Origen and the History of Justification: The Legacy of Origen's Commentary on Romans

Chapter 1: Origen’s Doctrine of Justification

Chapter 1 Origen’s Doctrine of Justification Introduction Since the sixteenth century, and primarily on account of the Protestant Reformation, the doctrine of justification has been the subject of an enormous body of theological literature. This pattern has continued through the twentieth century down to the present day and shows no signs of abating .1 In the literature of the early ages of the Catholic Church, however, this doctrine was not made the object of direct study. The thoughts of the Fathers on this theme are more or less scattered and occasional. However, one work from Christian antiquity constitutes an exception to this pattern : Origen’s Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. In this work, originally written between 244 and 246, the author responds to numerous statements of the Apostle Paul in Romans with detailed discussions and explanations of the meaning of justification in Paul and in the rest of the Bible. This makes Origen’s CRm a work of unique importance in the history of theology, and particularly with respect to the doctrine of justification .2 Its significance in this respect has not been entirely neglected by modern theologians.3 13 Survey of Modern Scholarship Rivière and Verfaillie In his important article “Justification,” Rivière remarked that Origen’s treatment of this doctrine in his CRm is the best and most complete expression of the Catholic teaching in the pre-Augustinian Church Fathers.4 This prominent Catholic theologian5 argued that Origen’s discussions cleared a path for later theologians who would attempt to demonstrate harmony between the ideas of Paul and James on justification; for Origen had showed the intimate connection of faith and good works as the two complementary conditions of salvation that must not be separated.6 Rivi ère also commended Origen for keeping himself from the excess of one of his disciples, Hieracas, who attached so much importance to the necessity of good works for salvation that he excluded from heaven infants who die after baptism because they had been unable to accomplish any works.7 Epiphanius reports that Hieracas’s followers believed “that children who have not reached the age of puberty have no part in the kingdom, since they have not engaged in the struggle.”8 Clear texts in Origen’s CRm show that while he affirms the necessity both of good works for salvation and of infant baptism for the forgiveness of sins,9 he does not draw the negative inferences from these affirmations, as Hieracas had apparently done. If Rivière had a text in Origen in mind where Origen shows such restraint, he may be referring to the passage in the CRm where Origen seems to mitigate the responsibility of little children and the mentally incompetent by asking whether they are exempt from the precepts of natural law, since the judgment of right and wrong does not yet exist in them.10 Origen also explains how death in Rom 5.12–14 stands in a variety of relationships to human beings. It affects children under the age of reason in the least degree, in such a way that although spiritual death affects all human beings, it is final only for those who of their own choice persist in transgression.11 Inspired by Rivière’s commendation of Origen’s discussions, Verfaillie devoted a dissertation to fleshing out Origen’s doctrine of justification.12 Verfaillie was partly reacting to what he considered to be the Protestant exploitation of Origen’s statements about justification “by faith alone,” an apologetical usage he considered to be entirely naive. In response he 14 Origen and the History of Justification crafted a dissertation with a somewhat reactionary and apologetic purpose .13 Verfaillie concluded that, on the contrary, Origen’s understanding of justification in fact anticipates the principal affirmations of the Council of Trent’s decree on justification. This applies to several points of fundamental importance: an original Fall but not a total corruption of humanity, the necessity and efficaciousness of Christ’s redemptive work, the application of Christ’s redemption through the indivisible cooperation of God and the human being, the effective sanctification of the soul through grace, and the meritorious value of the soul’s actions in view of glory. “Such are the doctrines opposed by the Church to the Reformation. Yet they are all...