Unit 3 rem mid
And notice what follows, whether it can be said more strikingly by one who interprets this way: according to the true law, of which Moses’ letter was a shadow and pattern, some were serving in the heavenly places; and that law is decrees rather than a law of commandments. The one deemed worthy to understand those decrees, once the dividing wall of the fence that walled him from the better is broken down, no longer lives by the law of the commandments. For Christ abolishes the law of the commandments in decrees, so that when the decrees shown by the law of the commandments are understood, the letter of that law of commandments is despised as killing.
So the law of the commandments, abolished by the Savior through the disclosure of the decrees in them, gathered both—I mean the more divine powers and those who believe from among humans—into one new man. The new man is understood from being renewed day by day, and he will be settled in a new world, because there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Yet “into one new man” will seem to conflict with that interpretation.
Eph. 2:19–22: “So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”
Against the earlier “strangers to the covenants of promise,” it now says “so you are no longer strangers and sojourners”; and against “alienated from the commonwealth of Israel,” now “but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household.” These words must be brought against those who introduce natures: how are those who are by nature citizens of the saints strangers, and how are those by nature strangers members of God’s household?
And the words from “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” will seem to agree with the interpretation that Israel is near and the nations far. But one must also use these sayings against those who split the Godhead and think the prophets belong to one God and the apostles to another. For if those no longer strangers and sojourners but fellow citizens of the saints and household of God are built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself the cornerstone, in whom every building fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord—in whom the Ephesians too are built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit—there is one God of one building and temple built on that foundation. And if the whole building fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, we must make it our aim to become harmonious living stones for the whole building, that being built together we may become a dwelling for God, holding in ourselves all his theology.
Eph. 3:1–3: “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace given me for you, that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in brief.” Origen says: as to the phrasing, after searching as far as we could to restore it, we say he did not complete “for this reason I, Paul, the prisoner” with what for this reason he did or what happened to him. Unless, as an untrained speaker in wording, he fell short of the phrasing’s sequel yet gave the owed sense without polish, as if one should say: for this reason I, Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus and prisoner for you Gentiles, made known the mystery so as to share it with you also, as I myself wrote briefly in what precedes; and you ought to have heard the stewardship of God’s grace given me for you from the nations, for whom I became Jesus Christ’s prisoner.
I think a solecism has occurred in the place. He ought to have said, “for this reason I, Paul, prisoner of Jesus Christ, made known the mystery,” but he says, “for this reason I, Paul, a prisoner—by revelation the mystery was made known to me.” If someone can show that both the sense and the phrasing succeed for him, that person especially should be heard. In the few words before this the careful reader can truly find a revelation of a holy mystery made known to Paul.
Eph. 3:12: “in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through faith in him.” Origen
Greek
αὐτοῦ. καὶ πρόσχες γε τῷ ἑξῆς, εἰ δύναται πληκτικώτερον λέγεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ οὕτως ἑρμηνεύοντος· κατά γε τὸν ἀληθῆ νόμον, οὗ κιὰ καὶ ὑπόδειγμα τὸ γράμμα Μωσέως ἦν, ἐλάτρευόν τινες ἐν τοῖ ἐπουρανίοι · καὶ ἐκεῖνος ὁ νόμος δόγματά ἐστι μᾶλλον ἢ νόμος ἐντολῶν, ἅπερ δόγματα ὁ ἀξιωθεὶς νοῆσαι, τῷ καταλελύ σθαι τὸ διατειχῖζον αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν κρειττόνων μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ, οὐκέτι τῷ νόμῳ τῶν ἐντολῶν ζῇ· τὸν γὰρ νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασι καταργεῖ Χριστός, ἵνα, νοηθέντων τῶν δηλουμένων ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου τῶν ἐντολῶν δογμάτων, καταφρονηθῇ ὡς ἀποκτέννον