Required reading
Ante-Nicene Fathers (Vol 4) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Origen De Principiis Book II.
My summary
Today Origen gives us his thoughts on:
(i) the Holy Spirit (who is the same Spirit in the Old and New Testaments);
(ii) the souls of creatures and Christ;
(iii) God's justice in creating some creatures for noble purposes and some for common use;
(iv) resurrection bodies.
What grabbed me
More error today from Origen.
For example, speaking on Romans 9 he says: 'As, therefore, when the Scriptures are carefully examined regarding Jacob and Esau, it is not found to be unrighteousness with God that it should be said, before they were born, or had done anything in this life, “the elder shall serve the younger;” and as it is found not to be unrighteousness that even in the womb Jacob supplanted his brother, if we feel that he was worthily beloved by God, according to the deserts of his previous life, so as to deserve to be preferred before his brother; so also is it with regard to heavenly creatures, if we notice that diversity was not the original condition of the creature, but that, owing to causes that have previously existed, a different office is prepared by the Creator for each one in proportion to the degree of his merit, on this ground, indeed, that each one, in respect of having been created by God an understanding, or a rational spirit, has, according to the movements of his mind and the feelings of his soul, gained for himself a greater or less amount of merit, and has become either an object of love to God, or else one of dislike to Him; while, nevertheless, some of those who are possessed of greater merit are ordained to suffer with others for the adorning of the state of the world, and for the discharge of duty to creatures of a lower grade, in order that by this means they themselves may be participators in the endurance of the Creator, according to the words of the apostle: “For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope.”'
Yet the passage in Romans clearly dismisses merit: 'Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls' (Rom 9:11-12).
Origen is proposing some form of reincarnation which is completely contrary to the teaching of Scripture and a downright dangerous belief.
Next week's reading
Commence Origen De Principiis Book III by reading Chapter I.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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