Origen

1
Origen

• Servants Meeting
• Feast of the Pentecost
• June 15, 2008

2
Early Life

• Was born, most probably, in Alexandria
• 185 A.D.
• His name, most probably, derives from the
  Egyptian god, Horus
• Was given the nickname, Adamantios, which means
  unconquerable or unbreakable
• Fathers name was Leonides
• Had eight siblings

3
Early Life

• In 202, his father was martyred at the hand of
  Septimius Severus
• Origen wished to follow his father as a martyr,
  but his mother prevented him
• The familys wealth and property were confiscated
  to the imperial treasury
• Origen was eventually taken under the protection
  of a wealthy woman

4
Early Life

• This womans adopted son, Paul, was a heretic,
  but a man of eloquence
• He often attracted crowds wishing to hear him
• Because of his living situation, Origen
  determined to pursue a career as a teach of
  grammar at the age of 17

5
Second Stage

• He quickly distinguished himself among his peers
  and actually attracted many pupils
• His courageous support of those being persecuted
  for their faith by the prefect, Aquila, did not
  go unnoticed by the church leadership
• He unceasingly visited the prisoners, attended
  the courts, and comforted the condemned
• All this did not go unnoticed by the heathen mobs
  either who made him a target of their wrath

6
Second Stage

• But, he would escape by fleeing from house to
  house to avoid instant death
• On account of his courage and high literary
  reputation, Pope Demetrius appointed him as
  master of the famous theological school of
  Alexandria at the age of 18 and while still a
  layman, thereby succeeding St. Clement the Great
• As a result, Origen abandoned his literary
  pursuits and devoted himself to the direction of
  the theological school

7
At the Theological School

• He sold his entire library which netted him a
  daily income of four (4) obols (a silver coin of
  Ancient Greece, a sixth of a drachma)
• Devoted himself to teaching during the day, and
  the study of Scripture in the night
• Followed a life of frugality and ascetism
• He slept on the bare ground and kept regular
  fasts
• He carried out literally the command of the
  Savior, not to possess two coats, nor wear shoes

8
At the Theological School

• His mortification of the flesh led to an act of
  self-castration
• Based upon an incorrect interpretation of Matthew
  1912
• For there are eunuchs who were born thus from
  their mothers womb, and there are eunuchs who
  were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs
  who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom
  of heavens sake.
• He did so in order to place himself beyond
  temptation that might result from his interaction
  with female catechumens

9
Fleeing Persecutions

• In 216, as the persecutions erupted again under
  Emperor Caracalla, Origen fled to Palestine
• Was received with great honor by his friend
  Bishop Alexander of Jerusalem and Bishop
  Theoctistus
• These two men so admired Origen, that they asked
  him to interpret the Scriptures in their presence
  in a public assembly of Christians
• Origen, although still a layman and without any
  Church rank, complied with their request

10
A Problem

• When news of this event reached the ears of Pope
  Demetrius, he was indignant
• Such an act was never either heard or done
  before, that laymen should deliver discourses in
  the presence of the bishops
• He commanded that Origen return to Alexandria,
  and he readily complied

11
A Second Problem

• Later, in 228, Origen again visits Palestine
• This time, the same two bishops wished to honor
  him by ordaining him a priest
• Perhaps they wished to do so simply as a way to
  show their admiration to and respect for him
• Or perhaps they wished to provide him with a
  means by which he could preach in their presence
  and so ease Pope Demetrius discomfort

12
A Second Problem

• When Origen returned to his diocese, he found
  that Pope Demetrius was greatly angered that he
  had accepted to be ordained by someone other than
  his own bishop.
• In 231, a synod of Egyptian bishops and priests
  was called in which Origen was deemed unfit to
  hold the office of teach and he was
  excommunicated.
• But this was not enough, another synod was held
  in which Origen was degraded from the office of
  priest.

13
End of Life

• As a result of the storm that was created, he
  moved to Caesarea where he lived, studied, and
  worked until his death in 254 at the age of 70
  due to sufferings he endured because of
  persecutions

14
His Famous Work

• Hexapla the Holy Bible in six columns with six
  different versions
• Hebrew
• Greek
• Version of Aquila
• Version of Symmachus
• Septuagint
• Version of Theodotion

15
Writing Samples

• Letter to Gregory the wonder worker who would
  become the bishop of Caesarea, but who was as of
  yet unbaptized
• Do you then, my son, diligently apply yourself to
  the reading of the sacred Scriptures. Apply
  yourself, I say. For we who read the things of
  God need much application, lest we should say or
  think anything too rashly about them. And
  applying yourself thus to the study of the things
  of God, with faithful prejudgments such as are
  well pleasing to God, knock at its locked door,
  and it will be opened to you by the porter, of
  whom Jesus says, To him the porter opens.

16
Writing Samples

• And applying yourself thus to the divine study,
  seek aright, and with unwavering trust in God,
  the meaning of the holy Scriptures, which so many
  have missed. Be not satisfied with knocking and
  seeking for prayer is of all things
  indispensable to the knowledge of the things of
  God. For to this the Savior exhorted, and said
  not only, Knock, and it shall be opened to you
  and seek, and ye shall find, but also, Ask, and
  it shall be given unto you.

