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]
After the discussion we have briefly presented—concerning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—it is appropriate to now offer some thoughts on conscious beings: their types and ranks, their roles, and the functions of both good and evil powers, as well as those who exist in between these two extremes (i.e., those who still engaged in struggle and undergoing testing). In Scripture, we find many names and descriptions of different ranks and roles, not only among the holy beings but also among those that are opposed to them. We will begin by listing these names and functions and then, as best we can, attempt to understand their meaning.
There are certain holy angels of God that Paul calls “ministering spirits, sent to serve those who will inherit rescue.” In Paul’s own writings, he also refers to these beings—drawing from a source unknown to us—as thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers. After listing these, he goes on to say about the One who will save us: “Who is above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named—not only in this world, but also in the one to come. This suggests that beyond the beings he names, there are other sentient entities—some whose names can be spoken in this world, though Paul does not list them, perhaps because no one else knew them either—and others whose names cannot be spoken now but will be revealed in the world to come.
Next, we need to understand that every self-aware being who goes beyond its proper limits and rules is guilty of sin—because in doing so, it turns away from what is right and just. Every rational creature, then, is capable of receiving either praise or blame: praise, if it uses its reason to grow toward what is better; and blame, if it turns away from the path of righteousness. In such cases, punishment is justly deserved. This principle also applies to the accuser and his followers, who are called his angels. But before we go further, we need to explain the names and titles given to these beings, so we clearly understand who we are speaking about. The names “Devil (Accuser),” “Satan (Enemy),” and “Wicked One”—who is also called the “Enemy of God”—appear frequently in Scripture. In addition, Scripture refers to certain angels of the accuser, and to a “prince of this world.” Whether this prince is the accuser himself or another being is not clearly revealed.
We also read about “princes of this world” who possess a kind of wisdom that will eventually come to nothing. Whether these are the same as the “principalities” that Paul says we must fight against—or whether they are different beings altogether—is a question that is not easy to answer with certainty. Alongside the principalities, Paul also mentions certain “powers” with whom we struggle, and this conflict even includes rulers of this world’s darkness. He also speaks of spiritual forces of wickedness in the sky. And what should we make of the wicked and unclean spirits mentioned in the Gospels? On the other hand, Paul also refers to beings who are said to bow—or will bow—in submission at the name of Jesus. This includes beings in the sky, on earth, and under the earth, as he lists them.
Since we are discussing self-aware beings, we must not leave out ourselves—human beings—who are called rational animals. Even among humans, different groupings are mentioned in Scripture. For example, it says: “The Lord’s portion is His people Jacob; Israel is the cord of His inheritance.” Meanwhile, other nations are described as belonging to the angels. As it’s written: “When the Most High divided the nations and scattered the sons of Adam, He established their boundaries according to the number of the angels of God.” So, as we consider other rational beings, we must also carefully examine the nature and purpose of the human soul.
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