← §3 Read continuously Fragment from the Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles · §4 · Origen of Alexandria
The Holy Spirit personifies all persons
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Origen is concluding his explanation of how the Holy Spirit speaks through the prophets by assuming different persons.
So too, even if the Spirit personifies the prophet, or that people, or this people, or whatever at all it personifies, it is the Holy Spirit who personifies all things.
Greek Οὕτω,
κἂν προσωποποιήσῃ τὸν προφήτην, ἢ τὸν λαὸν ἐκεῖνον, ἢ τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, ἢ ὅ τι
δήποτε προσωποποιεῖ, τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμά ἐστι τὸ πάντα προσωποποιοῦν.
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About this text A short passage from Origen's homilies on Acts: how Peter can say the Holy Spirit spoke the Psalm about Judas, when the words seem to be Christ's.
Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–c. 254) was an early Christian theologian and biblical scholar who led the Catechetical School of Alexandria and later founded the Christian School of Caesarea. He delivered seventeen homilies on the Acts of the Apostles, but only one fragment survives, from the fourth homily. It was preserved in the Philocalia, a collection of Origen's writings compiled by Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus.
The fragment addresses a problem raised by Acts 1:16, where Peter says that the Holy Spirit spoke through David about Judas. An objector points out that the words in the Psalm appear to be spoken by the Savior, not by the Holy Spirit. Origen responds by explaining how the Holy Spirit personifies different speakers in the prophets.
The words of the Savior are quoted as part of the objection, and Peter's words from Acts are quoted in Origen's questioning. Origen argues that when the Holy Spirit personifies God, it is not God speaking but the Holy Spirit speaking from God's person, and likewise for Christ. He extends this to the prophet, to that people, to this people, or whatever the Spirit personifies. The word office is used for the position held by Judas that is to be given to another.
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