THE SALVATION OF THE DEVIL AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN ORIGEN'S LETTER 70 CERTAIN CLOSE FRIENDS IN “ALEXANDRIA, "There is ile surviving of Orige's comespondenc, This makes it all the more important that arf tention i vent what does revive from this gee of his writing. Thi paper argues ha sich stein has no alvays teen pdt the ragients preserved by Rufins and Jerome ‘of what the forme alls Origen’ eter to certain close ends in Alex andra, Iatenton vo these fragments hs led to an lads con ‘noon wha they apes o each eonering the salvation af the Devi ‘To some commentators thes fragments const incontestable ev- ence tht Origen dened la the strongest posible tens that the Dev Would be saved? Crouzel, for example states that these fragments mount oa “cleared” of ach sation? Sch reading, bo ‘ve, ests on shaker foundations thn is advocates oppose: tis sed fn illsomsidered attention Io the kind of salvation under dicusion, ‘sme, svaio ia the Kingdom of God. Crowes atic on hese lt {er fragments for example, does ao once consider to What this septal Toeaton might refer "This paper argues that Origen unestanisthe Kingdom of God as « tcl kind of salvation, not the nly Kind of salvation follows tha {denial othe Devil doesnt excl hi atonal sing fom lava tion The pages i divided ito two pars: «consideration of the rel ‘rant pars ofthe fagmets of Orige’s lee, apd to what, heen, "the ‘Kingdom of God” might eer; aod) a survey of evidence tat Origen Telived in sme measie of beatitde for rational being eeled rm ‘he Kingdom of Go, sgl ore tet ati 0 ee pone ceramics rm, aber tos eae th os ee Gee atthe SEE rm a tm cet tect he oe ts haa tek Tecra easpeetimermaasateed es ‘De neraiane rar Origen 44 8 4 Ac ad Ro Ge Pores1. One's Ler avo ne Kawooxt oF Goo 1 The Fragomen ‘The fiagments preserved by Ruins and Jere ae fem diferent, ‘bt ovedapping etions of Orgen's leer: Rufous’ continues ae the {his joi translated peton, The Latin aston of the common por tion ae reproduced, elo page [I] ad 2) The socnd begins Tit toe te pa t which the fi coespon, Ths ear tat fo ‘some bp to the contet of Orig dicuon [1 Rains, fom De adueratione libvorum Origens 7 (SC 464, 2986.13: ‘anc ene i | Sao aw wi ne a Fan son sein exe | ihn oc sae ‘tomo ey ad S'S: Caren ari pees |b aes ae Sacral pea Kano item gu me Dect | Gn Co 0) won ey oy ae tee nme | eae en Se ss | et tn ep sera seed re ‘in iy [2] Jerome, rom Apologia adursus Hivos Rafi LIS (SC 308, p.15251-70) a —Lr—O—OCOGh rota tac le nd Spa's Sr tea ae a rl | i ae te redticaperea tieaetc linac wate acer t _- image - a ”rtr—~C~r—~—C—CSS nxn racer cioeroneormaeroen 199 et ean a> et ria nde i ein etme om 2 Taw “dig item ne ra enn 6 Seeder The venta he dae nc arse vie sn | cee pat SD em ‘te Te pt ei nina ee a mp ee Bip emi cm pt xt S| ye ep Ds eo pone om me itn ito | ne in be ee cep | Se of nti ‘Seg tne coma a Sane aor a el po en ekagn a ne to ‘yt re (tpn tine og ite ‘Rn Cot ee a comm pn Rufimis andJrome, ere, bth report Origen as comping thst he tne boon slander for teaching thatthe Devil wil be ved. The Iter tof Origen's eter, preserved by Rufnus aloe, pt thi slander ‘down othe falsification a interpolation of Origen’ eschings an wit Ings by bees". The earlier scion, preserved by Jerome alone, 5 hat this slander aos Because Origen, following the injunction of aol [1 Co 6,10 gave cen erties ean revi him by i fil to speak ill f ethers in genera and of the Devils particule The 10, Bor 1729 be np 85 lcm soaked map Erno Cening anda tascrng mata) ee 12, The Grea x pene 88 Aeron Bae 8 PRanBvaon ("ey mt te te oe Tne ean mt ‘ea proc ther png nin Hab 9S. The Teno iy sn ig