Interpret in turn; discern spirits; prophets silent; women silent; spiritual examiner
interpret. [Origen:] When we come together, all who have gifts and are able to teach must be allowed to speak.
68 on 1 Corinthians 14:29: “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others discern.” [Origen:] By “others” he means those who have the gift of clarifying the prophets’ spiritual words, if indeed the prophesying ones themselves did not have the gift of discernment; for in what they lack this, they may well have been deceived by some wicked spirit transforming itself into an angel of light, as if they had obtained prophetic rank.
69 on 1 Corinthians 14:30–31: “If a revelation is made to another sitting by, let the first be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one.” [Origen:] Therefore the prophets were not beside themselves; for in them was the power to be silent and to hold back the spirit upon them.
70 on 1 Corinthians 14:32: “And spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.” [Origen:] For this reason the subjection shows willingly in silence; that the spirits are subject to the prophets, but it is the prophets’ souls that prophesy.
71 on 1 Corinthians 14:34–35: “Let your women be silent in the churches; for it is not permitted them to speak, but to be subject, as also the law says. If they wish to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home.” [Origen:] Since from the beginning the men had authority to speak and benefit the hearers, and the women asked about what they were unsure of. And by “law” he means what is said in Genesis, Your turning shall be to your husband.
72 on 1 Corinthians 14:37–38: “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that what I write to you are the Lord’s commandments; but if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.” [Origen:] Spiritual is the one able to test every word and every mind, and through great depth of mind hard to diagnose so as not to be examined. It is not for just anyone to know that what Paul writes is the Lord’s, but for a prophet or spiritual; therefore the one who does not know it is the Lord’s is neither prophet nor spiritual. Believing is one thing and knowing another; therefore the one ignorant that it is the Lord’s is ignorant, not yet having arrived at truly being God’s; for the one known is somehow mixed into the one who knows him.
73 on 1 Corinthians 14:31: “For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all be encouraged.” [Origen:] There is danger for those who read to declare simply, and likewise for those who hear. Hear Paul saying, If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual among you, let him acknowledge that what I write is of God, as if not everyone knows the things of God unless he is prophet or spiritual. And the apostle sketched the spiritual when he said, The spiritual examines all things, yet he himself is examined by no oneWho is the one discerning all things but the one able to scrutinize and judge every word? And he is examined by no one, because the depth of his thoughts is not grasped. For the spiritual has the mind of the Lord. Just as a child cannot examine a man’s mind and scrutinize his thoughts—for the small child does not even follow a man’s thoughts at the start—so neither can the soulish know which things are God’s and which are not; this work belongs only to the spiritual.
I often asked myself why, when there were God’s prophets and false prophets, the false prophets were in favor with their kings more than the prophets; and the false prophets’ books were not written or preserved among the people, while the books of the prophets who were condemned, hated, and suffered what we know came into the open and are honored. What was the beginning of this? Taking cues from the apostle I say: there was a gift among the people, as of prophesying, so also of discerning prophets. “For you can all prophesy one by one”: there was then abundance of speakers and of those permitted to speak. For this reason the apostle allowed all to speak in church; he almost allowed even the women to speak, if he had not said what follows.