τὸ γράμμα τοῦ νόμου τῶν ἐντολῶν. καταργηθεὶς τοίνυν ἀπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος ὁ νόμος τῶν ἐντολῶν διὰ τῆς τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς δογμάτων φανερώσεως συνήγαγεν ἀμφοτέρους, λέγω δὴ τὰς θειοτέρας δυνάμεις καὶ τοὺς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων πιστεύοντας, εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον. ὁ δὲ καινὸς ἄνθρωπο ἐκ τοῦ ὁ ημέραι ἀνακαινοῦ θαι νοεῖται, καὶ κατοικισθήσεται ἐν καινῷ κόσμῳ, ὅτι ἔ ται ὁ οὐρανὸ καινὸ καὶ ἡ γῆ καινή. δόξει δὲ τὸ εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐναντιοῦσθαι τῇ ἑρμηνείᾳ. [ii 19–22] ἄρα οὖν οὐκέτι ἐστὲ ξένοι καὶ πάροικοι, ἀλλὰ συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων καὶ οἰκεῖοι τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἐν ᾧ πᾶσα οἰκοδομὴ συναρμολογουμένη αὔξει εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον ἐν Κυρίῳ ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς συνοικοδομεῖσθε εἰς κατοικητήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν πνεύματι. πρὸς τὸ προειρημένον ξένοι τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας νῦν λέγεται ἄρα οὐκέτι ἐστὲ ξένοι καὶ πάροικοι, καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ νῦν τὸ ἀλλὰ συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων καὶ οἰκεῖοι τοῦ Θεοῦ. τὰ δὲ ῥήματα ταῦτα προσακτέον τοῖς εἰσάγουσι τὰς φύσεις· πῶς γὰρ ξένοι οἱ φύσει πολῖται τῶν ἁγίων καὶ πῶς οἱ φύσει ξένοι οἰκεῖοι τοῦ Θεοῦ; τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν δόξει συνᾴδειν τῇ ἑρμηνείᾳ τῇ περὶ τοῦ ἐγγὺς μὲν εἶναι τὸν Ἰσραήλ, πόρρω δὲ τὰ ἔθνη. δεήσει δὲ τούτοις τοῖς ῥητοῖς χρήσασθαι κατὰ τῶν διακοπτόντων τὴν θεότητα καὶ οἰομένων ἑτέρου εἶναι Θεοῦ τοὺς προφήτας καὶ ἄλλου τοὺς ἀποστόλους. εἰ γὰρ οἱ μηκέτι ξένοι καὶ πάροικοι ἀλλὰ συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων καὶ οἰκεῖοι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐποικοδομοῦνται ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἐν ᾧ πᾶσα οἰκοδομὴ συναρμολογουμένη αὔξει εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον ἐν Κυρίῳ, <ἐν ᾧ καὶ οἱ Ἐφέσιοι συνοικοδομοῦνται εἰς κατοικητήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν πνεύματι, εἷς ἐστιν Θεὸς μιᾶς οἰκοδομῆς καὶ ναοῦ τοῦ ἐποικοδομηθέντος ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν. εἰ δὲ πᾶσα ἡ οἰκοδομὴ συναρμολογουμένη αὔξει εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον ἐν Κυρίῳ,> φιλοτιμητέον ἁρμονίους ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι ζῶντα λίθου τῇ πάσῃ οἰκοδομῇ, ἵνα συνοικοδομη θέντες κατοικητήριον γενώμεθα τῷ Θεῷ χωροῦντες εἰς αὐτοὺς πᾶσαν τὴν θεολογίαν αὐτοῦ. 13 Eph. iii 1–3 [τούτου χάριν ἐγὼ Παῦλος ὁ δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν–εἴγε ἠκούσατε τὴν οἰκονομίαν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι εἰς ὑμᾶς, ὅτι κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν ἐγνωρίσθη μοι τὸ μυστήριον, καθὼς προέ γραψα ἐν ὀλίγῳ.] [Ὠριγένης δέ φησιν] ὡς πρὸς τὴν φράσιν, κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ζητήσαντες ἀποκαταστῆσαι αὐτὴν φα μὲν ὅτι οὐκ ἀνταποδέδωκε πρὸς τὸ τούτου χάριν ἐγὼ Παῦλος ὁ δέσμιος, τὸ τί τούτου γὰρ χάριν πεποίηκα ἢ τί μοι γεγένηται οὐ πάνυ τι παρέστησεν· εἰ μὴ ἄρα τοῦ μὲν ὡς πρὸς τὴν φράσιν ἀκολούθου ὡς ἰδιώτη τῷ λόγῳ ἀποπέπτωκε τὸν δὲ ὀφειλόμενον νοῦν οὐκ εὐφραδῶς ἀποδέδωκεν, οὕτως λέξοντα ἂν τούτου χάριν ἐγὼ Παῦλος δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ δέσμιος ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐγνώρισα τὸ μυστήριον ὑπὲρ τοῦ καὶ ὑμῖν μεταδοῦναι, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων δι' ὀλίγων ἔγραψα, ὀφείλετε δὲ ἀκηκοέναι τὴν οἰκονομίαν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι εἰς ὑμᾶς τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὑπὲρ ὧν δέσμιος γέγονα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. σολοικισμὸν δὲ νομίζω γεγονέναι ἐν τῷ τόπῳ· δέον γὰρ αὐτὸν εἰρηκέναι τούτου χάριν ἐγὼ Παῦλος δέσμιος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγνώρισα τὸ μυστήριον, ὁ δέ φησι τούτου χάριν ἐγὼ Παῦλος δέσμιος, κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν ἐγνωρίσθη μοι τὸ μυστήριον. εἰ δέ τις δύναται παραστῆσαι πρὸς τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ τὴν φράσιν αὐτῷ ἐπιτετευγμένην, ἐκείνου μάλιστα ἀκουστέον. ἐν ὀλίγοις τοῖς πρὸ τούτων ἔστιν ἀληθῶς εὑρεῖν τὸν ἐπιμελῶς ἐντυγχάνοντα ἀποκάλυψιν ἐγνωρι μένην μυ τηρίου ἁγίου τῷ Παύλῳ. 14 Eph. iii 12 [ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν παρρησίαν καὶ προσαγωγὴν ἐν πεποιθήσει διὰ τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ.] [Ὠριγένης δέ
About this text
Origen of Alexandria, Fragmenta ex commentariis in epistulam ad Ephesios (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.