John’s word on the manner of his death
Know this too: the word spoken through John we learned, saying, 'These things said he, signifying by what death he shall glorify God.' (John 21:19) Every death for Christ glorifies the Father — whether by sword or fire or beasts or bonds. Let the manner be what God wills; ours is the willingness. For the confession hallows every manner, and every manner perfects the confessor.
Greek
ν τῶν ἐπιπόνων λογιζόμενοι ὅτι „ro παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς ϑλίψεως ἡμῶν χαϑ᾽ ὑπερβολὴν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης. κατεργάζεται ἡμῖν, σχοπούντων ἡμῶν οὐ τὰ βλεπόμενα ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα: Ἧ
L. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ “γινώσκωμεν, ὅτι τὸ εἰρημένον περὶ τοῦ ᾿Αβελ ἀναιρεϑέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνϑρωποχτόνου καὶ ἀδίχου Κάϊν ἐφαρμόζξει πᾶσιν, ὧν ἀδίκως ἐξεχύϑη τὸ αἷμα. τὸ γἄρ᾽ οφωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ cov βοᾷ πρός με ἐκ τῆς γῆς" vouloouev λέγεσϑαι καὶ περὶ ἑχάστου τῶν μαρτύρων, ὧν ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ αἵματος βοᾷ πρὸς τὸν ϑεὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς.
τάχα δὲ καὶ ὥσπερ »τιμίῳ αἵματι" τῷ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἠγοράσϑημεν, Ἰησοῦ λαβόντος „ro ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα," οὕτως τῷ ,,τιμίῳ αἵματι“ τῶν μαρτύρων ἀγορασϑήσονταί τινες, καὶ αὐτῶν πλέον υψου- μένων παρ᾽ ὃ ὑψώϑησαν ἂν δίκαιοι μὲν γενόμενοι μὴ μαρτυρήσαντες
de‘ λόγον γὰρ ἔχει τὸ ἰδίως τὸν ἐν μαρτυρίῳ ϑάνατον ὕψωσιν καλεῖσϑαι, sg δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ" ,ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ dx τῆς γῆς, πάντας ἑλχύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν.“ δοξάσωμεν οὖν xal ἡμεῖς ὑψώσαντες τῷ ἑαυτῶν ϑανάτῳ τὸν ϑεὸν, ἐπείπερ ὃ μαρτυρῶν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ (,ϑανάτῳ δοξάσει
5 τὸν Heov“ ὅπερ καὶ αὐτὸ ἀπὸ Ἰωάννου μεμαϑήχαμεν εἰπόντος" »ταῦτα δὲ εἶπε σημαίνων ποίῳ ϑανάτῳ δοξάσει τὸν ϑεόν."
About this text
Written to imprisoned friends: why martyrdom is the highest prayer, and how not to fear it.
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.