Echoes of Origen

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION • 15
i. The state of research • 16
ii. Methodology • 19
iii. The structure of the book • 20

1 RUFINUS’S LATIN TRANSLATION OF ORIGEN’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS • 23
1.1 Introduction • 23
1.2 Interpolati sunt ipsi libri: “Heretical” additions or missing volumes? • 25
1.3 The Greek sources • 28
1.3.1 Codex von der Goltz • 28
1.3.2 Catena commentaries • 29
1.3.3 Philocalia • 29
1.3.4 The Tura Papyrus • 30
1.4 Rufinus’s translation of Origen’s exegesis of Rom. 1:1 • 31
1.4.1 Omissions in the Latin version • 31
1.4.2 The election of Paul and the doctrine of “natures” (in Rom. comm. I 5,1) • 32
1.4.3 The “merits” of Paul (in Rom. comm. I 5,2) • 34
1.4.4 Rufinus’s simplification of Origen’s thought (in Rom. comm. I 5,3) • 36
1.4.5 Rufinus’s section on euangelium (in Rom. comm. I 5,4) • 39
1.4.6 Rom. 8:28: A contradiction between the Latin Commentary and Philocalia 25? • 40
1.5 Conclusion • 42

2 A HERMENEUTIC OF FREEDOM : PRINCIPLES OF EXEGESIS IN ORIGEN-RUFINUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS • 45
2.1 Introduction • 45
2.2 Origen-Rufinus’s overall understanding of Romans • 45
2.2.1 The difficulty of interpreting Paul’s Epistle • 45
2.2.2 Freedom as a guiding principle of interpretation • 46
2.2.3 Translatio religionis: the message of Romans • 48
2.2.4 Paul – an arbiter between Jews and Gentiles • 49
2.3 Different aspects of literary analysis in the Latin Commentary on Romans • 51
2.3.1 The parable of the palace: the problem of polysemy • 51
2.3.2 “Comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:13) • 53
2.3.3 “Nothing superfluous in the scriptures”: the divine inspiration of Romans • 54
2.3.4 The “spiritual” and the “fleshly” Paul: the use of personae in Romans • 55
2.3.5 Inner, spiritual and allegorical meaning • 57

3 ORIGEN-RUFINUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS: AN APOLOGY FOR FREEDOM OF CHOICE • 61
3.1 Introduction • 61
3.2 Origen-Rufinus’s exegesis of Romans • 61
3.2.1 The doctrine of fixed “natures” and its proponents • 61
3.2.2 Slavery and freedom (Rom. 1:1) • 63
3.2.3 The distinction between “called” and “chosen” (Rom. 1:1) • 64
3.2.4 Segregatus in euangelium Dei (Rom. 1:1): the reasons for Paul’s election • 65
3.2.5 Deus tradidit (Rom. 1:24–25): the divine abandonment of sinners • 67
3.2.6 Origen-Rufinus’s remedial understanding of God’s judgement (Rom. 2:3; 2:15–16) • 69
3.2.7 The consequences of the Fall of Adam (Rom. 3:9; 4:15; 5:12–21; 7:9)• 70
3.2.8 Being a slave either of sin or of righteousness (Rom. 6:12) • 73
3.2.9 Consuetudo: the power of habit (Rom. 7:7–25) • 74
3.2.10 Freedom from the “law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:1–2) • 76
3.2.11 “Sinful flesh” and the doctrine of the Incarnation (Rom. 8:3) • 77
3.2.12 The glorious freedom from “corruption” (Rom. 8:18–22) • 78
3.2.13 Knowledge, foreknowledge and predestination (Rom. 8:28–30) • 80
3.2.14 The divine election of the “sons of the promise” (Rom. 9:1–13) • 84
3.2.15 A dialogue between Paul and a persona contradicentis (Rom. 9:14–19) • 88
3.2.16 The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart (Rom. 9:17–18) • 90
3.2.17 Probing into the mystery of predestination (Rom. 9:20) • 92
3.2.18 The parable of the potter and the clay (Rom. 9:20–23) • 92
3.2.19 The “remnant” and the “spirit of confusion” (Rom. 11:1–10) • 94
3.2.20 The paradoxical economy of salvation (Rom. 11:11–36) • 94
3.2.21 The relation between divine and secular “law” (Rom. 13:1–7)• 96
3.3 Conclusion • 97

