The Influence Of Origen On The Church Religion Essay

The Influence Of Origen On The Church Religion bear witnessWhen considering the meet or squargon off that an individual has had on any particular proposition segment of society, it is necessary to review that individuals accomplishments and contributions. This paper will provide the lector insight into the life and contributions of one(a) of the untimely church building building service fathers Origen (ca. 186 255). As one of the approximately controversial church fathers in the evangelistic confederacy, Origen lickd the church, both the early and new(a) church, by means of his intellectual and literary contributions which include compiling, translating and interpreting ledger, establishing of the startle Christian university replete with the outgrowth systematic religion, and writing legion(predicate) commentaries, sermons and apologies which moderate been utilized for reference by numerous generations. A realitys contributions be yet as good as his reputation therefore, we must chicane a little or so Origen of Alexandria. peerless must non reject the learn of a man based solely upon the opinions of early(a)s. The evangelistic community appears to point give away over the true accomplishments and influence of Origen based on his rogue temperament and the fact that he was condemned as a heretic. One evangelical professor even started his lecture on Origen by introducing him as many peoples least(prenominal) favorite theologian. The purpose of c whollying this to loose is that there must be an acknowledgement that we would not be where we are as an evangelical community without the contributions of Origen. There must be an acknowledgement that Origen has been vilified by many, and therefore, when Origen is discussed it is with prejudice. Origen is described as the boy whose mother hid his clothes so that he could not be martyred1with his father, or the abstainer separatist who castrated himself because he misinterpreted Matthe w 1912.2The heretic, Origen, is judged with the light of new-fangled thought because of his view that even Satan will be saved3or his supposal about the f either of mankind. Judgment is practic completelyy cast during the introduction of Origen, prior to listing all of the accomplishments that Origen make which til now impact Christianity to daytime. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify about of those facts (yes, most appear to be factual) prior to investigating this early church fathers contributions and subsequent influence on Christianity. For just a moment, Origen will be defended and revered for his eccentric person and accomplishments so that an objective view behind be made on his influence on the church.Origen was a man of extreme self discipline, a rogue, who lived an stark lifestyle prior to the establishment of monastic orders.4Origen has some spectacular notations about his life, primarily his castration however, later he regretted the act and wrote that it shou ld not be done. At the rattling least, it reveals the strength of his desire to overcome the flesh.5Additionally, there are numerous accounts that Demetrius the bishop over Origen was extremely jealous of Origen and subsequently employ his influence to slander and defame Origen. It is true that Origen had speculation about the fall of man and the ultimate demise of Satan however, we must remember that Origen never had the realise of a canonized parvenue volition. In malevolence of Origens numerous commentaries on books which would later become canonized into the wise testament, it does not appear that he ever commented on the book of Revelation. This might substantiate been the cause of his speculation which trended toward universalism. Origen was a Biblical genius who revered parole and even wrote commentaries on much of the new-fashioned Testament, many times needing a team of ninefold scribes to capture his productive notes.6It is an absolute fact that Origen was con demned as a heretic for his beliefs. Posthumously, Origen was condemned for his subordinate view of the lead. His condemnation as a heretic came 199 age after his death without the benefit of defense. Origen at the age of 69 had an luck to hold out for his Christian beliefs where he would earn the name Adamantius meaning made of steel as a result of his persecution for his faith.7Origens muscles, sinews and joints were ripped as he was stretched on a rack in order to seek a confession.8Although Origen did not die during the persecution, he died shortly after from complications arising from this torture. Origen died in AD 255, slightly 112 years before the books of the New Testament were listed in Athanasius Easter garner and almost 200 years prior to Origens condemnation as a heretic. It is clear to see that his life had a perdurable impact on the church if he was mum an active topic of discussion ii centuries after his death. With an perceptiveness of the basics of Origen, we keep up to acknowledge his intellectual and literary contributions which would ultimately collapse an impact on the church even until today.Origens father, Leonides, schooled Origen with unusual rigor, giving him a fine education that prioritized scripture and in any case grounded him in the Greek liberal arts.9After Leonides was martyred, Origen was forced to provide for his family by decent a private tutor. Soon, Origen became a teacher in the church in Alexandria where he taught new converts in basic theology. Origens career as a teacher and Christian theologian earned him much fame and recognition and he began to travel throughout the region debating and teaching. His brilliance soon became legendary, and pagan intellectuals from more or less the Mediterranean came to dispute with him.10With this fame came jealousy and conflict with the Bishop of Alexandria, Demetrius, which ultimately forced Origen to collide with to Caesarea. It was in Caesarea where Origen began to contribute to Christianity through Scripture translation and formal Theology.In Caeserea, Origen formalized his teaching and training when he established the regions first Christian school of Theology.11The nature of the school was for the composition of Christian scholars in an ascetic environment however, some scholars fetch suggested that Origen developed in Caesarea essentially a missionary school to educate young pagan men out of secular Greek thought and into the true Christian philosophia.12Origen might have established the first center for missionary training. One of Origens pupils, Gregory