74 on 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 again: women silent in churches; ask husbands at home; shameful for women to speak in church. [Origen:] As if all speak and can speak when a revelation comes to them, he says women are to be silent in the churches. The women’s disciples—those discipled by Priscilla and Maximilla—were not of this commandment, not of Christ the—
Greek
διερμηνευέτω.] [Ὠριγένους] Ὅταν συνέλθωμεν, πᾶσι τοῖς ἔχουσι χαρίσματα ἐπιτρεπτέον λαλεῖν τοῖς δυναμένοις διδάσκειν. 68 xiv 29 [Προφῆται δὲ δύο ἢ τρεῖς λαλείτωσαν, καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι διακρινέ τωσαν.] [Ὠριγένους] Ἄλλους λέγει τοὺς ἔχοντας χάρισμα διασαφεῖν τοὺς πνευματικοὺς τῶν προφητῶν λόγους, εἴ γε αὐτοὶ οἱ προφητεύοντες οὐκ ἔσχον τῆς διακρίσεως τὸ χάρισμα· ἐν ᾧ γὰρ οὐκ ἔχουσι τοῦτο εἰκὸς αὐτοὺς ὑπό τινος πονηροῦ πνεύματος ἠπατῆσθαι τοῦ μετα χηματιζομένου εἰ ἄγγελον φωτό , ὡς προφητικοῦ τυχόντας ἀξιώματος. 69 xiv 30–31 [Ἐὰν δὲ ἄλλῳ ἀποκαλυφθῇ καθημένῳ, ὁ πρῶτος σιγάτω. δύνασθε γὰρ καθ' ἕνα πάντες προφητεύειν.] [Ὠριγένους] Οὐκοῦν οὐκ ἐξίσταντο οἱ προφῆται· ἐν αὐτοῖς γὰρ ἦν τὸ σιωπῆσαι καὶ ἐπι σχεῖν τὸ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς πνεῦμα. 70 xiv 32 [Καὶ πνεύματα προφητῶν προφήταις ὑποτάσσεται.] [Ὠριγένους] ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τὸ τῆς ὑποταγῆς εὐγνωμόνως ἐν σιώπῃ δηλοῖ· ὅτι τὰ πνεύματα δὲ τοῖς προφήταις ὑποτάσσεται, ἀλλ' αἱ ψυχαὶ τῶν προφητῶν προφητεύουσιν. 71 xiv 34–35 [Αἱ γυναῖκες ὑμῶν ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις σιγάτωσαν, οὐ γὰρ ἐπιτέτραπται λαλεῖν, ἀλλ' ὑποτάσσεσθαι, καθὼς καὶ ὁ νόμος λέγει. εἰ δέ τι μαθεῖν θέλουσιν, ἐν οἴκῳ τοὺς ἰδίους ἄνδρας ἐπερωτάτωσαν.] [Ὠριγένους] Ἐπειδὴ οἱ ἄνδρες κατὰ τὰς ἀρχὰς ἐξουσίαν εἶχον λαλεῖν καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας ὠφελεῖν, αἱ δὲ γυναῖκες περὶ ὧν ἐπηπόρουν ἠρώτων. νόμον δὲ λέγει τὸ ἐν τῇ Γενέσει εἰρημένον Πρὸ τὸν ἄνδρα ου ἡ ἀπο τροφή ου. 72 xiv 37–38 [Εἴ τις δοκεῖ προφήτης εἶναι ἢ πνευματικός, ἐπιγινωσκέτω ἃ γράφω ὑμῖν ὅτι τοῦ κυρίου εἰσὶν ἐντολαί· εἰ δέ τις ἀγνοεῖ, ἀγνοείτω.] [Ὠριγένους] Πνευματικός ἐστιν ὁ πάντα λόγον καὶ πάντα νοῦν δυνάμενος βασανίζειν, καὶ διὰ πολλὴν βαθύτητα νοῦ δυσδιάγνωστον ὄντα ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι ἀνακρί νεσθαι. οὐ τοῦ τυχόντος δέ ἐστιν εἰδέναι ὅτι τὰ γραφόμενα ὑπὸ Παύλου τοῦ κυρίου ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ προφήτου <ἢ> πνευματικοῦ· οὐκοῦν ὁ μὴ εἰδὼς ὅτι τοῦ κυρίου ἐστίν, οὔτε προφήτης ἐστὶν οὔτε πνευματικός. ἄλλο δέ ἐστιν πιστεύειν καὶ ἄλλο γινώσκειν· οὐκοῦν ὁ ἀγνοῶν ὅτι τοῦ κυρίου ἐστίν, ἀγνοεῖ μήπω φθάσας εἰς τὸ κυρίως εἶναι τοῦ θεοῦ· ὁ γὰρ γινωσκόμενος ἀνακιρνᾶται τρόπον τινὰ τῷ γιγνώσκοντι αὐτόν. 