The Book of God

12. The Gospel Contains the Deeds Also Which Were Done to Jesus.	Origen on the Gospel of John, 1.11.68
It ought not to be forgotten that in such a Gospel as this there is embraced every good deed which was done to Jesus; as, for example, the story of the woman⁵⁹ who had been a stalker and had repented, and who, having experienced a genuine recovery from her evil state, had grace to pour her ointment over Jesus so that every one in the house smelt the sweet savour. Hence, too, the words, “Wherever this Gospel shall be preached among all the nations, there also this that she has done shall be spoken of, for a memorial of her.” And it is clear that whatever is done to the disciples of Jesus is done to Him. Pointing to those of them who met with kind treatment, He says to those who were kind to them,⁶⁰ “What ye did to these, ye did to Me.”	^1.11.67Ἀναγκαῖον δὲ εἰδέναι ὅτι ἐμπεριλαμβάνεται τῷ τηλικούτῳ εὐαγγελίῳ καὶ πᾶσα ἡ εἰςἸησοῦν γινομένη πρᾶξις ἀγαθή, ὥσπερ καὶ τῆς τὰ πονηρὰ ἔργα πεποιηκυίας καὶ μετανενοηκυίας εὐωδίαν δεδυνημένης διὰ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶν γνησίαν μετάστασιν καταχέαι τοῦἸησοῦ καὶ παντὶ τῷ oiκῳ τὴν τοῦ μύρου πνοὴν εἰς αἴσθησιν πάντων τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ ἐμπεποιηκυίας. ^1.11.68 Διὸ καὶ γέγραπται· "Ὅπου ἂν κηρυχθῇ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦτο ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι, λαληθήσεται καὶ ὃ ἐποίησεν αὕτη εἰς μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς." Σαφὲς δὲ ὅτι εἰςἸησοῦν γίνεται τὰ εἰς τοὺς μαθητευθέντας αὐτῷ ἐπιτελούμενα· δεικνὺς γοῦν τοὺς εὖ πεπονθότας φησὶ τοῖς πεποιηκόσι· "Τούτοις ὃ ἐποιήσατε ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε"·
So that every good deed we do to our neighbours is entered ill the Gospel, that Gospel which is written on the heavenly tablets and read by all who are worthy of the knowledge of the whole of things.	ὥστε πᾶσα πρᾶξις ἀγαθὴ ἡ εἰς τὸν πλησίον ὑφ' ἡμῶν ἐπιτελουμένη εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἀναφέρεται, τὸ ἐν ταῖς πλαξὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ γραφόμενον καὶ ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἠξιωμένων τῆς τῶν ὅλων γνώσεως ἀναγινωσκόμενον.
But on the other side, too, there is a part of the Gospel which is for the condemnation of the doers of the ill deeds which have been done to Jesus. The treachery of Judas and the shouts of the wicked crowd when it said,⁶¹ “Away with such a one from the earth,” and “Crucify Him, crucify Him,” the mockings of those who crowned Him with thorns, and everything of that kind, is included ill the Gospels. And as a consequence of this we see that every one who betrays the disciples of Jesus is reckoned as betraying Jesus Himself. To Saul,⁶² when still a persecutor it is said, “Saul Saul, why persecutest thou Me? ”and, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” There are those who still have thorns with which they crown and dishonour Jesus, those, namely, who are choked by the cares, and riches, and pleasures of life, and though they have received the word of God, do not bring it to perfection.