Thaumaturgus, captured the nature of the psychiatric hospital in his interchanges Origen was instructing us in theology and the devout character.13A training institution is more than just the physical structures. It requires quite a little, doctrine and institution. Origen provided the vision and the races that became the keystones to Christian Theology. At the cornerstone of the S chool of Caesarea stood The Hexapla, a six-column Hebraic Greek translation of the Old Testament with Origens annotations. Eusebius writes this about Origens study steer up to the formation of The Hexapla,So earnest and assiduous was Origens research into the prognosticate words that he learned the Hebraic language, and procured as his own the veritable Hebrew Scriptures which were in the hands of the Jews. He investigated also the works of other translators of the Sacred Scriptures besides the Seventy LXX.14The first consolidated work on the Old Testament, The Hexapla would have a lasting impact on Christianity. The Hexapla was used as a reference by Jerome and Eusebius.15Emperor Constantine would later committal scribes to copy fifty copies of The Hexapla to be sent to the great churches throughout his empire.16Origen sought-after(a) to provide the church with a usable translation of the Old Testament with The Hexapala in a language that the literate could understand. In addi tion to this six-column format, Origen also produced a smaller Tetrapla version of the four columns most likely to be used by Christians.17The often overlooked impact of his work is that it translated the Hebrew into Greek and provided a reference for generations of Christian scholars. Expounding on the design of the Scriptures through the cornerstone established by The Hexapla, Origen wrote the first systematic theology aptly named On First Principles. On First Principles set by Christian theology on a scale previously enigmatical to the church. He Origen argued powerfully for the inspiration and authority of Scripture.18On First Principles appears to have been equally beneficial for the student as hygienic as for the unworshiper. Origen wrote this vade mecum on Christianity as a synthesis between philosophy and Christianity which some scholars believe that Origen wished to make available for seekers.19If accurate, this provides a vision of an Origen with an evangelical natur e. One notable feature of On First Principles is Origens focus on and seeming(a) love for deliverer Christ. One needs only to read the beginning lines of the preface of On First Principles to derive Origens core beliefs and see his lasting impact on Christianity. Origen writes,All who believe and are assured that knock down and truth were obtained through Jesus Christ, and who know Christ to be the truth, pleasantly to His own declaration, I am the truth, derive the knowledge which incites men to a good and happy life from no other source than from the very words and teaching of Christ.20From this passage, one can easily see parallels to teachings which are still bequest in the modern day evangelical church. Additionally, Origen addresses triple core principles in the preface of his work that have re principal(prenominal)ed through millennia of Christian thoughtFirst, that there is one divinity, who created and arranged all things, and who, when nothing existed, called all th ings into being21Secondly, That Jesus Christ Himself, who came (into the world), was born of the Father before all creatures became a man, and was incarnate although immortal, and while made a man remained the God which He was22Then, Thirdly, the apostles related that the Holy Spirit was associated in honour and self-worth with the Father and the Son.23These statements alone provide a firm Ante-Nicene view of the common chord which, of course, has deeply impacted our orthodoxy in the 21st century. Origen argues that all Christian understanding proceeds from the teaching of Christ. Throughout On First Principles, Origen addressed topics such(prenominal) as Christology, anthropology, eschatology, ecclesiology and hermeneutics.Origens thoughts on hermeneutics and freedom of thought within his allegorical interpretative method draws some criticism from the Evangelical community today. However, according to Origen, God had intentionally invested the Bible with multiple layers of mea ning Where any verse can become a rich source of Christological truth.24Origen saw Scripture recital as a deeply personal venture into desire God and seeing Christ on every page. More meaning(a)ly, wherefore would Origens allegorical method of interpretation have an impact on the church? Prior to Origen, who was not a bishop, tradition had restricted scriptural interpretation in the churches to the ordained clergy, the bishop himself, or one of his chosen presbyters.25Origen was breaking the range of interpretation and taking it from ecclesiastical process to personal revelation. Origens life and literary works appeared to be trending toward the individual conscientiousness of the believer to grow in knowledge and depth however, centuries later the papacy did much to stifle the believers availability to both the Bible and its interpretation. The Catholic Church sought to stifle the believer by withholding the interpretation Scripture at the highest level of the church an appa rent contradiction to Origens philosophy of proliferative information on the Bible. It is quite manageable that Origens allegorical interpretation of Scripture enabled him to have the freedom to write such a prolific recite of literary works. The sheer number of Origens literary works must have affected the formation of Christianity.Origens literary contributions were so vast that some have numbered his works up to 6000 however, Eusebius, an Orgenian scholar, listed around 2000.26It is important to note that Origens thoughts (conveyed through his literary works), even after being condemned, have permeated Christianity to a degree that they may never be disregard.All of the great thinkers of the patristic age were in his Origens debt, and even after his condemnation he was too deeply inserted into the fabric of Christian theologizing ever to be dismissed or forgotten. He had been the founding architect of biblical commentary as a mode of organizing Christian reflection, and no on e who took the Bible sternly in the first millennium of the church was able to avoid his innovative writing.27Since the understanding that Origens literary works had a profound impact on Christianity is well established, it is beneficial to note the types