Exhortation to Martyrdom 42
Summary: Those who share Christ's sufferings share his comfort and triumph; the martyr's departure is the true day of salvation, and ministers must commend themselves by endurance.
Greek text · Koetschau 1:39–40
Εἰ „καθὼς περισσεύει τὰ παθήματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ“, „οὕτω διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ περισσεύει καὶ ἡ παράκλησις“, προθυμότατα παραδεξώμεθα τὰ Χριστοῦ παθήματα, καὶ περισσευσάτω ἐν ἡμῖν, εἴπερ ὀρεγόμεθα περισσῆς παρακλήσεως, ἣν πάντες μὲν οἱ „πενθοῦντες“ „παρακληθήσονται“, τάχα δὲ οὐκ ἐπʼ ἴσης. εἰ γὰρ ἐπʼ ἴσης ἦν ἡ παράκλησις, οὐκ ἂν ἐγέγραπτο τό· „καθὼς περισσεύει τὰ παθήματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς, οὕτω περισσεύει καὶ ἡ παράκλησις ἡμῶν.“ οἱ κοινωνοὶ τῶν παθημάτων κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῶν παθημάτων, ὧν εἰσι κοινωνοὶ πρὸς Χριστὸν, κοινωνοὶ ἔσονται καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως· ἃ καὶ μανθάνετε ἀπὸ τοῦ πεπιστευμένως τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγοντος· οἴδαμεν γὰρ, „ὡς κοινωνοί ἐστε τῶν παθημάτων, οὕτως καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως.“ φησὶ δὲ διὰ προφήτου ὁ θεός· „καιρῷ δεκτῷ ἐπήκουσά σου καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σωτηρίας ἐβοήθησά σοι.“ ποῖος οὖν ἄλλος εὐπρόσδεκτος καιρὸς, ἢ ὅτε διὰ τὴν εἰς θεὸν ἐν Χριστῷ εὐσέβειαν ὑπὸ φρουρὰν πομπεύοντες ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ θριαμβεύοντες μᾶλλον ἤπερ θριαμβευόμενοι ἀπαγόμεθα; οἱ γὰρ ἐν Χριστῷ μάρτυρες συναπεκδύονται αὐτῷ „τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας“ καὶ συνθριαμβεύουσιν ὡς κοινωνοὶ τῶν παθημάτων αὐτοῦ γινόμενοι οὕτως καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν αὐτοῦ ἀνδραγαθημάτων· ἐξ ὧν ἐστι καὶ τὸ θριαμβεῦσαι „τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας“, ἃς μετʼ ὀλίγον ὄψεσθε νενικημένας καὶ κατῃσχυμμένας. ποία ἄλλη οὕτως ἡμέρα σωτηρίας ὡς ἡ ἡμέρα τῆς τοιαύτης ἡμῶν ἐντεῦθεν ἀπαλλαγῆς; ἀλλὰ παρακαλῶ· „μηδεμίαν ἐν μηδενὶ“ δῶτε „προσκοπὴν, ἵνα μὴ μωμηθῇ“ ὑπὸ ὑμῶν τὸ πρεσβυτέριον ἢ „ἡ διακονία, ἀλλὰ ἐν παντὶ ἑαυτοὺς“ συστήσασθε „ὡς θεοῦ διάκονοι, ἐν ὑπομονῇ πολλῇ“ λέγοντες· „καὶ νῦν τίς ἡ ὑπομονή μου; οὐχὶ ὁ κύριος;“ „ἐν θλίψεσι“ πειθόμενοι ὅτι „πολλαὶ αἱ θλίψεις τῶν δικαίων“, „ἐν ἀνάγκαις“, ἵν ὡς ἀναγκαίαν ἡμῖν τὴν μακαριότητα ἀπαιτήσωμεν, „ἐν στενοχωρίαις“, ἵνʼ ὡς τὴν στενὴν καὶ τὴν τεθλιμμένην ἀπαραλείπτως ὁδεύσαντες καταντήσωμεν ἐπὶ τὴν ζωήν. ἐὰν δέον ᾖ, συστήσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς καὶ „ἐν πληγαῖς καὶ ἐν φυλακαῖς καὶ ἐν ἀκαταστασίαις καὶ ἐν κόποις καὶ ἐν ἀγρυπνίαις καὶ ἐν νηστείαις.“ ἰδοὺ γὰρ κύριος, καὶ „ὁ μισθὸς αὐτοῦ“ ἐν χειρὶ „ἀποδοῦναι ἑκάστῳ“, ὡς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐστι.
English · Claude translation
If, “as the sufferings of Christ abound,” “so through Christ comfort also abounds,” let us most eagerly welcome the sufferings of Christ, and let them abound in us, if we long for abundant comfort, with which all “who mourn” “will be comforted,” though perhaps not equally. For if the comfort were equal, it would not have been written, “As the sufferings of Christ abound to us, so our comfort also abounds.” Those who share in the sufferings will share also in the comfort, in proportion to the sufferings in which they share with Christ; as you learn also from him who says such things with assurance: for we know, “that as you are partners in the sufferings, so also in the comfort.” And God says through the prophet: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” What other time is so acceptable as when, for the sake of our piety toward God in Christ, we are led away under guard in procession through the world, celebrating a triumph rather than being led in triumph? For the martyrs in Christ with him strip off “the rulers and authorities” and triumph with him, as they become sharers in his sufferings and so also in his noble deeds in those sufferings; among which is also triumphing over “the rulers and authorities,” which you will shortly see conquered and put to shame. What other day is so much a day of salvation as the day of such a departure of ours from here? But I urge you: “give no offense in anything, so that” the presbyterate or “the ministry” may not “be blamed” because of you, “but in everything commend” yourselves “as ministers of God, in much endurance,” saying, “And now what is my endurance? Is it not the Lord?”; “in afflictions,” persuaded that “many are the afflictions of the righteous”; “in necessities,” so that we may claim blessedness as something necessary for us; “in distresses,” so that, having traveled the narrow and hard way without turning aside, we may arrive at life. If need be, let us commend ourselves also “in beatings, in prisons, in tumults, in labors, in sleepless nights, in fastings.” For behold the Lord, and “his reward” is in his hand “to repay each” as his works are.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are 2 Cor 1:5 and 1:7, Matt 5:4, Isa 49:8 (2 Cor 6:2), Col 2:15, 2 Cor 6:3–5, Ps 39:7 (38:8 LXX), Ps 34:19 (33:20 LXX), Matt 7:14, and Rev 22:12 (Isa 40:10). Origen adds “the presbyterate” to Paul's “ministry” (διακονία) in 2 Cor 6:3; tradition makes Protoctetus a presbyter and Ambrose a deacon, but the text does not say so explicitly.
Cite this passage
Origen, Mart. 42 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-exhortatio/42/).
Plain text
Origen, Mart. 42 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/origen-exhortatio/42/).
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