Commentary on the Gospel of John 6.282–10.25

Origen · Commentary on the Gospel of John · ca. 230–248 · Alexandria and Caesarea · 51 passages

Greek text: Preuschen, GCS 10 (Greek text: E. Preuschen, Origenes Werke 4 (GCS 10, 1903), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 9 (1896).

Chapter 6

6.282Preuschen 4:163

ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ παθόντες ἄν, μὴ ἀτονησάντων τῶν ἐνεργησάντων εἰς ἑτέρους τὰ χείρονα, οὐκέτι περιπέπτουσιν τῷ πάθει, νικήσαντος τοῦ τὴν τοιαύτην θυσίαν προσαγαγόντος τήνδε τὴν ἀντικειμένην δύναμιν, ὡς εἰ ἀπὸ μέρους ἐχρησάμην εἰκόνι χρησίμῳ πρὸς τὰ προκείμενα τοιαύτῃ· ὅτι ὁ ἀναιρῶν ἰοβόλον ἢ κατακοιμίζων ἐπῳδῇ ἢ δυνάμει τινὶ κενῶν αὐτὸ τοῦ ἰοῦ πολλοὺς εὐεργετεῖ τῶν ὕστερον πεισομένων τι ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, εἰ μὴ ἀνῄρητο ἢ κατακεκοίμιστο ἢ τοῦ ἰοῦ κεκένωτο.

alla kai hoi pathontes an, mē atonēsantōn tōn energēsantōn eis heterous ta cheirona, ouketi peripeptousin tǭ pathei, nikēsantos tou tēn toiautēn thysian prosagagontos tēnde tēn antikeimenēn dynamin, hōs ei apo merous echrēsamēn eikoni chrēsimǭ pros ta prokeimena toiautę̄; hoti ho anairōn iobolon ē katakoimizōn epǭdę̄ ē dynamei tini kenōn auto tou iou pollous euergetei tōn hysteron peisomenōn ti apʼ autou, ei mē anę̄rēto ē katakekoimisto ē tou iou kekenōto.

But also those who would have suffered, if the powers that worked evil on others had not been weakened, no longer fall into the suffering, since the one who offered such a sacrifice has conquered this opposing power. It is as if I used, in part, an image such as this, useful for the matter in hand: one who kills a venomous creature, or lulls it to sleep with a charm, or by some power empties it of its venom, benefits many who would later have suffered something from it, had it not been killed or lulled to sleep or emptied of its venom.

Notes and citation

Summary: Like someone who kills a venomous snake and so protects many, the martyr's sacrifice disarms the hostile powers for others.

Topics: Martyrdom

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.282 (Preuschen 4:163; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-282).

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Preuschen, GCS 10 (1903); made independently of existing English translations. ANF 9 covers Books 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 10 and was compared afterwards; the other books were reviewed against the Greek only.

6.283Preuschen 4:163

εἰ δὲ καὶ τῶν δηχθέντων τινὶ φανερὸν γένοιτο περὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τῷ δηγματι βλάβης ἀπαλλαγῆς, εἰ ἐνατενίσαι ἀποθανόντι τῷ βλάψαντι, ἢ ἐπιβαίῃ νεκροῦ, ἢ ἐφάψαιτο τεθνηκότος, ἢ γεύσαιτο μέρους τοῦδε, γένοιτʼ ἂν καὶ τῷ προπεπονθότι ἴασις καὶ εὐεργεσία ἀπὸ τοῦ τὸ βλάψαν ἀνῃρηκότος. τοιοῦτόν τι δὴ νοητέον τῷ θανάτῳ τῶν εὐσεβεστάτων μαρτύρων γίνεσθαι, πολλῶν ἀφάτῳ τινὶ δυνάμει ὠφελουμένων ἀπὸ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτῶν.

ei de kai tōn dēchthentōn tini phaneron genoito peri tēs epi tǭ dēgmati blabēs apallagēs, ei enatenisai apothanonti tǭ blapsanti, ē epibaię̄ nekrou, ē ephapsaito tethnēkotos, ē geusaito merous toude, genoitʼ an kai tǭ propeponthoti iasis kai euergesia apo tou to blapsan anę̄rēkotos. toiouton ti dē noēteon tǭ thanatǭ tōn eusebestatōn martyrōn ginesthai, pollōn aphatǭ tini dynamei ōpheloumenōn apo tou thanatou autōn.

And if it should become known to one of those bitten how to be freed from the harm of the bite, if he should gaze at the dead creature that harmed him, or tread on the corpse, or touch the dead thing, or taste a part of it, healing and benefit would come even to one who had already suffered, from the one who killed the harmful thing. Something like this must be understood to happen through the death of the most pious martyrs, many being helped by an unspeakable power from their death.

Notes and citation

Summary: As remedies from a dead snake may heal those it bit, the martyrs' deaths help many by a hidden power.

Topics: Martyrdom

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.283 (Preuschen 4:163; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-283).

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6.284Preuschen 4:163–164

Προσδιετρίψαμεν δὲ ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸ ἐξαίρετον ἰδεῖν τοῦ ὡς προβάτου ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἀχθέντος καὶ ὡς ἀμνοῦ ἐνώπιον τοῦ κείραντος ἀφώνου, τῷ περὶ τῶν μαρτύρων λόγῳ καὶ τῷ ὑπὲρ τῶν τεθνηκότων διὰ λοιμικὰ καταστήματα διηγήματι. εἰ γὰρ τάδε μὲν ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων οὐ μάτην ἱστόρηται, τάδε δὲ καλῶς περὶ τῶν εἴρηται περικαθαρμάτων τοῦ κόσμου γινομένων, καὶ »πάντων »περίψημα« λεγομένων διὰ ταῦτα τῶν ἀποστόλων, τί ὑποληπτέον καὶ πηλίκον περὶ τοῦ ἀμνοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ τοῦτο θυομένου, ἵνα ἄρῃ ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ὀλίγων, ἀλλʼ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου, ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ πέπονθεν;

Prosdietripsamen de hyper tou to exaireton idein tou hōs probatou epi sphagēn achthentos kai hōs amnou enōpion tou keirantos aphōnou, tǭ peri tōn martyrōn logǭ kai tǭ hyper tōn tethnēkotōn dia loimika katastēmata diēgēmati. ei gar tade men hypo Hellēnōn ou matēn historētai, tade de kalōs peri tōn eirētai perikatharmatōn tou kosmou ginomenōn, kai »pantōn »peripsēma« legomenōn dia tauta tōn apostolōn, ti hypolēpteon kai pēlikon peri tou amnou tou theou dia touto thyomenou, hina arę̄ hamartian ouk oligōn, allʼ holou tou kosmou, hyper hou kai peponthen?

We have dwelt on the account of the martyrs, and on the story of those who died on account of plagues, in order to see the preeminence of him who was “led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent.” For if these things are not recounted in vain by the Greeks, and if these things are rightly said about those who become the scapegoats of the world, the apostles being called “the offscouring of all things” for this reason, what, and how great, must we think of the Lamb of God, sacrificed for this purpose, to take away the sin not of a few but of the whole world, for which he also suffered?

Isa 53:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 4:13 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:29 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: If martyrs and self-sacrificing pagans help others, how much more the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the whole world.

The quotations are Isa 53:7 and 1 Cor 4:13 ("scapegoats" renders περικαθάρματα, used in the same verse).

Topics: Martyrdom, Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.284 (Preuschen 4:163–164; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-284).

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6.285Preuschen 4:164

κἂν γάρ »τις ἁμάρτῃ, παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα Ἰησοῦν »Χριστὸν δίκαιον, καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστιν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, »οὐκ † ἐπὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου«· ἐπεὶ σωτήρ ἐστιν πάντων ἀνθρώπων, μάλιστα πιστῶν« ὁ »ἐξαλείψας »τὸ καθʼ ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον« τῷ ἑαυτοῦ αἴματι καὶ ἄρας αὐτὸ ἐκ τοῦ μέσου, ἵνα μηδὲ ἴχνη κἂν ἀπαληλειμμένων τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων εὑρίσκηται, καὶ »προσηλώσας τῷ σταυρῷ«. ὃς »ἀπεκδυσάμενος τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ »τὰς ἐξουσίας ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησίᾳ θριαμβεύσας« ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ.

kan gar »tis hamartę̄, paraklēton echomen pros ton patera Iēsoun »Christon dikaion, kai autos hilasmos estin peri tōn hamartiōn hēmōn, »ouk † epi tōn hēmeterōn de monon alla kai peri holou tou kosmou«; epei sōtēr estin pantōn anthrōpōn, malista pistōn« ho »exaleipsas »to kathʼ hēmōn cheirographon« tǭ heautou aimati kai aras auto ek tou mesou, hina mēde ichnē kan apalēleimmenōn tōn hamartēmatōn heuriskētai, kai »prosēlōsas tǭ staurǭ«. hos »apekdysamenos tas archas kai »tas exousias edeigmatisen en parrēsią thriambeusas« en tǭ xylǭ.

For even if “anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world”; since he is “the Savior of all people, especially of believers,” he who “blotted out the handwriting that was against us” with his own blood and took it out of the way, so that not even a trace of the blotted-out sins might be found, and “nailed it to the cross”; who, “having stripped off the rulers and the authorities, made a public example of them, triumphing” on the tree.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

1 John 2:1–2 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 4:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 2:14–15 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ is the propitiation for the whole world, who blotted out our debt with his blood and triumphed over the powers on the cross.

The text is corrupt at the dagger. The quotations are 1 John 2:1–2, 1 Tim 4:10, and Col 2:14–15.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misspelling in the digital text): μηδὲ ἔχην → μηδὲ ἴχνη.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.285 (Preuschen 4:164; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-285).

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6.286Preuschen 4:164

καὶ θαρρεῖν γοῦν θλιβόμενοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ διδασκόμεθα, τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ θαρρεῖν μανθάνοντες ταύτην εἶναι, τὸ νενικῆσθαι τὸν κόσμον καὶ δηλονότι ὑποτετάχθαι τῷ νικήσαντι αὐτόν. διὰ τοῦτο πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἀνεθέντα ἀπὸ τῶν πρότερον ἐπικρατούντων δουλεύουσιν αὐτῷ, ὅτι »ἐρρύσατο πτωχὸν ἐκ δυνάστου« διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου πάθους »καὶ πένητα, »ᾧ οὐχ ὑπῆρχεν βοηθός«.

kai tharrein goun thlibomenoi en tǭ kosmǭ didaskometha, tēn aitian tou tharrein manthanontes tautēn einai, to nenikēsthai ton kosmon kai dēlonoti hypotetachthai tǭ nikēsanti auton. dia touto panta ta ethnē anethenta apo tōn proteron epikratountōn douleuousin autǭ, hoti »errysato ptōchon ek dynastou« dia tou idiou pathous »kai penēta, »hǭ ouch hypērchen boēthos«.

And so we are taught to take courage when afflicted in the world, learning that the reason for courage is this: that the world has been conquered and clearly made subject to the one who conquered it. That is why all the nations, released from those who formerly ruled them, serve him, because through his own suffering “he rescued the poor from the mighty, and the needy who had no helper.”

John 16:33 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 72:12 (71:12 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ has conquered the world, freeing the nations from their former masters to serve him.

The allusion is John 16:33; the quotation is Ps 72:12 (71:12 LXX).

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.286 (Preuschen 4:164; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-286).

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6.287Preuschen 4:164

οὗτος δὴ ὁ σωτὴρ ταπεινώσας συκοφάντην διὰ τοῦ ἑαυτὸν τεταπεινωκέναι, συνπαραμένει τῷ νοητῷ ἡλίῳ πρὸ τῆς λαμπροτάτης ἐκκλησίας, τροπικώτερον σελήνης λεγομένης, τυγχάνων γενεῶν γενεαῖς. ἀνελὼν δὲ διὰ τοῦ πάθους τοὺς πολεμίους ὁ έν πολέμῳ δυνατὸς καὶ κραταιὸς κύριος καθαρσίου δεόμενος τοῦ ἀπὸ μόνου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῷ δοθῆναι ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνδραγαθήμασιν δυναμένου, κωλύει αὐτοῦ ἅψασθαι τὴν Μαρίαν λέγων· »Μή μου ἅπτου, οὔπω »γὰρ ἀναβέβηκα πρὸς τὸν πατέρα· ἀλλὰ πορεύου καὶ εἰπὲ τοῖς »ἀδελφοῖς μου· Πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου καὶ πατέρα ὑμῶν καὶ θεόν μου καὶ θεὸν ὑμῶν«.

houtos dē ho sōtēr tapeinōsas sykophantēn dia tou heauton tetapeinōkenai, synparamenei tǭ noētǭ hēliǭ pro tēs lamprotatēs ekklēsias, tropikōteron selēnēs legomenēs, tynchanōn geneōn geneais. anelōn de dia tou pathous tous polemious ho en polemǭ dynatos kai krataios kyrios katharsiou deomenos tou apo monou tou patros autǭ dothēnai epi tois andragathēmasin dynamenou, kōlyei autou hapsasthai tēn Marian legōn; »Mē mou haptou, oupō »gar anabebēka pros ton patera; alla poreuou kai eipe tois »adelphois mou; Poreuomai pros ton patera mou kai patera hymōn kai theon mou kai theon hymōn«.

This Savior, having humbled the slanderer by humbling himself, endures with the spiritual sun before the most radiant church, figuratively called the moon, for generations of generations. And having destroyed the enemies through his suffering, the Lord mighty and strong in battle, needing a purification that only the Father could give him for his valiant deeds, prevents Mary from touching him, saying, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go and say to my brothers, I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

Ps 72:4–5 (71:4-Ps LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 24:8 (23:8 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · John 20:17 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: After his victory Christ needed a purification from the Father, which is why he told Mary not to touch him before he ascended.

The allusions are Ps 72:4–5 (71:4–5 LXX) and Ps 24:8 (23:8 LXX); the quotation is John 20:17.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.287 (Preuschen 4:164; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-287).

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6.288Preuschen 4:164–165

Ὅτε δὲ πορεύεται νικηφόρος καὶ τροπαιοφόρος μετὰ τοῦ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάντος σώματος πῶς γὰρ ἄλλως δεῖ νοεῖν τὸ »Οὔπω »ἀναβέβηκα πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου;« καὶ τὸ » Πορεύομαι δὲ πρὸς τὸν »πατέρα μου«;) τότε αἱ μέν τινες λέγουσιν δυνάμεις· »Τίς οὗτος ὁ »παραγενόμενος ἐξ Ἐδώμ, ἐρύθημα ἱματίων ἐκ Βοσόρ, οὕτως ὡραῖος;« οἱ δὲ προπέμποντες αὐτὸν τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν οὐρανίων πυλῶν τεταγμένοις φασὶν τὸ » Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης«.

