Fragments on the New Testament · §8 · Origen of Alexandria

Matthew scholia: kingdom sayings and discipleship

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Scholia on Matthew compress notes on kingdom teaching and costly discipleship — take up the cross, learn of the meek King, and store treasure where moth and rust do not destroy.

Greek

Στιχ. ιη΄. Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ ἡ γέννησις οὕτως ἦν. . . . . . . . (1–2) Ὧδε μὲν γεννήσεως μέμνηται ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, κατʼ ἀρχὰς δὲ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, τῆς γενέσεως. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ λέγει· Τοῦ δὲ Ἰησοῦ λριστοῦ ἡ γέννησις οὕτως ἦν, ἐκεῖ δὲ, Βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τίς οὖν ἡ διαφορὰ τῆς γεννήσεως καὶ τῆς γενέσεως; καὶ ὡς ἀμφότερα ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ λαμβάνεται; Ὥσπερ ὁ λόγος οὗτος ὁ προφορικὸς κατὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν ἀναφής ἐστι καὶ ἀόρατος· ὅταν δὲ ἐν βιβλίῳ γραφῇ, καὶ οἱονεὶ σωματωθῇ, τότε καὶ ὁρᾶται καὶ ψηλαφᾶται· οὕτως καὶ ὁ ἄσαρκος τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος καὶ ἀσώματος, οὕτε ὁρώμενος, οὕτε γραφόμενος κατὰ τὴν θεότητα, ἐπειδὴ ἐσαρκώθη, καὶ ὁρᾶται καὶ γράφεται. Διὰ τοῦτο, ὡς σαρκωθέντος, καὶ βίβλος ἐστὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ γενέσεως. Ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἐξήτηται ἐνθάδε τὸ, διὰ τί εἶπε βίβλος, καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν ὅρασις (3), ἢ λόγος· ἀλλὰ τὸ, τί ἐστι γέννησις, καὶ τί γένεσις; Διαφέρει γένεσις καὶ γέννησις. Γένεσις μὲν γάρ ἐστι παρὰ Θεοῦ πρώτη πλάσις γέννησις δὲ ἡ ἐκ καταδίκης τοῦ θανάτου διὰ τὴν παράβασιν ἐξ ἀλλήλων διαδοχή. Καὶ ἔτι, ἡ μὲν γένεσις τὸ ἄφθαρτον ἔχει (4) καὶ ἀναμάρτητον· ἡ δὲ γέννησις τὸ παθητὸν καὶ ἁμαρτητικόν. Ὁ οὖν Κύρος, τῆς μὲν γενέσεως τὸ ἀναμάρτητον φυσικῶς λαβὼν, τὸ ἄφθαρτον οὐ προσέλαβε· τῆς δὲ γεννήσεως τὸ παθη

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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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