SC sn pp tn oe a SE ee abaya sen een ‘mar wu the ee Re pr pig etic hv cstan ne Anes wig rt ee ‘tal Ons hg ies Rusa ing eit ‘Sie speed sr ft Sa ao Det doe ec 1S Sen cere sng 9 ce20 ow ‘overlapping isgments, however, ae agra in the esses wih which two ar bere concer: Origen does deny the Devil salvation, nd does ‘egatd the iden tha he Devil might be saved s preposterous “The salvation under discussion however, maf that consiated by enjoyment of the promos of he Kingdom of Go, nt every kindof | salvation. Although neither the fagment of Rufaus nor Hato ere ‘pli series th salvation did a that ejay i the Kington ‘ot Gerd the context shows tat can be none oer Origen’ ete, as ‘he ear part of Jerome's fragment configs, concerns Christians Who lose heir inertaace inthe Kingdom of God (or in “the Kingdom ofthe raven”, at Origen, hee, ls describes tht realm!) on secon aat ‘nly af any moe revo sin hit were urepented a death — sich at ‘ourdr a adulery~ but also of any less ievous sins hat were ure- Ped — suchas drunkenness an lander. Origen point with espest tothe Dev the,is his if human souls orf the Kingdom of Go case ofl sch sins, ts lay absurd to suggest tha he “Tate” their sin ~ thar, the Dil (la 84 1 Jn 3,10; Ae 13,10} ~ vouch- tafe i 1 follows that when Crouze!, both emarks on the force with which (vig refutes the lander hat he taught thatthe Dev wl be saved tt expresses spi that some oramentator sill atibut this teaching to Origen, he omits to observe the hind of salvation under consideration, rly beatae nthe Kingdom of God. Notwithstanding hs esposal of to deoxacdiseots, Orion's exclusion of the Devil rom this King om isa, a Crouel alleges, the cause of "une grande confision”™”, but an ently unremaskable facet of Oxigen’s thought the ide, for ‘Origen, tht the father of wickedness wl enjoy the mana Beatie indented bythe Kingdon of Go, indeed, cages by 0 meas Tollows, however, that Origen alo thinks i outrageous to suggest that the Devil igh et be aconded some uit eae “Anotor interesting feature of these faints hat ns aways igh- lighted is he fc tht Rufinws reps Origen as denying ta he Devil ‘wl be sed, whereas Jerome reports Origen as denying tht the Devi ‘an be eaved This difereace i te mor infereting Deas Jerome Iter If, Retoatercape cain ptt ey oft oe iam te er (GCS ad dt (Sh heron ent a re es are ae ais eon mums ocesmaciocemnenormaozvoen 201 ‘hang what he has 1 yn it omar abot slog he hs read between Origen and a Valetinan, Candis, he sys that Origen tatght that the Devil “can Be saved, st sen Co | me nao on orb Stee reopen apna | Yo rg te gt oe ex fanart | Drone er il ph roe Cinco | oe io i ade be ee ee on ne | tna ay ey, estat ee cn | Uren a a ea Bet han ee aia ne da typo ah tele Op ee Wis ot clear wha if anything, we shoul make ofthese differences ewcon th two meas alton, and beeen Serum’ atlation fd subsequent comment. We ean, atleast, say hat Jerome's later remarks suggest hat Origen was ofthe view that Salvation inthe King om of God would have been posible for the rational beng who became the Devil hd this rational being pot opted to become evil and remain impenitent. This, no dubs, is why Jerome ares with Origen in what the latter sys to Candida it ota mater ofthe Devils rte ha nies him salvation nthe Kingdon of Gd, bat his wll efor prosedng o conser Origen’ understanding ofthe Kingdom ‘of God (and how his interpretation ofthis seripral locaton compared {0 the interpretations he pve ater locations concerning the Kingdom), it ie neces to comment litle upon his understanding of salvation ‘itself He understansi1 would sugges, in two senses: onthe one hand, 1 the maximal ukinate betta