Hote de poreuetai nikēphoros kai tropaiophoros meta tou ek nekrōn anastantos sōmatos pōs gar allōs dei noein to »Oupō »anabebēka pros ton patera mou?« kai to » Poreuomai de pros ton »patera mou«?) tote hai men tines legousin dynameis; »Tis houtos ho »paragenomenos ex Edōm, erythēma himatiōn ek Bosor, houtōs hōraios?« hoi de propempontes auton tois epi tōn ouraniōn pylōn tetagmenois phasin to » Arate pylas, hoi archontes, hymōn, kai eparthēte pylai aiōnioi, kai eiseleusetai ho basileus tēs doxēs«.

And when he goes up victorious and bearing the trophies, with the body that rose from the dead (for how else must we understand “I have not yet ascended to my Father” and “I am going to my Father”?), then certain powers say, “Who is this who comes from Edom, with crimson garments from Bozrah, so beautiful?” And those escorting him say to those appointed over the heavenly gates, “Lift up your gates, you rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall come in.”

John 20:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 63:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 24:7 (23:7 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: As Christ ascends in triumph with his risen body, the powers ask who he is, and his escort bids the heavenly gates open.

The quotations are John 20:17, Isa 63:1, and Ps 24:7 (23:7 LXX).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (repeated word in the digital text): ἱματίων ἱματίων → ἱματίων.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.288 (Preuschen 4:164–165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-288).

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6.289Preuschen 4:165

ἔτι δὲ πυνθάνονται οἱονεί, εἰ δεῖ οὕτως εἰπεῖν, ᾑμαγμένην αὐτοῦ βλέποντες τὴν δεξιὰν καὶ πεπληρωμένον τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀριστείας ἔργων· »Διὰ τί σου »ἐρυθρὰ τὰ ἱμάτια, καὶ τὰ ἐνδύματά σου ὡς ἀποπάτημα ληνοῦ πλή- ρους καταπεπατημένης;« ὅτε καὶ ἀποκρίνεται· »Κατέθηλασα αὐτούς«.

eti de pynthanontai hoionei, ei dei houtōs eipein, hę̄magmenēn autou blepontes tēn dexian kai peplērōmenon tōn apo tēs aristeias ergōn; »Dia ti sou »erythra ta himatia, kai ta endymata sou hōs apopatēma lēnou plē- rous katapepatēmenēs?« hote kai apokrinetai; »Katethēlasa autous«.

And they ask further, seeing, so to speak, his right hand bloodied and full of the works of his valor: “Why are your garments red, and your clothing like what is trodden in a full winepress?” Then he answers, “I have crushed them.”

Isa 63:2–3 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The powers ask why his garments are red, and he answers that he has crushed his enemies.

The quotations are Isa 63:2–3 (LXX).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misread letter in the digital text; repeated word in the digital text): τὴν δεφιὰν → τὴν δεξιὰν; πεπληρωμένον πεπληρωμένον → πεπληρωμένον.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.289 (Preuschen 4:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-289).

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6.290Preuschen 4:165

ἀληθῶς γὰρ ἐπὶ τούτοις δεδέηται τοῦ πλύναι »ἐν οἴνῳ τὴν στολὴν »αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν αἵματι σταφυλῆς τὴν περιβολὴν αὐτοῦ«. τὰς γὰρ ἀσθενείας ἡμῶν λαβὼν καὶ τὰς νόσους βαστάξας, παντός τε τοῦ κόσμου ἄρας τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ τοὺς τοσούτους εὐεργετήσας, τάχα τότε βάπτισμα εἴληφεν τὸ παντὸς τοῦ ὑπονοηθέντος ὂν παρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις μεῖζον, περὶ οὗ οἶμαι αὐτὸν εἰρηκέναι· Βάπτισμα δὲ »ἔχω βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ πῶς συνέχομαι ἕως ὅτου τελεσθῇ;«

alēthōs gar epi toutois dedeētai tou plynai »en oinǭ tēn stolēn »autou, kai en haimati staphylēs tēn peribolēn autou«. tas gar astheneias hēmōn labōn kai tas nosous bastaxas, pantos te tou kosmou aras tēn hamartian kai tous tosoutous euergetēsas, tacha tote baptisma eilēphen to pantos tou hyponoēthentos on para tois anthrōpois meizon, peri hou oimai auton eirēkenai; Baptisma de »echō baptisthēnai, kai pōs synechomai heōs hotou telesthę̄?«

For truly after these things he needed to wash “his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape.” For having taken our infirmities and borne our diseases, having taken away the sin of the whole world and benefited so many, perhaps he then received a baptism greater than any imagined among human beings, about which I think he said, “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!”

Gen 49:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 8:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 12:50 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: After bearing the world's sin, Christ needed to wash his robe, perhaps a baptism greater than any known to us.

The quotations are Gen 49:11 and Luke 12:50; the allusion is Matt 8:17 (Isa 53:4).

Topics: Christology, Baptism

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.290 (Preuschen 4:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-290).

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6.291Preuschen 4:165

ἴνα γὰρ τολμηρότερον βασανίζων τὸν λόγον στῶ πρὸς τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν πλείστων ὑπονοούμενα, λεγέτωσαν ἡμῖν οἱ τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ μέγιστον, ὑπὲρ ὃ ἄλλο οὐκ ἕστι νοῆσαι βάπτισμα, νομίσαντες αὐτοῦ εἶναι τὸ μαρτύριον, τί δήποτε μετὰ τοῦτο λέγει τῇ Μαριάμ· »Μή μου ἅπτου«; ἐχρῆν γὰρ μᾶλλον ἑαυτὸν ἐμπαρέχειν τῇ ἁφῇ, ἅτε τὸ τέλειον βάπτισμα διὰ τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ πάθους εἰληφότα.

ina gar tolmēroteron basanizōn ton logon stō pros ta hypo tōn pleistōn hyponooumena, legetōsan hēmin hoi to baptisma to megiston, hyper ho allo ouk hesti noēsai baptisma, nomisantes autou einai to martyrion, ti dēpote meta touto legei tę̄ Mariam; »Mē mou haptou«? echrēn gar mallon heauton emparechein tę̄ haphę̄, hate to teleion baptisma dia tou mystēriou tou pathous eilēphota.

For, testing the argument more boldly, to take a stand against what most people suppose, let those who think that his greatest baptism, beyond which no other baptism can be conceived, was his martyrdom tell us why after it he says to Mary, “Do not touch me.” For he ought rather to have offered himself to her touch, having received the perfect baptism through the mystery of the passion.

John 20:17 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: If his death were his greatest baptism, why would he forbid Mary to touch him afterward?

The quotation is John 20:17.

Topics: Baptism, Martyrdom

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.291 (Preuschen 4:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-291).

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6.292Preuschen 4:165

Ἀλλʼ ἐπεί, ὡς προείπομεν, τὰ κατὰ τῶν ἀντικειμένων ἀνδραγαθήματα πεποιηκὼς ἐδεῖτο τοῦ πλύναι »ἐν οἴνῳ τὴν στολὴν »αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν αἵματι σταφυλῆς τὴν περιβολὴν αὐτοῦ«, ἀνῄει πρὸς τὸν γεωργὸν τῆς ἀληθινῆς ἀμπέλου πατέρα, ἴνʼ ἐκεῖ ἀποπλυνάμενος μετὰ τὸ ἀναβῆναι εἰς ὕψος, αἰχμαλωτεύσας τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν, καταβῇ φέρων τὰ ποικίλα χαρίσματα, τὰς διαμεμερισμένας τοῖς ἀποστόλοις γλώσσας ὡσεὶ πυρὸς καὶ τοὺς παρεσομένους έν πάσῃ πράξει ἁγίους ἀγγέλους καὶ ῥυσομένους αὐτούς.

Allʼ epei, hōs proeipomen, ta kata tōn antikeimenōn andragathēmata pepoiēkōs edeito tou plynai »en oinǭ tēn stolēn »autou kai en haimati staphylēs tēn peribolēn autou«, anę̄ei pros ton geōrgon tēs alēthinēs ampelou patera, inʼ ekei apoplynamenos meta to anabēnai eis hypsos, aichmalōteusas tēn aichmalōsian, katabę̄ pherōn ta poikila charismata, tas diamemerismenas tois apostolois glōssas hōsei pyros kai tous paresomenous en pasę̄ praxei hagious angelous kai rhysomenous autous.

But since, as we said before, having performed his valiant deeds against the adversaries he needed to wash “his robe in wine and his garment in the blood of the grape,” he went up to the Father, the vinedresser of the true vine, so that, having washed there after ascending on high and leading captivity captive, he might come down bringing the varied gifts: the tongues as of fire distributed to the apostles, and the holy angels who would be present in every action and rescue them.

Gen 49:11 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 4:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 2:3 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ ascended to be cleansed by the Father and came down with gifts: the tongues of fire and the protecting angels.

The quotation is Gen 49:11; the allusions are John 15:1, Eph 4:8 (Ps 68:18), and Acts 2:3.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.292 (Preuschen 4:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-292).

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6.293Preuschen 4:165

πρὸ γὰρ τούτων τῶν οἰ κονομιῶν ἅτε μηδέπω κεκαθαρμένοι οὐκ ἐχώρουν ἀγγέλων παρʼ αὐτοῖς ἐπιδημίαν, τάχα οὐδʼ αὐτῶν βουλομένων πω τοῖς μὴ εὐτρεπισμένοις καὶ κεκαθαρμένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ παρεἶναι.

pro gar toutōn tōn oi konomiōn hate mēdepō kekatharmenoi ouk echōroun angelōn parʼ autois epidēmian, tacha oudʼ autōn boulomenōn pō tois mē eutrepismenois kai kekatharmenois hypo tou Iēsou pareinai.

For before these dispensations, not yet being cleansed, they could not receive a sojourn of angels among them; perhaps the angels themselves did not yet wish to be present with those not prepared and cleansed by Jesus.

Notes and citation

Summary: Before this, the disciples were not yet cleansed enough for angels to be with them.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misread letter in the digital text): κακαθαρμένοι → κεκαθαρμένοι.

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.293 (Preuschen 4:165; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-293).

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6.294Preuschen 4:165–166

τῆς γὰρ Ἰησοῦ μόνου φιλανθρωπίας ἠν μετὰ ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ τελωνῶν ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν, καὶ παρέχειν ἑαυτοῦ τοὺς πόδας τοῖς δακρύοις τῆς μετανοούσης ἁμαρτωλοῦ, καὶ μέχρι θανάτου καταβαίνειν ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγουμένου τὸ εἶναι ἵσα θεῷ, καὶ κενοῦν ἑαυτὸν τὴν τοῦ δούλου λαμβάνοντος μορφήν.

tēs gar Iēsou monou philanthrōpias ēn meta hamartōlōn kai telōnōn esthiein kai pinein, kai parechein heautou tous podas tois dakryois tēs metanoousēs hamartōlou, kai mechri thanatou katabainein hyper asebōn, ouch harpagmon hēgoumenou to einai hisa theǭ, kai kenoun heauton tēn tou doulou lambanontos morphēn.

For it belonged to the love for humankind of Jesus alone to eat and drink with sinners and tax collectors, to offer his feet to the tears of the repentant sinful woman, and to go down even to death for the ungodly, not counting equality with God a thing to be grasped, and emptying himself, taking the form of a servant.

Matt 9:11 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 7:38 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 5:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Phil 2:6–8 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Only Jesus in his love ate with sinners, let a sinful woman wash his feet, and humbled himself to death for the ungodly.

The allusions are Matt 9:11, Luke 7:38, Rom 5:6, and Phil 2:6–8.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misread letter in the digital text): δαδρύοις → δακρύοις.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.294 (Preuschen 4:165–166; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-294).

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6.295Preuschen 4:166

ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἐπιτελῶν μᾶλλον τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ παραδόντος αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἐπετέλει ἤπερ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ· ὁ μὲν γὰρ πατὴρ ἀγαθός, ὁ δὲ σωτὴρ εἰκὼν τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ. πάντα δὲ τὸν κόσμον εὐεργετῶν, ἐπεὶ θεὸς ἐν Χριστῷ κόσμον καταλλάσσει ἑαυτῷ, πρότερον διὰ τὴν κακίαν ἐχθρὸν γεγενημένον, ὁδῷ καὶ τάξει τὰ εὐεργετούμενα εὐεργετεῖ, οὐκ ἀθρόως λαμβάνων ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν πάντας τοὺς ἐχθρούς· λέγει γὰρ αὐτῷ ὁ πατὴρ τῷ κυρίῳ ἑκάστου ἡμῶν· »Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ »τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου«.

tauta de panta epitelōn mallon to thelēma tou patros tou paradontos auton hyper asebōn epetelei ēper to heautou; ho men gar patēr agathos, ho de sōtēr eikōn tēs agathotētos autou. panta de ton kosmon euergetōn, epei theos en Christǭ kosmon katallassei heautǭ, proteron dia tēn kakian echthron gegenēmenon, hodǭ kai taxei ta euergetoumena euergetei, ouk athroōs lambanōn hypopodion tōn podōn pantas tous echthrous; legei gar autǭ ho patēr tǭ kyriǭ hekastou hēmōn; »Kathou ek dexiōn mou, heōs an thō »tous echthrous sou hypopodion tōn podōn sou«.

And in doing all these things he was fulfilling the will of the Father, who handed him over for the ungodly, rather than his own; for the Father is good, and the Savior is the image of his goodness. And benefiting the whole world, since God in Christ is reconciling to himself the world, which had formerly become an enemy through wickedness, he benefits those he benefits in due way and order, not taking all his enemies at once as the footstool of his feet. For the Father says to him, the Lord of each of us: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”

Rom 8:32 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 5:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 110:1 (109:1 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ did the Father's will, as the image of his goodness, reconciling the world step by step until all his enemies are subdued.

The allusions are Rom 8:32, Wis 7:26 ("image of his goodness"), and 2 Cor 5:19; the quotation is Ps 110:1 (109:1 LXX).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misread letter in the digital text; misread letters in the digital text; misspelling in the digital text): ἐπετέλει Τιπερ → ἐπετέλει ἤπερ; λαμβάνοων → λαμβάνων; ἴως ἂν → ἕως ἂν.

Extrabiblical texts: Wis 7:26 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; allusion)

Topics: Christology, Trinity

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.295 (Preuschen 4:166; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-295).

