Origen, COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, Part II, Complete

Translated by Allan Menzies.

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Page 5

And it is no wonder, since truth is one, that many truths should flow from that one. The prophet David certainly knew many truths, as he says, [4825] "The Lord searcheth out truths," for the Father of truth searches out not the one truth but the many through which those are saved who possess them. And as with the one truth and many truths, so also with righteousness and righteousnesses. For the very essential righteousness is Christ, "Who was made to us of God wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption." But from that righteousness is formed the righteousness which is in each individual, so that there are in the saved many righteousnesses, whence also it is written, [4826] "For the Lord is righteous, and He loved righteousnesses." This is the reading in the exact copies, and in the other versions besides the Septuagint, and in the Hebrew. Consider if the other things which Christ is said to be in a unity admit of being multiplied in the same way and spoken of in the plural. For example, Christ is our life as the Saviour Himself says, [4827] "I am the way and the truth and the life." The Apostle, too, says, [4828] "When Christ our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." And in the Psalms again we find, [4829] "Thy mercy is better than life;" for it is on account of Christ who is life in every one that there are many lives. This, perhaps, is also the key to the passage, [4830] "If ye seek a proof of the Christ that speaketh in me." For Christ is found in every saint, and so from the one Christ there come to be many Christs, imitators of Him and formed after Him who is the image of God; whence God says through the prophet, [4831] "Touch not my Christs." Thus we have explained in passing the passage which we appeared to have omitted from our exposition, viz.: "Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ;" and we have also shown that the words belong to John the Baptist and form part of his testimony to the Son of God.

[4825] Ps. xxxi. 24.

[4826] Ps. xi. 7.

[4827] John xiv. 6.

[4828] Coloss. iii. 4.

[4829] Ps. lxiii. 3.

[4830] 2 Cor. xiii. 3.

[4831] Ps. cv. 15.

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