Origen of Alexandria (185 - 254 AD)
An early Christian scholar, theologian, exegete, a pupil of Clement of Alexandria, and a mentor of Dionysius of Alexandria. He was one of the most influential and controversial figures in early Christian theology, apologetics, and asceticism, described as "the greatest genius the early church ever produced."
Origen taught that, before the creation of the material universe, God had created the souls of all the intelligent beings. These souls, at first fully devoted to God, fell away from him and were given physical bodies. Origen was the first to propose the ransom theory of atonement in its fully developed form, and he also significantly contributed to the development of the concept of the Trinity. Origen hoped that all people might eventually attain salvation, but was always careful to maintain that this was only speculation. He defended free will and advocated Christian pacifism.
(Origin of the Bible handout, February 8, 2023. Page 5-6., The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Pages 38; 73.)
Life
Origen was born and spent the first half of his career in Alexandria.
Origen sought martyrdom with his father at a young age but was prevented from turning himself in to the authorities by his mother. When he was 18, he became a catechist as the Catechetical School of Alexandria. He devoted himself to his studies and adopted an ascetic lifestyle.
He came into conflict with Demetrius, the bishop of Alexandria, in 231 after he was ordained as a presbyter by his friend, the bishop of Caesarea, while on a journey to Athens through Palestine. Demetrius condemned Origen for insubordination and accused him of having castrated himself and of having taught that even Satan would eventually attain salvation, an accusation which Origen vehemently denied.
Origen founded the Christian School of Caesarea, where he taught logic, cosmology, natural history, and theology, and became regarded by the churches of Palestine and Arabia as the ultimate authority on all matters of theology.
He was tortured for his faith during the Decian persecution in 250 and died 3-4 years later.
He was able to produce a massive quantity of writings because of the patronage of his close friend Ambrose of Alexandria, who provided him with a team of secretaries to copy his works, making him one of the most prolific writers in all antiquity.
(Origin of the Bible handout, February 8, 2023. Page 5-6.)
Works
He wrote ~2000 treatises in multiple branches of theology, including textual criticism, biblical exegesis and hermeneutics, homiletics, and spirituality. He made critical studies of the New Testament text alongside his work on the Hexapla and wrote commentaries and homilies on most of the books of the New Testament, emphasizing their inspiration by God.
(Origin of the Bible handout, February 8, 2023. Page 5; The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. The Canon of the New Testament by Milton C. Fisher, Pages 73.)
Insights
He mentioned Hebrew and Greek manuscripts stored in jars in caves near Jericho. Before the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery, mentions of manuscript finds in the Holy Land were rare.
(The Origin of the Bible: Newly Updated by F. F. Bruce, J. I. Packer, Philip W. Comfort, and Carl F. H. Henry, 2020. Texts and Manuscripts of the Old Testament by Mark R. Norton, Page 160)