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6.296Preuschen 4:166

καὶ ταῦτα γίνεται ἕως ὁ ἔσχατος ἐχθρός, ὁ θάνατος, ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ καταργηθῇ. ἐὰν δὲ τὸ ὑποτάσσεσθαι τῷ χριστῷ νοήσωμεν ὅ τί ποτʼ ἔστιν μάλιστʼ ἐκ τοῦ »Ὅταν δὲ αὐτῷ † πάντα ὑποταγῇ, τότε αὐτὸς ὁ υἱὸς ὑποταγήσεται »τῷ ὑποτάξαντι αὐτῷ † πάντα«, ἀξίως τῆς ἀγαθότητος τοῦ τῶν ὅλων θεοῦ νοήσωμεν τὸν ἀμνὸν τοῦ θεοῦ αἴροντα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου.

kai tauta ginetai heōs ho eschatos echthros, ho thanatos, hypʼ autou katargēthę̄. ean de to hypotassesthai tǭ christǭ noēsōmen ho ti potʼ estin malistʼ ek tou »Hotan de autǭ † panta hypotagę̄, tote autos ho huios hypotagēsetai »tǭ hypotaxanti autǭ † panta«, axiōs tēs agathotētos tou tōn holōn theou noēsōmen ton amnon tou theou aironta tēn hamartian tou kosmou.

And this goes on until the last enemy, death, is abolished by him. And if we understand what being subject to Christ is, above all from “When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who subjected all things to him,” we shall understand, in a way worthy of the goodness of the God of the universe, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

1 Cor 15:26 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 15:28 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:29 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: When all things, even death, are subjected to Christ and he to the Father, we see how the Lamb takes away the world's sin.

The text is marked corrupt (daggers) within the quotation, but the sense is clear. The quotations are 1 Cor 15:26, 28 and John 1:29.

Topics: Eschatology, Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.296 (Preuschen 4:166; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-296).

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6.297Preuschen 4:166

Οὐ πάντων δὲ ἡ ἁμαρτία ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀμνοῦ αἴρεται, μὴ ἀλγούντων μηδὲ βασανιζομένων ἕως ἀρθῇ. ἄκανθαι γὰρ οὐ μόνον ἐνσπαρεῖσαι ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιπολὺ ῥιζωθεῖ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν παντὸς διὰ τὴν κακίαν μεθυσθέντος καὶ τὸ νήφειν ἀπολωλεκότος κατὰ τὸ ἐν Παροιμίαις εἰρημένον· »Ἄκανθαι φύονται έν χειρὶ τοῦ μεθύσου», ὅσον πόνον ἐνεργάσονται τῷ τὰ τοιαῦτα φυτὰ εἰς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα τῆς ψυχῆς παραδεξαμένῳ τί δεῖ καὶ λέγειν; κατατμηθῆναι γαρ ὑπὸ τοῦ τομωτέρου πάσης μαχαίρας διστόμου λόγου ζῶντος θεοῦ καὶ ἐνεργοῦς καὶ καυστικωτέρου παντὸς πυρὸς ἀνάγκη τὸν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον εἰς βάθος τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς τὴν κακίαν χωρήσαντα, ὡς γενέσθαι αὐτὸν γῆν ἀκανθοφόρον.

Ou pantōn de hē hamartia hypo tou amnou airetai, mē algountōn mēde basanizomenōn heōs arthę̄. akanthai gar ou monon enspareisai alla kai epipoly rhizōthei en tais chersin pantos dia tēn kakian methysthentos kai to nēphein apolōlekotos kata to en Paroimiais eirēmenon; »Akanthai phyontai en cheiri tou methysou», hoson ponon energasontai tǭ ta toiauta phyta eis to heautou sōma tēs psychēs paradexamenǭ ti dei kai legein? katatmēthēnai gar hypo tou tomōterou pasēs machairas distomou logou zōntos theou kai energous kai kaustikōterou pantos pyros anankē ton epi tosouton eis bathos tēs heautou psychēs tēn kakian chōrēsanta, hōs genesthai auton gēn akanthophoron.

But the sin of all is not taken away by the Lamb without their suffering pain and torment until it is taken away. For thorns, not only sown but deeply rooted in the hands of everyone drunk with wickedness who has lost sobriety, according to the saying in Proverbs, “Thorns grow in the hand of the drunkard”: what need is there even to say how much pain they will cause one who has received such plants into the body of his soul? For one who has let wickedness go so deep into his soul that he has become thorn-bearing ground must be cut by the living Word of God, active, sharper than any two-edged sword, and more burning than any fire.

Prov 26:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 4:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 6:8 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Deep-rooted sin is taken away only through painful purification by the Word, sharper than a sword and hotter than fire.

The quotation is Prov 26:9 (LXX); the allusions are Heb 4:12 and Heb 6:8.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misspelling in the digital text): ἀλγούντοων → ἀλγούντων.

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.297 (Preuschen 4:166; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-297).

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6.298Preuschen 4:166–167

καὶ δεήσει ἐπὶ τὴν τοιαύτην ψυχὴν πεμφθῆναι τὸ εὑρίσκον τὰς ἀκάνθας πῦρ, καὶ μέχρι αὐτῶν στησόμενον διὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ θειότητα καὶ οὐ προσεμπρῆσον ἅλωνας ἢ στάχυας πεδίων. τοῦ αἴροντος δὲ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου ἀμνοῦ διὰ σφαγῆς ἀρχομένου ὁδοὶ τυγχάνουσιν πλείονες, ὡν αἱ μὲν σαφεῖς εἶναι τοῖς πολλοῖς δύνανται, αἱ δὲ τοὺς τοσούτους λανθάνουσαι τοῖς τῆς θείας σοφίας ἀξιουμένοις, οἷς μόνοις εἰσὶν γνώριμοι.

kai deēsei epi tēn toiautēn psychēn pemphthēnai to heuriskon tas akanthas pyr, kai mechri autōn stēsomenon dia tēn heautou theiotēta kai ou prosemprēson halōnas ē stachyas pediōn. tou airontos de tēn hamartian tou kosmou amnou dia sphagēs archomenou hodoi tynchanousin pleiones, hōn hai men sapheis einai tois pollois dynantai, hai de tous tosoutous lanthanousai tois tēs theias sophias axioumenois, hois monois eisin gnōrimoi.

And upon such a soul must be sent the fire that finds the thorns, which by its own divinity will stop at them and not also burn threshing floors or ears of grain in the fields. And the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, beginning through his slaughter, has many ways, some of which can be clear to the many, while others, hidden from most, are known only to those deemed worthy of divine wisdom.

Exod 22:6 (22:5 LXX) (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: God's fire burns only the thorns of sin; the Lamb takes away sin in many ways, some hidden from most people.

The allusion is Exod 22:6 (22:5 LXX).

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.298 (Preuschen 4:166–167; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-298).

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6.299Preuschen 4:167

τί γὰρ δεῖ λέγειν, διʼ ὅσων ὁδῶν τις ἐπὶ τὸ πιστεύειν ἔρχεται ἐν ἀνθρώποις, ἔτι ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ σώματι παρὸν ἑκάστῳ καθʼ αὑτὸν ἐπισκοπεῖν; πλὴν μία τῶν ὁδῶν ἐστιν τοῦ πιστεύειν καὶ αἴρεσθαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν διὰ μαστίγων καὶ πνευμάτων πονηρῶν καὶ νόσων χαλεπωτάτων καὶ μαλακιῶν ἐπιπονωτάτων. τίς οὖν οἶδεν καὶ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα;

ti gar dei legein, diʼ hosōn hodōn tis epi to pisteuein erchetai en anthrōpois, eti en tǭ toioutǭ sōmati paron hekastǭ kathʼ hauton episkopein? plēn mia tōn hodōn estin tou pisteuein kai airesthai tēn hamartian dia mastigōn kai pneumatōn ponērōn kai nosōn chalepōtatōn kai malakiōn epiponōtatōn. tis oun oiden kai ta meta tauta?

For why need I say by how many ways one comes to believe among human beings, when each can consider it for himself while still in such a body? But one of the ways of believing and having sin taken away is through scourges, evil spirits, most grievous diseases, and most painful illnesses. Who, then, knows also what comes after these?

Notes and citation

Summary: Among the ways to faith and forgiveness are suffering, sickness, and even evil spirits; who knows what follows after this life?

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.299 (Preuschen 4:167; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-299).

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6.300Preuschen 4:167

ἀναγκαῖον δὲ ἠν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ἀναιρεθῆναι τὸν δοκοῦντα τῇ ἐξετάσει τοῦ λόγου παρακολουθεῖν τοῦ λέγοντος· »Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου«· ἐπιπλεῖον περὶ τούτων διαλαβεὶν, ἱν εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ θυμῷ θεοῦ ἔστιν ἐλεγχθῆναι καὶ ὀργῇ θεοῦ παιδευθῆναι, διὰ τὸ εἰς ὑπερβολὴν φιλάνθρωπον οὐδένα πάντη ἀνέλεγκτον καὶ ἀπαίδευτον ἐῶντος, πάντα ποιήσωμεν εἰς τὸ μὴ δεηθῆναι ἐλέγχων καὶ τῆς διὰ τῶν ἐπιπονωτάτων παιδείας.

anankaion de ēn hyper tou mē anairethēnai ton dokounta tę̄ exetasei tou logou parakolouthein tou legontos; »Ide ho amnos tou theou ho airōn tēn hamartian tou kosmou«; epipleion peri toutōn dialabein, hin eidotes hoti kai thymǭ theou estin elenchthēnai kai orgę̄ theou paideuthēnai, dia to eis hyperbolēn philanthrōpon oudena pantē anelenkton kai apaideuton eōntos, panta poiēsōmen eis to mē deēthēnai elenchōn kai tēs dia tōn epiponōtatōn paideias.

It was necessary to discuss these things at greater length, so that one who seems to follow the examination of the words “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” might not be destroyed; so that, knowing that it is possible to be rebuked in God's wrath and chastened in God's anger, since in his surpassing love for humankind he leaves no one wholly unrebuked and unchastened, we may do everything so as not to need rebukes and discipline through most painful things.

John 1:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 6:1 (6:2 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 38:1 (37:2 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Knowing that God disciplines everyone in love, we should live so as not to need painful correction.

The quotation is John 1:29; the allusion is Ps 6:1 (6:2 LXX) and Ps 38:1 (37:2 LXX).

Topics: Eschatology, Ethics

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.300 (Preuschen 4:167; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-300).

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6.301Preuschen 4:167

Ἐπισκεπτέον δὲ τῷ ἐντυγχάνοντι τὰ έν τοῖς προτέροις ἡμῖν εἰρημένα μετὰ παραθέσεως πλειόνων παραδειγμάτων περὶ τοῦ τί σημαίνεται κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν ἐκ τῆς »Κόσμος« φωνῆς· οὐ γὰρ εὔλογον ἡγησάμην παλιλλογεῖν. οὐκ ἀγνοοῦμεν δέ τινα κόσμον ἐξειληφέναι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν μόνην, κόσμον κόσμον τοῦ κόσμου, ἐπεὶ καὶ φῶς λέγεται τοῦ κόσμου· »Ὑμεῖς γάρ ἐστε, φησί, τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου·« κόσμος δὲ τοῦ κόσμου ἡ ἐκκλησία, κόσμου αὐτῆς γινομένου Χριστοῦ, τοῦ πρώτου φωτὸς τοῦ κόσμου.

Episkepteon de tǭ entynchanonti ta en tois proterois hēmin eirēmena meta paratheseōs pleionōn paradeigmatōn peri tou ti sēmainetai kata tēn graphēn ek tēs »Kosmos« phōnēs; ou gar eulogon hēgēsamēn palillogein. ouk agnooumen de tina kosmon exeilēphenai tēn ekklēsian monēn, kosmon kosmon tou kosmou, epei kai phōs legetai tou kosmou; »Hymeis gar este, phēsi, to phōs tou kosmou;« kosmos de tou kosmou hē ekklēsia, kosmou autēs ginomenou Christou, tou prōtou phōtos tou kosmou.

The reader should look at what we said earlier, with a number of examples set out, about what is meant in Scripture by the word “world” (κόσμος); for I did not think it reasonable to repeat myself. We are not unaware that some have taken “world” to mean the church alone, as the adornment (κόσμος) of the world, since it is also called the light of the world: “For you are,” he says, “the light of the world.” And the church is the adornment of the world, Christ becoming its adornment, the first light of the world.

Matt 5:14 (quotation, high confidence) · John 8:12 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Some take “world” to mean the church, the adornment of the world, since Christians are called the light of the world.

Origen plays on κόσμος, meaning both "world" and "adornment". The quotation is Matt 5:14.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.301 (Preuschen 4:167; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-301).

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6.302Preuschen 4:167–168

κατανοητέον δὲ εἰ μὴ τοῦ αὐτοῦ κόσμου φῶς εἶναι λέγεται ὁ χριστὸς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ· ἀλλʼ ὅτε μὲν Χριστὸς φῶς τοῦ κόσμου ἐστίν, τάχα τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐστὶ φῶς· ὅτε δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ φῶς τοῦκόσμου, μήποτε τῶν παρακαλουμένων εἰσὶ φῶς, ἑτέρων ὄντων παρὰ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ὥσπερ τῷ Παύλῳ περὶ τούτων εἴρηται ἐν τῷ προοιμίῳ τῆς προτέρας πρὸς Κορινθίους ἐπιστολῆς γράφοντι· »Τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ σὺν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐπικαλου- »μένοις τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ«· ἐάν οὐν τις τοῦ κόσμου φῶς λέγεσθαι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, οἱονεὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ γένους τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῶν ἀπίστων, εἰ μὲν προφητικῶς τοῦτο διὰ τὸν περὶ τέλους λόγον ἐκλήψεται, τάχα ἔχει χώραν τὸ λεγόμενον· εἰ δὲ ὡς ἤδη γινόμενον, ἐπεὶ τὸ φῶς τινος φωτίζει ἐκεῖνο, οὑ ἐστι φῶς, δεικνύτωσαν πῶς τὸ λοιπὸν γένος φωτίζεται ὑπὸ τῆς παρεπιδημούσης τῷ κόσμῳ ἐκκλησίας.

katanoēteon de ei mē tou autou kosmou phōs einai legetai ho christos kai hoi mathētai autou; allʼ hote men Christos phōs tou kosmou estin, tacha tēs ekklēsias esti phōs; hote de hoi mathētai autou phōs toukosmou, mēpote tōn parakaloumenōn eisi phōs, heterōn ontōn para tēn ekklēsian, hōsper tǭ Paulǭ peri toutōn eirētai en tǭ prooimiǭ tēs proteras pros Korinthious epistolēs graphonti; »Tę̄ ekklēsią tou theou syn pasi tois epikalou- »menois to onoma tou kyriou Iēsou Christou«; ean oun tis tou kosmou phōs legesthai tēn ekklēsian, hoionei tou loipou genous tōn anthrōpōn kai tōn apistōn, ei men prophētikōs touto dia ton peri telous logon eklēpsetai, tacha echei chōran to legomenon; ei de hōs ēdē ginomenon, epei to phōs tinos phōtizei ekeino, hou esti phōs, deiknytōsan pōs to loipon genos phōtizetai hypo tēs parepidēmousēs tǭ kosmǭ ekklēsias.

