Past Masters: Origen: The Original Expository Preacher?

Trigg argues that "Origen's Hexapla is a milestone in biblical scholarship that makes him the father of textual criticism of the Bible in the Christian tradition. He also judges that "Origen's understanding of biblical inspiration was entirely consistent with a rigorous critical approach to the text." According to Robert M. Grant, Origen was "the first great theologian of the church."

Origin was in his 50s when he first became a preacher and only preached about three years. Still, he was by far the most prolific scholar of his age with hundreds of works to his credit. Some estimate 2,000 to 6,000 titles. This may be too high, but he was a prolific scholar by any reckoning. He was a first-rate Christian philosopher and a profound student of the Bible. Age did not diminish his activities. He was more than 60 when he wrote his Contra Celsium and his Commentary on St. Matthew. He still is regarded as the first Christian systematic theologian.

Origen was a memorable scholar and preacher. Historian of preaching O.C. Edwards says Origen was "one of the two or three greatest minds in the history of the church." Edwards also says, "the goal of all Origen's preaching was the spiritual formation of the congregation." No matter what his text, he managed to end each sermon with a doxology to Jesus Christ based on 1 Peter 4:11: "To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever."

While he did use allegory, he regularly used sound hermeneutical principles, including historical criticism. He took care to apply the Scripture to life and deserves to be recognized as the original expository preacher.

For Further Study:

• Crouzel, Henri. Origen. Trans. by A.S. Worrall. San Francisc Harper and Row, 1959.

• Edwards, O.C., A History of Preaching. Vol. 1, Nashville: Abingdon, 2004.

• Origen. The Song of Songs: Commentary and Homilies. Trans. and annotated by R.P. Lawson ACW. Westminster, Md., Newman Press, 1957.

• Origen. The Song of Songs: Commentary and Homilies. Trans. and annotated by R.P. Lawson ACW. Westminster, Md., Newman Press, 1957.

• Trigg, Joseph Wilson. Origen: The Bible and Philosophy in the Third-Century Church. Atlanta, John Knox, 1983.