73 xiv 31 [∆ύνασθε γὰρ καθ' ἕνα πάντες προφητεύειν, ἵνα πάντες μανθάνωσιν καὶ πάντες παρακαλῶνται.] [Ὠριγένους] Κίνδυνός ἐστι τοῖς ἀναγινώσκουσιν ἁπλῶς ἀποφαίνεσθαι, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἀκούουσιν. ἄκουε γοῦν Παύλου λέγοντος Εἴ τι δοκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν προφήτη εἶναι ἢ πνευματικό , ἐπιγινω κέτω ἃ γράφω ὅτι θεοῦ ἐ τιν· ὡς οὐ παντὸς ἐπιγινώ σκοντος τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ προφήτη ἢ πνευματικό . διέγραψεν δὲ τὸν πνευματικὸν ὁ ἀπόστολος εἰπὼν Ὁ δὲ πνευματικὸ ἀνακρίνει τὰ πάντα, αὐτὸ δὲ ὑπ' οὐδενὸ ἀνακρίνεται. τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ διακρίνων τὰ πάντα ἢ ὁ δυνάμενος πάντα λόγον ἐξετάζειν καὶ κρίνειν; οὗτος δὲ ὑπ' οὐδενὸ ἀνακρίνεται, διὰ τὸ βάθος τῶν νοημάτων αὐτοῦ μὴ καταλαμβανόμενος. ὁ γὰρ πνευματικὸς νοῦν ἔχει κυρίου. ὥσπερ οὖν παιδίον οὐ δύναται ἀνακρῖναι νοῦν ἀνδρὸς καὶ ἐξετάσαι τὰ νοήματα αὐτοῦ· οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν παρακολουθεῖ τοῖς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς νοήμασιν ὁ βραχὺς παῖς· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον οὐδὲ ψυχικὸ δύναται εἰδέναι ποῖα τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ποῖα οὐχί, μόνου δὲ πνευματικοῦ ἐστι τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον. Ἐγὼ πολλάκις ἐζήτουν κατ' ἐμαυτὸν τί δήποτε ὅτε οἱ προφῆται ἦσαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ οἱ ψευδοπροφῆται, οἱ ψευδοπροφῆται εὐδοκίμουν παρὰ τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν αὐτῶν παρὰ τοὺς προφήτας· καὶ τὰ μὲν βιβλία τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν οὐκ ἐγράφη οὐδὲ ἐσώθη ἐν τῷ λαῷ, τὰ δὲ τῶν προφητῶν καταδικασθέντων, μισηθέντων, πεπονθότων ἃ ἴσμεν, ἦλθεν εἰς μέσον καὶ τετίμηται. τίς γέγονεν ἡ τούτων ἀρχή, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἀφορμὰς λαβὼν λέγω· ὅτι ἦν χάρισμα ἐν τῷ λαῷ ὥσπερ προφητεύειν, οὕτω διακρίνειν προφήτας. δύνασθε γὰρ καθ' ἕνα πάντες προφητεύειν· ἀφθονία ἦν τότε τῶν λεγόντων καὶ τῶν ἐπιτρεπομένων λέγειν. διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐπέτρεψεν ὁ ἀπόστολος πᾶσι λέγειν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ· μικροῦ δεῖν καὶ ταῖς γυναιξὶν ἐπέτρεψε λαλεῖν, εἰ μὴ εἰρήκει τὸ ἑξῆς. 74 xiv 34–35 [Αἱ γυναῖκες ὑμῶν ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις σιγάτωσαν, οὐ γὰρ ἐπι τέτραπται αὐταῖς λαλεῖν, ἀλλ' ὑποτάσσεσθαι, καθὼς καὶ ὁ νόμος λέγει. εἰ δέ τι μαθεῖν θέλουσιν, ἐν οἴκῳ τοὺς ἰδίους ἄνδρας ἐπερωτάτωσαν, αἰσχρὸν γάρ ἐστι γυναιξὶ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ λαλεῖν.] [Ὠριγένους] Ὡς γὰρ πάντων λεγόντων καὶ δυναμένων λέγειν, ἐὰν ἀποκάλυψις αὐτοῖς γένηται, φησὶν Αἱ γυναῖκες ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις σιγάτωσαν. ταύτης δὲ τῆς ἐντολῆς οὐκ ἦσαν οἱ τῶν γυναικῶν μαθηταί, οἱ μαθητευθέντες Πρισκίλλῃ καὶ Μαξιμίλλῃ, οὐ Χριστοῦ τοῦ
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)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.