ta i aly enjoyed by souls who are reset both vitwous and growing in wisdom, and, on the oh bd, 5 the caer eating whereby each and every soul becomes ready 10 receive ber paticuas measure of itimatebeade It shouldbe cle thatthe sense under discussion in our rigment is that onsite by the ceriainulimate hentude enjoyed by exemplary Christiane. In other ‘wor, However, where Origen is dealing with a eater exchscogical one, the salvation under dacston ithe proces of healing achieved Stvough diferent soul” vated experince of Te. Such healing puis Seuls both oftheir sins, and of what Origen cals the “Eh” of thei Rehm a aterm a gs 9 30, 6 PES ee.m2 sau comthly generation [lb 1441, Origen, I would conten, extends this ‘oubl ang oll han sou albeit in diferent ways "These to senses of sain enable Origen to do two things. They allow i, is tobe Uber in ating a univers salvation fom the ative Sikes of sin no oe, he thinks, wl a eer to eerie rerespctve Sgsment for thsi, x, trough ping examination and repent te venticve wih apt othe gully of uit beat aequny ‘mofo examples shal be age, blov, be extends membership of the Kingdom of God only othve Crs who ave de fer having ‘epee all mar of grievous ins; er souls mas ake do wih ser ‘tres of eatede This enton st ody that Orgs io nich a “universalist” with respect to ulimatebesttude as hei th espet alg rm in: i merely cis a ei not nivel with spect tothe pacar imate fete tht sto bead ne Kingom of Go 2.The Kingdom of Gad Orige's ue of diferent scriptural octons concerning the Kingdom ‘ows hat he lettres them as descriptions of communities of souls ost Lexbar sng chorea “here sos te passa ea Po er Re ‘Stet ured without being consumed ft. 43.) (S41, 1316-8) sm, a RUbU fi, eng te tao ef eB ‘ne tener timc e8 NU ogee AU ‘Sinton lt epg ee cope i toto Siac sie Pet ee re OS sae crcainae et cnaidias ie sting aot Seg hs! i tc ee Case ny es a eas Seg cont Soya er 83 a“ oda na ZOU RST See es hme ‘thas tl i)! es pf hn dt (0, ‘G9 he welt ta net i pig ae purified by am “nquenchble” “fury of fie He 10,26-27] beth “worse Goan Sa Sg pe SO by He, Sie tay gy gid mas mc et ‘Si re http 0 SLAP acer Via ces eel ‘Saale 2lsSemgy nck nos Sogo ge ar an ‘as ln oS, nxcesuarrmrocaimciourmmoemaecisaen — 203, ‘who are equally reconciled and restored tothe rule of God, bat who soverteless possess diferent capuies forthe intellect Hie that njyient ofthe knowledge of God. The Kingdon of God, for eka, encompasses ony the most tua of rational sal, that is, tase Who Inve die epented of all manner of grievous sins "Te fall of cme commenters on the frapents af Orge’s eter to aes thm to Orie ndentunding ofthe Kingdom af God ‘ay, peta be explained by abating othe he stent be ‘comprehended ax coextensive with the commoniy of atonal beings in ‘whom God becomes “all in al” [1 Co 15,28 such an assungtin would Indeed preclude the exliion of any rational crete from theme fle of God. ln ay vi, however, ch a assmption woul be a mi luke the restraton a all atonal beags to the ata, Org, say hing about the equality o inequality in iatllectul betta hat dese brings might have with God thea, bo aly of hei no oager being bre to his Word snd image and thei eng replete with Knowle, Allugh Origen coal Blcves in un uimate ed othe diversity of il, be ako thinks tht here wl be an uke nd endrng verity tf nlc! beattude, While al seals become epee with Knowledge, ‘he inlet capcs tat become replete vay fo sal oo ‘While scriptural references tothe Kingdon, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom ofthe heaves have recived conridrableatenton fom ‘ie sehlas and ie from patie one Origen pls nthe ‘eatin bas fegbenlly