Vain belief; Cephas and the Twelve; grace; resurrection of the flesh
—believed a falsehood; but to have believed what is true is not yet a work; belief is in judgment. Those who believe before the time and fall away in a time of trial believe in vain; and yet they have not believed false things but the true—yet because they have not believed firmly, for that reason they fall away in a time of trial. For one who believes well will not fall.
On 1 Corinthians 15:5: “And that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.” [Origen:] He says the Lord appeared to the Twelve after the resurrection; for it is likely that Matthias also was present, who was set as apostle in Judas’s place.
78 on 1 Corinthians 15:9: “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” [Origen:] Conscious of the sins from which he was freed, he says, “I am not fit to be called apostle.”
79 on 1 Corinthians 15:10: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not empty, but I labored more abundantly than they all—yet not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” [Origen:] Having said that his grace toward me was not empty, he taught that those who live unworthily of the grace received it empty. It is not that grace labors, but it must be understood thus: “I did not do these things, but the grace that is with me.”
80 on 1 Corinthians 15:11: “Whether then I or they, so we preach and so you believed.” [Origen:] All the apostles having been fully persuaded about Christ’s resurrection from the dead, the proof is firm; therefore we say the same things; for you also believed thus.
81 on 1 Corinthians 15:12–13: if Christ is preached raised, how do some say there is no resurrection of the dead? [Origen:] Christ’s resurrection with the flesh he had is clear from the text before us. But some, or rather the heterodox, want to allegorize humans’ resurrection; let them allegorize the Savior’s too, badly rejecting the wording.
82 on 1 Corinthians 15:14: “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is empty.” [Origen:] Since neither the preaching nor the faith is empty, it is clear Christ has been raised. We noted these things to show that even if Paul knew dialectical arguments, he used them naturally; for from nature and custom the dialectical art was embodied by those who philosophize.
83 on 1 Corinthians 15:15–16: false witnesses of God if the dead are not raised. [Origen:] If the one who says Christ rose bears false witness against God, then also everyone who says there is a resurrection of the dead; but if Christ rose as firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep, it is clear the dead are raised.
84 on 1 Corinthians 15:20–23: Christ raised as firstfruits; through a human death and resurrection; in Adam all die, in Christ all made alive; each in his own order. [Origen:] Since those from the heresies who say the church faith and sneer at it as faith of fools reject in deed, if not in word, that resurrection happens as the church believes—see how one must meet them from this apostolic wording and from countless others. Did Christ rise from the dead, or not? But every heresy has agreed about this. If Christ rose from the dead, and he is firstborn from the dead, and no one is firstborn of another kind, his resurrection must be of the same kind as the resurrection of those who rise. For example: Reuben is firstborn, being a son of Jacob—
Greek
πεπιστευκέναι ψευδεῖ· ἀλλὰ τὸ πεπιστευκέναι μέν, ἀληθεῖ δέ, ἔργον οὐκ ἔστιν· <ἐν> κρίσει <δὲ> πιστεύειν· οἱ πρὸ καιρὸν πι τεύοντε καὶ ἐν καιρῷ πειρα μοῦ ἀφι τάμενοι, εἰκῇ πιστεύουσι· καίτοιγε οὐ ψευδῆ πεπιστεύκασιν ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀληθεῖ μέν, ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ βεβαίως πεπιστεύκασιν, διὰ τοῦτο ἐν καιρῷ πειρα μοῦ ἀφί τανται. καλῶς γὰρ πιστεύων τις οὐ πεσεῖται. 77 xv 5 [Καὶ ὅτι ὤφθη Κηφᾷ, εἶτα τοῖς δώδεκα.] [Ὠριγένους] Ὠφθῆναι τοῖς δώδεκα λέγει τὸν κύριον μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν· εἰκὸς γὰρ ἦν ὅτι παρῆν καὶ ὁ Ματθίας ὃς ἀντὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα κατέστη ἀπόστολος. 