Fathers

Commentary on Matthew, Tomus XV · §2

Letter kills; sword parable warns literalists

Friends of the bare Gospel letter, missing that Jesus spoke these things also in parables and by the Spirit, leveled the third castration with the first two as bodily. Where the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life elsewhere, say the same here: clinging to the letter on the first two killed those who took the third the same way. Need another New Testament case of a killing letter? Hear the Savior: when I sent you without purse and bag and sandals, did you lack? Now let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. The one who buys a murderous blade by a bad reading dies against Jesus’ will. Glory to Christ. Amen.

Greek

Χρὴ δὲ εἰδέναι ὅτι οἱ μὲν πρότεροι τοῦ εὐαγγελικοῦ γενόμενοι φίλοι γράμματος, καὶ μὴ ἐπιστήσαντες ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα ἐν παραβολαῖς ἐλάλησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ πνεύματι εἴρηται, ἐξωμάλισαν ἀκολούθως τοῖς προτέροις δύο τὸν τρίτον· τῷ γὰρ σωματικῶς λελέχθαι τοὺς δύο ἕπεται καὶ τὸν τρίτον εἶναι σωματικόν. Οἱ δὲ δεύτεροι τῷ μὲν τρίτῳ ὑγιῶς ἐπιβεβλήκασι τὴν ἀπὸ λόγου ἐκτομὴν τοῦ παθητικοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς νομίσαντες δηλοῦσθαι, οὐκέτι δὲ τεθεωρήκασιν ὅτι ἁρμόζον ἦν καὶ τὰς προτέρας δύο ἀλληγορικῶς ἐκλαμβάνειν. Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ ἄλλοις τόποις λέγειν πάρεστι «Τὸ γράμμα ἀποκτείνει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ», τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ ἐνθάδε φατέον· ἡ τηρηθεῖσα περὶ τῶν δύο εὐνουχισμῶν γραμμὴ ἀπέκτεινε τοὺς τὸν τρίτον ὡσαύτως νοήσαντας. Εἰ δέ τις καὶ ἐφ’ ἑτέρων παραδειγμάτων βούλεται δεῖξαι τὴν Καινὴν Διαθήκην γράμμα ἀποκτεῖνον ἔχουσαν, ἀκουέτω πῶς ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις φησίν· «Ὅτε ἀπέστειλα ὑμᾶς ἄτερ βαλλαντίου καὶ πήρας καὶ ὑποδημάτων, μή τινος ὑστερήσατε;» εἶτα «νῦν ὁ ἔχων βαλλάντιον ἀράτω ὁμοίως καὶ πήραν, καὶ ὁ μὴ ἔχων πωλησάτω τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀγορασάτω μάχαιραν.» Ὁ γὰρ μὴ νοήσας καὶ μάχαιραν φονικὴν ἀγοράσας ἀπολεῖται παρὰ τὴν βούλησιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ κακῶς τὸν λόγον ἐκλαβών. Δόξα Χριστῷ. Ἀμήν.

About this text

Origen’s Commentary on Matthew, Tomus XV (Greek). Complete on this page: §§1–4.

English follows PG 13 (Migne) Greek. Heine was not used as wording. This page is Tomus XV §§1–4 (closeout).

Witnesses

  • Copy-text PG 13 (Migne) — Greek (Greek · Tomus XV §§1–4)

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.