bon misjudged: he is age deemed to have "spctwalised” the kingdom sa predaminaaly preset, a opposed to 2 {ita reaiy, While Origen does eliove that the ae of Gi, in pat, 2 ea Ki fn rion f teh oe gc i td ot tn Sa Sate Pana irae a ea nu Chose vie ng ee whe nr ie a =—=—h—hrtstés—sSse are ae ra cr oe oa Pern eal tel a in SO ns ret a St Ee eid cela oa a Aare STRRGT Aleiie fc Tindrinrherntin, ale hia cele cemce ae Seat a na a SRS eae a pata naiatin Seee in a oeatirmar Wi Sle ol as oe2 sow ‘present sly, tis incomes 0 infer fom this ht he doesnot also fave a resin conception of aftr, eschatological kingdom. Only a few writers have foetsed dry upon the teaching en the kingdom of| (Origen, in pricuar Cruze, one ofthe few recent commentators 10 ‘4s, mits ise, the wo ices he ha writen om the question”, to shing tat Origen ech th he Kingdom of Chit conines after the Son handed overt the Father, Whe Caouel dow fer ned ‘st appreciation othe Kingdom of Cri, the Kingdom of the Father the Kingdom ofthe heuvens, and te Kingdom of God, e tends six up the characteristics that Origen nibs 0 each: he omits to ‘tere, fr example, that oly some soils who come Io ejay the ston long ie” of Christ nd bis ater wil fod “sits” on divine nyste- ‘et nthe Kingdom of Gad Tsiges, in what follows, that Origen talks about the Kingdom of (vist ad the Kingdom ofthe Ptr as cach imately embracing al Fatonal sols and about the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom ofthe aves each and always embracing nly the most advanced souls. 1) The Kingdom of Christ and the Kingdom ofthe Hater “The Kinga of Chis i universal in extent, for Origen insmch a ‘comprises all sols subjected Yo the divine reason embodied in and cxemplifed by Cre. is vouchaed or example tthe penitent hil Df Lake's Gospel Lk 2342-3] although a revous sine, sys igen {nthe Commentary on Jol XXXU395 396, his individuals ast minute ‘ecogaton of Chit esas inthe promise of immediate ~ that issu [st now-pniive ~ etry ino the Pade of God ater deat Me 2, Soe Ni Das ie Rh (25, 7, a wen i's pang sui oe phe say Che Stance gue ee 9898 2B. Wenn, Unurachgs (5, 2; Poe, De Gece 29) wp BH chon cn eA es Rowan’ De Pe ae Ba aS ned pei pn a Guta ud. 2) pS: Wo, Ont a e299. 56 3B Gin: Bp ca tint gt thc Alto Pani rte, 3a nema ie ep sin Prin 386 og nan pe edna” (CS, 150 Tepe cnomsierenro com cioscricoranenonnn 20 bership ofthe Kingdom of Cvs, clearly, varies depending on the ime A whch i eooidred. Ax Origen says in Homily on Numbers 173, hil itcomprise nly some souls th resent roe eer rea, itll grow increasingly to compris all inal eretues afte the nal subjection of "Death [1 Co 1525-277" ‘otislanding universal sjecton, the ukimat bounds of the King doa f Chist wil embrace souls of abidngly ifr! intellectual apace, Int pat of the new even and er” constituted by “the new sae”, for etample, Chet le acconding to De principle 3.7, Wil embrace both “the poor in spit in “heaven” ~ thu i, {wou contend in the heavenly Jerusalem” — and “the meek” IM 551,00 “the land” — tha, thse regione othe ne el ht i outside the ‘ew Jerse Such iatelctal divest slo parent within each ‘ofthe two pas ofthe new lisel, God employs the services of rome Souls, thee, wth eset othe inelecta ves of ober. In Eorarion| {fo Martyrdom XXII a De principi L113 te ministation of he Ite of sou in the new ruse i ven the mts Thr ask is to ciate the beatae of how souls who enjoy latina Knowledge (of Go In De priniisIV.38, by compen, govermoshp of souls Sri ee mertmates Sop ei near seme Sains Bn nn vember res Sree ifume\cmn yams eens Fie enh Cag tos RST OS die wreautiar en anen SS ee eee Sea Teas ciate vi etn a — ~—ré“‘