⁶³ We must beware, therefore, lest we also, as crowning Jesus with thorns of our own, should be entered in the Gospel and read of in this character by those who learn the Jesus, who is in all and is present in all rational and holy lives, learn how He is anointed with ointment, is entertained, is glorified, or how, on the other side, He is dishonoured, and mocked, and beaten. All this had to be said; it is part of our demonstration that our good actions, and also the sins of those who stumble, are embodied in the Gospel, either to everlasting life or to reproach and everlasting shame.	^1.11.69Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου μέρος ἐστὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου εἰς κατηγορίαν τῶν πραξάντων τὰ εἰςἸησοῦν ἁμαρτανόμενα. ^1.11.70Ἡ γοῦνἸούδα προδοσία καὶ ἡ τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς λαοῦ καταβόησις φάσκοντος "Αἶρε ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν τοιοῦτον" καὶ "Σταύρου, σταύρου αὐτὸν" καὶ οἱ ἐμπαιγμοὶ τῶν αὐτὸν τῇ ἀκάνθῃ στεφανωσάντων καὶ τὰ τούτοις παραπλήσια ἐγκατατέτακται τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις. ^1.11.71Ἀκόλουθον δὲ τούτοις ἐστὶ νοῆσαι ὅτι πᾶς ὁ τῶνἸησοῦ προδότηςἸησοῦ προδότης εἶναι λελόγισται. Πρὸς γοῦν τὸν ἔτι διώκοντα Σαῦλον <εἶπεν>· "Σαούλ, Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις"; καὶ "Ἐγώ εἰμιἸησοῦς, ὃν σὺ διώκεις". ^1.11.72 Τίνες δὲ τὰς ἀκάνθας ἔχουσιν, αἷς τὸνἸησοῦν ἀτιμάζοντες στεφανοῦσιν; Οἳ "ὑπὸ μεριμνῶν καὶ πλούτου καὶ ἡδονῶν τοῦ βίου" συμπνιγόμενοι λαβόντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ "οὐ τελεσφοροῦσιν". ^1.11.73 Διόπερ φυλακτέον μήποτε καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὡς ταῖς ἰδίαις ἀκάνθαις στεφανοῦντες τὸνἸησοῦν, ἀναγραφόμενοι τοιοῦτοι ἀναγινωσκώμεθα παρὰ τοῖς τὸν ἐν πᾶσι καὶ παρὰ πᾶσι λογικοῖς ἢ ἁγίοιςἸησοῦν μανθάνουσι, τίνα τε τρόπον μύρῳ ἀλείφεται καὶ δειπνίζεται καὶ δοξάζεται ἢ ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων ἀτιμάζεται καὶ ἐμπαίζεται καὶ τύπτεται. ^1.11.74Ἀναγκαίως δὴ ταῦθ' ἡμῖν εἴρηται δεικνύουσιν ὡς αἱ ἀγαθαὶ ἡμῶν πράξεις καὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι τῶν πταιόντων τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ἐγκατατάσσονται ἤτοι "εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἢ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν καὶ εἰς αἰσχύνην αἰώνιον".

