Wineskins of virtue and of punishment
Consider with me then that all human beings are now, in a figurative way, able to hold wine. And I name them wineskins in this respect and say that the worthless one is filled with 'wine of the vine of Sodom,' is filled with Egyptian wine and with wine of Israel's enemies, but the holy and benefited one is filled with wine from the vine of Sorek and with wine about which it is written: 'Your cup making drunk as the strongest,' and again the holy one is filled with wine from which Wisdom has mixed. Let these things be understood by me according to vice and virtue, so that 'every wineskin is filled with wine' may be seen. But if we must also see the things that come through vice and through virtue—punishments through vice, blessings and promises through virtue—let us set out from the sacred writings how punishments and promises are called wine: 'Take the cup of this unmixed wine, and you shall make all the nations drink to whom I send you to them.'
Jeremiah says these things; to which he adds: 'And they will drink and vomit and go mad and fall.' So here he named the punishments unmixed wine, which those drink who are worthy of unmixed wine—that is, of unmixed punishment. There are also others who drink a punishment not unmixed but mixed; for 'a cup is in the Lord's hand, full of unmixed wine of mixture; he tipped from this into that; yet its dregs were not emptied out; all the sinners of the earth will drink.' If you also want to see a cup of blessing, which the righteous drink, the one of Wisdom would already suffice, at which she said: 'Drink the wine I mixed for you.' But look with me also at the Savior going up to the Passover into 'a large upper room furnished and ready,' celebrating with the disciples and giving them a cup about which it is written not that he mixed—for Jesus, gladdening the disciples, gladdens with what is unmixed—and says to them: 'Take, drink; this is my blood, poured out for you for forgiveness of sins; do this, as often as you drink, in remembrance of me,' and: 'Amen I say to you, I will not drink it from now until I drink it new with you in the kingdom of God.'
You see the promise being 'the cup of the new covenant'; you see the punishments a cup of unmixed wine, and another kind of punishment a mixed cup—so that for each there is mixed, according to the worth of good practice mixed with base practice, what he will drink. Think with me of those wholly alien to piety and in no way attending to themselves, but living as it happens, drinking the unmixed wine about which we set out the things from Jeremiah; and of those not wholly fallen away and sinners, yet unworthy of the cup 'of the new covenant,' doing sometimes better and sometimes contrary deeds, drinking wine 'of unmixed mixture.' For God 'tipped from this into that'—from what 'this'? I see two cups according to the saying: 'He tipped from this into that; yet its dregs were not emptied out.' Think with me of the cup of your good works in one hand of God; and if you want me to speak more boldly, let the cup of your good works be in the right hand of God, then let the cup of your sins be in the left hand of God.
So when you are about to be punished for sins, since better works have also come to be for you, 'a cup is in the Lord's hand, full of unmixed wine of mixture. And he tipped from this into that'—from the one in the left into the one in the right. For you cannot drink only the cup of goods, as not having done only good works, nor can you drink only the cup of sins, for some good things have been done by you. Therefore 'he tipped from this into that.' According to the proportion of your works wrath and punishment are mixed for you, so that either the punishment may be more watery for you or sharper and more toilsome. For according to the proportion, as I said before, of sins compared with goods, the drink from the cup of wrath somehow grows blunt or does not grow blunt as it is given to each of the sinners.
But if you are wholly fair and good, you say: 'I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.' So 'every wineskin,' whether fair or wicked, 'will be filled with wine,' and according to the fitness of the wineskin wine will be cast into the wineskin according to the account of the wineskins named here. Oil then is not cast into the wineskins, nor any other liquid matter, but every wineskin must be filled with wine.