But we must consider whether Christ and his disciples are said to be the light of the same world. When Christ is the light of the world, perhaps he is the light of the church; but when his disciples are the light of the world, perhaps they are the light of those who are called, who are others besides the church, as Paul says of them in the opening of the first letter to the Corinthians, writing, “To the church of God, with all those who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” If, then, someone [takes] the church to be called the light of the world, meaning of the rest of the human race and of unbelievers, if he takes this prophetically, of the end, perhaps what is said has a place; but if as already happening, since the light of something illuminates that of which it is the light, let them show how the rest of the race is illuminated by the church sojourning in the world.

1 Cor 1:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 5:14 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Perhaps Christ is the light of the church and the disciples the light of those who call on him; if the church lights the whole race, that must be shown or referred to the end.

The quotation is 1 Cor 1:2.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misread letter in the digital text; repeated syllables in the digital text): ἐπιστολῆς στολῆς → ἐπιστολῆς; τάχε ἔχει → τάχα ἔχει.

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.302 (Preuschen 4:167–168; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-302).

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6.303Preuschen 4:168

εἰ δὲ τοῦτο δεικνύναι οὐ δύνανται, ἐπιστησάτωσαν μήποτε ὑγιῶς ἐξειλήφαμεν φῶς μὲν εἶναι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, κόσμον δὲ τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους. ἡ δὲ φωνή, κειμένη ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ματθαῖον, τῷ ἐπιμελέστατα ἐρευνῶντι τὰς γραφὰς παραστήσει τὴν διήγησιν· »Ὑμεὶς, γάρ φησιν, ἐστὲ τὸ ἅλα τῆς γῆς«· τάχα τῆς γῆς τῶν λοιπῶν ἀνθρώπων νοουμένων, ὧν ἅλας εἰσὶν οἱ πεπιστευκότες, αἴτιοι τοῦ τηρεῖσθαι τὸν κόσμον διὰ τοῦ πιστεύειν τυγχάνοντες· τότε γὰρ ἡ συντέλεια ἔσται ἐὰν τὸ ἄλα μωρανθῇ« καὶ μηκέτι ᾐ τὸ ἁλίζον καὶ συντηροῦν τὴν γῆν, ἐπεὶ σαφὲς ὅτι ἐὰν πληθυνθῇ ἡ ἀνομία, καὶ ψυγῇ ἡ ἀγάπη ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν σωτῆρα διστακτικὴν προενέγκασθαι περὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ ἐπιδημίᾳ ἑαυτοῦ φωνὴν λέγοντα· »Πλῆν ὁ υἹὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐλθὼν ἆρα εὑρήσει τὴν πίστιν »ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς;«) τότε συντέλεια ἔσται τοῦ πρὸ αἰῶνος.

ei de touto deiknynai ou dynantai, epistēsatōsan mēpote hygiōs exeilēphamen phōs men einai tēn ekklēsian, kosmon de tous epikaloumenous. hē de phōnē, keimenē en tǭ kata Matthaion, tǭ epimelestata ereunōnti tas graphas parastēsei tēn diēgēsin; »Hymeis, gar phēsin, este to hala tēs gēs«; tacha tēs gēs tōn loipōn anthrōpōn nooumenōn, hōn halas eisin hoi pepisteukotes, aitioi tou tēreisthai ton kosmon dia tou pisteuein tynchanontes; tote gar hē synteleia estai ean to ala mōranthę̄« kai mēketi ę̄ to halizon kai syntēroun tēn gēn, epei saphes hoti ean plēthynthę̄ hē anomia, kai psygę̄ hē agapē epi tēs gēs hōs kai auton ton sōtēra distaktikēn proenenkasthai peri tōn en tę̄ epidēmią heautou phōnēn legonta; »Plēn ho huIos tou anthrōpou elthōn ara heurēsei tēn pistin »epi tēs gēs?«) tote synteleia estai tou pro aiōnos.

If they cannot show this, let them consider whether we have not rightly understood the church to be the light, and those who call on the Lord to be the world. The saying found in Matthew will offer the interpretation to one who searches the Scriptures most carefully: “You are,” he says, “the salt of the earth”; perhaps the rest of humankind being understood as the earth, whose salt are the believers, who by believing are the cause of the world's preservation. For the end will come when “the salt loses its savor” and there is no longer what salts and preserves the earth; since it is clear that when lawlessness increases and love grows cold on the earth (so that the Savior himself uttered a doubtful saying about those at his coming: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”), then will be the end of the present age.

Matt 5:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 24:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 18:8 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Believers are the salt of the earth that preserves the world; when that salt loses its savor and love grows cold, the end will come.

The quotations are Matt 5:13 and Luke 18:8; the allusion is Matt 24:12.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (repeated word in the digital text): ἡ δὲ δὲ φωνή → ἡ δὲ φωνή.

Topics: Eschatology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.303 (Preuschen 4:168; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-303).

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6.304Preuschen 4:168

λεγέσθω τοίνυν ἡ ἐκκλησία κόσμος ὅτε ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος φωτίζεται· ἡμεῖς δὲ ζητοῦμεν εἰ κατὰ τὸ »Ἴδε ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν »τοῦ κόσμου« κόσμον νοητέον ὑγιῶς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, περικλειομένου τοῦ αἴρεσθαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν εἰς μόνην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.

legesthō toinyn hē ekklēsia kosmos hote hypo tou sōtēros phōtizetai; hēmeis de zētoumen ei kata to »Ide ho amnos tou theou ho airōn tēn hamartian »tou kosmou« kosmon noēteon hygiōs tēn ekklēsian, perikleiomenou tou airesthai tēn hamartian eis monēn tēn ekklēsian.

Let the church, then, be called the world when it is illuminated by the Savior. But we ask whether in “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” the world is rightly understood as the church, the taking away of sin being confined to the church alone.

John 1:29 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Is the “world” whose sin the Lamb removes only the church?

The quotation is John 1:29.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.304 (Preuschen 4:168; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-304).

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6.305Preuschen 4:168

πῶς γὰρ τὸ ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ ὑπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ μαθητοῦ εἰρημένον περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἱλασμοῦ περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τυγχάνοντος διηγησόμεθα οὕτως ἔχον· Καὶ ἐάν τις ἁμάρτῃ, παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα Ἰησοῦν »Χριστὸν δίκαιον· καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστιν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, οὐ »περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου«; καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῷ Παύλῳ δὲ τούτω νομίζω εἶναι παραπλήσιον οὕτως ἔχον· »Ὅς έστιν σωτὴρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, μάλιστα πιστῶν«.

pōs gar to en tę̄ epistolę̄ hypo tou autou mathētou eirēmenon peri tou sōtēros hilasmou peri tōn hamartiōn tynchanontos diēgēsometha houtōs echon; Kai ean tis hamartę̄, paraklēton echomen pros ton patera Iēsoun »Christon dikaion; kai autos hilasmos estin peri tōn hamartiōn hēmōn, ou »peri tōn hēmeterōn de monon, alla kai peri holou tou kosmou«? kai to para tǭ Paulǭ de toutō nomizō einai paraplēsion houtōs echon; »Hos estin sōtēr pantōn anthrōpōn, malista pistōn«.

For how shall we interpret what was said by the same disciple in the epistle about the Savior being the propitiation for sins, which runs thus: “And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world”? And I think Paul's words are similar to this, which run: “who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.”

1 John 2:1–2 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 4:10 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: 1 John and 1 Timothy show that Christ's atonement extends beyond the church to the whole world.

The quotations are 1 John 2:1–2 and 1 Tim 4:10.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.305 (Preuschen 4:168; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-305).

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6.306Preuschen 4:168

Πάλιν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ὁ Ἡρακλέων γενόμενος χωρὶς πάσης κατασκευῆς καὶ παραθέσεως μαρτυριῶν ἀποφαίνεται ὅτι τὸ μὲν »Ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ« ὡς προφήτης φησὶν ὁ Ἰωάννης, τὸ δὲ »Ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου« ὡς περισσότερον προφήτου. καὶ οἴεται τὸ μὲν πρότερον περὶ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ λέγεσθαι, τὸ δὲ δεύτερον περὶ τοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι, τῷ τὸν ἀμνὸν ατελῆ εἶναι ἐν τῷ τῶν προβάτων γένει,

Palin en tǭ topǭ ho Hērakleōn genomenos chōris pasēs kataskeuēs kai paratheseōs martyriōn apophainetai hoti to men »Amnos tou theou« hōs prophētēs phēsin ho Iōannēs, to de »Ho airōn tēn hamartian tou kosmou« hōs perissoteron prophētou. kai oietai to men proteron peri tou sōmatos autou legesthai, to de deuteron peri tou en tǭ sōmati, tǭ ton amnon atelē einai en tǭ tōn probatōn genei,

Again, Heracleon, coming to this passage, without any argument or citation of testimonies, declares that John says “Lamb of God” as a prophet, but “who takes away the sin of the world” as more than a prophet. And he thinks the former is said about his body, the latter about the one in the body, because the lamb is imperfect in the kind of sheep,

John 1:29 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 11:9 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Heracleon says “Lamb of God” refers to Christ's body and “who takes away sin” to the one dwelling in it, since a lamb is an immature sheep.

Heracleon's words are reported. The allusions are John 1:29 and Matt 11:9.

Extrabiblical texts: Heracleon (Heracleon, Commentary on John (fragments); quotation)

Topics: Heresy, Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.306 (Preuschen 4:168; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-306).

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6.307Preuschen 4:168–169

οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὸ σῶμα παραθέσει τοῦ ἐνοικοῦντος αὐτῷ. τὸ δὲ τέλειον εἰ ἐβούλετο, φησί, τῷ σώματι μαρτυρῆσαι, κριὸν εἶπεν ἂν τὸ μέλλον θύεσθαι. οὐχ ἡγοῦμαι δὲ εἶναι ἀναγκαῖον μετὰ τηλικαύτας γεγενημένας ἐξετάσεις τευταζειν περὶ τὸν τόπον, ἀγωνιζομένους πρὸς τὰ εὐτελῶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἡρακλέωνος εἰρημένα. μόνον δὲ τοῦτο ἐπισημειωτέον, ὅτι ὥσπερ μόγις ἐχώρησεν ὁ κόσμος τὸν κενώσαντα ἑαυτόν, οὕτως ἀμνοῦ καὶ οὐ κριοῦ ἐδεήθη, ἵνα ἀρθῇ αὐτοῦ ἡ ἁμαρτία. * * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * * * * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * * * * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * *

houtō de kai to sōma parathesei tou enoikountos autǭ. to de teleion ei ebouleto, phēsi, tǭ sōmati martyrēsai, krion eipen an to mellon thyesthai. ouch hēgoumai de einai anankaion meta tēlikautas gegenēmenas exetaseis teutazein peri ton topon, agōnizomenous pros ta eutelōs hypo tou Hērakleōnos eirēmena. monon de touto episēmeiōteon, hoti hōsper mogis echōrēsen ho kosmos ton kenōsanta heauton, houtōs amnou kai ou kriou edeēthē, hina arthę̄ autou hē hamartia. * * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * * * * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * * * * * ** * * ** * * ** * * ** * * *

and so also is the body in comparison with the one who dwells in it. “If he had wished,” he says, “to bear witness to the perfection of the body, he would have called what was to be sacrificed a ram.” I do not think it necessary, after such great examinations have been made, to labor over the passage, contending against what Heracleon has said so cheaply. Only this must be noted: just as the world could barely receive the one who emptied himself, so it needed a lamb and not a ram, so that its sin might be taken away. …

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Phil 2:7 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Heracleon claims a ram would have signified a perfect body; Origen replies briefly that the world needed a lamb, not a ram. The text then breaks off.

Heracleon's words are quoted. The manuscript breaks off here; the rest of Book 6 and Books 7–9 are lost. The allusion is Phil 2:7.

Extrabiblical texts: Heracleon (Heracleon, Commentary on John (fragments); quotation)

Topics: Heresy, Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 6.307 (Preuschen 4:168–169; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-6-307).

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Chapter 10

10.1Preuschen 4:169

»Μετὰ τοῦτο κατέβη εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ »καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ καὶ οἱ μαθηταί, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἔμειναν οὐ πολλὰς ἡμέρας. »καὶ ἐγγὺς ἦν τὸ πάσχα τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ἀνέβη εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα † ὁ »Ιησοῦς. καὶ εὑρεν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τοὺς πωλοῦντας βόας καὶ πρόβατα »καὶ περιστερὰς καὶ τοὺς κερματιστὰς καθημένους, καὶ ποιήσας †ὡς »φραγέλλιον ἐκ σχοινίων πάντας ἐξέβαλεν ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τό τε πρόβατα »καὶ τοὺς βόας, καὶ τῶν κολλυβιστῶν ἐξέχεε τὰ κέρματα καὶ τὰς »τραπέζας ἀνέστρεψε, καὶ τοῖς τὰς περιστερὰς πωλοῦσιν εἶπεν· Ἄρατε »ταῦτα ἐντεῦθεν, μὴ ποιεῖτε τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου οἶκον ἐμπορίου. »τότε ἐμνήσθησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι γεγραμμένον ἐστὶν ὅτι Ὁ ζῆλος »τοῦ οἴκου σου καταφάγεταί με. ἀπεκρίθησαν οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ »εἶπαν αὐτῶ· Τί σημεῖον δεικνύεις ἡμῖν, ὅτι ταῦτα ποιεῖς; ἀπεκρίθη »Ἰησοῦς, καὶ εἶπε Λύσατε τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον, καὶ έν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερῶ »αὐτόν. ἀπεκρίθησαν οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι· Τεσσεράκοντα καὶ ἓξ ἔτεσιν »ᾠκοδομήθη ὁ ναὸς οὗτος, καὶ σὺ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερεῖς αὐτόν; »ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἔλεγε περὶ τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ. ὅτε οὐν ἠγέρθη »ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐμνήσθησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι τοῦτο ἔλεγε, καὶ ἐπί- »στευσαν τῇ γραφῇ καὶ τῷ λόγῳ ὃν εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς. ὡς δὲ ᾑν ἐν τοῖς »Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐν τῷ πάσχα ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ, ἐπίστευσαν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐ- »τοῦ Πολλοί, θεωροῦντες αὐτοῦ τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐποίει· αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Ἰη- »σοῦς οὐκ ἐπίστευσεν ἑαυτὸν αὐτοῖς, διὰ τὸ αὐτὸν γινώσκειν πάντας καὶ ὅτι οὐ χρείαν εἶχεν, ἕνα τις μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ ἀνθρώπου, αὐτὸς γὰρ »ἐγίνωσκε τί ἦν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ«. * * * * ἐν αὐτῇ ἀναγεγραμμένοι ἀριθμοὶ κατά τινα ἀναλογίαν ἁρμόζουσαν ἑκάστῳ πράγματι γραφῆς ἠξιώθησαν. ἐξεταστέον δέ, μήποτε μία τῶν βίβλων Μωσέως ἐπιγεγραμμένη Ἀριθμοί ἐξαιρέτως τὸν περὶ ἀριθμῶν τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐξιχνεύειν δυναμένοις διδάσκει λόγον.

