Origen Quotes on God
Origen of Alexandria was an early Christian theologian and biblical scholar, the most important and most controversial of the Greek Fathers of the Church. This page collects quotes attributed to Origen on the topic of god, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
Quotes
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“Having refuted, then, as well as we could, every notion which might suggest that we were to think of God as in any degree corporeal, we go on to say that, according to strict truth, God is incomprehensible, and incapable of being measured. For whatever be the knowledge which we are able to obtain of God, either by perception or reflection, we must of necessity believe that He is by many degrees far better than what we perceive Him to be.”
On First Principles , Bk. 1, ch. 1; par. 5 -
“That is properly termed everlasting or eternal which neither had a beginning of existence , nor can ever cease to be what it is. And this is the idea conveyed by John when he says that God is light . Now His wisdom is the splendour of that light, not only in respect of its being light, but also of being everlasting light, so that His wisdom is eternal and everlasting splendour. If this be fully understood, it clearly shows that the existence of the Son is derived from the Father but not in time, nor from any other beginning, except, as we have said, from God Himself.”
On First Principles , Bk. 1, ch. 2; par. 11 -
“There is also a special ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ towards those on whom he confers the natural gift of reason by means of which well-being is bestowed upon them in addition to mere existence. There is yet another grace of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon such as are worthy. a grace ministered indeed through Christ. but put into operation by the Father in proportion to the merits of those who become capable of receiving it. This is most clearly pointed out by the apostle Paul”
On First Principles , Bk. I, Chapter III -
“As the eye naturally seeks the light and vision, and our body naturally desires food and drink, so our mind is possessed with a becoming and natural desire to become acquainted with the truth of God and the causes of things.”
On First Principles | On First Principles , Bk. 2, ch. 11; vol. 1, p. 148 -
“On the other hand a man admits the energy and control and inspired to strive towards things heavenly and divine”
On First Principles | On First Principles , Bk. 3, ch. 3, p. 296 -
“The reason why all those we have mentioned hold false opinions and make impious or ignorant assertions about God appears to be nothing else but this, that scripture is not understood in its spiritual sense , but is interpreted according to the bare letter.”
On First Principles | “How divine scripture should be interpreted,” On First Principles , book 4, chapter 2, § 2, Readings in World Christian History (2013), p. 69 -
“For example, no one could easily persuade an Egyptian to despise what he had learned from his fathers, so as no longer to consider this or that irrational animal as a god, or not to guard against eating , even under the penalty of death , of the flesh of such an animal.”
Against Celsus | Against Celsus , Book 1 , Chapter 52