17
Writing Samples

• Against Celsus , a pagan, who sharply criticized
  the Christians
• Extremely foolish also is his remark, What god,
  or spirit, or prudent man would not, on
  foreseeing that such events were to befall him,
  avoid them if he could whereas he threw himself
  headlong into those things which he knew
  beforehand were to happen? And yet Socrates
  knew that he would die after drinking the
  hemlock, and it was in his power, if he had
  allowed himself to be persuaded by Crito, by
  escaping from prison, to avoid these calamities
  but nevertheless he decided, as it appeared to
  him consistent with right reason, that it was
  better for him to die as became a philosopher,
  than to retain his life in a manner unbecoming
  one.

18
Writing Samples

• Against Celsus , a pagan, who sharply criticized
  the Christians
• Extremely foolish also is his remark, What god,
  or spirit, or prudent man would not, on
  foreseeing that such events were to befall him,
  avoid them if he could whereas he threw himself
  headlong into those things which he knew
  beforehand were to happen? And yet Socrates
  knew that he would die after drinking the
  hemlock, and it was in his power, if he had
  allowed himself to be persuaded by Crito, by
  escaping from prison, to avoid these calamities
  but nevertheless he decided, as it appeared to
  him consistent with right reason, that it was
  better for him to die as became a philosopher,
  than to retain his life in a manner unbecoming
  one.

19
Writing Samples

• Leonidas also, the Lacedæmonian general, knowing
  that he was on the point of dying with his
  followers at Thermopylæ, did not make any effort
  to preserve his life by disgraceful means but
  said to his companions, Let us go to breakfast,
  as we shall sup in Hades. And those who are
  interested in collecting stories of this kind
  will find numbers of them. Now, where is the
  wonder if Jesus, knowing all things that were to
  happen, did not avoid them, but encountered what
  He foreknew

20
Writing Samples

• when Paul, His own disciple, having heard what
  would befall him when he went up to Jerusalem,
  proceeded to face the danger, reproaching those
  who were weeping around him, and endeavouring to
  prevent him from going up to Jerusalem? Many
  also of our contemporaries, knowing well that if
  they made a confession of Christianity they would
  be put to death, but that if they denied it they
  would be liberated, and their property restored,
  despised life, and voluntarily selected death for
  the sake of their religion.

21
Writing Samples

• According to our view, there is no rational
  creature which is not capable both of good and
  evil. But it does not follow, that because we say
  there is no nature which may not admit evil, we
  therefore maintain that every nature has admitted
  evil, i.e., has become wicked. As we may say that
  the nature of every man admits of his being a
  sailor, but it does not follow from that, that
  every man will become so or, again, it is
  possible for every one to learn grammar or
  medicine, but it is not therefore proved that
  every man is either a physician or a grammarian
  so, if we say that there is no nature which may
  not admit evil, it is not necessarily indicated
  that it has done so.

22
Writing Samples

• For, in our view, not even the devil himself was
  incapable of good but although capable of
  admitting good, he did not therefore also desire
  it, or make any effort after virtue. For, as we
  are taught by those quotations which we adduced
  from the prophets, there was once a time when he
  was good, when he walked in the paradise of God
  between the cherubim. As he, then, possessed the
  power either of receiving good or evil, but fell
  away from a virtuous course, and turned to evil
  with all the powers of his mind, so also other
  creatures, as having a capacity for either
  condition, in the exercise of the freedom of
  their will, flee from evil, and cleave to good.

23
Writing Samples

• There is no nature, then, which may not admit of
  good or evil, except the nature of God the
  fountain of all good things and of Christ for
  it is wisdom, and wisdom assuredly cannot admit
  folly and it is righteousness, and righteousness
  will never certainly admit of unrighteousness
  and it is the Word, or Reason, which certainly
  cannot be made irrational nay, it is also the
  light, and it is certain that the darkness does
  not receive the light. In like manner, also, the
  nature of the Holy Spirit, being holy, does not
  admit of pollution for it is holy by nature, or
  essential being.

24
Writing Samples

• If there is any other nature which is holy, it
  possesses this property of being made holy by the
  reception or inspiration of the Holy Spirit, not
  having it by nature, but as an accidental
  quality, for which reason it may be lost, in
  consequence of being accidental. So also a man
  may possess an accidental righteousness, from
  which it is possible for him to fall away. Even
  the wisdom which a man has is still accidental,
  although it be within our own power to become
  wise, if we devote ourselves to wisdom with the
  zeal and effort of our life and if we always
  pursue the study of it, we may always be
  participators of wisdom and that result will
  follow either in a greater or less degree,
  according to the desert of our life or the amount
  of our zeal.

25
Heretical Teachings

• Believed that in Gods mercy it is still possible
  for the devil to be saved
• Took the allegorical interpretation of Scripture
  too far
• Believed that the first sin committed between
  Adam and Eve was the sin of adultery
• He reasoned that the tree of the knowledge of
  good and evil which was in the middle of the
  garden was a symbol of the sexual organ in the
  middle of the body

26
His Legacy

• St. Jerome is known to have said that Origen
  wrote more than any individual could read
• St. Epiphanius relates that his writings amounted
  to 6,000 volumes
• Origen wrote commentaries on every book of the
  Bible
• Because of his heresies and excommunication, he
  is referred by the Orthodox Church as the
  blessed Origen, rather than St. Origen