The “Aspects of Christ” (Epinoiai Christou) in Origen'sCommentary on the Epistle to the Romans

Abstract

Origen's understanding of theepinoiai(aspects or concepts) of Christ is certainly one of the most fascinating and unique facets of his theology. By no means a marginal element in his Logos-Christology, a treatment, mention, or application of theepinoiaican be found in most of Origen's surviving texts. Scholarship on this topic has justifiably focused upon the two primary sources of theepinoiaiin Origen's writings: Book I of hisCommentary on Johnand Book I, Chapter 2 ofOn First Principles. While referencing these texts because of their systematic and definitional character, I intend to focus this article upon the substantial and multifaceted role of theepinoiai Christouin Origen'sCommentary on Romans, the oldest extant commentary on this Pauline epistle. In doing so, my thesis is two-fold: first, I will argue that theepinoiai Christouplay a considerable role in Origen's exegesis of Paul's epistle. If correct, this conclusion will be crucial for anyone seeking to gain a comprehensive account of Origen's concept of theepinoiai. Such is especially the case insofar as I will propose that theCommentary on Romansaccentuates specifically the virtues asepinoiai, thereby offering a noteworthy glimpse into this particular aspect of Origen'sepinoiaiteaching. Second, I will argue that the results of Origen's application of theepinoiaiconcept to his exegesis constitute a compelling reading of the Pauline text that is worthy of contemporary engagement.