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Understanding Origen and Church Tradition

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1. Canon vs Scriptures: explain the differences and the process of formation of the canon. How did Origen suggest Christians read and interpret the scriptures. Please Interpret Scripture by Origen

2. Comment on the following proposition: "The differences among Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians nowadays are less doctrinal and moral than they are cultural".

3. What were the main principles of the Protestant Reformation?

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Solution Summary

This solution will assist the student in understanding Origen's interpretation of Scripture, some cultural differences between the Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic Church, and the principles of the Protestant Reformation.

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1. Canon vs. Scriptures: Explain the differences and the process of formation of the canon.

"Textual Criticism" is the science of studying ancient manuscripts in order to determine which words and verses are authentic.

For the Old Testament, inspiration determined canonicity. For the New Testament, apostolicity was one of the tests of canonicity including inspiration by the Holy Spirit. Jesus never wrote any of the books himself. The apostles (and others whose writings were not canonized) wrote down what he said and did.

During the second to fourth centuries, the Church was suffering intense persecution. There were debates about what was the New Testament canon. It was at the Council of Carthage (397 A.D.) that the list of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament were drawn up and accepted to this day. Some Gnostics did attempt to counter this as they pursued that canonicity was determined by inspiration and not by church councils.

How did Origen suggest Christians read and interpret the scriptures? Please Interpret Scripture by Origen.

Origen's principle of interpretation was: explaining the Bible by the Bible. Obscure or difficult passages should be explained by other passages, from anywhere else in the Bible. The whole Bible must be allowed to speak for itself, whatever a single text may seem to say; and it must be permitted to speak not merely in its own behalf, but in the name of God.

Allegorical interpretation is based on the Holy Scripture. In his "Homilies on Jeremiah," he states that his interpretation is invalid unless it depends on two or three witnesses (Deut. 19:15). The witnesses in his interpretation of the Book of Jeremiah are three: the New Testament, the Old Testament, and Jeremiah the Prophet himself.

Origen sees that, in the miracle of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, the fire that ...

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