Origen, COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, Part II, Complete

Translated by John Patrick.

Origen Resources OnLine & in Print

This Part: 115 Pages

Page 109

22. The Marriage of Church Dignitaries.

But, while dealing with the passage, I would say that we will be able perhaps now to understand and clearly set forth a question which is hard to grasp and see into, with regard to the legislation of the Apostle concerning ecclesiastical matters; for Paul wishes no one of those of the church, who has attained to any eminence beyond the many, as is attained in the administration of the sacraments, to make trial of a second marriage. For laying down the law in regard to bishops in the first Epistle to Timothy, he says, "If a man seeketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. The bishop, therefore, must be without reproach, the husbands of one wife, temperate, sober-minded," [6216] etc.; and, in regard to deacons, "Let the deacons," he says, "be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well," [6217] etc. Yea, and also when appointing widows, he says, "Let there be no one as a widow under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man;" [6218] and after this he says the things superadded, as being second or third in importance to this. And, in the Epistle to Titus, "For this cause," he says, "I left thee in Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city as I gave thee charge. If any one is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children, that believe" [6219] --of course--and so on. Now, when we saw that some who have been married twice may be much better than those who have been married once, we were perplexed why Paul does not at all permit those who have been twice married to be appointed to ecclesiastical dignities; for also it seemed to me that such a thing was worthy of examination, as it was possible that a man, who had been unfortunate in two marriages, and had lost his second wife while he was yet young, might have lived for the rest of his years up to old age in the greatest self-control and chastity.

[6216] 1 Tim. iii. 1, 2.

[6217] 1 Tim. iii. 12.

[6218] 1 Tim. v. 9.

[6219] Tit. i. 5, 6.

Previous Page / First / Next Page of Origen - COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Origen Home Page ||| More Church Fathers

Elpenor's Free Greek Lessons

Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/Elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/matthew-commentary-2.asp?pg=109