Fragments on the New Testament · §1 · Origen of Alexandria

John catena: In the beginning was the Word (opening frag.)

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Setting him forth as craftsman of all things, the name ‘Word’ is predicated of him.

For since, as a rule, every work of crafting depends on a word, there was no other way to declare him maker of all — for those who possess it (and this is a productive state joined with guileless reason).

But the Son of God, being none other than the craftsman of wisdom and art, is fittingly named ‘Word.’

For it is not some other substance, distinct from the Word, that makes existing things through him; he himself is the maker, being God the Word.

Then, since this Word — being God in substance and being in himself the Son of God — became man for the sake of human salvation, the Word was named ‘Flesh.’

And since some, having fallen from right faith, suppose that he exists only from the time when he came forth having become man from the virgin, the theologian most rightly writes against such people: In the beginning was the Word.

And using the verbs fittingly, by ‘became’ he signifies his flesh, and by ‘was’ his Godhead.

It would have been more proper to say ‘is’ of the Word of God; but since he was declaring the Word’s existence by way of distinguishing the incarnation, which happened at a certain time, the evangelist used ‘was’ instead of ‘is.’

But one must not take the proper significations of verbs when they are applied to eternal things; for it is when the things signified by them have an existence measured by time that ‘was’ means what is no longer but once was — just as ‘is’ signifies what now exists, as ‘will be’ what is going to exist.

But since the Word of God is eternal… the fragment breaks off

Greek

Δημιουργὸν τῶν πάντων τιθέμενος αὐτὸν τὸ τοῦ Λόγου ὄνομα κατηγορεῖ αὐτοῦ. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὡς ἐπίπαν πᾶσα δημιουργία ἤρτηται λόγου, οὐκ ἄλλως ἔδει αὐτὸν τῶν πάντων δηλῶσαι ὄντα ποιητὴν ἔχουσιν (αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἕξις μετὰ ἀδόλου λόγου ποιητική), ὁ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ υἱός, οὐκ ἄλλος ὢς ἢ σοφίας καὶ τέχνης δημιουργός, εἰκότως λόγος ὀνομάζεται. οὐ γὰρ ἄλλη τις ὢν οὐσία παρὰ τὸν λόγου δι᾿ αὐτοῦ ποιεὶ τὰ ὄντα, ἀλλ᾿ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ποιῶν, θεὸς ὢν λόγος. εἶτ᾿ ἐπεὶ ὁ λόγος οὗτος, θεὸς ὢν κατ’ οὐσίαν καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο θεοῦ υἱὸς ὑπάρχων, τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίας χάριν ἄνθρωπος γεγένηται, »Σὰρξ« ὁ λόγος ὠνομάσθη. καὶ ἐπεί τινες τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως ἐκπεσόντες οἴονται ἀπὸ τότε αὐτὸν μόνον εἶναι ἀφ’ οὑ ἐκ τῆς παρθένου ἄνθρωπος γεγονὼς προῆλθεν, ὀρθότατα πρὸς τοὺς τοιούτους ὁ θεολόγος γράφει τὸ »Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος« καὶ καταλλήλως τοῖς ῥήμασι χρησάμενος, τῷ μὲν »Ἐγένετο« ἐπὶ τῆς σαρκὸς, τῷ δὲ »Ἦν« ἐπὶ τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ σημαίνει]. καὶ ἦν μὲν κυριώτερον ἐπὶ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου τὸ »Ἔστιν« εἰπεῖν· ἀλλ᾿ ἐπεὶ πρὸς διαφορὰν τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως γενομένης ἔν τινι καιρῷ ἐδήλου τὴν ὓπαρξιν τοῦ λόγου, ἀντὶ τοῦ »Ἔστιν« τῷ »Ἦν« ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς κέχρηται. τῶν δὲ ῥημάτων τὰς κυρίας σημασίας ἐκλαμβάνειν οὐ δεῖ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀιδίων· ὅτε μὲν γὰρ τὰ σημαινόμενα ὑπὸ τούτων χρόνῳ συμμετρουμένην ἔχει τὴν ὕπαρξιν, ὡς τὸ Ἦν τὸ μηκέτ’ ὄν, ἀλλά ποτε ὁμοίως τὸ Ἔστι δηλοῖ τὸ νῦν ὑπάρχον, ὡς τὸ Ἔσται τὸ μέλλον ὑπάρξαι]]. ἀλλ᾿ ἐπεὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἀίδιός ἐστι, …

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About this text

Origen's notes on John, Luke and Matthew: the Word who was in the beginning, the Baptist, the Passion, and why the Church keeps only four Gospels.

Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–c. 254) wrote these exegetical comments on the Gospels of John, Matthew, and Luke. They survive as excerpts preserved in later catena and scholia collections, not as complete commentaries. Origen was one of the most prolific and influential early Christian theologians, and his biblical interpretation shaped later Christian thought even after parts of his teaching were condemned.

The occasion for these fragments is the loss of most of Origen's original exegetical works. What remains comes through later compilers who gathered his comments into catena manuscripts and scholia.

Origen quotes and argues against opponents who say the Word began at the incarnation, and he defends the four Gospels as the Church's approved accounts against many attempted Gospels, including one by Basilides.

Datec. 230–250 AD (fragment tradition)

English follows First1KGreek digital text. Modern copyright reconstructions were not used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from First1KGreek digital text tlg2042.tlg006 — John catena (Greek)
Translated from First1KGreek digital text tlg2042.tlg017 — Luke catena (Greek)
Translated from First1KGreek digital text tlg2042.tlg077 — Matthew scholia (Greek)
Translated from First1KGreek digital text tlg2042.tlg078 — Luke scholia (Greek)

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