲν πᾶσαν ἕαυ- τὴν πρὸς τὸν νυμφίον παντὶ δὲ τρόπῳ φυλαττομένην ἐκχεῖσϑαι πρὸς
Cels. V 11 a. E. — Mark. 10,18. Luk. 18, 19. (Matth. 19, 17). — 8 Matth. 4,10.
About this text
Written to imprisoned friends: why martyrdom is the highest prayer, and how not to fear it.
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.