⁵⁹ Matt. 26. 6–13, combined with Luke 7. 36–50.

BOOK 23 on Fate and Astrology

19. We have already given instances of the literal fulfilment of prophecy. And if Jacob speaks of reading in the pages of the sky what should befall his sons, and if any one on the strength of this should meet us with the objection that the contrary to what we say is proved by Scripture,----for we said that men cannot comprehend the signs, and Jacob says that he read in the pages of the sky,⁵⁷³----our defence will be that our wise men, guided by a marvellous superhuman spirit, are not taught the mysteries by human skill but by the power of God; as Paul says, “I heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” ⁵⁷⁴ For they know the alterations of the \|p.193 turning of the sun, and the change of seasons: the events of years, and the position of stars,” [1] not from men nor through men, but because the Spirit reveals them, and reveals them clearly, as God wills, announcing the Divine purposes. And another way also Jacob was more than human, for he supplanted his brother, and confessed in the same book from which we quoted the words, “I read in the pages of the sky,” that he was commander-in-chief of the host of the Lord and had long ago gained the name Israel; all of which he acknowledges when ministering in bodily form, when the Archangel Uriel [2] reminds him of it.	Νῦν γὰρ, ὡς πρὸς τὴν λέξιν, τὸ προφητικὸν ἐξειλήφαμεν. εἰ δέ φησιν ὁ Ἰακὼβ ἀνεγνωκέναι ἐν ταῖς πλαξὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὰ συμβησόμενα τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅσον ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἀντιλέγοι τις ἂν ἡμῖν ὅτι ἐναντία οἷς εἰρήκαμεν δηλοῦται διὰ τῆς γραφῆς· ἐλέγομεν γὰρ ἄνθρωπον ἀκαταλήπτως ἔχειν τῶν σημείων, ὁ δὲ Ἰακώβ φησιν ἀνεγνωκέναι ἐν ταῖς πλαξὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· ἀπολογησόμεθα ὅτι οἱ καθ' ἡμᾶς σοφοὶ, πνεύματι περισσοτέρῳ χρησάμενοι τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως, οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνως θείως δὲ διδάσκονται τὰ ἀπόρρητα· ὥσπερ ὁ Παῦλος, λέγων· Ἤκουσα ἄρρητα ῥήματα ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι. ἴσασι γὰρ τροπῶν ἀλλαγὰς καὶ μεταβολὰς καιρῶν, ἐνιαυτῶν κύκλους καὶ ἀστέρων θέσεις, οὐκ ἀπ' ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ δι' ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ἀποκαλύπτοντος αὐτοῖς καὶ καθαρῶς, ὡς θέλει ὁ θεὸς, τὰ θεῖα ἀπαγγέλλοντος. καὶ ἄλλως δὲ ὁ Ἰακὼβ μείζων ἢ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ἦν, πτερνίζων τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁμολογῶν ἐν αὐτῇ ταύτῃ τῇ βίβλῳ ἀφ' ἧς παρεθέμεθα τό· Ἀνέγνων ἐν ταῖς πλαξὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· εἶναι ἀρχιχιλίαρχος δυνάμεως κυρίου, καὶ ὄνομα πάλαι κεκτημένος Ἰσραήλ· ὅπερ ἐν σώματι λειτουργῶν ἀναγνωρίζει, ὑπομιμνήσκοντος αὐτὸν τοῦ ἀρχαγγέλου Οὐριήλ.
20. It now remains to inquire and show those who believe that the lights of heaven are set for signs, but have been misled by fanciful interpretations of the passages, why it is that God has made these signs in the sky. And we must first observe that if we believe the mind of God to be great enough to embrace the perfect knowledge of every individual existence, so that not the least ordinary occurrence escapes His Divinity, this belief involves the tenet, not demonstrably certain, but held as being consistent with the eternity of God's understanding, which transcends all nature, that His knowledge is, as it were, infinite.	žδʹ? Μετὰ ταῦτα λείπεται ἐξετάσαι καὶ παραστῆσαι τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ὅτι εἰς σημεῖα κεῖνται οἱ φωστῆρες τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, σανθεῖσι δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ὑπὸ τῶν περιεργοτέρων φερομένων εἰς τοὺς τόπους, τίς ἡ αἰτία τοῦ ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα τὸν θεὸν πεποιηκέναι ἐν οὐρανῷ. Καὶ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι πιστευόμενα τὰ τῆς μεγαλειότητος τοῦ νοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ πᾶσαν γνῶσιν τὴν περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν ὄντων ἐμπεριειληφότος, ὥστε μηδὲ τὸ τυχὸν καὶ νομιζόμενον ἐλάχιστον λανθάνειν τὴν θειότητα αὐτοῦ, δόξαν μὲν περιέχει τοῦ οἱονεὶ ἄπειρα ἀριθμῷ οὕτως αὐτὸν ἐμπεριειληφέναι ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οὐ μὴν ἐναργῆ τὴν ἀπόδειξιν, ἀλλὰ πεπιστευμένην ὡς ἁρμόζουσαν τῷ ἀγενήτῳ νῷ καὶ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν φύσιν τυγχάνοντι.