Greek
Κατανόησον οὖν μοι πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι τροπικῶς νῦν χωρητικοὺς οἴνου. καὶ ὀνομάζω αὐτοὺς κατὰ τοῦτο ἀσκοὺς καὶ λέγω ὅτι ὁ μὲν φαῦλος πεπλήρωται «οἴνου ἀμπέλου Σοδόμων«, πεπλήρωται οἵνου Αἰγυπτίου καὶ οἴνου τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ, ὁ δὲ ἅγιος καὶ ὠφελημένος πεπλήρωται οἴνου ἀπὸ ἀμπέλου Σωρὴκ καὶ οἴνου περὶ οὑ γέγραπται· «τὸ ποτήριόν σου μεθύσκον ὡς κράτιστον«, καὶ πάλιν πεπλήρωται οἴνου ὁ ἅγιος, ἀφ᾿ οὗ ἐκέρασεν ἡ σοφία. ταῦτα μὲν οὐν νοείσθω μοι κατὰ τὴν κακίαν καὶ τὴν ἀρετήν, ἵνα θεωρηθῇ τὸ >πᾶς ἀσκὸς οἴνου πληροῦται< εἰ δὲ δεῖ Ἰδεῖν καὶ τὰ διὰ τὴν κακίαν καὶ τὴν ἀρετήν, κολάσεις μὲν τὰς διὰ τὴν κακίαν, εὐλογίας δὲ καὶ ἐπαγγελίας τὰς διὰ τὴν ἀρετήν, παραστήσωμεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων, τίνα τρόπον αἱ κολάσεις καὶ αἱ ἑπαγγελίαι οἶνος λέγεται· «λάβε τὸ ποτήριον τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ ἀκράτου τούτου, καὶ ποτιεῖς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη πρὸς ἃ ἐγὼ ἐξαποστελῶ σε πρὸς αὐτούς.
ἱερεμίας ταῦτα λέγει· ᾧ ἐπιφέρει· «καὶ πίονται καὶ ἐξεμέσονται καὶ ἐκμανήσονται καὶ πεσοῦνται. οὐκοῦν τὰς κολάσεις σεις ὠνόμασεν ἐνταῦθα οἶνον ἄκρατον, ὅν πίνουσιν οἱ ἀκράτου οἴνου τουτέστιν ἀκράτου κολάσεως ἄξιοι. εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ ἄλλοι οἱ πίνοντες κόλασιν οὐκ ἄκρατον, ἀλλὰ κεκερασμένην· «ποτήριον« γὰρ «ἐν χειρὶ κυρίου, οἴνου ἀκράτου πλῆρες κεράσματος, ἔκλινεν ἐκ τούτου εἰς τοῦτο· πλὴν ὁ τρυγίας αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐξεκενώθη, πίονται πάντες οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ τῆς. εἰ θέλεις καὶ ποτήριον εὐλογίας ἰδεῖν, ὃ πίνουσιν οἱ δίκαιοι, ἤρκει μὲν οὐν καὶ τὸ τῆς σοφίας, ἐφ᾿ ᾧ ἔλεγε· «πίετε οἶνον ὃν ἐκέρασα ὑμῖν«, ἴδε δέ μοι καὶ τὸν σωτῆρα πρὸς τὸ πάσχα ἀναβαίνοντα εἰς «ἀνάγαιον μέγα ἐστρωμένον καὶ κεκοσμημένον« καὶ ἑορτάζοντα μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν καὶ διδόντα αὐτοῖς ποτήριον, περὶ οὗ γέγραπται οὐχ ὅτι ἐκέρασεν· ὁ Ἰησοῦς γὰρ εὐφραίνων τοὺς μαθητὰς ἀκράτω εὐφραίνει καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· «λάβετε, πίετε, τοῦτό μού ἐστι τὸ αἶμα, τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐκχυνόμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε, ὁσάκις ἐὰν πίνητε, εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν‘«, καί· «ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ πίω αὐτὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν, ἕως αὐτὸ πίω μεθ’ ὑμῶν καινὸν έν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ.
Ορᾷς τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τὸ ποτήριον τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης« οὐσαν, ὁρᾷς τὰς κολάσεις κολάσεις ποτήριον οἴνου ἀκράτου, καὶ ἄλλο εἶδος κολάσεως ποτήριον κεκερασμένον· ὥστε ἑκάστῳ κίρνασθαι κατὰ τὴν Ι άξίαν τῆς χρηστῆς πράξεως ἀναμεμιγμένης μοχθηρᾷ πράξει ἅ πίεται. νόει δέ μοι τοὺς μὲν πάντῃ ἀλλοτρίους τῆς θεοσεβείας καὶ μησαμῶς προσέχοντας αὑτοῖς, ἀλλ΄ ὡς ἔτυχε ζῶντας, πίνοντας τὸν ἄκρατον οἶνον περὶ οὗ παρεθέμεθα τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου, τοὺς δὲ μὴ πάντῃ ἀποστάντας καὶ ἁμαρτωλούς, ἀλλ’ ἀ〈να〉ξίους τοῦ ποτηρίου «τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης«, ποιοῦντας ὁτὲ μὲν χρηστοτέρας ὁτὲ δὲ ἐναντίας πράξεις, οἶνον πίνοντας «ἀκράτου κεράσματος . «ἔκλινε« γὰρ ὁ θεὸς «ἐκ τούτου εἰς τοῦτο« τίνος «τούτου«; δύο ποτήρια βλέπω κατὰ τὸ λεγόμενον· «ἔκλινεν ἐκ τούτου εἰς τοῦτο πλὴν ὁ τρυγίας αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐξεκενώθη. νόει μοι τὸ ποτήριον τῶν ἀγαθῶν σου ἔργων ἐν τῇ μιᾷ χειρὶ τοῦ θεοῦ· εἰ δὲ βούλει τολμηρότερόν με εἰπεῖν, ἔστω ἐν τῇ χειρὶ χειρὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ ποτήριον τῶν ἔργων σου τῶν ἀγαθῶν, εἶτα ἔστω τὸ ποτήριόν σου τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐν τῇ ἀριστερᾷ χειρὶ τοῦ θεοῦ.