»Meta touto katebē eis Kapharnaoum autos kai hē mētēr autou »kai hoi adelphoi kai hoi mathētai, kai ekei emeinan ou pollas hēmeras. »kai engys ēn to pascha tōn Ioudaiōn, kai anebē eis Hierosolyma † ho »Iēsous. kai heuren en tǭ hierǭ tous pōlountas boas kai probata »kai peristeras kai tous kermatistas kathēmenous, kai poiēsas †hōs »phragellion ek schoiniōn pantas exebalen ek tou hierou to te probata »kai tous boas, kai tōn kollybistōn exechee ta kermata kai tas »trapezas anestrepse, kai tois tas peristeras pōlousin eipen; Arate »tauta enteuthen, mē poieite ton oikon tou patros mou oikon emporiou. »tote emnēsthēsan hoi mathētai autou, hoti gegrammenon estin hoti Ho zēlos »tou oikou sou kataphagetai me. apekrithēsan oun hoi Ioudaioi kai »eipan autō; Ti sēmeion deiknyeis hēmin, hoti tauta poieis? apekrithē »Iēsous, kai eipe Lysate ton naon touton, kai en trisin hēmerais egerō »auton. apekrithēsan oun hoi Ioudaioi; Tesserakonta kai hex etesin »ǭkodomēthē ho naos houtos, kai sy en trisin hēmerais egereis auton? »ekeinos de elege peri tou naou tou sōmatos autou. hote oun ēgerthē »ek nekrōn, emnēsthēsan hoi mathētai autou hoti touto elege, kai epi- »steusan tę̄ graphę̄ kai tǭ logǭ hon eipen ho Iēsous. hōs de hę̄n en tois »Hierosolymois en tǭ pascha en tę̄ heortę̄, episteusan eis to onoma au- »tou Polloi, theōrountes autou ta sēmeia ha epoiei; autos de ho Iē- »sous ouk episteusen heauton autois, dia to auton ginōskein pantas kai hoti ou chreian eichen, hena tis martyrēsę̄ peri anthrōpou, autos gar »eginōske ti ēn en tǭ anthrōpǭ«. * * * * en autę̄ anagegrammenoi arithmoi kata tina analogian harmozousan hekastǭ pragmati graphēs ēxiōthēsan. exetasteon de, mēpote mia tōn biblōn Mōseōs epigegrammenē Arithmoi exairetōs ton peri arithmōn tois ta toiauta exichneuein dynamenois didaskei logon.

[John 2:12–25:] “After this he went down to Capernaum, he and his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there not many days. And the Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And he found in the temple those selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers sitting there; and having made a kind of whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen, and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables; and to those selling doves he said, Take these things away from here; do not make my Father's house a house of trade. Then his disciples remembered that it is written, Zeal for your house will consume me. The Jews then answered and said to him, What sign do you show us, since you do these things? Jesus answered and said, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. The Jews then answered, This temple was built in forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days? But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, at the feast, many believed in his name, seeing the signs that he was doing. But Jesus himself did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and had no need that anyone bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” … the numbers recorded in it were deemed worthy [of a place] in Scripture according to some proportion fitting to each matter. It must be examined whether one of the books of Moses, entitled Numbers, teaches in a special way the account of numbers to those able to track down such things.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

John 2:12–25 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 69:9 (68:10 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Book 10 opens with John 2:12–25; after a gap, Origen remarks that numbers in Scripture have meaning, as the book of Numbers suggests.

The lemma is John 2:12–25 (the text is marked corrupt at two daggers but follows the Gospel). A gap in the manuscript follows the lemma; the first words of Origen's comment are lost.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misspelling in the digital text; repeated word in the digital text): »αὐτόν. αὐτόν. → »αὐτόν.; ἑαυτυὸν → ἑαυτὸν.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.1 (Preuschen 4:169; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-1).

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10.2Preuschen 4:171

Ταῦτα δέ μοι ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ δεκάτου τόμου λέγεται πρὸς σέ, πολλαχοῦ ὁρῶντι τῆς γραφῆς διαφερούσης προνομίας τετευχότα τὸν δέκα ἀριθμόν, ὡς ἔνεστι καὶ σοὶ ἐπιμελῶς κατανοεῖν, ἐλπίζοντί τε λήψεσθαι ἀπὸ θεοῦ πλέον τι καὶ εἰς τοῦτον τὸν τόμον· ὅπερ ἴνα ὑπαρχθῇ κατὰ δύναμιν ἐμπαρέχειν ἑαυτοὺς τῷ δωρεῖσθαι τὰ κάλλιστα βουλομένῳ θεῷ πειρώμεθα.

Tauta de moi en archę̄ tou dekatou tomou legetai pros se, pollachou horōnti tēs graphēs diapherousēs pronomias teteuchota ton deka arithmon, hōs enesti kai soi epimelōs katanoein, elpizonti te lēpsesthai apo theou pleon ti kai eis touton ton tomon; hoper ina hyparchthę̄ kata dynamin emparechein heautous tǭ dōreisthai ta kallista boulomenǭ theǭ peirōmetha.

I say this to you at the beginning of the tenth volume, since you see that in many places of Scripture the number ten has obtained a special privilege, as you too can carefully consider, and since you hope to receive something more from God for this volume as well. That this may come about, let us try as far as we can to offer ourselves to God, who wishes to give the best gifts.

Jas 1:17 (echo, low confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Origen tells his patron that the number ten is privileged in Scripture and prays that God will bless this tenth volume.

The addressee is Ambrose, Origen's patron. The allusion is Jas 1:17.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misread letter in the digital text): τὸν σέκα ἀριθμόν → τὸν δέκα ἀριθμόν.

Topics: Prayer

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.2 (Preuschen 4:171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-2).

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10.3Preuschen 4:171

Ἀρκτέον δὲ τοῦ βιβλίου ἐντεῦθεν· »Μετὰ τοῦτο κατέβη εἰς κα- »φαρναοὺμ αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ καὶ οἱ μαθηταί, καὶ ἐκεῖ † ἔμεινεν οὐ πολλὰς ἡμέρας καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ τρεῖς γράψαντες τὰ εὐαγγέλια μετὰ τὸν πρὸς τὸν διάβολον ἀγῶνα τοῦ κυρίου εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν φασὶν αὐτὸν ἀνακεχωρηκέναι.

Arkteon de tou bibliou enteuthen; »Meta touto katebē eis ka- »pharnaoum autos kai hē mētēr autou kai hoi adelphoi kai hoi mathētai, kai ekei † emeinen ou pollas hēmeras kai hoi loipoi treis grapsantes ta euangelia meta ton pros ton diabolon agōna tou kyriou eis tēn Galilaian phasin auton anakechōrēkenai.

We must begin the book from this: “After this he went down to Capernaum, he and his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and he stayed there not many days.” The other three who wrote the Gospels say that after the Lord's contest with the devil he withdrew into Galilee.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

John 2:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 1:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 4:14 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: John says Jesus went down to Capernaum; the other Gospels say he withdrew to Galilee after the temptation.

The text is corrupt at the dagger. The quotation is John 2:12; the allusions are Matt 4:12, Mark 1:14, and Luke 4:14.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.3 (Preuschen 4:171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-3).

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10.4Preuschen 4:171

Ματθαῖος δὲ καὶ Λουκᾶς πρότερον γενόμενον ἐν Ναζάροις μετὰ ταῦτα καταλελοιπότα αὐτὰ ἐλθόντα κατῳκηκέναι εἰς Καφαρναούμ. ὁ δὲ Ματθαῖος καὶ Μάρκος καὶ αἰτίαν τινὰ λέγουσι τοῦ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν ἀνακεχωρηκέναι τὸ ἀκηκοέναι, ὅτι Ἰωάννης παρεδόθη.

Matthaios de kai Loukas proteron genomenon en Nazarois meta tauta kataleloipota auta elthonta katǭkēkenai eis Kapharnaoum. ho de Matthaios kai Markos kai aitian tina legousi tou auton ekeithen anakechōrēkenai to akēkoenai, hoti Iōannēs paredothē.

Matthew and Luke say that he was first in Nazareth and afterwards left it and came and settled in Capernaum. And Matthew and Mark also give a reason for his withdrawing from there: that he had heard that John had been handed over.

Matt 4:12–13 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 4:31 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 1:14 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Matthew and Luke say Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum; Matthew and Mark connect this with John's arrest.

The allusions are Matt 4:12–13, Luke 4:16, 31, and Mark 1:14.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misread letter in the digital text): παρεδόδη → παρεδόθη.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.4 (Preuschen 4:171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-4).

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10.5Preuschen 4:171

Ἔχει δὲ οὕτως τὰ ῥητὰ τοῦ μὲν Ματθαίου· »Τότε ἀφίησιν »αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄγγελοι προσῆλθον καὶ διηκόνουν αὐτῷ. »ἀκούσας δὲ ὅτι Ἰωάννης παρεδόθη, ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν καὶ καταλιπὼν τὴν † Ναζαρὲθ ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ τὴν »παραθαλασσίαν, έν ὁρίοις Ζαβουλὼν καὶ Νεφθαλείμ. ἴνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ Ἡσαϊου τοῦ προφήτου, λέγοντος· Γὴ Ζαβουλών«· καὶ μετὰ τὰ ἐν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ ῥητὰ λέγει· »Ἀπὸ τότε ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς κη- ρύσσειν καὶ λέγειν· Τι Μετανοεῖτε, ἤγγικε † γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν‘.

Echei de houtōs ta rhēta tou men Matthaiou; »Tote aphiēsin »auton ho diabolos, kai idou angeloi prosēlthon kai diēkonoun autǭ. »akousas de hoti Iōannēs paredothē, anechōrēsen eis tēn Galilaian kai katalipōn tēn † Nazareth elthōn katǭkēsen eis Kapharnaoum tēn »parathalassian, en horiois Zaboulōn kai Nephthaleim. ina plērōthę̄ to rhēthen dia Hēsaïou tou prophētou, legontos; Gē Zaboulōn«; kai meta ta en tǭ Hēsaïą rhēta legei; »Apo tote ērxato ho Iēsous kē- ryssein kai legein; Ti Metanoeite, ēngike † gar hē basileia tōn ouranōn‘.

The words of Matthew run thus: “Then the devil leaves him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him. Now when he heard that John had been handed over, he withdrew into Galilee, and leaving Nazareth he came and settled in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, Land of Zebulun.” And after the words in Isaiah he says: “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.”

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Matt 4:11–15 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:17 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Matthew's account: after the temptation and John's arrest, Jesus moved to Capernaum and began to preach repentance.

The quotations are Matt 4:11–15 and 4:17 (the daggers mark small corruptions).

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.5 (Preuschen 4:171; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-5).

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10.6Preuschen 4:171–172

ὁ δὲ Μάρκος Καὶ ἦν«, φησίν, »ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τεσσερά- »κοντα ἡμέρας πειραζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ καὶ ἠν μετὰ τῶν θηρίων »καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι διηκόνουν αὐτῷ. μετὰ δὲ τὸ παραδοθῆναι τὸν Ἰωάν- »νην ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν κηρύσσων τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ »θεοῦ, ὄτι Πεπλήρωται ὁ καιρὸς καὶ ἤγγεικεν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ·

ho de Markos Kai ēn«, phēsin, »en tę̄ erēmǭ tessera- »konta hēmeras peirazomenos hypo tou Satana kai ēn meta tōn thēriōn »kai hoi angeloi diēkonoun autǭ. meta de to paradothēnai ton Iōan- »nēn ēlthen ho Iēsous eis tēn Galilaian kēryssōn to euangelion tou »theou, oti Peplērōtai ho kairos kai ēngeiken hē basileia tou theou;

And Mark says: “And he was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. After John was handed over, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of God, saying, The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has drawn near;

Mark 1:13–15 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Mark's account of the temptation and the start of Jesus' preaching in Galilee.

The quotation is Mark 1:13–15.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.6 (Preuschen 4:171–172; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-6).

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10.7Preuschen 4:172

»μετανοεῖτε καὶ πιστεύετε τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ«. ἔπειτα διηγησάμενος καὶ περὶ Ἀνδρέου καὶ Πέτρου, Ἰακώβου τε καὶ Ἰωάννου, ἀναγράφει ταῦτα· »Καὶ εἰσπορευόμενος εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ καὶ εὐθέως τοῖς σάββασιν ἐδί- »δασκεν εἰς τὴν συναγωγήν«.

»metanoeite kai pisteuete tǭ euangeliǭ«. epeita diēgēsamenos kai peri Andreou kai Petrou, Iakōbou te kai Iōannou, anagraphei tauta; »Kai eisporeuomenos eis Kapharnaoum kai eutheōs tois sabbasin edi- »dasken eis tēn synagōgēn«.

repent and believe in the gospel.” Then, having narrated also about Andrew and Peter, James and John, he records this: “And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the sabbath he taught in the synagogue.”

Mark 1:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Mark 1:21 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Mark then tells of the first disciples and Jesus teaching in Capernaum's synagogue.

The quotations are Mark 1:15 and 1:21.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.7 (Preuschen 4:172; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-7).

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10.8Preuschen 4:172

ὁ δὲ Λουκᾶς· Καὶ συντελέσας, φησί, τὸν πειρασμὸν ὁ διάβολος ἀπέστη ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ ἄχρι καιροῦ. καὶ ὑπέ- »στρεψεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς έν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ πνεύματος εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν. καὶ φήμη ἐξῆλθεν καθʼ ὅλης τῆς περιχώρου περὶ αὐτοῦ. καὶ αὐτὸς »ἐδίδασκεν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς αὐτῶν δοξαζόμενος ὑπὸ πάντων. καὶ »ἦλθεν εἰς Ναζαρά, οὗ ἦν τεθραμμένος, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς »αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ

ho de Loukas; Kai syntelesas, phēsi, ton peirasmon ho diabolos apestē apʼ autou achri kairou. kai hype- »strepsen ho Iēsous en tę̄ dynamei tou pneumatos eis tēn Galilaian. kai phēmē exēlthen kathʼ holēs tēs perichōrou peri autou. kai autos »edidasken en tais synagōgais autōn doxazomenos hypo pantōn. kai »ēlthen eis Nazara, hou ēn tethrammenos, kai eisēlthen kata to eiōthos »autǭ en tę̄

And Luke says: “And having finished every temptation, the devil departed from him until an opportune time. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding region. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and he went in, as was his custom, on the

Luke 4:13–16 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Luke's account: after the temptation Jesus returned to Galilee and came to Nazareth.

