Homilies On Luke; Fragments On Luke

by Origen, Joseph T. Lienhard (Translator)

Thirty-nine of Origen's homilies on the Gospel of Luke survive in Jerome's Latin translation. Origen preached them in Caesarea, perhaps around 234 or 240, to a congregation of catechumens and faithful. Most of the homilies are short; on average, they treat about six verses of the Gospel and would have lasted between eight and twelve minutes. The first thirty-three homilies treat chapters one through four of Luke's Gospel; the remaining six treat passages from the tenth to the twentieth chapters. Henri de Lubac formulated the important principle, "Observe Origen at work," and Origen's writings on Luke's Gospel are an intriguing place to do that. Origen, the champion of spiritual interpretation, regularly begins with a painfully literal reading of the text. His first unit of understanding is the word, and often the key that unlocks the meaning of a word in the Bible for him is the use of that same word elsewhere in Scripture. Origen assumed that each word had a meaning that is both profound and relevant to the reader - for the Holy Spirit is never trite and what the Holy Spirit says must always touch the hearer. This volume, the first English translation of the extant homilies and of fragments from the commentary on Luke, is an important addition to the growing body of Origen's work now available in English.

Genres: Biblical Studies, Theology

246 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Origen of Alexandria (c. 184 – c. 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Alexandria. He was a prolific writer who wrote roughly 2,000 treatises in multiple branches of theology, including textual criticism, biblical exegesis and biblical hermeneutics, homiletics, and spirituality. He was one of the most influential figures in early Christian theology, apologetics, and asceticism. He has been described as "the greatest genius the early church ever produced".

Reviews

[Christian Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

These homilies give great insight into how the early church worked through the Word of God on a regular basis. It is clear that Origen was consistent in textually driven preaching that would not look uncommon in a church that teaches expositionally. These are short homilies that drive home major themes of the book, and in doing so high light Origen’s allegorical view of Scripture. Not only was this a practical academic exercise, but also helpful from a Spiritual sense I was reading sermons that appear orthodox. It’s a benefit to the church that we have so many of these homilies today, whether it be in full or in fragment.

[Matt Ely · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a weird one, but I'm glad it exists. These are some of the earliest Christian sermons, prepared about 150 years after Pentecost. What will be striking is how hard many of them are to read.

It's not that they're dense; it's that they're presented from a wholly different framework than one with which modern readers are familiar. Origen's purpose is to create Scriptural unity, to present its single message. But while a modern writer might try to show how the ideas or the phrases of a text speak to some common theme, Origen doesn't let you off that easily. For him, every word matters. As someone who was a native speaker of the language of the New Testament, the words were immediate and critical to him.

Where he couldn't find a "plain meaning" that fit into his expectations for a text, he did not hesitate to impose a mystical or symbolic reading on texts that might seem to be more pedestrian in nature. For him, no text is pedestrian; every word is equally critical. Sometimes this can lead to page after page of word comparisons and textual analysis, often running in circles or resorting to a mystic explanation that is anything but as clear as Origen makes is out to be.

A modern reader will say "Bro, chill," but Origen has zero chill. His intensity is intimidating because for him, everything was immediate. He was surrounded by angels and enemies on all sides. While he is a "narrow path" kind of guy, you can't say he doesn't have any fun. It's shocking how this doubly-translated text retains his good nature, his charm, and the force of his rhetoric. You may not buy into everything he's selling, but it's worthwhile to see where Christian oratory began.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

These sermons have turned me into a fan of Origen. They are 39 short sermons through the Gospel of Luke given to catechumens, who are new converts to the faith who have not yet been baptized.

Countless ink has been spilled over Origen's allegory and "abuse" of the Bible. After spending years hearing and interacting with this idea, it was interesting to actually read his sermons and pastoral teaching through the Bible. His allegorical/spiritual readings are there but they are different than I imagined or pictured before.

All of his sermons are guided by the idea that every single word in the Scriptures is intentional and has meaning behind it. He asks questions about the Bible I would never think to ask. He is not satisfied by simple answers. Even when it says Jesus traveled from one place to another, he wonders why these places are mentioned by name and what purpose it serves. In some places it can lead to interpretive ideas I wouldn't agree with, but his desire and impulse to search the Scriptures is unmatched.

I highly recommend these sermons. I would especially encourage someone to read these sermons first before trying to read his first principles or other more theological writings. I found it far more helpful to see how he handled the Bible as a pastor instead of those.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

With this first translation of Origen's homilies on the gospel of Luke, along with some fragments, we are given a sense of Origen as an interpreter of Scripture and of the gospel genre. While he is often known for extreme versions of allegorical interpretation, here we see him, in his homilies to catechumens, remarkably circumspect on the whole. When he does use allegory (or, a deeper, more spiritual reading), it is usually someone plausible or, at the very least, could be understood as a way of applying the text. On occasion, he makes some fascinating connections (as he draws in texts from the OT). For instance, when discussing Christ's circumcision, he argues, putting it in my words, that Christ was vicariously circumcised in order to remove our stain. The devotional and application aspects of his treatment of Luke are alone with reading through this book.

[Logan Prettyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous. Origen’s only extant homilies from the New Testament, these 5-page sermons offer a trove of scholarship, textual criticism, typology, allegory, and application.

[Vanjr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally very symbolical/allegorical/type interpretation of the gospel of Luke.