4 A HERMENEUTIC OF GRACE : PRINCIPLES OF EXEGESIS IN AUGUSTINE’S WRITINGS ON ROMANS (394–398) • 101
4.1 Introduction • 101
4.2 Augustine’s overall understanding of Romans • 102
4.2.1 The gratuitousness of grace • 102
4.2.2 Grace as the road to unity between Jews and Gentiles • 103
4.2.3 The relation between grace, faith and good works • 104
4.2.4 Regula christiana: the doctrinal presuppositions of scriptural exegesis • 105
4.3 Different aspects of literary analysis in Augustine’s writings on Romans • 107
4.3.1 The four stages • 107
4.3.2 Homo sub lege positus: the question of personae • 108
4.3.3 Literal and figurative meaning • 109
4.3.4 Spiritualis omnia iudicans (1 Cor. 2:15): the mystery of Rom. 9:10–29 • 110

5 EARLY ECHOES OF ORIGEN? AN EXAMINATION OF AUGUSTINE’S WORKS ON ROMANS (394–398) • 113
5.1 Introduction • 113
5.2 Comparison of Augustine’s and Origen-Rufinus’s exegesis of particular verses in Romans • 115
5.2.1 Ira Dei and the continuity between the Old and the New Testament (Rom. 2:5) • 115
5.2.2 Usque ad legem (Rom. 5:13): the end of the Old Testament dispensation • 118
5.2.3 The “body of sin” and the sinless body of Christ (Rom. 6:6; 8:3) • 121
5.2.4 Sin’s “kingdom in the flesh” (Rom. 6:12; 7:18) • 125
5.2.5 The question of personae (Rom. 7:7–25) • 128
5.2.6 The spirit of slavery (Rom. 8:15) • 129
5.2.7 Secundum propositum (Rom. 8:28): The purpose of God or of human beings? • 132
5.2.8 The insufficiency of liberum arbitrium (Rom. 9:16) • 134
5.2.9 Verbum breuiatum (Rom. 9:28): the essence of the Gospel • 136
5.3 Conclusion • 142

6 AUGUSTINE’S RECEPTION OF ORIGEN-RUFINUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS (411–413) • 147
6.1 Introduction • 147
6.2 De peccatorum meritis et remissione et de baptismo paruulorum (411–412) • 147
6.2.1 The “Devil argument” against imitatio (Rom. 5:12) • 147
6.2.2 The meaning of the term “law” (Rom. 5:13; 5:20) • 152
6.2.3 “The likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 6:6; 8:3) • 157
6.2.4 Similar testimonia against sinlessness used by Origen-Rufinus and Augustine • 158
6.2.4.1 Job 14:4–5a (LXX) and Ps. 50:7 (LXX) • 158
6.2.4.2 Phil. 3:12–15: Two degrees of perfection • 161
6.2.5 The confession of the prophet Daniel • 164
6.2.6 The divergent manuscript readings of Rom. 5:14 • 166
6.2.7 Summary • 170
6.3 Enarrationes in Psalmos (411?) • 170
6.3.1 Augustine’s exegesis of Rom. 4:1–8 • 170
6.3.2 Summary • 173
6.4 De spiritu et littera (412–413) • 173
6.4.1 Paul’s name (Rom. 1:1) • 173
6.4.2 The Gentiles and the “law of nature” (Rom. 2:10; 2:14–15) • 177
6.4.3 Ex fide and per fidem (Rom. 3:30) • 178
6.4.4 Verbum breuiatum (Rom. 9:28) • 181
6.4.5 Faith as a gift of God (Rom. 12:3; 12:6) • 183
6.4.6 Summary • 186
6.5 De fide et operibus (412–413) • 187
6.5.1 The meaning of peribunt (Rom. 2:12) • 187
6.5.2 Summary • 189
6.6 Conclusion • 189