In order, then, that superhuman beings, and also the holy souls which have escaped from the bondage of this present state, may by experience grasp this truth, God created in the heavens beings who have been taught and shall be taught, as well by the revolution of the heavens as by other means, to read the signs which God gives as if they were written and stamped on the face of the sky. And it is not surprising that God should create some one for the sake of a manifestation to the blessed, for the Scripture saith to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the \|194 earth." ⁵⁷⁷ For if Pharaoh was preserved for the sake of showing the power of God and publishing abroad His name in all the earth,⁵⁷⁸ consider what a marvellous manifestation of the power of God there is in the heavenly signs, for all of them have been from everlasting to everlasting engraved in the book of the heavens, a book worthy of God.	Ιν' οὖν τῇ πείρᾳ τοῦτο καταλαμβάνηται ὑπὸ τῶν μειζόνων ἢ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον καὶ τῶν ἁγίων ψυχῶν τοῦ ἐνεστηκότος δεσμοῦ ἀπηλλαγμένων, ὡσπερεὶ γράμματα καὶ χαρακτῆρας καὶ διὰ τῆς τῶν οὐρανίων περιφορᾶς ἐποίησεν ἐν οὐρανῷ ὁ θεὸς τοὺς δεδιδαγμένους καὶ διδαχθησομένους ἀναγινώσκειν τὰ σημεῖα τοῦ θεοῦ. Οὐ θαυμαστὸν δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐνδείξεως τῆς πρὸς τοὺς μακαρίους ποιεῖν τινὰ τὸν θεόν, τῆς γραφῆς λεγούσης τῷ Φαραώ· "Εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐξήγειρά σε, ὅπως ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν δύναμίν μου, καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ." Εἰ γὰρ διετηρήθη Φαραὼ ὑπὲρ ἐνδείξεως δυνάμεως θεοῦ καὶ διαγγελίας τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ, ἐννόει πόσην ἔνδειξιν δυνάμεως θεοῦ περιέχει τὰ οὐράνια σημεῖα, πάντων τῶν ἀπ' αἰῶνος ἕως συντελείας ἐντετυπωμένων τῇ ἀξίᾳ βίβλῳ τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ οὐρανῷ.
And, secondly, I conjecture that the signs are exposed to the Powers which administer human affairs, in order that they may only know some things, and effect others; just as in our books some things are written that we may know them, as, for example, the story of the Creation, or any other mystery, and others that we may know and do them, as, for instance, the commandments and ordinances of God.	Δεύτερον δὲ στοχάζομαι ταῖς τὰ ἀνθρώπινα οἰκονομούσαις δυνάμεσιν ἐκκεῖσθαι τὰ σημεῖα, ἵνα τινὰ μὲν γινώσκωσι μόνον, τινὰ δὲ καὶ ἐνεργῶσι· καθάπερ ἐν ταῖς παρ' ἡμῖν βίβλοις ἃ μὲν γέγραπται ἵνα γινώσκωμεν, οἷον τὰ περὶ κοσμοποιΐας καὶ εἴ τινα ἄλλα μυστήρια· ἃ δὲ ἵνα γινώσκοντες ποιῶμεν, ὥσπερ τὰ περὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς καὶ τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ θεου
It is indeed possible that the writings of the heavens, which Angels and Divine powers can read well, contain some things to be read by the Angels and ministers of God in order that they may rejoice in their knowledge; and other things in order that they may receive them as commandments and do them.	͂. Ἐνδέχεται δὴ τὰ οὐράνια γράμματα, ἃ ἄγγελοι καὶ δυνάμεις θεῖαι ἀναγινώσκειν καλῶς δύνανται, περιέχειν τινὰ μὲν ἀναγνωσθησόμενα ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων καὶ λειτουργῶν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα εὐφραίνωνται γινώσκοντες· τινὰ δὲ ὡσπερεὶ ἐντολὰς λαμβάνοντες ποιῶσι.

