regard to Origen's own views and method are those on the relation of Christ's personal teaching to the Scriptures (§ 5), the five husbands as representing the senses (§ 9), the incorporeity of God (§ 25), the joy of the sower and reaper, and the continuity of work (§§ 46 f.), the unhonoured prophet (§ 54), spiritual dependence (§ 58), and the distinction between signs and wonders (§ 60).
Of bk. xix., which is imperfect at the beginning and end, a considerable fragment remains (viii. 19–25). The remarks on the treasury (John viii. 20). as the scene of the Lord's discourses (§ 2), and on the power of faith (§ 6), are characteristic.
Bk. xx. (viii. 37–53) has much that is of importance for Origen's opinions. It begins with an examination of some points in connexion with the pre-existence and character of souls; and, in a striking passage (§ 29), Origen illustrates the inspiration of evil passions. Other interesting passages treat of love as "the sun" in the life of Christians (§ 15); the ambiguities in the word "when" (§ 24); the need of help for spiritual sight (§ 26); and spiritual influences (§ 29).
The most remarkable passage in bk. xxviii. (John xi. 39–57) is perhaps that on the power of self-sacrifice among the Gentiles illustrating the vicarious sufferings of Christ (§ 14). Other remarks worthy of special notice are on the lifting up of the eyes (John xi. 41) (§ 4), the lesson of the death of Lazarus (§ 6), the duty of prudence in. time of persecution (§ 18), and the passover of the Jews and of the Lord (§ 20).
Bk. xxxii. (John xiii. 2–33) treats of St. John's record of the Last Supper. Origen discusses the feet-washing at length, and says that it is not to be perpetuated literally (§§ 6 f.); he dwells on the growth of faith (§ 9), the difference of "soul" and "spirit" (§ 11), the character of Judas and moral deterioration (§ 12), and the sop given to Judas (§ 16).
Origen's Commentary is for us the beginning of a new type of literature. It has great faults of style, is diffusive, disproportioned, full of repetitions, obscure and heavy in form of expression, wholly deficient in historical insight, and continually passing into fantastic speculations. But it contains not a few "jewels five words long," abounds in noble thoughts and subtle criticisms, grapples with great difficulties, unfolds great ideas, and, above all, retains a firm hold on the human life of the Lord.
ACTS.—[17 Homilies.—H.C.] Greek: (1) A single fragment from "the fourth homily on the Acts "is preserved in the Philocalia. (2) A few notes are given in Cramer's Catena, col. iii. 184, on Acts iv. 32, vii. 3, 53, xxi. 38.
ROMANS.—[15 Books.—H.C.] Greek: (1) Fragments from the first and ninth books contained in the Philocalia. (2) A number of important notes are contained in Cramer's Catena, t. iv. (1844), on the following passages: i. 1, 10; ii. 8, 16, 27; iii. 2, 4, 9, 13, 19, 21, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31; iv. 2. Latin: Ten books of Commentaries, translated and compressed from the fifteen books of Origen, by Rufinus, at the request of Heraclius.
The Commentary on Romans gives a continuous discussion of the text, often discursive, but still full of acute and noble conceptions. Origen's treatment of Rom. viii. as represented by Rufinus, is, on the whole, disappointing. It might have been expected to call out his highest powers of imagination and hope. His silence, no less than his rash conjectures as to the persons named in Rom. xvi., is a singular proof of the complete absence of any authoritative tradition as to the persons of the early Roman church. For the passage (x. 43) which refers to Marcion's mutilation of the epistle by removing the doxology (xvi. 25–27) and (though this is disputed) the last two chapters, see the papers by bp. Lightfoot and Dr. Hort in Jour. of Philology,1869, ii. 264 ff.; 1871, iii. 51 ff., 193 ff.
I.–Il. CORINTHIANS.—[11 Homilies on II. Cor.—H.C.] Greek: Jerome mentions (Ep. ad Pammach. xlix. § 3) that Origen commented on this epistle at length; and Origen himself refers to what he had said on I. i. 2 (Hom. in Luc. xvii. s. f.). A very important collection of notes on I. Cor. is given in Cramer's Catena, vol. v. 1844. Some of the notes contain passages of considerable interest, as those on the vicarious death of Gentile heroes (I. Cor. i. 18; cf. Hom. in Joh. t. xxviii. § 14), the sovereignty of believers (I. Cor. Iii. 21), evangelic "counsels" (vii. 25), the public teaching of women (xiv. 34, with reference to Montanism). Origen gives the outline of a creed (i. 9, 20), and touches on baptism (i. 14) and holy communion (vii. 5). He describes the Jewish search for leaven (v. 7); and supposes that many books of O.T. were lost at the Captivity (ii. 9).
GALATIANS.—[15 Books; 7 Homilies.—H.C.] Jerome, in the Prologue to his Commentary on Galatians, mentions that Origen wrote five Books on this epistle, as well as various Homilies and Notes (tractatus et excerpta), and that he interpreted it with brief annotations (commatico sermone) in his Stromateis, bk. x. (Proem. in Comm. ad Gal.; Ep. ad August. cxi. §§ 4, 6). Three fragments of the Commentary are contained in the Latin translation of Pamphilus's Apology.
EPHESIANS.—[3 Books.—H.C.] Origen's Commentary on the Ephesians may still be practically recovered. Jerome, in the Prologue to his own Commentary, says that "his readers should know that Origen wrote three books on the epistle, which he had partly followed." The extent of his debt could only be estimated by conjecture, till the publication of the Paris Catena (Cramer, 1842). This contains very large extracts from Origen's commentary, sometimes with his name and sometimes anonymous, and in nearly all cases Jerome has corresponding words or thoughts. A careful comparison of the Greek fragments with Jerome's Latin would make it possible to reconstruct a very large part of Origen's work. The corresponding notes on the description of the Christian warfare (vi. 11 ff.) well illustrate Jerome's mode of dealing with his archetype. Origen's comments are almost continuous. A fragment on Eph. 5:28 f., not found in the Greek notes, is preserved in the Latin trans. of the Apology of Pamphilus.
PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, TITUS, PHILEMON—[1 Book on Philippians; 2 on Colossians; 1 on Titus; 1 on Philemon; 1 Homily