The quotation is Luke 4:13–16.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misspelling in the digital text): ἐδίδδασκεν → ἐδίδασκεν.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.8 (Preuschen 4:172; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-8).

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10.9Preuschen 4:172

ἡμέρᾳ τῶν σαββάτων εἰς τὴν συναγωγήν( παραστήσας δὲ τὰ ἐν Ναζροῖς αὐτῷ εἰρημένα, καὶ τὸν κατʼ αὐτοῦ θυμὸν τῶν ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ, ἐκβαλλόντων »αὐτὸν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως« καὶ ἀγαγόντων »ἕως ὀφρύος τοῦ ὄρους, ἐφʼ οὗ ἡ πόλις αὐτῶν ᾠκοδόμητο, ὥστε »κατακρημνίσαι αὐτόν« καὶ ὡς »διελθὼν διὰ μέσου αὐτῶν« ὁ κύριος »ἐπορεύετο«, ἐπισυνάπτει ταῦτα· »Καὶ κατῆλθεν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ »πόλιν τῆς Γαλιλαίας καὶ ἦν διδάσκων αὐτοὺς έν τοῖς σάββασιν«.

hēmerą tōn sabbatōn eis tēn synagōgēn( parastēsas de ta en Nazrois autǭ eirēmena, kai ton katʼ autou thymon tōn en tę̄ synagōgę̄, ekballontōn »auton exō tēs poleōs« kai agagontōn »heōs ophryos tou orous, ephʼ hou hē polis autōn ǭkodomēto, hōste »katakrēmnisai auton« kai hōs »dielthōn dia mesou autōn« ho kyrios »eporeueto«, episynaptei tauta; »Kai katēlthen eis Kapharnaoum »polin tēs Galilaias kai ēn didaskōn autous en tois sabbasin«.

sabbath day into the synagogue.” And having set out what was said by him in Nazareth, and the anger against him of those in the synagogue, who drove “him out of the city” and led him “to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, to throw him down,” and how the Lord, “passing through the midst of them, went away,” he adds this: “And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the sabbaths.”

Luke 4:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 4:29–31 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Luke tells of the rejection at Nazareth and Jesus going down to Capernaum.

The quotations are Luke 4:16, 29–31.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misspelling in the digital text): »αὐητὸν → »αὐτὸν.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.9 (Preuschen 4:172; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-9).

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10.10Preuschen 4:172

* * * <Παραστατέον δὲ> τὴν περὶ τούτων ἀλήθειαν ἀποκεῖ σθαι ἐν τοῖς νοητοῖς, <διὰ τὸ πολλοὺς> μὴ λυομένης τῆς διαφωνίας ἀφεῖσθαι τῆς περὶ τῶν εὐαγγελίων πίστεως, ὡς οὐκ ἀληθῶν οὐδὲ θειοτέρῳ πνεύματι γεγραμμένων ἢ ἐπιτετευγμένως ἀπομνημονευθέντων· ἑκατέρως γὰρ λέγετᾳι συντετάχθαι ἡ τούτων γραφή. λεγέτωσαν γὰρ ἡμῖν οἱ παραδεχόμενοι τὰ τέσσαρα εὐαγγέλια, καὶ τὴν δοκοῦσαν διαφωνίαν οἰόμενοι μὴ λύεσθαι διὰ τῆς ἀναγωγῆς πρὸς ταῖς προειρημέναις ἡμῖν ἐπαπορήσεσιν περὶ τῶν τεσσεράκοντα τοῦ πειρασμοῦ ἡμερῶν οὐδαμῶς δυναμένων χώραν ἔχειν παρὰ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ, πότε γέγονεν έν τῇ Καφαρναοὺμ ὁ κύριος· εἰ γὰρ μετὰ τὰς ἕξ τοῦ ὅτε ἐβαπτίσθη ἡμέρας, τῇ ἕκτῃ γενομένης τῆς κατὰ τὸν ἐν Κανᾷ τῆς Γαλιλαίας γάμον οἰκονομίας, δῆλον ὅτι οὔτε πεπείρασται οὔτε ἐν Ναζαροῖς ἐγένετο οὔτε Ἰωάννης πω παρεδέδοτο.

* * * <Parastateon de> tēn peri toutōn alētheian apokei sthai en tois noētois, <dia to pollous> mē lyomenēs tēs diaphōnias apheisthai tēs peri tōn euangeliōn pisteōs, hōs ouk alēthōn oude theioterǭ pneumati gegrammenōn ē epiteteugmenōs apomnēmoneuthentōn; hekaterōs gar legetąi syntetachthai hē toutōn graphē. legetōsan gar hēmin hoi paradechomenoi ta tessara euangelia, kai tēn dokousan diaphōnian oiomenoi mē lyesthai dia tēs anagōgēs pros tais proeirēmenais hēmin epaporēsesin peri tōn tesserakonta tou peirasmou hēmerōn oudamōs dynamenōn chōran echein para tǭ Iōannę̄, pote gegonen en tę̄ Kapharnaoum ho kyrios; ei gar meta tas hex tou hote ebaptisthē hēmeras, tę̄ hektę̄ genomenēs tēs kata ton en Kaną tēs Galilaias gamon oikonomias, dēlon hoti oute pepeirastai oute en Nazarois egeneto oute Iōannēs pō parededoto.

… [We must show] that the truth about these things lies in the spiritual meanings, [because many], if the discord is not resolved, give up faith in the Gospels as not true, nor written by a more divine Spirit, nor successfully recorded from memory; for the writing of them is said to have been composed in both ways. Let those who accept the four Gospels, and think that the apparent discord is not resolved by the higher sense, tell us, in addition to the difficulties we raised earlier about the forty days of the temptation, which can find no place at all in John, when the Lord was in Capernaum. For if it was after the six days from when he was baptized, the dispensation of the wedding in Cana of Galilee taking place on the sixth, it is clear that he had not been tempted, nor been in Nazareth, nor had John yet been handed over.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

John 2:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 4:1–2 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Apparent contradictions between the Gospels must be resolved spiritually, or people lose faith; John's chronology leaves no room for the forty days of temptation.

The words in angle brackets are the modern editor's supplements to a gap; the leaked chapter numeral ("III") has been removed. The allusion is John 2:1.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (editor's apparatus leaked into the digital text; misspelling in the digital text): ΙΙΙ. * * * → * * *; ἀπομνγμονευθέντῶν → ἀπομνημονευθέντων.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.10 (Preuschen 4:172; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-10).

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10.11Preuschen 4:172–173

μετὰ οὐν τὴν Κα- φαρναούμ, ἔνθα ἔμεινεν οὐ πολλὰς ἡμέρας, τοῦ πάσχα τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐγγὺς ὄντος ἀνέβη εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, ὅτε ἐκβάλλει ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ τά τε πρόβατα καὶ τοὺς βόας, καὶ ἑκχέει τῶν κερματιστῶν τὰ κέρματα.

meta oun tēn Ka- pharnaoum, entha emeinen ou pollas hēmeras, tou pascha tōn Ioudaiōn engys ontos anebē eis Hierosolyma, hote ekballei ek tou hierou ta te probata kai tous boas, kai hekcheei tōn kermatistōn ta kermata.

After Capernaum, then, where he stayed not many days, when the Passover of the Jews was near he went up to Jerusalem, when he drives the sheep and the oxen out of the temple and pours out the coins of the money-changers.

John 2:12–15 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: In John, Jesus went from Capernaum to Jerusalem for Passover and cleansed the temple.

The allusions are John 2:12–15.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (missing letter in the digital text): Ἱερσόλυμα → Ἱεροσόλυμα.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.11 (Preuschen 4:172–173; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-11).

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10.12Preuschen 4:173

ἔοικεν δὲ ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ὁ τῶν Φαρισαίων ἄρχων Νικόδημος νυκτὸς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐληλυθέναι, καὶ ἀκηκοέναι ταῦτα ἃ ἔξεστιν ἐκ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου λαβεῖν. »Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἠλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν γῆν, καὶ ἐκεῖ διέτριβεν μετʼ αὐ- τῶν καὶ ἐβάπτιζεν· καθʼ ὃν καιρὸν ἦν καὶ Ἰωάννης βαπτίζων ἐν »Αἰνὼν ἐγγὺς τοῦ Σαλίμ, ὅτι ὕδατα πολλὰ ἦν ἐκεῖ, καὶ παρεγίνοντο καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο· οὔπω γὰρ ἦν βεβλημένος εἰς τὴν φυλακὴν ὁ Ἰωάν· »νης«· ὅτε καὶ ἐγένετο ζήτησις ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν Ἱωάννου μετὰ Ἰουδαίων περὶ καθαρισμοῦ, καὶ ἠλθον πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην‘, λέγοντες περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος τὸ » Ἴδε οὗτος βαπτίζει καὶ πάντες ἔρχονται πρὸς αὐτόν‘· ἀκηκόασιν ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ λόγους, οὓς ἔστιν ἀπʼ αὐτῆς τῆς γραφῆς ἀκριβέστερον λαβεῖν.

eoiken de en tois Hierosolymois ho tōn Pharisaiōn archōn Nikodēmos nyktos pros auton elēlythenai, kai akēkoenai tauta ha exestin ek tou euangeliou labein. »Meta de tauta ēlthen ho Iēsous kai hoi mathētai autou eis tēn Ioudaian gēn, kai ekei dietriben metʼ au- tōn kai ebaptizen; kathʼ hon kairon ēn kai Iōannēs baptizōn en »Ainōn engys tou Salim, hoti hydata polla ēn ekei, kai pareginonto kai ebaptizonto; oupō gar ēn beblēmenos eis tēn phylakēn ho Iōan; »nēs«; hote kai egeneto zētēsis ek tōn mathētōn Hiōannou meta Ioudaiōn peri katharismou, kai ēlthon pros ton Iōannēn‘, legontes peri tou sōtēros to » Ide houtos baptizei kai pantes erchontai pros auton‘; akēkoasin apo tou baptistou logous, hous estin apʼ autēs tēs graphēs akribesteron labein.

And it seems that in Jerusalem Nicodemus, the ruler of the Pharisees, came to him by night and heard what can be learned from the Gospel. “After these things Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judea, and he stayed there with them and baptized. At that time John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there, and people came and were baptized; for John had not yet been thrown into prison.” Then also a dispute arose between John's disciples and the Jews about purification, and they came to John, saying of the Savior, “Behold, he is baptizing, and all are coming to him”; and they heard from the Baptist words that can be learned more exactly from the Scripture itself.

John 3:1–2 (allusion, high confidence) · John 3:22–24 (quotation, high confidence) · John 3:25–26 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: John's Gospel then tells of Nicodemus, Jesus baptizing in Judea while John still baptized at Aenon, and John's disciples' question.

The quotations are John 3:22–24 and 3:26; the allusions are John 3:1–2 and 3:25.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (a repeated word with a stray bracket in the digital text): πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀρχῶν] ἐληλυθέναι → πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐληλυθέναι.

Topics: Scripture and canon, Baptism

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.12 (Preuschen 4:173; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-12).

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10.13Preuschen 4:173

εἰ δὲ πυνθανομένοις ἡμῖν περὶ τοῦ πότε γέγονε πρῶτον ἐν τῇ Καφαρναοὺμ ὁ χριστός, τῇ λέξει Ματθαίου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν δύο ἀκολουθοῦντες φήσουσιν μετὰ τὸν πειρασμόν, ὅτε καταλιπὼν τὴν Ναζαρὲθ ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμ τὴν παραθαλασσίαν, πῶς ἅμα ἀληθῆ εἶναι ἐροῦσιν τό τε παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ καὶ Μαρκῳ εἰρημένον, ὡς διὰ τὸ ἀκηκοέναι αὐτὸν περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου παραδοθέντος εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν ἀναχωρήσαντος, καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῷ Ἰωάννῃ μετὰ καὶ ἄλλας οἰκονομίας πρὸς τῇ ἐν Καφαρναοὺμ μονῇ κείμενον, καὶ τὴν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἄνοδον, τήν τε εἰς Ιουδαίαν ἐκεῖθεν κάθοδον, ὅτε οὔπω βεβλημένος ἦν εἰς φυλακὴν ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἀλλʼ ἐβάπτιζεν ἐν Αἰνὼν ἐγγὺς τοῦ Σαλίμ;

ei de pynthanomenois hēmin peri tou pote gegone prōton en tę̄ Kapharnaoum ho christos, tę̄ lexei Matthaiou kai tōn loipōn dyo akolouthountes phēsousin meta ton peirasmon, hote katalipōn tēn Nazareth elthōn katǭkēsen eis Kapharnaoum tēn parathalassian, pōs hama alēthē einai erousin to te para tǭ Matthaiǭ kai Markǭ eirēmenon, hōs dia to akēkoenai auton peri tou Iōannou paradothentos eis tēn Galilaian anachōrēsantos, kai to para tǭ Iōannę̄ meta kai allas oikonomias pros tę̄ en Kapharnaoum monę̄ keimenon, kai tēn eis Hierosolyma anodon, tēn te eis Ioudaian ekeithen kathodon, hote oupō beblēmenos ēn eis phylakēn ho Iōannēs, allʼ ebaptizen en Ainōn engys tou Salim?

If, when we ask when Christ was first in Capernaum, they follow the wording of Matthew and the other two and say it was after the temptation, when, leaving Nazareth, he came and settled in Capernaum by the sea, how will they say that both are true: what Matthew and Mark say, that he withdrew into Galilee because he had heard that John was handed over, and what John records, after other dispensations besides the stay in Capernaum, the going up to Jerusalem and the going down from there into Judea, when John had not yet been thrown into prison but was baptizing at Aenon near Salim?

Matt 4:12–13 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 1:14 (allusion, high confidence) · John 3:23–24 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Matthew and Mark place the move to Galilee after John's arrest, but John has much happening before John was imprisoned: both cannot be literally true.

The allusions are Matt 4:12–13, Mark 1:14, and John 3:23–24.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misspelling in the digital text; wrong breathing and accent in the digital text): πῶς ἕμα ἀληθῆ → πῶς ἅμα ἀληθῆ; αναχωρήαντος → ἀναχωρήσαντος.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.13 (Preuschen 4:173; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-13).

