“In the Last Days, the Word of God, which was clothed with the flesh of Mary, proceeded into this world .... indeed the letter is seen as flesh but the spiritual sense hiding within is perceived as divinity.”¹ The task of Origen, the preacher, was to draw from the literal, historical meaning of his text the spiritual understanding which would build up the faith of believers. Origen said, “If therefore both the Lord and God are ‘Spirit,’ we ought to hear spiritually those things which the Spirit says”² The priest should be one who under-stands the Law in the letter...

As “in the Last Days,”¹ the Word of God, which was clothed with the flesh of Mary, proceeded into this world. What was seen in him was one thing; what was understood was something else.² For the sight of his flesh was open for all to see, but the knowledge of his divinity was given to the few, even the elect. So also when the Word of God was brought to humans through the Prophets and the Lawgiver,³ it was not brought without proper clothing. For just as there it was covered with the veil of flesh,⁴ so here with...

Indeed, the preceding argument from the beginning of Leviticus has taught us the law of sacrifices, which are called offerings, that “if a person should make an offering he should offer it” from animals, that is, “from cattle, sheep, or even goats. But if from birds, he should offer a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”²

(2) “But if a soul shall bring an offering, it shall offer fine wheat flour from the oven; that is, from unleavened bread or fine wheat flour mixed with oil from a frying pan or even from gridiron. Moreover, it he offers a...

This discourse is about sacrifices which are offered by those who sinned through ignorance or involuntarily. In the ones preceding, when we spoke of the sacrifice of the high priest, we observed that it was not written about him that he was ignorant. But, if anyone should remember well these things which were said, he can tell us that we can hold as a figure of Christ the sacrifice which we said the high priest offered “for sin.”² It will not seem appropriate to say that Christ, “who knew not sin,”³ offered a sacrifice “for sin,” although the deed is...

If, according to the faith of the divine law, the Lord said these things to Moses, which have been read to us, I think nevertheless that the words of God ought not be understood according to the incapacity of the hearers but according to the majesty of him who spoke them. It says, “the Lord spoke.”² What is “the Lord”? Let the Apostle respond to you and learn from him that “the Lord is Spirit.”³ But if the word of the Apostle is not sufficient for you, hear the Lord himself when he said in the Gospels, “God is Spirit.”⁴...

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his sons saying, ‘This is the law [of sacrifice] for sin. In the place where the whole burnt offerings are killed, they will kill it because it is [a sacrifice] for sin before the Lord; these are very holy things. The priest who will offer it will eat it. It will be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the Tent of Witness. Everyone who touches its flesh will be sanctified. And if any of its blood is spilled upon his clothing, whatever is spilled on will...

The Apostle briefly indicates the reason that these words that were read to us can be understood or not understood when he says that “the veil of the Old Testament” can “be removed” from the eyes of the one “who has been converted to the Lord.”² From this, he wanted it understood that these things are less clear to us to the same degree as our conversion to the Lord is less complete. And for that reason, this must be worked at with all our strength so that, free from secular occupations and mundane deeds, and, if possible, leaving behind...

Many things, certainly, were read to us in the preceding lesson only a few of which, limited by the brevity of the time, we spoke about fully. For now we are engaged not in the ministry of expounding the Scriptures but in that of edifying the Church. Although from these which were treated before by us, every wise hearer can find clear paths of understanding. For this reason, from these also which now we read, since we cannot cover everything, let us draw together some things which will edify the hearers as the little flowers “of a fertile field which...

We are taught by a statement of the Lord himself that our Lord Jesus Christ is called a doctor in divine Scriptures as he says in the Gospels, “The healthy need not a physician but those who are sick. For I came not to call the just but sinners to repentance.”³

(2) Now every physician prepares useful medicines for the body from potions of herbs or trees or even from veins of minerals or the organs of animals. But if perchance someone beholds these herbs before they are prepared by the understanding of science, if they are indeed in the...

A day of atonement is necessary for all who have sinned and for this reason, among the festivals of the Law, which contain figures of heavenly mysteries, one certain festival is held which is called a day of atonement. This, therefore, which was read now, is the law of the very festival which, as we said, was called a day of atonement. But let us see first what the chief point of the letter itself may mean for us, that by your prayers (if you still so beseech the Lord that you may be worthy to be heard clearly) we...

We indeed who are of the Church rightly receive Moses and read his writings, believing that he is a prophet who wrote down the future mysteries which God revealed to him in symbols, figures, and allegorical forms which we teach were fulfilled in their own time. But whoever does not receive such an understanding in him, whether one of the Jews or even one of us, this one certainly cannot teach that he is a prophet. For how will he prove he is a prophet whose writings he asserts to be common, containing no knowledge of the future nor anything...

The word of God which says, “Be holy as I, the Lord your God, am holy,”² was read just now in the hearing of the Church. What this term “holy” means or what it may signify in the divine Scriptures must be sought more carefully so that when we have learned the force of the word we also can complete its work.

(2) Therefore, let us draw together from the divine Scriptures instances in which we find “holy” used, and discover not only persons but also mute animals that are called “holy”³ and also find both “the vessels” of the...

Everyone who is a priest among men is small and insignificant [compared] to that priest about whom God said, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”¹ For that one is “a great priest”² who can “enter into heaven,”³ go beyond every creature, and ascend to him who “dwells in inaccessible light,”⁴ the God and Father of the universe. Because of that the one who was called “a great priest”⁵ among the Jews entered a holy place, but one made by hand, constructed with stones; he did not ascend into heaven nor could he stand before “the Father...

Whoever is “perfect”¹ is taught by God himself about the reasons for the festivals and is not accustomed to learn these from a human teacher but he learns them from God, if anyone can grasp the voice of God. But whoever is not such, but is inferior, learns from him who has learned from God. Therefore, concerning the festivals, there is a twofold explanation of the doctrine. One, by which the prophetic mind illuminated by the Spirit is taught, which, if I may say so, is learned more by intuition of the mind than by the sound of the voice,...

The history was read to us which, although the narrative appears clear, nevertheless unless we follow very carefully its contents which is according to the letter, its interior sense will with difficulty be opened to us. This, then, is the text of the Scripture, which must be discussed: “And a son of an Israelite woman departed, and this one was the son of an Egyptian among the sons of Israel. And they quarreled in the camp, this one, who was from the Israelites, and an Israelite man. And naming the name, the son of the Israelite woman cursed; and they...

We see in Leviticus three different laws concerning the selling and buying back of houses given by Moses, whose content we will first examine according to the literal sense so that after that we can also ascend to the spiritual sense. Certain houses are “in walled cities;” certain ones are “in villages or fields not having walls.”¹ Therefore, it says that “if anyone should sell a house in a walled city, for a whole year he has the right to buy it back, but after a year no opportunity is given for it to be recovered. For the house will...

In physical contests, some degrees and differences of individual classes are usually observed so that each one may be rewarded with a prize of victory in accordance with the type of combat. For example, if one has a contest among boys, or among youths, or among men, what rule is to be followed for each class, what can or cannot be done, and what rule of combat ought to be observed? Also after these what reward the hand of the victor is worthy of, is equally fixed by the very laws of combat.

(2) And so now the omnipotent God,...