78 xv 9 [Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὃς οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος, διότι ἐδίωξα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ.] [Ὠριγένους] Συνειδὼς ἑαυτῷ ὧν ἠλευθερώθη ἁμαρτιῶν φησὶν Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος. 79 xv 10 [Χάριτι δὲ θεοῦ εἰμὶ ὅ εἰμι, καὶ ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ ἡ εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθη, ἀλλὰ περισσότερον αὐτῶν [Ὠριγένους] πάντων ἐκοπίασα, οὐκ ἐγὼ δὲ ἀλλ' ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ σὺν ἐμοί.] Εἰπὼν ὅτι ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ οὐ κενὴ ἐγενήθη εἰς ἐμέ, ἐδίδαξεν ὅτι οἱ ἀναξίως ζῶντες τῆς χάριτος κενὴν αὐτὴν ἔλαχον. οὐχ ἡ χάρις δὲ κοπιᾷ, ἀλλ' οὕτως νοητέον· Οὐκ ἐγὼ τάδε πεποίηκα, ἀλλ' ἡ χάρις ἡ σὺν ἐμοί. 80 xv 11 [Εἴτε οὖν ἐγὼ εἴτε ἐκεῖνοι, οὕτως κηρύσσομεν καὶ οὕτως ἐπιστεύ σατε.] [Ὠριγένους] Πάντων τῶν ἀποστόλων πληρ<ο>φορηθέντων περὶ τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως τοῦ χριστοῦ βεβαία ἡ ἀπόδειξις, διὸ τὰ αὐτὰ λέγομεν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὑμεῖς οὕτως ἐπιστεύσατε. 81 xv 12–13 [Εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς κηρύσσεται ὅτι ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγήγερται, πῶς λέγουσίν τινες ἐν ὑμῖν ὅτι ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν οὐκ ἔστιν; εἰ δὲ ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν οὐκ ἔστιν, οὐδὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται.] [Ὠριγένους] Σαφής ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀνάστασις μεθ' ἧς εἶχε σαρκὸς γεγονυῖα ἐκ τοῦ προκειμένου ῥητοῦ, οἱ δέ, οἱ ἑτερόδοξοι, ἀλληγοροῦν θέλουσιν τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀνάστασιν· ἀλληγορήτωσαν καὶ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος κακῶς τῷ ἑαυτῶν ἀθε τοῦντες τὸ ῥητόν. [[Μανixαίους λέγει τοὺς λέγοντας ὅτι ὁ ἀπαλλασσόμενος ἁμαρτιῶν οὕτως ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν.]] 82 xv 14 [Εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐγήγερται, κενὸν ἄρα καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα ἡμῶν, κενὴ δὲ καὶ ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν.] [Ὠριγένους] Ἐπειδὴ οὔτε κενὸν τὸ κήρυγμα οὔτε κενὴ ἡ πίστις δῆλον ὅτι Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται. ταῦτα δὲ ἐσημειωσάμεθα ὑποδεικνύντες ὅτι εἰ καὶ ᾔδει τοὺς διαλεκτικοὺς λόγους ὁ Παῦλος, ἀλλὰ φυσικῶς αὐτοῖς ἐχρήσατο· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς φύσεως καὶ συνηθείας ἡ διαλεκτικὴ τέχνη ἐσωματοποιήθη ὑπὸ τῶν φιλοσοφούντων. 83 xv 15–16 [Εὑρισκόμεθα δὲ καὶ ψευδομάρτυρες τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι ἐμαρτυρήσαμεν κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι ἤγειρεν τὸν Χριστόν, ὃν οὐκ ἤγειρεν εἴπερ ἄρα νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται. <εἰ γὰρ νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται>, οὐδὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται.] [Ὠριγένους] Εἰ κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ψευδομαρτυρεῖ ὁ λέγων ὅτι Χριστὸς ἀνέστη, οὐκοῦν καὶ πᾶς ὁ λέγων ὅτι ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν· εἰ δὲ ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἀνέστη Χριστός, δῆλον ὅτι καὶ νεκροὶ ἐγείρονται. 84 xv 20–23 [Νυνὶ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμη μένων ἐγένετο· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δι' ἀνθρώπου ὁ θάνατος, καὶ δι' ἀνθρώπου ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Ἀδὰμ πάντες ἀποθνήσκουσιν, οὕτως καὶ ἐν τῷ χριστῷ πάντες ζωοποιηθήσονται. Ἕκαστος δὲ ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ τάγματι.] [Ὠριγένους] Ἐπεὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων λέγοντες τὴν ἐκκλησιαστικὴν πίστιν καὶ μυκτη ρίζοντες ὡς ἀνοήτων πίστιν ἀθετοῦσιν τῷ ἔργῳ, εἰ καὶ μὴ τῷ λόγῳ, μὴ γίνεσθαι ἀνάστασιν λέγοντες ὡς ἡ ἐκκλησία πιστεύει· ὅρα πῶς αὐτοῖς ἀπαντητέον ἐκ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς ταύτης λέξεως καὶ ἐξ ἄλλων δὲ μυρίων. Ἀνέστη Χριστὸς ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἢ οὐ; ἀλλὰ περὶ τούτου πᾶσα αἵρεσις συγκατέθετο. εἰ ἀνέστη Χριστὸς ἐκ νεκρῶν, πρωτότοκο δὲ ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ἐκ νεκρῶν, οὐδεὶς δὲ πρωτότοκό ἐστιν ἑτερογενῶς, ἀνάγκη ὁμογενῆ εἶναι τὴν ἀνάστασιν αὐτοῦ τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν ἀνισταμένων. οἷον· πρωτότοκός ἐστι Ῥουβίμ, υἱὸς ὢν τοῦ Ἰακώβ,
About this text
Origen of Alexandria, Fragmenta ex commentariis in epistulam i ad Corinthios (Greek).
Original English Translation of Origen’s Fragmenta ex commentariis in epistulam i ad Corinthios — new OET from PG 14 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.