Fragments on the New Testament · §4 · Origen of Alexandria

John catena rem: signs, discourse, and the Father’s works

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‘And no one receives his testimony’ — and yet many have received his testimony, as John himself goes on to add, saying: ‘He who has received his testimony has set his seal that God is true.’

But how can it be true, when some do receive his testimony, that ‘no one receives his testimony’? The difficulty must be resolved as follows.

Jesus, having come from above and speaking what he heard and saw, speaks a most lofty and very great testimony concerning the Father and himself; and no one receives this testimony as he himself speaks it, because the hearers, who are only beginning to receive, fall far short of the greatness of the testimony.

Yet even though no one is able to receive his testimony in this way, it is still possible to receive it as those just now coming to faith are able to receive it.

Hence ‘he who received his testimony’ is not at odds with no one’s having received it — in one sense it is not received […] — they who, from having received Jesus’ testimony, seal with firm assent that God is true, having learned… the fragment breaks off

Greek

Καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν αὐτοῦ οὐδεὶς λαμβάνει· καίτοι πολλῶν εἰληφότων τὴν μαρτυρίαν αὐτοῦ, [[ὡς αὐτὸς πάλιν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐπιφέρει, φάσκων· »Ὁ λαβὼν τὴν αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίαν ἐσφράγισεν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἀλη- »θής ἐστι«.]] πῶς δὲ οἶόν τε εἶναι ἀληθές, λαμβανόντων αύτοῦ τὴν μαρτυρίαν τινῶν, τὸ Καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν αὐτοῦ οὐδεὶς λαμβάνει«; λυτέον οὖν τὸ ἠπορημένον οὕτως· Ἰησοῦς, ἄνωθεν ἐληλυθὼς λαλῶν τε ἃ ἤκουσε καὶ εἶδεν, ὑψηλοτάτην καὶ πάνυ μεγάλην τὴν μαρτυρίαν λέγει περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ ἑαυτοῦ· καὶ οὐδεὶς λαμβάνει ταύτην τὴν μαρτυρίαν ὡς αὐτὸς αὐτὴν λέγει, τῷ τοὺς ἀκροατὰς ἀρχὴν τοῦ λαμβάνειν ἔχοντας πολὺ ἀπολείπεσθαι τοῦ μεγέθους τῆς μαρτυρίας. ὅμως εἰ καὶ οὐδεὶς οἷός τε δέξασθαί ἐστι τὴν μαρτυρίαν αὐτοῦ οὕτως, ἀλλ᾿ οὐν ἔστι λαβεῖν αὐτὴν ὡς δυνατὸν δέξασθαι τοὺς ἄρτι προσερχομένους τῇ πίστει. ὅθεν οὐ μάχεται τὸ »Ὁ λαβὼν αὐτοῦ τὴν μαρτυρίαν« τῷ μηδένα αὐτὴν εἰληφέναι, τῷ ἑτέρως μὲν μὴ λαμβάνεσθαι αὐτήν, * * * οἳ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ εἰληφέναι τὴν Ἰησοῦ μαρτυρίαν σφραγίζουσι καταθέσει βεβαίᾳ τὸν θεὸν ἀληθῆ εἶναι, μαθόντε

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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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