Church History 6.38.1
Summary: Origen warned against the Elkesaites, who rejected Paul, allowed outward denial under persecution, and offered forgiveness through a heavenly book.
Greek text · Dindorf 4:278–279
Τότε δὲ καὶ ἄλλη διαστροφὴ κατάρχεται, ἡ τῶν Ἑλκεσαϊτῶν λεγομένη αἵρεσις, ἣ καὶ ἅμα τῷ ἄρξασθαι ἀπέσβη. μνημονεύει δʼ αὐτῆς ὁμιλῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ κοινοῦ εἰς τὸν ὀγδοηκοστὸν δεύτερον ψαλμὸν ὁ Ὠριγένης, ὧδέ πως λέγων “ ἐλή- “λυθέ τις ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος μέγα φρονῶν ἐπὶ τῷ “δύνασθαι πρεσβεύειν γνώμης ἀθέου καὶ ἀσεβεστά- “της, καλουμένης Ἑλκεσαϊτῶν, νεωστὶ “ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. ἐκείνη ἡ γνώμη οἷα λέγει κακὰ, “παραθήσομαι ὑμῖν) ἵνα μὴ συναρπάζησθε. ἀθετεῖ “τινα ἀπὸ πάσης γραφῆς, κέχρηται ῥητοῖς πάλιν “ἀπὸ πάσης παλαιᾶς τε καὶ εὐαγγελικῆς, τὸν ἀπό- “στολον τέλεον ἀθετεῖ. φησὶ δὲ ὅτι τὸ “ἀδιάφορόν ἐστι, καὶ ὁ μὲν νοήσας τῷ στόματι ἐν ἀνάγκαις ἀρνήσεται, τῇ δὲ καρδίᾳ οὐχί. καὶ βίβλον τινὰ φέρουσιν, ἣν λέγουσιν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταπεπτωκέναι, καὶ τὸν ἀκηκοότα ἐκείνης καὶ πιστεύοντα ἄφεσιν λήψεσθαι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ἄλλην ἄφεσιν “παρʼ ἣν Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς ἀφῆκε.” καὶ τὰ μὲν περὶ τούτων τάδε ἐστίν.
English · Claude translation
At that time another perversion began, the heresy called that of the Elkesaites, which was extinguished as soon as it began. Origen mentions it when preaching publicly on the eighty-second Psalm, saying somewhat thus: “There has come someone at present, priding himself on being able to champion a godless and most impious opinion, called that of the Elkesaites, which has lately risen up against the churches. What evils that opinion teaches I shall set before you, so that you may not be carried away. It rejects some things from every Scripture; it again uses texts from all the Old Testament and the Gospel; it rejects the apostle entirely. It says that to deny is a matter of indifference, and that the one who understands will deny with the mouth in times of necessity, but not with the heart. And they bring a certain book which they say fell from heaven, and that whoever has heard it and believes will receive forgiveness of sins, another forgiveness than that which Christ Jesus gave.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- Quotation from Origen, Homily on Psalm 82 (lost). Words are lost in the digital text (e.g. “risen up against” and “to deny”), supplied from the sense.
Cite this passage
Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 6.38.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-historia/6/38/1/).
Plain text
Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 6.38.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-historia/6/38/1/).
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