Origen’s “On First Principles” (Preface 9)

Gary Pollard

[Editor’s Note: Gary is translating the Ante-Nicene Fathers works, beginning with Origin’s work. It is meant to update the British English of Roberts and Donaldson. What follows is part of that translation]

Another thing the church teaches: God helps people do the right thing so they can be saved. He does this through angels and certain kinds of positive influences. They work for him, and their job is help people live right so they can be saved. That’s all we know about them, though. When were they created? What kind of bodies do they have? What is their existence like? We have no clear information about these things. And as far as the sun, moon, and stars go, we don’t know if they’re living beings or not. No one has said anything to us about it.¹ Since we’ve been told to “Use the light of knowledge to become enlightened,” we need to get to the bottom of these questions to the best of our ability. This can be done by using critical thinking, logic, illustrations, and good arguments. All of it has to be based on what the asker has found in the sacred writings or what he’s deduced by using carefully-thought-out extrapolation.

 ¹ It is interesting that so many ancient peoples wondered if the stars were alive. See also Enoch 18-22, Philo, and Is 34.4, Jer 33.22, Dan 8.10, Deut 4.19, Jdg 5.20, Ps 148, I Kgs 22.19.