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10.14Preuschen 4:173

καὶ ἐπὶ ἄλλων δὲ πλειόνων εἵ τις ἐπιμελῶς ἐξετάζοι τὰ εὐαγγέλια περὶ τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀσυμφωνίας, ἥντινα καθʼ ἔκαστον πειρασόμεθα κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν παραστῆσαι, σκοτοδεινιάσας ἤτοι ἀποστήσεται τοῦ κυροῦν ὡς ἀληθῶς τὰ εὐαγγέλια, καὶ ἀποκληρωτικῶς ἑνὶ αὐτῶν προσθήσεται, μὴ τολμῶν πάντη ἀθετεῖν τὴν περὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν πίστιν, ἢ προσιέμενος τὰ τέσσαρα εἶναι <ἐρεῖ τʼ> ἀληθὲς αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐν τοῖς σωματικοῖς χαρακτῆρσιν.

kai epi allōn de pleionōn hei tis epimelōs exetazoi ta euangelia peri tēs kata tēn historian asymphōnias, hēntina kathʼ ekaston peirasometha kata to dynaton parastēsai, skotodeiniasas ētoi apostēsetai tou kyroun hōs alēthōs ta euangelia, kai apoklērōtikōs heni autōn prosthēsetai, mē tolmōn pantē athetein tēn peri tou kyriou hēmōn pistin, ē prosiemenos ta tessara einai <erei tʼ> alēthes autōn ouk en tois sōmatikois charaktērsin.

And in many other cases, if anyone carefully examines the Gospels concerning their disagreement in the history, which we shall try to set forth case by case as far as possible, he will grow dizzy and either give up confirming the Gospels as truly true and attach himself at random to one of them, not daring to reject wholly faith in our Lord, or, accepting the four, he will say that their truth is not in the bodily characters.

Notes and citation

Summary: Faced with the Gospels' discrepancies, one must either pick one Gospel arbitrarily or hold that their truth lies beyond the literal level.

The words in angle brackets ("will say") are the modern editor's supplement.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.14 (Preuschen 4:173; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-14).

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10.15Preuschen 4:173–174

Ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ ποσὴν ἐπίνοιαν τοῦ βουλήματος τῶν εὐαγ- γελίων περὶ τῶν τοιούτων λαβεῖν, καὶ τοῦτο ἡμῖν λεκτέον. ἔστω τισὶ προκείμενον βλέπουσι τῷ πνεύματι τὸν θεὸν καὶ τοὺς τούτου πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους λόγους, τήν τε παρουσίαν, ἣν πάρεστιν αὐτοῖς ἐξαιρέτοις καιροῖς τῆς προκοπῆς αὐτῶν ἐπιφαινόμενος, πλέοσιν οὖσιν τὸν ἀριθμὸν καὶ ἐν διαφόροις τόποις, οὐχ ὁμοεδεῖς τε πάντη εὐεργεσίας εὐεργετουμένοις, ἑκάστῳ ἰδίᾳ ἀπαγγεῖλαι ἃ βλέπει τῷ πνεύματι περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ, τῶν τε πρὸς τοὺς ἀγίους ἐμφανειῶν, ὥστε τόνδε μὲν περὶ τῶνδε τῷδε τῲ δικαίῳ κατὰ τόνδε τὸν τόπον λεγομένων ὑπὸ θεοῦ καὶ πραττομένων ἀπαγγέλλειν, τόνδε δὲ περὶ τῶν ἑτέρῳ χρησμῳδουμένων καὶ ἐπιτελουμένων, καὶ ἄλλον περί τινος τρίτου παρὰ τοὺς προειρημένους δύο θέλειν ἡμᾶς διδάσκειν· ἔστω δέ τις καὶ τέταρτος τὸ ἀνάλογον τοῖς τρισὶν περί τινος ποιῶν· συμφερέσθωσαν δὲ οἱ τέσσαρες οὑτοι περί τινων ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῖς ὑποβαλλομένων ἀλλήλοις, καὶ περὶ ετέρων ἐν ὀλίγῳ παραλλαττέτωσαν, ὥστε εἶναι τοιαύτας αὐτῶν τὰς διηγήσεις· ὤφθη ὁ θεὸς τῷδε κατὰ τόνδε τὸν καιρὸν ἐν τῷ τῷ τόπῳ, καὶ τάδε αὐτῷ πεποίηκεν οὑτωσί, αὐτῷ ἐπιφαινόμενος τοιῷδε τῷ σχήματι, καὶ ἐχειραγώγησεν εἰς τόνδε τὸν τόπον, ἔνθα πεποίηκεν τάδε.

Hyper de tou posēn epinoian tou boulēmatos tōn euag- geliōn peri tōn toioutōn labein, kai touto hēmin lekteon. estō tisi prokeimenon blepousi tǭ pneumati ton theon kai tous toutou pros tous hagious logous, tēn te parousian, hēn parestin autois exairetois kairois tēs prokopēs autōn epiphainomenos, pleosin ousin ton arithmon kai en diaphorois topois, ouch homoedeis te pantē euergesias euergetoumenois, hekastǭ idią apangeilai ha blepei tǭ pneumati peri tou theou kai tōn logōn autou, tōn te pros tous agious emphaneiōn, hōste tonde men peri tōnde tǭde tǭ dikaiǭ kata tonde ton topon legomenōn hypo theou kai prattomenōn apangellein, tonde de peri tōn heterǭ chrēsmǭdoumenōn kai epiteloumenōn, kai allon peri tinos tritou para tous proeirēmenous dyo thelein hēmas didaskein; estō de tis kai tetartos to analogon tois trisin peri tinos poiōn; sympheresthōsan de hoi tessares houtoi peri tinōn hypo tou pneumatos autois hypoballomenōn allēlois, kai peri eterōn en oligǭ parallattetōsan, hōste einai toiautas autōn tas diēgēseis; ōphthē ho theos tǭde kata tonde ton kairon en tǭ tǭ topǭ, kai tade autǭ pepoiēken houtōsi, autǭ epiphainomenos toiǭde tǭ schēmati, kai echeiragōgēsen eis tonde ton topon, entha pepoiēken tade.

To gain some notion of the intention of the Gospels in such matters, this also must be said. Suppose that some persons see God in the Spirit, and his words to the saints, and the presence by which he is present to them, appearing at special times of their progress; that they are several in number and in different places, and benefited with benefits not altogether of the same kind; and that each is to report separately what he sees in the Spirit about God and his words and his appearances to the saints: so that one reports about these things said and done by God to this righteous man in this place, another about what was declared by oracle and performed for another, and a third wishes to teach us about someone other than the two already mentioned; and let there be also a fourth, doing the same regarding someone. Let these four agree with one another about some things suggested to them by the Spirit, and differ slightly about others, so that their narratives are like this: God appeared to this man at this time in this place, and did these things to him in this way, appearing to him in such a form, and led him by the hand to this place, where he did these things.

Notes and citation

Summary: Origen offers an analogy: imagine four seers each reporting God's appearances to different saints, agreeing in some points and differing in others.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (missing accent in the digital text): ἀπαγγελλειν → ἀπαγγέλλειν.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.15 (Preuschen 4:173–174; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-15).

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10.16Preuschen 4:174

ὁ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν τοῖς εἰρημένοις γεγονέναι παρὰ τῷ προτέρῳ χρόνον ἔν τινι πόλει ἀπαγγελλέτω τὸν θεὸν ὦφθαι, ᾡ καὶ αὐτὸς νοεῖ, τινὶ δευτέρῳ ὄντι ἐν πολὺ ἀπεσχοινισμένᾳ τόπῳ παρὰ τὸν τόπον τὸν τοῦ προτέρου, καὶ ἑτέρους λόγους ἀναγραφέτω κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν εἰρὴσθαι ᾡ κατὰ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν εἰλήφαμεν δευτέρῳ. τὰ δὲ παραπλήσια περὶ τοῦ τρίτου καὶ τοῦ τετάρτου νοητέον.

ho kata ton auton tois eirēmenois gegonenai para tǭ proterǭ chronon en tini polei apangelletō ton theon ōphthai, hǭ kai autos noei, tini deuterǭ onti en poly apeschoinismeną topǭ para ton topon ton tou proterou, kai heterous logous anagraphetō kata ton auton kairon eirēsthai hǭ kata tēn hypothesin eilēphamen deuterǭ. ta de paraplēsia peri tou tritou kai tou tetartou noēteon.

Let the second report that at the same time as the events said to have happened to the first, God was seen in a certain city, as he himself understands, by a second person who is in a place far separated from the place of the first, and let him record other words spoken at the same time to the one we have supposed to be the second. And similar things must be understood about the third and the fourth.

Notes and citation

Summary: In the analogy, the second seer reports God appearing at the same time to someone far away, saying other things.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.16 (Preuschen 4:174; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-16).

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10.17Preuschen 4:174–175

συμφερέσθωσαν δέ, ὡς προειρήκαμεν, οὗτοι τὰ ἀληθῆ ἀπαγγέλλοντες περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν πρός τινας εὐεργεσιῶν αὐτοῦ ἀλλήλοις ἐπί τινων ἀπαγγελλομένων ὑπʼ αὐτῶν διηγήσεων. δόξει τοίνυν τῷ ἱστορίαν εἶναι νομίζοντι τὴν τούτων γραφήν, ἣ διὰ εἰκόνος ἱστορικῆς πρόσθοιτʼ ἂν παραστῆσαι τὰ πράγματα, καὶ τὸν θεὸν ὑπολαμβάνοντι κατὰ περιγραφὴν εἶναι ἐν τόπῳ, μὴ δυνάμενον ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ πλείονας ἑαυτοῦ ἐμποιῆσαι φαντασίας πλείοσιν ἐν πλείοσιν τόποις καὶ πλείονα ἅμα λέγειν, ἀδύνατον εἶναι ἀληθεύειν οὓς ὑπεθέμην τέσσαρας, τῷ ἀδύνατον εἶναι ἐν τῷδέ τινι τῷ τεταγμένῳ καιρῷ τὸν θεὸν εῖναι, ἅτε καὶ κατὰ περιγραφὴν αὐτὸν νενοημένον ἐν τόπῳ εἶναι, καὶ τῷδε καὶ τῷδε λέγειν τάδε καὶ τάδε, καὶ ποιεῖν τάδε καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἐναντία, καὶ φέρε εἰπεῖν καθε- ζόμενον ἅμα καὶ ἑστῶτα εἶναι, εἰ ὁ μὲν τῷδε τῷ καιρῷ λέγοι αὐτὸν ἑστῶτα τάδε τινὰ εἰρηκέναι ἢ πεποιηκέναι ἐν τῷδε τῷ τόπῳ, ὁ δὲ καθεζόμενον.

sympheresthōsan de, hōs proeirēkamen, houtoi ta alēthē apangellontes peri tou theou kai tōn pros tinas euergesiōn autou allēlois epi tinōn apangellomenōn hypʼ autōn diēgēseōn. doxei toinyn tǭ historian einai nomizonti tēn toutōn graphēn, hē dia eikonos historikēs prosthoitʼ an parastēsai ta pragmata, kai ton theon hypolambanonti kata perigraphēn einai en topǭ, mē dynamenon en tǭ autǭ pleionas heautou empoiēsai phantasias pleiosin en pleiosin topois kai pleiona hama legein, adynaton einai alētheuein hous hypethemēn tessaras, tǭ adynaton einai en tǭde tini tǭ tetagmenǭ kairǭ ton theon einai, hate kai kata perigraphēn auton nenoēmenon en topǭ einai, kai tǭde kai tǭde legein tade kai tade, kai poiein tade kai ta toutois enantia, kai phere eipein kathe- zomenon hama kai hestōta einai, ei ho men tǭde tǭ kairǭ legoi auton hestōta tade tina eirēkenai ē pepoiēkenai en tǭde tǭ topǭ, ho de kathezomenon.

And let these, as we said before, who report the truth about God and his benefits to certain persons, agree with one another in some of the narratives they report. To one who thinks their writing is history, and not an attempt to set forth the matters through a historical image, and who supposes that God is in a place by circumscription, unable at the same time to produce several appearances of himself to several people in several places and to say several things at once, it will seem impossible that the four I have supposed speak truly: because it is impossible for God, being thought of as circumscribed in a place, to be at a given appointed time saying these things to this one and those to that one, and doing these things and their opposites, and, for example, to be sitting and standing at once, if one says that at this time he said or did certain things standing in this place, and another says sitting.

Notes and citation

Summary: Someone reading these reports as plain history, and imagining God confined to one place, would think they contradict one another.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misread letter in the digital text; missing letter in the digital text): δέξει τοίνυν → δόξει τοίνυν; διὰ εἰκόνς → διὰ εἰκόνος.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.17 (Preuschen 4:174–175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-17).

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10.18Preuschen 4:175

Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐπὶ τούτων, ὧν ὑπεθέμην, ἐκληφθεὶς ὁ νοῦς τῶν ἱστορικῶν, χαρακτῆρι βουληθέντων ἡμᾶς διδάξαι τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ νοῦ αὐτῶν τεθεωρημένα, οὐδεμίαν ἂν εὑρεθείη ἔχων διαφωνίαν, εἰ οἱ τέσσαρες εἶεν σοφοί· οὕτω νοητέον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τεσσάρων ἔχειν εὐαγγελιστῶν καταχρησαμένων μὲν πολλοῖς τῶν κατὰ τὸ τεράστιον καὶ παραδοξότατον τῆς δυνάμεως Ἰησοῦ πεπραγμένοις δὲ καὶ ἔσθʼ ὅπου καὶ προσυφανάντων τῇ γραφῇ μετὰ λέξεως ὡσπερεὶ αἰσθητὸν τὸ καθαρῶς νοητῶς αὐτοῖς τετρανωμένον.

Hōsper oun epi toutōn, hōn hypethemēn, eklēphtheis ho nous tōn historikōn, charaktēri boulēthentōn hēmas didaxai ta hypo tou nou autōn tetheōrēmena, oudemian an heuretheiē echōn diaphōnian, ei hoi tessares eien sophoi; houtō noēteon kai epi tōn tessarōn echein euangelistōn katachrēsamenōn men pollois tōn kata to terastion kai paradoxotaton tēs dynameōs Iēsou pepragmenois de kai esthʼ hopou kai prosyphanantōn tę̄ graphę̄ meta lexeōs hōsperei aisthēton to katharōs noētōs autois tetranōmenon.

Just as in these cases I have supposed, the mind of the historians, who wished to teach us by a figure what their mind had contemplated, would be found to have no discord if the four were wise, so we must understand it to be with the four evangelists, who made full use of many things done by the wonderful and most extraordinary power of Jesus, and in some places also wove into the Scripture, in language as though of something sensible, what had been made clear to them in a purely spiritual way.