ὅταν οὖν μέλλῃς κολάζεσθαι διὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἐπεὶ καὶ χρηστότερά σοι ἔργα γεγένηται, ποτήριον «ἐν χειρὶ κυρίου ἐστὶν οἴνου ἀκράτου πλῆρες κεράσματος. καὶ ἔκλινεν ἐκ τούτου εἰς τοῦτο«, ἐκ τοῦ ἐν τῇ ἀριστερᾷ εἰς τὸ ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ. οὔτε γὰρ μόνον δύνασαι πιεῖν τὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ποτήριον, ὡς οὐ μόνον ἀγαθὰ ἔργα πεποιηκώς, οὔτε δύνασαι πιεῖν μόνον τὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ποτήριον, χρηστὰ γáρ σοι πέπρακταί τινα. διὰ τοῦτο «ἔκλινεν ἐκ τούτου εἰς τοῦτο. κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῶν ἔργων σου κίρναταί σοι ὁ θυμὸς καὶ ἡ κόλασις, ἴνα ἤτοι ὑδαρέστερον τὸ τῆς κολάσεως ᾖ σοι ἢ δριμύτερον καὶ ἐπιπονώτερον. κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν γὰρ, ὡς προεῖπον, τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων συγκρινομένων τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἀμβλύνεταί πως ἢ οὐκ ἀμβλύνεται ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦ ποτηρίου τῆς ὁργῆς † ποσῶς διδομένης ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων.
ἐὰν δὲ καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθὸς ᾖς ὅλος, λέγεις· «ποτήριον σωτηρίου λήψομαι, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου ἐπικαλέσομαι. «πᾶς« οὖν «ἀσκός«, εἴτε καλὸς εἴτε μοχθηρός, «πληρωθήσεται οἴνου«, καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἐπιτηδειότητα τοῦ ἀσκοῦ οἶνος βληθήσεται εἰς τὸν ἀσκὸν κατὰ τὸν λόγον τῶν ἐνταῦθα ὀνομαζομένων ἀσκῶν. ἔλαιον οὖν οὐ βάλλεται εἰς τοὺς ἀσκοὺς οὐδὲ ἄλλη τις ὑγρὰ ὕλη, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἀσκὸν δεῖ οἴνου πληρωθῆναι.
About this text
Origen on Jeremiah. Twenty Greek homilies survive. This page publishes the Pass B English for Homilies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Homily 8 remains a machine draft and is not shipped yet. The rest of the volume is still being translated.
English follows Erich Klostermann, Origenes Werke III (GCS, 1901). A second transcription of that same edition (First1KGreek TEI) was checked; where the TEI drops or garbles a line, the page image wins. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek. Homilies that survive only in Jerome’s Latin are not on this page yet. When they are, they will be marked at those homilies.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Klostermann, Origenes Werke III (GCS, 1901) (Greek · Homilies 1–20 Greek (this page: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20))
- Checked print Archive.org page image and DjVu of GCS III (Greek · Same print as the copy-text)
- Checked print First1KGreek TEI of GCS III (Greek · Same print; encoding errors deferred to the page image)
Where the prints differ
- Homily 1.1 — The TEI omits Ἑβραῖον. English follows the GCS page image: Jonah is “a Hebrew prophet.”
- Homily 1.5 — The TEI dropped Ἰσαάκ. English follows the GCS page image: Isaac born of promise.
- Homily 1.11 — The TEI/OCR of this line is garbled. English follows the GCS page image and the quoted verse: “I have sanctified you.”
- Homily 3.2 — The TEI gaps Matthew 5:45 (sun on the evil and [gap]; rain on [gap] and the unjust). English follows the Gospel wording.
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.