{"id":41346,"date":"2019-05-22T05:38:23","date_gmt":"2019-05-22T09:38:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/?p=41346"},"modified":"2019-05-20T17:46:06","modified_gmt":"2019-05-20T21:46:06","slug":"origen-on-the-challenge-to-jesus-is-god-apologists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trinities.org\/blog\/origen-on-the-challenge-to-jesus-is-god-apologists\/","title":{"rendered":"Origen on the Challenge to Jesus is God Apologists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Writing around 248 A.D.<\/strong> the famous early Christian scholar Origen of Alexandria mentions some Christians who confuse together Jesus and God<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If [the pagan critic] Celsus misunderstood certain people who do not confess that the Son of God is the Son of<\/em> Him who created the universe<\/strong>, that is a matter between him and those who agree with this doctrine. …We<\/strong><\/em> affirm<\/strong> that this person is Son of<\/em> God \u2013 yes, of God to whom, if we may follow Celsus\u2019 words, we \u2018pay very great reverence;\u2019 and we know His Son who has been \u2018greatly exalted\u2019 by the Father. <\/p>

But we grant that some among those among the multitude <\/strong>of believers take a divergent view, and because of their rashness suppose that the Saviour is the greatest and supreme God<\/strong>. But we at least do not take that view, since we believe him who said: \u2018The Father who sent me is greater than I.<\/strong>\u2019 [John 14:28] Consequently we would not make Him whom we now call Father subject to the Son of God, as Celsus falsely accuses us of doing. <\/p> Origen, Contra Celsum [Against Celsus]<\/em> Book VIII, Section 15, trans Henry Chadwick, p. 462, emphases added.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For all his problems, Origen was not <\/em>a confused \u201cJesus is God\u201d apologist. He would endorse as sound <\/strong>my argument against them<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> He thinks that Jesus and his Father differ in various ways, and not only functionally. He would deny that they\u2019re the same god, and he affirms that the Father is the only true God, the only one who is \u201cGod\u201d in the highest sense. He would stoutly deny that Jesus was divine in that <\/em>sense. (See also his Commentary on John <\/em>Book II, where he is especially clear about this.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you agree with Origen and me that <\/strong>this is a sound argument<\/strong><\/a>? Why or why not?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more on Origen’s theology, check out my “podcast 24 \u2013 How to be a Monotheistic Trinitarian.<\/a>“<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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podcast 124 – a challenge to “Jesus is God” apologists<\/a><\/blockquote>