of literary works and their respective influence.Origen wrote a number of commentaries and sermons on both the Old Testament and on the (yet to be canonized) New Testament. Origens Scriptural commentaries were a uniquegenre of literature, of which he Origen is the first major exponent, he shows himself to possess an encyclopedic knowledge of the text. He is able to cross-register word appearances from all over the scriptural record, an impressive feat in the long time before concordances and reference tools were available.28Origen wrote extensive commentaries on Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Isaiah, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes. Origens commentary seeks to bring Jesus Christ to life in the life of the reader, because by means of godl ike allegory, every word on every page of scripture could be made to speak with overflowing richness about Jesus Christ, the Christian life, and the Christians eternal hope.29Origens Christ-centric writings read more like a modern day sermon than a commentary. Origen also wrote on much of the New Testament books with a particular affinity to Johnnine and Pauline Scripture, and he wrote a major on the religious doctrine of John titled the alike(p). It is in Origens evangel of John that we see that Origen fights for the Scripture however, he holds the gospels in peculiarly high esteem. Additionally, Origen defines that we must say that the good things the Apostles announce in this Gospel are simply Jesus.30Origen identifies that the whole of the Gospel message is simply in Jesus Christ. We cannot help but note that Origens views are similar to our evangelical views separated by almost 1800 years. Also concerning the commentary on the Gospel of John, you see that Origen also port rays a keen understanding of the source of power in evangelism. Origen states,King David says of the Apostles, perhaps also of the evangelists The Lord shall give the word to those that prophesy with great power the King of the powers of the beloved teaching at the same time that it is not skillfully composed discourse, nor the mode of delivery, nor well rehearse eloquence that produces conviction, but the communication of divine power.31Origens commentary of Matthew takes on the surface of a guide for liturgical preaching. Origen is providing the church with pastoral teaching through his commentaries. The Matthean commentary was composed in twenty-five volumes (only eight remain today), and Origens main ideas of his commentary made their way into more or less all other commentators of the Christian tradition.32His effect on the preaching through the generations has act through the pastoral teaching in his commentaries. In one of his most famous commentaries, Origen addresses th e Song of Song using his method of allegorical interpretation. In Canticle of Canticles, Origen outlines the mystical union between the Christian church and its Bridegroom. Although most modern thought disregard this interpretation, Christians should at least acknowledge its profound impact on the concept of Christian mysticism.33In addition to his commentaries, Origen wrote a number of letters, apologies and dialogues explaining his Christian faith and doctrine. Origens apologetic works, the most famous of which is Against Celsus, defend vehemently the Christian faith. Origens Against Celsus, a response to a pagan treatise attacking Christianity, stands as a monument of Christian apologetic.34Many of Origens dialogues and letters also stand in defense and explanation of the Christian faith. In his letter react to Julius Africanus, Origen discusses the matter of principles of establishing the canon of Christian Scriptures.35The sheer number of commentaries on New Testament books wo uld solidify Origens concern with the canonization of the New Testament, yet he defends the necessity of affirming the works of the apostles in his dialogue. We have benefitted from Origens faithfulness to the New Testament letters through his influence in the canonization process of the New Testament.Origens life might have been ascetic, but his commentaries were opulent and filled with a genuine love for the words of God and the Word of God. At least in some part, Origen has survived through this same passion in the evangelical community. Origen through his intellectual contributions started the solidification of Christian doctrine through the formation of the first Christian university, founded on the first written systematic theology. The foundation that Origen paved established a doctrinal basis which served as a starting point for the early church especially with regard to the Trinity and Christology. Origens passion for seeing Christ in every page of Scripture led him to purs ue an allegorical method of interpretation which can still be useful when coupled with current Hermeneutical practices nevertheless, Origens genius opened up the beauty of the Scriptures and allows Christians to see Christ in difficult texts like Leviticus. Origens prolific commentaries provided a genre of literary works which have continued to this day and have impacted Christians by providing a guide for liturgical preaching. Origens apologies have stood as the template for defense of the faith. Today we still refer to Origens Against Celsus as an apologetic worthy of emulation. Together with Athanasius Easter Letter, Origens selection of books with which to write commentaries on was instrumental in the canonization of the New Testament as we know it today. Even though the majority of Origens works were destroyed in 543 as a result of being condemned as a heretic, Origens remaining work is still relevant to the evangelical community even for purposes of debate and dispute. close ly would find the majority of his work uplifting and possibly even edifying. The character of Origen is a sad reality of the humanity of fallen man. Origen, in spite of his best efforts, was still a man however, one might altercate whether or not his heart and passion (seemingly even for evangelism) as well as his intellectual works are not still present in the modern day church. Origen one of the most controversial church fathers, influenced the church, both the early and modern church, through his intellectual and literary contributions which included compiling, translating and interpreting Scripture, establishing of the first Christian university replete with the first systematic theology, and by writing numerous commentaries, sermons and apologies which have been utilized for reference by numerous generations.