Things beyond what is written; thunder-words and unspeakable words
If we say there are things beyond what is written, we do not mean that the many can know them. We mean what John heard and was not allowed to write — the words of the thunders — learning them yet sparing the world by not writing them, because he judged that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
So too with what Paul learned: unspeakable words beyond what is written — if humans have in fact spoken what stands written. What eye has not seen is beyond the written; what ear has not heard cannot be written down. And what has never risen upon a human heart is greater than Jacob’s spring: it is shown from the spring of water leaping up to eternal life to those who no longer have only a human heart, but can say, “We have the mind of Christ.”
Greek
Ἐὰν δὲ λέγωμεν τὸ ὑπὲρ ἃ γέγραπται εἶναί τινα, οὐ τοῦτό φαμεν ὅτι γνωστὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς εἶναι δύναται, ἀλλὰ Ἰωάννῃ ἀκούοντι καὶ γράφειν αὐτὰ μὴ ἐπιτρεπομένῳ, ὁποῖα ἦν τὰ τῶν βροντῶν ῥήματα, καὶ μανθάνοντι καὶ διὰ τὸ φείδεσθαι τοῦ κόσμου οὐ γράφοντι αὐτά· ᾤετο γὰρ μηδὲ αὐτὸν τὸν κόσμον χωρεῖν τὰ γραφόμενα βιβλία.
ἀλλὰ καὶ ἅπερ ὁ Παῦλος μεμάθηκεν ἄρρητα ῥήματα ὑπὲρ ἃ γέγραπται, εἴ γε τὰ γεγραμμένα ἄνθρωποι λελαλήκασι· καὶ ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν ἐστὶν ὑπὲρ τὰ γεγραμμένα, καὶ ἃ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν γραφῆναι οὐ δύναται. καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου μὴ ἀναβεβηκότα μείζονά ἐστι τῆς τοῦ Ἰακὼβ πηγῆς, ἀπὸ τῆς πηγῆς ὕδατος ἁλλομένου εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον φανερούμενα τοῖς οὐκέτι καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἔχουσιν, ἀλλὰ δυναμένοις λέγειν· Ἡμεῖς δὲ νοῦν Χριστοῦ ἔχομεν.
About this text
Origen’s Commentary on John, Book 13 (later tomoi). Complete on this page: §§1–64.
English follows Preuschen, Origenes Werke IV (GCS 10, 1903). Heine FOTC was not used as wording. This page is Book 13 §§1–64 of the later books (13, 19, 20, 28, 32).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Preuschen, Origenes Werke IV = GCS 10 (1903) (Greek · Book 13 §§1–64)
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.