7 POSSIBLE TRACES OF ORIGEN-RUFINUS’S COMMENTARY IN AUGUSTINE’S SUBSEQUENT WRITINGS (413–418) • 191
7.1 Introduction • 191
7.2 Sermo 294 (summer 413) • 191
7.2.1 The anthropological implications of infant baptism • 192
7.2.2 “The Devil did not beget our nature” (Rom. 5:12) • 192
7.2.3 “The likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom. 8:3) • 194
7.3 Epistle 157 to Hilary of Syracuse (414) • 195
7.3.1 “Paul would rather have adduced the Devil” (Rom. 5:12) • 195
7.3.2 “Danihel sanctus” and the (im)possibility of human sinlessness • 197
7.3.3 The polysemy of lex (Rom. 5:13; 5:20) • 198
7.4 De natura et gratia (414–415) • 199
7.4.1 Abel and imitation (Rom. 5:12) • 200
7.4.2 The weakness of human nature (Rom. 7:14–25) • 200
7.4.3 Perfection and imperfection • 202
7.5 De perfectione iustitiae hominis (415) • 202
7.5.1 Verbum breuiatum (Rom. 9:28) • 202
7.5.2 Running perfectly (Phil. 3:12–15) • 204
7.5.3 The deficiency of the will (Rom. 9:16) • 204
7.6 De gestis Pelagii (417) • 206
7.6.1 The “thunderbolt” of bishop John (Rom. 9:16) • 207
7.6.2 Faith as a divine gift (Rom. 12:3) • 209
7.6.3 Pelagius makes mention of Origen • 210
7.7 Epistle 186 to Paulinus of Nola (Mid 417) • 210
7.7.1 The sovereignty of the divine will • 211
7.7.2 Sin and the age of discretion (Rom. 9:11–13) • 212
7.7.3 The necessity of divine help for salvation (Rom. 9:16) • 213
7.7.4 The “vessels of wrath” as a proof of grace (Rom. 9:21) • 213
7.8 Sermones 151–156 (Autumn 417) • 214
7.8.1 Paul did not reach absolute perfection (Phil. 3:12–15) • 215
7.9 De gratia Christi et de peccato originali (May–June 418) • 216
7.9.1 Omnes ecclesiastici uiri … (Rom. 7:14–25) • 217
7.9.2 Sons of the promise (Rom. 9) • 218
7.9.3 Faith as a gratuitous gift (Rom. 12:3) • 218
7.10 Epistle 194 to Sixtus (418) • 220
7.10.1 The irrelevance of future merits (Rom. 9:10–13) • 220
7.10.2 Faith as a free gift (Rom. 12:3) • 221
7.11 Conclusion • 221

8 A TENDENTIOUS RECEPTION : PELAGIUS, AUGUSTINE AND ORIGEN-RUFINUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS • 227
8.1 Introduction • 227
8.2 Pelagius’s overall understanding of Romans • 228
8.2.1 The unity of Jews and Gentiles in Christ • 228
8.2.2 The relation between grace, faith and good works • 229
8.2.3 Doctrinal presuppositions: anti-heretical exegesis and the freedom of choice • 230
8.2.4 Pelagius’s exegetical approach • 231
8.3 Specific points of comparison between Origen-Rufinus, Pelagius and Augustine • 233
8.3.1 Paul’s name (Rom. 1:1) • 233
8.3.2 Paul calling God “his” (Rom. 1:8) • 234
8.3.3 Avoiding the “fault of tautology”: ex fide in fidem (Rom. 1:17) • 235
8.3.4 The severity of divine judgement: peribunt and iudicabuntur (Rom. 2:12) • 237
8.3.5 The “custom of the scriptures”: ex fide and per fidem (Rom. 3:30) • 238
8.3.6 “By example or by pattern”: the influence of Adam’s transgression on his posterity (Rom. 5:12) • 239
8.3.7 The struggling sinner (Rom. 7:7–25) • 242
8.3.8 Foreknowledge and predestination (Rom. 9:10–29) • 244
8.3.9 Mensuram fidei (Rom. 12:3): faith as a charismatic gift • 246
8.4 Conclusion .• 247

CONCLUSION • 251

Bibliography • 259

Indexes • 271
Bible • 271
Origen • 274
Augustine • 276
Other Ancient Authors • 279
Persons and Subjects • 281