Ante-Nicene Fathers (Volume 4) - XX - Origen De Principiis Book IV

Required reading
Ante-Nicene Fathers (Vol 4) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Origen De Principiis Book IV.

My summary
This week Origen gives us his views on Scripture (note I only read the translation from Latin).

Firstly Origen establishes that the Bible is the word of God, particularly because of its prophecies: 'These points now being briefly established, viz., regarding the deity of Christ, and the fulfilment of all that was prophesied respecting Him, I think that this position also has been made good, viz., that the Scriptures themselves, which contained these predic­tions, were divinely inspired,—those, namely, which had either foretold His advent, or the power of His doctrine, or the bringing over of all nations (to His obedience).  To which this remark must be added, that the divinity and inspiration both of the predic­tions of the prophets and of the law of Moses have been clearly revealed and confirmed, especially since the advent of Christ into the world.  For before the fulfilment of those events which were predicted by them, they could not, although true and inspired by God, be shown to be so, because they were as yet unfulfilled.  But the coming of Christ was a declara­tion that their statements were true and divinely in­spired, although it was certainly doubtful before that whether there would be an accomplishment of those things which had been foretold.'

Secondly Origen establishes right interpretations of Scripture, including both allegorical and historical interpretations.

What grabbed me
Origen's allegorical interpretations are difficult to swallow.

But I did like his comments on the divine inspiration of Scripture: 'If any one, moreover, consider the words of the prophets with all the zeal and reverence which they deserve, it is certain that, in the perusal and careful examination thus given them, he will feel his mind and senses touched by a divine breath, and will ac­knowledge that the words which he reads were no human utterances, but the language of God; and from his own emotions he will feel that these books were the composition of no human skill, nor of any mortal eloquence, but, so to speak, of a style that is divine.  The splendour of Christ's advent, therefore, illuminating the law of Moses by the light of truth, has taken away that veil which had been placed over the letter (of the law), and has unsealed, for every one who believes upon Him, all the blessings which were concealed by the covering of the word.'

Amen!

Next week's reading
Read the letters 'To Origen from Africanus', 'From Origen to Africanus' and 'From Origen to Gregory'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.