Heraclides confesses; the Son was God before the body
When the bishops present had opened a discussion of bishop Heraclides' faith, so that he might confess before them all how he believes, and each had said what came to him and had asked his questions, bishop Heraclides spoke.
Heraclides said: I too believe what the divine scriptures say: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him not even one thing came to be. Do we then agree in the faith? And according to this, do we also believe that Christ has taken flesh, that he was born, that he went up into the heavens in the flesh in which he rose, that he sits at the right hand of the Father, about to come from there and judge the living and the dead — God and man?
Origen said: Since an examination is taking place once for all, I will speak to the point under examination. The whole church is present and listening. One church ought not to differ in knowledge from another church. If you lie, you are not a church. I ask you, Bishop Heraclides: God is the Almighty, the unbegotten, the one who has made the universe over all things. Are you content with this?
Heraclides said: I am content. I too believe this.
Origen said: Christ Jesus was in the form of God, and he is other than the God in whose form he was. Was he God before he came into a body, or not?
Heraclides said: He was God before.
Origen said: Was he God before he came into a body, or not?
Heraclides said: Yes.
Origen said: Another God besides this God in whose form he himself was?
Greek
ΩΡΙΓΕΝΟΥΣ ∆ΙΑΛΕΚΤΟΣ ΠΡΟΣ ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙ∆ΑΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥΣ ΣΥΝ ΑΥΤΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΥΙΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΨΥΧΗΣ.
Λόγων κινηθέντων ὑπὸ τῶν παρόντων ἐπισκόπων περὶ τῆς πίστεως Ἡρακλείδα τοῦ ἐπισκόπου, ἵνα ἐπὶ πάντων ὁμολογήσῃ τὸ πῶς πιστεύει, καὶ ἑκάστου εἰπόντος τὸ παραστὰν αὐτῷ καὶ πυθομένου,
Ἡρακλείδης ἐπίσκοπος εἶπεν· «Καὶ ἐγὼ πιστεύω ἅπερ αἱ θεῖαι γραφαὶ λέγουσιν· «Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. Οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν». Ἆρα οὖν τῇ πίστει συμφερόμεθα καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο καὶ πιστεύομεν ὅτι εἴληφε σάρκα ὁ Χριστός, ὅτι ἐγεννήθη, ὅτι ἀνῆλθεν εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ ᾗ ἀνέστη, ὅτι κάθηται ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρὸς μέλλων ἐκεῖθεν ἔρχεσθαι καὶ «κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς», θεὸς καὶ ἄνθρωπος.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Ἐπεὶ ἅπαξ ἀνάκρισις γίνεται εἰπεῖν τι εἰς τὸν τόπον τῆς ἀνακρίσεως, ἐρῶ. Ὅλη ἡ ἐκκλησία πάρεστιν ἀκούουσα. Οὐκ ὀφείλει ἐκκλησία ἐκκλησίας διαφορὰν ἔχειν ἐν γνώσει, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐκκλησία ἡ ψευδομένη. Παρακαλῶ σε, πάπα Ἡρακλείδα· Θεός ἐστιν ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ὁ ἀγένητος, ὁ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ποιήσας τὰ ὅλα· ἀρέσκει τοῦτο;»
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «Ἀρέσκει· οὕτω γὰρ κἀγὼ πιστεύω.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς «ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων», ἕτερος ὢν παρὰ τὸν Θεὸν οὗ «ἐν μορφῇ» ὑπῆρχεν, Θεὸς ἦν πρὸ τοῦ ἔλθῃ εἰς σῶμα ἢ οὔ;»
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «Θεὸς πρὸ ἦν.».
Ὠριγένης εἶπεν· «Θεὸς ἦν πρὶν ἔλθῃ εἰς σῶμα ἢ οὔ;»
Ἡρακλείδης εἶπεν· «Ναί.».
Ὠριγένῃς εἶπεν· «Ἕτερος Θεὸς παρὰ τοῦτον τὸν Θεὸν οὗ «ἐν μορφῇ» ὑπῆρχεν αὐτός;»