The secret martyrdom of daily death
But not the open martyrdom alone: secretly too the soul is crowned that denies itself through love toward God. 'The testimony of our conscience' (Psalm 44:21–22) — this too is martyrdom before God, who 'knoweth the secrets of the heart.' (1 Corinthians 15:31) For 'for thy sake we are killed all the day' (2 Corinthians 1:12) — the daily death of the self-denied. Blessed then are the pure in conscience, whether before tribunals or in secret, for God seeth in secret and rewardeth.
Greek
αὶ ἐπεχάλυψεν ἡμᾶς σχιὰ Havarov.“ ϑαῤῥοῦντες δὲ λέ- yousv καὶ 10‘ „el ἐπελαϑόμεϑα τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ ϑεοῦ ἡμῶν, καὶ εἰ διεπετάσαμεν χεῖρας ἡμῶν πρὸς ϑεὸν ἀλλότριον, οὐχὶ ὃ ϑεὸς ἐχζη- τήσει ταῦτα;"
XXI. Mn τὸ ἐν φανερῷ δὲ μόνον μαρτύριον ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐν χρυπτῷ τελείως ἀναλαβεῖν ἀγωνισώμεϑα, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀποστολικῶς ἀναφϑεγξώμεϑα τό „Todro γάρ ἐστε τὸ καύχημα ἡμῶν, τὸ μαρτύ- ριον τῆς συνειδήσεως ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐν ἁγιότητι καὶ εἰλικρινείᾳ ϑεοῦ" νἀνεστράφημεν ἐν τῷ χόσμῳ." συνάπτωμεν δὲ τῷ ἀποστολικῷ τὸ προ- φητιχκὸν τό" ,αὐτὸς δὲ γινώσχει τὰ χρύφια τῆς καρδίας“ ἡμῶν, καὶ μάλιστα, ἐὰν τὴν ἐπὶ ϑανάτῳ ἀπαγώμεϑα᾽ ὅτε φήσομεν τὸ ὑπὸ μό- νῶν μαρτύρων λεγόμενον τῷ ϑεῷ τό“ ,ὅτι ἕνεχα σοῦ ϑανατούμεϑα ω , « , > ς ’ - ° 2 , oAnv τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐλογίσϑημεν ὡς πρόβατα σφαγῆς." ἐὰν δέ ποτε ἀπὸ τοῦ φρονήματος ,τῆς σαρχὸς" ὑποβάλληται ἡμῖν φόβος τῶν ἀπειλούν- τῶν ἡμῖν ϑάνατον δικαστῶν, τότε εἴπωμεν αὐτοῖς τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν Παροι- μεῶν" „vie, τίμα τὸν κύριον, καὶ ἰσχύσεις" πλὴν δὲ αὐτοῦ μὴ φοβοῦ ἄλλον."
XXIL Kal τοῦτο δὲ πρὸς τὰ προχείμενά ἐστι χρήσιμον. φησὶν ἐν τῷ Ἐκχκλησιαστῇ 6 Σολομῶν" ,ἐπήνεσα ἐγὼ πάντας τοὺς τεϑνηχό- τας ὑπὲρ τοὺς ζῶντας, ὅσοι αὐτοὶ ζῶσι» ἕως τοῦ νῦν." τίς av οὕτως εὐλόγως ἐπαινοῖτο τεϑνηχὼς “ἧς ὁ αὐτοπροαιρέτως τὸν ϑάνατον ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀναδεξάμενος; ὁποῖος ἦν ὃ Ἐλεάξαρος »τὸν μετ᾽ εὺ- κλείας ϑάνατον μᾶλλον ἢ ἢ τὸν μετὰ μύσους βίον ἀναδεξ ξάμενος καὶ αὖτο- προαιρέτως ἐπὶ τὸ τύμπανον προάγων“ ἢ ὅστις »λογισμὸν ἀστεῖον ava- λαβὼν ἄξιον τῆς ἐνενηκονταετοῦς αὐτοῦ ἡλικίας καὶ τῆς τοῦ γήρως
About this text
Written for Ambrose and Protoctetus. Open the Greek under each section.
English follows Paul Koetschau, Origenes Werke I (GCS, 1899). The Archive OCR of that same print was checked. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Koetschau, Origenes Werke I (GCS 2, 1899) (Greek · Exhortation to Martyrdom)
- Checked print Archive.org OCR of GCS 2 (Greek · Same print)
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.