Feeding the enemy; antichrist as false head
—and the appetite for contemplation seems to be hunger and thirst, as things that work health in the soul. If the enemy ever feels that hunger or thirst after repenting of his sins, the holy person must give him the holy bread when he hungers—unless he is a dog or pig unworthy of holy things.
There are many ways to feed a hungry enemy: sometimes by a teaching word, sometimes by prayer for him. And since the head of every man is Christ, the enemy—as not a 'man' because of impiety—has the antichrist as head. That head must be consumed as opposed to the Word of God by the coals of rational fire, whenever the impious one whose head is the antichrist, hungering, eats—
Greek
καὶ θεωρίαν ὄρεξις δοκεῖ πείνη εἶναι καὶ δίψαὡσ ὑγείας ἐμποιητικὰ ψυxiκῆς, ἐὰν τοιαύτην ποτὲ πείνην ἢ δίψαν ὁ ἐχθρὸς διψήσῃ μετὰ τὸ μετανοῆσαι ἐφ' οἷς ἥμαρτεν, δεῖ αὐτῷ τὸν ἅγιον ἄρτον πεινῶντι διδόναι, ἐὰν μὴ ἐστὶ κύων ἢ χοῖρο ἀνάξιος τῶν ἁγίων· πολλαχῶς δὲ ἔστι πεινῶντα θρέψαι τὸν ἐχθρὸν ποτὲ <μὲν> λόγῳ διδασκαλικῷ ποτὲ <δὲ> εὐχῇ τῇ περὶ αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐπειδὴ παντὸ ἀνδρὸ κεφαλὴ ὁ Χρι τό , οὐκοῦν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, ὡς μὴ ὄντος ἀνδρὸς διὰ τὸ ἀσεβές, κεφαλὴ ὁ ἀντίχριστος, ὃν χρὴ ἐξαφανίζεσθαι ὡς ἐναντίον τῷ θεῷ λόγῳ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθράκων τοῦ λογικοῦ πυρός, ὅταν ἀσεβὴς ὁ ἔχων κεφαλὴν τὸν ἀντίχριστον πεινή<σας φάγ>ῃ
About this text
Origen of Alexandria, Commentarii in epistulam ad Romanos (catena Greek) (Greek).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 14 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.