Wise according to flesh and powerful according to Spirit; things that are not; foundation of faith (1 Cor 1:26–2:8)
—what is not truth. Yet even so he did not shut the wise according to flesh out of the faith; for he did not say “No one wise according to the flesh comes to the word,” but that they are exceedingly few. Powerful according to the flesh are those who hold the offices; according to the Spirit you will understand if you see how the Savior was not powerful according to the flesh—he was handed over and crucified from weakness—yet was powerful according to the Spirit, healing every disease and every illness in the people. So look at the apostles: how they were powerful according to the Spirit. One is powerful according to the Spirit also who lives according to the Spirit and by the Spirit puts to death the deeds of the body. Likewise with the of noble birth: of noble birth according to the flesh are those from rich and famous fathers; according to the Spirit the of noble birth are the sons of God, of whom it is written, “As many as received him, he gave them authority to become children of God.” Whom then did God choose? Not simply the foolish, but with the addition “of the world”: we who believe are fools as far as the world is concerned. So they laugh and call us fools: “Christians say there is a resurrection of the dead, and that we live after death, and that Jesus whom the Jews crucified was born of a virgin,” and such things. Let them laugh and call us fools; for the soulish person does not receive the things of the Spirit—they are folly to him. So God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise—not simply the wise, but, by common construction, of the world: God chose the world’s foolish to shame the world’s wise; for truly the world’s wise are put to shame when they worship idols while the unlettered and simple die rather than commit idolatry.
“And God chose the of low birth of the world and the despised”—again with the addition “of the world.” For what is nobler than a soul that leaves the idols and says, “Our fathers acquired false idols, and there is none among them who brings rain”? So God chose the of low birth of the world but of noble birth of God; only let us succeed so that we are not despised before God, of whom it is written that the one who does evil is despised before him. “And the things that are not, to abolish the things that are”: he named “things that are not” the foolish, weak, of low birth, and despised of the world; “things that are,” the of noble birth of the world—for in the world they are somebody, and we are not, worn down by all and despised. Now God chose the things that are not to abolish the things that are, so that no flesh may boast and say, “I was chosen because I am of noble birth.” “And from him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption”: for this reason Christ is all these for us, so that what is written may come to pass—“Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For if the one who boasts in wisdom ought to boast, and Christ is the wisdom, clearly the one who boasts in Christ boasts; and likewise for the rest—I mean sanctification and righteousness.
On 1 Corinthians 2:4–7: “and my word and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of Spirit and power, so that your faith might not be in human wisdom but in the power of God. Yet we speak wisdom among the perfect—wisdom not of this age nor of the rulers of this age who are being abolished. But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” Origen: lest someone say, “Then, since he brought the proofs of faith in power and in Spirit, he had no wisdom at all, but the mystery of piety is only to believe, and there is no promise of wisdom in it,” he adds, “Yet we speak wisdom among the perfect—wisdom not of this age nor of the rulers of this age who are being abolished.” For it is one thing to lead people into the faith, and another to unveil the wisdom of God. So we unfold God’s wisdom not to those being introduced, nor to beginners, nor to those who have not yet given proof of a sound life; but when someone, having exercised the senses as one ought toward distinguishing good and evil, becomes fit also to hear wisdom, then we speak wisdom among the perfect—and I mean wisdom not
Greek
οὐκ ὂν ἀλήθειαν. ὅμως δὲ καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀπέκλεισε τοὺς κατὰ σάρκα σοφοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως· οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν Οὐδεὶς σοφὸς κατὰ σάρκα προσέρχεται τῷ λόγῳ, ἀλλ' ὅτι σφόδρα ὀλίγοι. δυνατοὶ δὲ κατὰ σάρκα εἰσὶν οἱ τὰς ἐξουσίας ἔχοντες· κατὰ πνεῦμα δὲ νοήσεις, ἐὰν ἴδῃς τὸν Σωτῆρα τίνα τρόπον οὐκ ἦν μὲν δυνατὸς κατὰ σάρκα· προεδόθη γοῦν καὶ ἐ ταυρώθη ἐξ ἀ θενεία · ἦν δὲ δυνατὸς κατὰ πνεῦμα, πᾶ αν νό ον καὶ πᾶ αν μαλακίαν ἐν τῷ λαῷ θεραπεύων. οὕτω τὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἀποστόλους ὅρα, τίνα τρόπον ἦσαν δυνατοὶ κατὰ πνεῦμα. ἔστιν δυνατὸς κατὰ πνεῦμα καὶ ὁ κατὰ τὸ πνεῦμα βιοὺς καὶ πνεύματι τὰ πράξει τοῦ ώματο θανατῶν. ὁμοίως καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν εὐγενῶν νοήσεις· εὐγενεῖς κατὰ σάρκα εἰσὶν οἱ ἐκ πατέρων πλουσίων καὶ ἐνδόξων· κατὰ δὲ πνεῦμα εὐγενεῖς εἰσὶν οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ περὶ ὧν γέγραπται Ὅ οι δὲ ἔλαβον αὐτὸν ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖ ἐξου ίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέ θαι. Τίνα οὖν ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός; οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὰ μωρά, ἀλλὰ μετὰ προσθήκης τῆς τοῦ κόσμου· ἡμεῖς οἱ πιστεύοντες μωροί ἐσμεν ὡς πρὸς τὸν κόσμον. γελῶσιν οὖν ἡμᾶς μωροὺς λέγοντες «Χριστιανοὶ λέγουσιν ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν καὶ ὅτι ζῶμεν μετὰ θάνατον καὶ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὃν ἐσταύρωσαν Ἰουδαῖοι ἐκ παρθένου γεγέννηται,» καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα. ἐκεῖνοι οὖν γελασάτωσαν ἡμᾶς καὶ μωροὺς λεγέτωσαν· ψυχικὸ γὰρ ἄνθρωπο οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματο · μωρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐ τίν. τὰ μωρὰ οὖν τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφούς. οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοὺς σοφούς, ἀλλὰ κατὰ κοινοῦ τοῦ κόσμου· ἵνα εἴπῃ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου μωρὰ ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφοὺς τοῦ κόσμου· ἀληθῶς γὰρ καταισχύνονται οἱ σοφοὶ τοῦ κόσμου, ὅταν αὐτοὶ μὲν προσ κυνῶσιν εἰδώλοις οἱ δὲ ἀγράμματοι καὶ ἰδιῶται ἀποθνήσκωσιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ εἰδωλολατρῆσαι. Καὶ τὰ ἀγενῆ τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τὰ ἐξουθενημένα ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός· πάλιν ἐνταῦθα μετὰ προσθήκης τῆς τοῦ κόσμου. τί γὰρ εὐγενέστερον ψυχῆς κατα λειπούσης τὰ εἴδωλα καὶ λεγούσης Ὡ ψευδῆ ἐκτή αντο οἱ πατέρε ἡμῶν εἴδωλα καὶ οὐκ ἔ τιν ἐν αὐτοῖς ὑετίζων. τὰ ἀγενῆ οὖν τοῦ κόσμου εὐγενῆ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός· μόνον κατορθώσωμεν ἐξ οὗ θεῷ οὐκ ἐξουδενωθησόμεθα, περὶ οὗ γέγραπται ἐξουδένωται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πονηρευόμενο . Καὶ τὰ μὴ ὄντα, ἵνα τὰ ὄντα καταργήσῃ· τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὠνόμασε τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου, τὰ ἀσθενῆ, τὰ ἀγενῆ, τὰ ἐξουθενημένα· τὰ ὄντα τοὺς εὐγενεῖς τοῦ κόσμου· ἐν γὰρ τῷ κόσμῳ οὗτοι εἰσὶ τινές, οὔκ ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς, καταπονού μενοι ὑπὸ πάντων καὶ καταφρονούμενοι. τὰ μὴ ὄντα νῦν ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεός, ἵνα τὰ ὄντα καταργήσῃ, ὅπως μὴ καυχήσηται πᾶσα σὰρξ καὶ εἴπῃ ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐξελέχθην ὅτι εὐγενής εἰμι. ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ ὑμεῖς ἐστὲ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ὃς ἐγενήθη σοφία ἡμῖν ἀπὸ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνη τε καὶ ἁγιασμὸς καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις· διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ταῦτα πάντα ἡμῖν ἐστὶ Χριστός, ἵνα τὸ γεγραμμένον γένηται Ὁ καυχώμενος ἐν κυρίῳ καυχάσθω. εἰ γὰρ ὁ καυχώμενος ἐν σοφίᾳ ὀφείλει καυχᾶσθαι, Χριστὸς δὲ ἡ σοφία, δῆλον ὅτι ὁ καυχώμενος ἐν Χριστῷ καυχᾶται· καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ὁμοίως, ἁγια σμοῦ τέ φημι καὶ δικαιοσύνης. 9 ii 4–7 [καὶ ὁ λόγος μου καὶ τὸ κήρυγμά μου οὐκ ἐν πιθοῖς σοφίας λόγοις, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀποδείξει πνεύματος καὶ δυνάμεως, ἵνα ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν μὴ ᾖ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἀνθρώπων ἀλλ' ἐν δυνάμει θεοῦ. σοφίαν δὲ λαλοῦμεν ἐν τοῖς τελείοις, σοφίαν δὲ οὐ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου οὐδὲ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου τῶν καταργου μένων. ἀλλὰ λαλοῦμεν θεοῦ σοφίαν ἐν μυστηρίῳ, τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην, ἣν προώρισεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων εἰς δόξαν ἡμῶν· ἣν οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀρχόν των τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἔγνωκεν, εἰ γὰρ ἔγνωσαν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν.] [Ὠριγένους] Ἵνα μὴ εἴποι τις Ἆρ' οὖν, ἐπεὶ τὰς ἀποδείξεις τῆς πίστεως ἐν δυνάμει καὶ ἐν πνεύματι ἔφερεν, οὐκ εἶχεν σοφίαν οὐδεμίαν, ἀλλὰ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ μυ τήριον τῆ θεοσεβείας, πιστεῦσαι μόνον, καὶ οὐκ ἐπαγγελία σοφίας ἐν αὐτῷ· ἐπιφέρει καὶ λέγει Σοφίαν δὲ λαλοῦμεν ἐν τοῖς τελείοις, σοφίαν δὲ οὐ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου οὐδὲ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου τῶν καταργουμένων. ἄλλο γάρ ἐστιν εἰσαγαγεῖν τινὰς εἰς τὴν πίστιν, ἄλλο τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀποκαλύπτειν. ἀναπτύσσομεν οὖν τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ τοῖς εἰσαγομένοις οὐδὲ τοῖς ἀρχομένοις οὐδὲ τοῖς μηδέπω ἀπόδειξιν τοῦ ὑγιοῦς βίου δεδωκόσιν· ἀλλ' ὅτ' ἂν γυμνα άμενο ὃν δεῖ τρόπον τὰ αἰ θητήρια πρὸ διάκρι ιν καλοῦ τε καὶ κακοῦ ἐπιτήδειος γένηται καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἀκοῦσαι σοφίαν, τότε λαλοῦμεν σοφίαν ἐν τοῖς τελείοις· σοφίαν δὲ λέγω οὐ
About this text
Origen of Alexandria, Fragmenta ex commentariis in epistulam i ad Corinthios (Greek).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 14 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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