21. And we shall not err if we maintain the analogy between the things in the Law and that which is written in the heavens and the stars. Even supposing that inferior energies, different from human kind, do bring about some of the events foreknown and indicated in the heavens, there is no necessity for supposing that they effect the results because they are reminded by the writings of God (in the heavens). Just as men when they act unjustly, effect the injustice through their own wickedness, not because they have learnt that God foreknows that some one will be unjustly treated by them; so the opposing Powers, though God foreknows the wickedness of the men and Powers who devise the detestable results, bring things to pass of their own shameful free choice.	23.21 Καὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτησόμεθα τὸ ἀνάλογον τοῖς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ λέγοντες ἔχειν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας· ἐὰν δὲ χείρονες καὶ ἕτεραι τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐνέργειαι ποιῶσί τινα τῶν προεγνωσμένων καὶ σημαινομένων ἐν οὐρανῷ, οὐκ ἀνάγκη καὶ αὐτὰς ἀπὸ τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ γραμμάτων ὑπομιμνησκομένας ποιεῖν ἃ ἐνεργοῦσιν· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἄνθρωποι ἀδικοῦντες, οὐ μανθάνοντες προεγνωκέναι τὸν θεὸν τὸ τόνδε τινὰ ἀδικηθήσεσθαι ὑπ' αὐτῶν, ἐνεργοῦσι τὸ ἀδικεῖν ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτῶν πονηρίας· οὕτως αἱ ἀντικείμεναι δυνάμεις, τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν κακίαν τῶν τὰ μοχθηρὰ βουλομένων ἀνθρώπων καὶ δυναμέων προεγνωκότος, τῇ ἰδίᾳ αἰσχίστῃ ἐπιτελοῦσι προαιρέσει.
As regards the holy Angels, however, the ministering spirits sent forth to do service,⁵⁷⁹ it is probable that inasmuch as they follow ⁵⁸⁰the commands of God's written law, they produce the \|195 better results in an orderly way, having regard to time, manner, and degree; for it is absurd to suppose that being Divine, they at random, and not deliberately, approach some transaction, for instance, with Abraham, and do something for Isaac, and deliver Jacob from danger, or impress the spirit of some prophet.	Οἱ μέντοι ἱεροὶ ἄγγελοι, τὰ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα τὰ εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα, εἰκὸς ὅτι, ὡς ἀπὸ νόμου θεοῦ γεγραμμένων τὰ προστάγματα λαμβάνοντες, τεταγμένως καὶ ὅτε δεῖ καὶ ὡς δεῖ καὶ ὅσον δεῖ ποιοῦσι τὰ κρείττονα· ἄτοπον γὰρ αὐτοὺς θείους ὄντας ἀποκληρωτικῶς καὶ <οὐχ> ὡρισμένως ἔρχεσθαι ἐπὶ τὸ φέρ' εἰπεῖν χρηματίσαι τι τῷ Ἀβραάμ, καὶ ποιῆσαί τι τῷ Ἰσαάκ, καὶ ῥύσασθαι ἐκ κινδύνου τὸν Ἰακώβ, ἢ ἐπιστῆναι τῷ πνεύματι τοῦδε τοῦ προφήτου
In order, therefore, that they may not thus act at random or haphazard, they read God's book; and thus they do the things belonging to them.	. Ἵνα οὖν μὴ ἀποκληρωτικῶς μηδὲ κατὰ συντυχίαν τοῦτο πράττωσιν, ἀναγινώσκουσι τὴν βίβλον τοῦ θεοῦ· καὶ οὕτως ποιοῦσι τὰ αὐτοῖς ἐπιβάλλοντα.
And, as we said before, we, as regards our own conduct, or the working of the opposing Powers against us, act of our own free choice; when we sin, the choice is disorderly; when we do such things as are pleasing to God, the choice is disciplined; not however that we can dispense with Angels, the Divine Scriptures, or assisting saints. And Clement of Rome ⁵⁸¹ in his argument with his father at Laodicea has some comments on the question before us----the passage occurs in The Travels,⁵⁸²----which agree with the foregoing. Towards the end he speaks with great force on the seeming results of "Nativity," Book X.	̔Ως προείπομεν δέ, ἡμεῖς ἃ ποιοῦμεν, ἢ αἱ ἀντικείμεναι ἐνέργειαι ἃ ἐπιτελοῦσιν εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἰδίᾳ προαιρέσει ποιοῦμεν· ἀτάκτῳ μέν, ὅτε ἁμαρτάνομεν· πεπαιδευμένῃ δέ, οὐκ ἄτερ ἀγγέλων οὐδὲ θείων γραμμάτων οὐδὲ ὑπηρετῶν ἁγίων, ὅτε θεῷ εὐάρεστα πράττομεν.



and thus they do the things belonging to them. And, as we said before, we, as regards our own conduct, or the working of the opposing Powers against us, act of our own free choice; when we sin, the choice is disorderly; when we do such things as are pleasing to God, the choice is disciplined; not however that we can dispense with Angels, the Divine Scriptures, or assisting saints. And Clement of Rome ⁵⁸¹ in his argument with his father at Laodicea has some comments on the question before us----the passage occurs in The Travels,⁵⁸²----which agree with the foregoing. Towards the end he speaks with great force on the seeming results of "Nativity," Book X.

[2] "The fire of God." See 2 Esd. iv. 1, 36, v. 20, x. 28 In the second of these passages he is called "the Archangel."

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