“God is spirit”: not a bodily substance but the giver of true life
Many have said many things about God and his substance — some that he is a fine bodily and ethereal nature, others that he is incorporeal and of a substance beyond these. We should ask whether the divine Scriptures give us any start for speaking of God’s substance.
Here it is said, in a manner of speaking, that spirit is his substance. The apostle says, “And the Lord is the Spirit.” John says, “God is light.” The law says, “Our God is a consuming fire.”
So I take “God is spirit” this way: just as we are kept alive in ordinary life by the breath around us, God is called spirit because he leads us into true life. For the Spirit gives life.
Greek
Πολλῶν πολλὰ περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀποφηναμένων καὶ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ, ὥστε τινὰς μὲν εἰρηκέναι αὐτὸν σωματικῆς φύσεως λεπτομεροῦς καὶ αἰθερώδους, τινὰς δὲ ἀσωμάτου καὶ ἄλλης ὑπὲρ ἐκεῖνα οὐσίας, ἄξιον ἰδεῖν εἰ ἔχομεν ἀφορμὰς ἀπὸ τῶν θείων γραφῶν πρὸς τὸ εἰπεῖν τι περὶ οὐσίας θεοῦ.
ἐνθάδε μὲν οὖν λέγεται οἱονεὶ οὐσία εἶναι αὐτοῦ τὸ πνεῦμα · ἐν δὲ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ · Καὶ ὁ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν · καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης · Ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστίν · καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ · Ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν πῦρ καταναλίσκον.
τοιοῦτόν τί μοι φαίνεται καὶ περὶ τό · Πνεῦμα ὁ θεός · ἐπεὶ γὰρ τὴν μέσην ζωὴν φυσῶντος τοῦ περὶ ἡμᾶς πνεύματος ζωοποιούμεθα, ὑπολαμβάνω ἀπ’ ἐκείνου εἰλῆφθαι τὸ πνεῦμα λέγεσθαι τὸν θεὸν πρὸς τὴν ἀληθινὴν ζωὴν ἡμᾶς ἄγοντα · τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ.
About this text
Origen’s Commentary on John, Book 13 (later tomoi). Complete on this page: §§1–64.
English follows Preuschen, Origenes Werke IV (GCS 10, 1903). Heine FOTC was not used as wording. This page is Book 13 §§1–64 of the later books (13, 19, 20, 28, 32).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Preuschen, Origenes Werke IV = GCS 10 (1903) (Greek · Book 13 §§1–64)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.