Manna, hearing, Cornelius and Simon
From what is written — I have taken the Levites from the midst of the children of Israel in place of every firstborn who opens the womb — and the rest. Scripture says of the manna that whoever took it as God commanded was nourished by it; whoever took it against the divine measure did not enjoy it as living food, but worms swarmed out of it. So our manna is the word of God: the same sermon becomes salvation for some and punishment for others. How much better for some never to hear the word than to hear it with malice or hypocrisy — though truly better still is to hear with a good and simple heart, that it may bear fruit in good soil. We say this in preface for catechumens — and for some of the baptized. Not all who are of Israel are Israel; not all washed with water are at once washed with the Holy Spirit; and not every catechumen is a stranger to the Spirit. Cornelius received the Spirit before the water; Simon had baptism yet lost the gift by hypocrisy. Do not doubt that Corneliuses still stand among catechumens and Simons among the faithful. I say this to correct myself; I too am one of those who hear the word of God.
Latin
Ex eo quod scriptum est: et ego assumpsi Levitas de medio filiorum Israel pro omni primogenito qui adaperit vulvam et reliqua. Scriptum est de manna quia si quis id sumpsisset ut praeceperat Deus, nutriretur ex eo; si quis vero contra praeceptum Dei sumere voluisset, non frueretur eo ut vitali cibo, sed vermes ebullirent ex eo. Igitur et nostrum manna verbum Dei est: sermo Dei aliis efficitur ad salutem, aliis cedit ad poenam. Quanto melius esset nonnullis omnino nec audire verbum Dei quam audire cum malitia vel hypocrisi; vere autem melius est ut qui audit audiat corde bono et simplici, ut in terra bona fructificet. Haec in praefatione diximus propter catechumenos — et nonnullos baptizatos. Non enim omnes qui ex Israel hi sunt Israelitae, neque omnes qui loti sunt aqua continuo etiam Spiritu sancto loti sunt; e contrario non omnes catechumeni alieni sunt Spiritus sancti. Cornelius catechumenus ante aquas Spiritum meruit; Simon baptismum acceperat sed hypocrisi donum repudiavit. Nolo dubites et nunc esse Cornelios in catechumenis et Simones in fidelibus. Haec ad correptionem mei ipsius loquor; unus enim et ego sum ex his qui audiunt verbum Dei.
About this text
Origen’s Homilia II on Numbers (Rufinus’s Latin). Complete on this page: §§1–4.
English follows Baehrens, Origenes Werke VII (GCS 30, 1921), Rufinus’s Latin of Homilia II. Scheck FOTC was not used as wording. This page is Homilia II §§1–4 (closeout).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Baehrens, Origenes Werke VII = GCS 30 (1921) (Latin · Homilia II §§1–4)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.