The Polemic with Marcionism in Origenes’ Commentary to the „Letter of St. Paul to the Romans”

The article discusses the references to Marcion of Pont as well as to Marcionites contained in Origenes’ commentary to St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. It was particularly those places where the commentator mentions the heresiarch by name that were taken into consideration; on this basis the views ascribed to the Marcianites are analyzed. Moreover, the author quotes those fragments of the text which though do not mention Marcion directly, yet which contain remarks directed against certain unspecified heresies; the latter may also be regarded as part of Marcion’s teaching. The analyzed fragments of the commentary point out, above all, to the most important element of Marcion’s heresy , in Origenes’ view, namely to his insistence on the literal interpretation of the Holy Scripture which had led this preacher from Pont to a rejection of the whole of the Old and a conside-rable part of the New Testament. Also the interpretation of those writings of St. Paul’s which Marcion regards as inspired turns out to be erroneous precisely due to the author’s failure to use an allegorical exegesis. In the conclusions, the author points out that although Origenes presents Marcion’s views, he does not devote a lot of attention to refuting them. Nevertheless, he points out emphatically that in order to assure the correct theological interpretation of the Holy Scripture, one needs to recognize both the literal and the allegorical sense of it.

The article discusses the references to Marcion of Pont as well as to Marcionites contained in Origenes’ commentary to St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. It was particularly those places where the commentator mentions the heresiarch by name that were taken into consideration; on this basis the views ascribed to the Marcianites are analyzed. Moreover, the author quotes those fragments of the text which though do not mention Marcion directly, yet which contain remarks directed against certain unspecified heresies; the latter may also be regarded as part of Marcion’s teaching. The analyzed fragments of the commentary point out, above all, to the most important element of Marcion’s heresy , in Origenes’ view, namely to his insistence on the literal interpretation of the Holy Scripture which had led this preacher from Pont to a rejection of the whole of the Old and a conside-rable part of the New Testament. Also the interpretation of those writings of St. Paul’s which Marcion regards as inspired turns out to be erroneous precisely due to the author’s failure to use an allegorical exegesis. In the conclusions, the author points out that although Origenes presents Marcion’s views, he does not devote a lot of attention to refuting them. Nevertheless, he points out emphatically that in order to assure the correct theological interpretation of the Holy Scripture, one needs to recognize both the literal and the allegorical sense of it.