Notes and citation

Summary: So the evangelists, being wise, sometimes expressed spiritual truths in the form of historical narrative.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misread letters in the digital text): καὶ ἐΜʼ ὅπου → καὶ ἔσθʼ ὅπου.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.18 (Preuschen 4:175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-18).

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10.19Preuschen 4:175

οὐ καταγινώσκω δέ που καὶ τὸ ἱστορίαν τὴν ἱστορίαν ἑτέρως γενόμενον πρὸς τὸ χρήσιμον τοῦ τού μυστικοῦ σκοποῦ μετατιθέναι πως αὐτούς, ὥστε εἰπεῖν ἐν τῷδε τῷ τόπῳ γενόμενον ὡς έν ἑτέρῳ, ἢ τὸ ἐν τῷδε τῷ καιρῷ ὡς ἐν ἄλλῳ, καὶ τὸ οὑτωσὶ ἀπαγγελλόμενον μετά τινος παραλλαγῆς αὐτοὺς πεποιηκέναι.

ou kataginōskō de pou kai to historian tēn historian heterōs genomenon pros to chrēsimon tou tou mystikou skopou metatithenai pōs autous, hōste eipein en tǭde tǭ topǭ genomenon hōs en heterǭ, ē to en tǭde tǭ kairǭ hōs en allǭ, kai to houtōsi apangellomenon meta tinos parallagēs autous pepoiēkenai.

I do not condemn them, I think, if they sometimes also altered in some way what happened otherwise in history for the benefit of the mystical purpose, so as to speak of what happened in this place as though in another, or what happened at this time as though at another, and to present what is reported in this way with some variation.

Notes and citation

Summary: Origen accepts that the evangelists sometimes changed place, time, or details for the sake of spiritual meaning.

The digital text reads τὸ ἱστορίαν τὴν ἱστορίαν, where a small word before "history" is lost (perhaps κατά, "according to"); the sense is not affected.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (repeated word in the digital text): ἐν τώδε τῷδε τῷ τόπῳ → ἐν τῷδε τῷ τόπῳ.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.19 (Preuschen 4:175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-19).

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10.20Preuschen 4:175

προέκειτο γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὅπου μὲν ἐνεχώρει ἀληθεύειν πνευματικῶς ἅμα καὶ σωματικῶς, ὅπου δὲ μὴ ἐνεδέχετο ἀμφοτέρως, προκρίνειν τὸ πνευματικὸν τοῦ σωματικοῦ, σωζομένου πολλάκις τοῦ ἀληθοῦς πνευματικοῦ ἐν τῷ σωματικῷ ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, ψεύδει· ὡς εἰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἱστορίας λέγοιμεν ὅτι ὁ Ἰακὼβ φάσκων τῷ Ἰσαάκ· »Ἐγὼ Ἠσαῦ ὁ πρωτότοκός σου υἱός« κατὰ μὲν τὸ πνευματικὸν ἠλήθευεν μεταλαβὼν τῶν πρωτοτοκίων ἤδη ἐν τῷ ἀδελφῷ παραπολλυμένων, καὶ διὰ τῆς στολῆς τῶν τε ἐριφίων δερμάτων τὸν ἔξωθεν χαρακτῆρα τοῦ Ἠσαῦ ἀναλαβὼν καὶ γενόμενος χωρὶς τῆς αἰνούσης τὸν θεὸν φωνῆς Ἠσαῦ, ἵνα χώραν λάβῃ πρὸς τὸ εὐλογηθῆναι ὕστερον ὁ Ἠσαῦ. τάχα γὰρ εἰ μὴ ηὐλόγητο Ἰακὼβ ὡς Ἠσαῦ, οὐκ ἂν οὐδὲ Ἠσαῦ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν δέξασθαι τὴν εὐλογίαν οἷός τε ἠν.

proekeito gar autois hopou men enechōrei alētheuein pneumatikōs hama kai sōmatikōs, hopou de mē enedecheto amphoterōs, prokrinein to pneumatikon tou sōmatikou, sōzomenou pollakis tou alēthous pneumatikou en tǭ sōmatikǭ hōs an eipoi tis, pseudei; hōs ei kai apo tēs historias legoimen hoti ho Iakōb phaskōn tǭ Isaak; »Egō Ēsau ho prōtotokos sou huios« kata men to pneumatikon ēlētheuen metalabōn tōn prōtotokiōn ēdē en tǭ adelphǭ parapollymenōn, kai dia tēs stolēs tōn te eriphiōn dermatōn ton exōthen charaktēra tou Ēsau analabōn kai genomenos chōris tēs ainousēs ton theon phōnēs Ēsau, hina chōran labę̄ pros to eulogēthēnai hysteron ho Ēsau. tacha gar ei mē ēulogēto Iakōb hōs Ēsau, ouk an oude Ēsau kathʼ heauton dexasthai tēn eulogian hoios te ēn.

For their purpose was to speak the truth spiritually and bodily at once where that was possible, but where both were not possible, to prefer the spiritual to the bodily, the true spiritual meaning often being preserved in what is bodily, one might say, a falsehood. As if from the history we were to say that Jacob, saying to Isaac, “I am Esau your firstborn son,” spoke the truth spiritually, having received the birthright already being lost in his brother, and by the garment and the goatskins taking on the outward character of Esau, and becoming Esau apart from the voice that praises God, so that Esau might later have room to be blessed. For perhaps if Jacob had not been blessed as Esau, not even Esau could have received the blessing on his own.

Gen 27:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 25:33 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 27:16 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 27:39–40 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Where literal and spiritual truth could not both be kept, the evangelists preferred the spiritual, as Jacob spoke spiritual truth in saying “I am Esau.”

The quotation is Gen 27:19; the allusions are Gen 25:33, 27:16, 22, and 27:38–40.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misread letter in the digital text): μολλάκις → πολλάκις.

Topics: Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.20 (Preuschen 4:175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-20).

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10.21Preuschen 4:175

καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοίνυν πολλά ἐστιν ταῖς ἐπινοίαις, ὧν ἐπινοιῶν εἰκὸς τοὺς εὐαγγελιστὰς διαφόρους ἐννοίας λαμβάνοντας, ἐσθʼ ὅτε καὶ συμφερομένους ἀλλήλοις περί τινων ἀναγεγραφέναι τὰ εὐαγγέλια· οἷον ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν τὰ ὡς πρὸς τὴν λέξιν ἀντικείμενα περὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν, ὅτι »γέγονεν ἐκ Δαβίδ«, καὶ »οὐ γέγονεν ἐκ Δαβίδ«.

kai ho Iēsous toinyn polla estin tais epinoiais, hōn epinoiōn eikos tous euangelistas diaphorous ennoias lambanontas, esthʼ hote kai sympheromenous allēlois peri tinōn anagegraphenai ta euangelia; hoion alēthes eipein ta hōs pros tēn lexin antikeimena peri tou kyriou hēmōn, hoti »gegonen ek Dabid«, kai »ou gegonen ek Dabid«.

Jesus, then, is many things in his aspects, and it is likely that the evangelists, taking different notions of these aspects, sometimes also agreeing with one another about some things, wrote the Gospels. For example, it is true to say things about our Lord that are contradictory in wording: that he “was born of David” and “was not born of David.”

Rom 1:3 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ has many aspects, so the evangelists could say seemingly contradictory things, such as that he was and was not born of David.

"Aspects" renders ἐπίνοιαι, the various titles and roles under which Christ is considered.

Topics: Christology, Scripture and canon

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.21 (Preuschen 4:175; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-21).

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10.22Preuschen 4:175–176

ἀληθὲς μὲν γὰρ τὸ Γέγονεν ἐκ Δαβίδ«, ὡς καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολός φησι· Τοῦ γενομένου ἐκ σπέρματος Δαβὶδ κατὰ σάρκα«, εἰ τὸ σωματικὸν αὐτοῦ ἐκλάβοιμεν· ψευδὲς δὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο, εἰ ἐπὶ τῆς θειοτέρας δυνάμεως ἀκούοιμεν τὸ γεγονέναι αὐτὸν ἐκ σπέρματος Δαβίδ· ὡρίσθη γὰρ υἱὸς θεοῦ ἐν δυνάμει.

alēthes men gar to Gegonen ek Dabid«, hōs kai ho apostolos phēsi; Tou genomenou ek spermatos Dabid kata sarka«, ei to sōmatikon autou eklaboimen; pseudes de auto touto, ei epi tēs theioteras dynameōs akouoimen to gegonenai auton ek spermatos Dabid; hōristhē gar huios theou en dynamei.

For “he was born of David” is true, as the apostle also says, “who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,” if we take it of his bodily nature; but this same thing is false if we understand his being born of the seed of David of his more divine power; for he was declared Son of God in power.

Rom 1:3–4 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Christ was born of David according to the flesh, but not in his divine power, by which he is Son of God.

The quotations are Rom 1:3–4.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.22 (Preuschen 4:175–176; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-22).

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10.23Preuschen 4:176

Καὶ τάχα διὰ τοῦτο αἱ ἅγιαι προφητεῖαι ὅπου μὲν δοῦλον, ὅπου δὲ υἱὸν αὐτὸν ἀναγορεύουσιν· δοῦλον μὲν διὰ τὴν »δούλου μορ- »φὴν« καὶ τὸν »ἐκ σπέρματος Δαβίδ«, υἱὸν δὲ κατὰ τὴν πρωτότοκον αὐτοῦ δύναμιν. οὕτως αὐτὸν ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν ἄνθρωπον καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπον· ἄνθρωπον μὲν κατὰ τὸ θανάτου δεκτικόν, οὐκ ἄνθρωπον δὲ κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπου θειότερον.

Kai tacha dia touto hai hagiai prophēteiai hopou men doulon, hopou de huion auton anagoreuousin; doulon men dia tēn »doulou mor- »phēn« kai ton »ek spermatos Dabid«, huion de kata tēn prōtotokon autou dynamin. houtōs auton alēthes eipein anthrōpon kai ouk anthrōpon; anthrōpon men kata to thanatou dektikon, ouk anthrōpon de kata to anthrōpou theioteron.

And perhaps for this reason the holy prophecies proclaim him now a servant, now a son: a servant because of “the form of a servant” and the one “of the seed of David,” and a son according to his firstborn power. So it is true to call him a man and not a man: a man in that he could receive death, not a man in that he is more divine than a man.

Isa 42:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · Phil 2:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 1:15 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Scripture calls Christ both servant and son, man and more than man, according to his two aspects.

The allusions are Isa 42:1, Phil 2:7, Rom 1:3, and Col 1:15.

Topics: Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.23 (Preuschen 4:176; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-23).

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10.24Preuschen 4:176

ἐγὼ δʼ οἶμαι καὶ τὸν Μαρκίωνα παρεκδεξάμενον ὑγιεῖς λόγους, ἀθετοῦντα αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐκ Μαρίας γένεσιν κατὰ τὴν θείαν αὐτοῦ φύσιν, ἀποφήνασθαι ὡς ἄρα οὐκ ἐγεννήθη ἐκ Μαρίας, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τετολμηκέναι περιγράψαι τούτους τοὺς τόπους ἀπὸ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου· ᾧ παραπλήσιον πεπονθέναι φαίνονται οἱ ἀναιροῦντες αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα, καὶ μόνην αὐτοῦ τὴν θεότητα παραδεξάμενοι, οἵ τε τούτοις ἐναντίοι καὶ τὴν θεότητα αὐτοῦ περιγράψαντες, τὸν δὲ ἄνθρωπον ὡς ἅγιον καὶ δικαιότατον πάντων ἀνθρώπων ὁμολογήσαντες.

egō dʼ oimai kai ton Markiōna parekdexamenon hygieis logous, athetounta autou tēn ek Marias genesin kata tēn theian autou physin, apophēnasthai hōs ara ouk egennēthē ek Marias, kai dia touto tetolmēkenai perigrapsai toutous tous topous apo tou euangeliou; hǭ paraplēsion peponthenai phainontai hoi anairountes autou tēn anthrōpotēta, kai monēn autou tēn theotēta paradexamenoi, hoi te toutois enantioi kai tēn theotēta autou perigrapsantes, ton de anthrōpon hōs hagion kai dikaiotaton pantōn anthrōpōn homologēsantes.

I think that Marcion too, misunderstanding sound words and rejecting his birth from Mary as regards his divine nature, declared that he was not born of Mary, and for this reason dared to cut these passages out of the Gospel. Something similar seems to have happened to those who do away with his humanity and accept only his divinity, and to those opposed to them, who cut away his divinity and confess the man as holy and most righteous of all human beings.

Notes and citation

Summary: Marcion, and those who deny either Christ's humanity or his divinity, went wrong by taking only one side of what Scripture says.

Marcion (2nd century) edited Luke's Gospel to remove the birth narratives.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (misread letter in the digital text): παρασεξάμενοι → παραδεξάμενοι.

Topics: Heresy, Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.24 (Preuschen 4:176; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-24).

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10.25Preuschen 4:176

καὶ οἱ τὴν δόκησιν δὲ εἰσάγοντες, τὸν ταπεινώσαντα αὑτὸν »μέχρι θανάτου« καὶ ὑπήκοον γενόμενον μέχρι σταυροῦ μὴ νοήσαντες, μόνον δὲ τὸ ἀπαθὲς καὶ τὸ κρεῖττον παντὸς τοιούτου συμπτώματος φαντασθέντες, ἀποστερεῖν ἡμᾶς τὸ ὄσον ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῖς θέλουσιν τοῦ πάντων ἀνθρώπων δικαιοτάτου ἀνθρώπου, οὐ δυναμένους διʼ ἐκείνου σώζεσθαι.

kai hoi tēn dokēsin de eisagontes, ton tapeinōsanta hauton »mechri thanatou« kai hypēkoon genomenon mechri staurou mē noēsantes, monon de to apathes kai to kreitton pantos toioutou symptōmatos phantasthentes, aposterein hēmas to oson ephʼ heautois thelousin tou pantōn anthrōpōn dikaiotatou anthrōpou, ou dynamenous diʼ ekeinou sōzesthai.

And those who introduce the doctrine of appearance (docetism), not understanding the one who humbled himself “even to death” and became obedient even to the cross, but imagining only what is impassible and superior to every such accident, wish, as far as lies in them, to deprive us of the most righteous man of all, though we cannot be saved except through him.

Phil 2:8 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The Docetists, who say Christ only seemed human, would rob us of the man through whom alone we are saved.

The allusion is Phil 2:8.

Topics: Heresy, Christology

Cite (SBL): Origen, Comm. Jo. 10.25 (Preuschen 4:176; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-ioannem/6-282/#p-10-25).

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