Analysis of Origen's Homily on Genesis

             The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines Genesis as The coming into being of something or the origin. Many modern Christians view the first book of the bible, Genesis, as exactly this definition of the cosmos as we know it. However, with the development of modern science, many of the explanations offered in Genesis become questionable in their factual context. The emergence of modern science has caused Christians to look at genesis through a new lens of view. One of the earliest and most influential theologians, Origen, offers an interpretation of the early parts of Genesis in the first part of his Homilies on Genesis. His Interpretation focuses more on the relationship between Genesis and the Gospels than on the factual or historical basis of Genesis. In other words, Origen uses the means in which God tells of our creation as a direct parallel to the means in which we should live.
             Origen and early Christians had an advantage to interpreting Old Testament literature over what the early Jews had, and that was having seen the fulfillment of Gods plan for mankind. The Incarnation of Jesus was a vital part of the Old Testament that was not factored in to the early interpretations of Genesis. When Origen reads Genesis, or other Old Testament readings for that matter, he sees them in respect of the big picture. The strong connections between the Old and New testaments are a direct effect of being authored by God for the fulfillment of his will. The emphasis of the unity of the teachings of the Old and New Testaments is important in validating many of the parallels that he teaches throughout his homily.
             In his Homily I, Origen carefully and methodically takes the scripture in Genesis and relates them to gospel teachings. For example, the meat of the homily begins with an explanation of the relationship between God's dividing of the Earthly firmaments and the Apostle Paul&apo
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Analysis of Origen's Homily on Genesis. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 15:48, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/6448.html