Book 17 of Origen’s explanations on the [gospel] according to Matthew.

Matt 21.23-27 - On the Question of Jesus’ Authority

1. And after he came unto the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him when he was teaching, and said, “By what sort of authority do you do these things?” etc., up to, I will not tell you by what sort of authority I do these things ^[90]. Since the Three evangelists [all think it] necessary to record the present passage, it is a worthy endeavor to observe what the chief priests and the elders of the people possibly had in mind when they inquired of the Savior, presenting to him not one question but two—one being, By what sort of authority do you do these things?, and the other, And who gave to you this authority? And [it is worthy to observe] what it means that the Savior answers this one [inquiry] alone by asking a question in return so as to not answer the inquiry [altogether]. For he perceived that they were not worthy of an answer to the question and of an explanation of the problem. It is not the case, though, as some people suppose, that the matters involved in this passage are simple and easily understood, but it will become clear from careful attention that they are mystical and require depth of heart. Come, then, let us acknowledge the persuasiveness of those who offer a simpler reading of the things according to this passage; for they say that the chief priests and the elders of the people have two kinds of <authority> in mind, the better one that is of God and the worse that is of the devil, when they inquire of the Savior, By what sort of authority of these two [God or the devil] he does the wonders and from whom he received it. Then Jesus, so as to not enter into disputation, turns the question around, intending at the same time to reprove those inquiring of him as though he were acting against the correct teaching [τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον] for their having not believed in John the Baptist. Indeed his rebutting question was suited to this dual [purpose], both to reprove their unbelief in John and to expose those who were inquiring, so that it might seem to them not to have answered satisfactorily.

But someone might say to these things that it would have been absurd to inquire by what sort of authority Jesus was doing these things, for [Jesus] would not have answered that it was by the authority of the devil. Nor I do imply that [only] the Savior would not have answered this [question], but even “the man of sin, who is opposed and exalted against everything called God and piety” ^[91] would not reply to those who inquire with the truth that he does all power and “signs and wonders” by the authority of the devil, by which things he will amaze and lead astray “even the elect if able” ^[92]. Now, if even [“the man of sin”] would not say that he does the signs and wonders of the “false one” by the authority of the devil, which things are completed “in all deceit of unrighteousness to those who are perishing” ^[93], how much more would the Savior (except he might reply with a question) not have answered in any other way than that [it was] by the [authority] of God? But it appears to me to be a simple matter, that the Savior does not answer those who inquire [because they are asking] for a “profane”^[4] answer, as it were.

2. Perhaps, then, this is what the present passage is about. In the wisdom of God, which encompasses the knowledge of divine and human matters and their causes,^[5] there are “treasures” which must be the treasures “of wisdom” and “of knowledge,” and these are “hidden” ^[94]; and if there is someone who has been deemed worthy to understand the “inexpressible sayings, which it is not lawful for man to speak” ^[95], he might then understand the “wisdom in a mystery,” “which has been hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for [the] glory” of the righteous ^[96]. There are, then, in the hidden treasures “of wisdom and of knowledge” ^[97] deep and ineffable words (logoi) that concern the different authorities, which on the one hand are of two general kinds, but on the other hand are of more numerous specific kinds and are difficult to contemplate with regard to the each of the two [general] categories. These are the two general categories of authority: on the one hand, there are the [authorities] that belong to the good order, and just as it is not by chance that there are men of God and blessed angels of God and God- bearing prophets of God, in the same way there are certain authorities of God, concerning which the Apostle, when glorifying Christ, says in the [letter] to the Colossians that the Savior is “Image of the invisible God, first- born of all creation,” in and by^[6] whom “all things were created in the heavens and on earth, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether rulers or authorities; all things were created through Him and for Him, and He is before all things” ^[98]. One form, therefore, of the things that are under God is the authorities created in and by Christ, which are different from the rulers and the thrones and the dominions. Each [authority] exercises authority over certain things, having been set in order by God on account a certain ineffable dignity over those who are worthy to be held under the authority of each of the authorities on account of their different [dignity]. Indeed, “the word” concerning the matters related to these authorities and of those who are held under their authority would be “much” and “difficult to explain” ^[99].

But on the other hand, just as there are certain authorities of God, so also there are opposing [authorities] that correspond to the men of sin and the angels of the devil ^[100]. Indeed, for those who are no longer wrestling “against flesh and blood,” but because they have ascended in ability^[7] so that they are struggling with things that are higher, “the wrestling” [they engage in] is “against the” “authorities” who are struggling against the athletes of piety ^[101]. And as there are numerous orders below God, so also in the opposing region there are not only authorities but also worldrulers “of this darkness” and “spiritual [beings] of the evil one in the heavenly places” ^[102], and perhaps also rulers, but for my part I think that all the [authorities] in the opposing realm [have a counterpart] with the same name (ὁμώνυμα) among the [authorities] of God. Having determined, therefore, that those who have inherited the different names in Israel, that is, the chief priests and the elders of the people, pertain to the mysteries of numerous authorities <and orders that are in heaven> whether they come to that position because of handing over^[8] or they are moved from a hidden [cause] (I do not know if with good reason or even without reason), they were seeing Jesus performing terrible [deeds] not apart from a certain authority inherent to him. They were desiring to learn the form, therefore, <and the specific character> of this [authority] from the knowledge of Jesus or of the knowledge which seemed to them to be in Him.

So, if the chief priests who inquired of the Savior at that time were certain holy and blessed persons (of the sort as Aaron or Eleazar or Phineas or as many as performed the things of the liturgy in a praiseworthy fashion), and [the] elders were similar to those whom Moses had selected in accordance with the commandment of God ^[103], it would have been fitting for the Savior to begin by presenting a word, not as to those who would test [him] but to those desirous of learning and who are worthy of such great lessons, [a word] which the whole cosmos was unable to accept ^[104]. Now, would he have begun to deliver the knowledge concering the blessed authorities and their differences and of the cause of their having come to be authority and of those under them, whether souls or rational beings of whatever kind, he would have also gone through the word concerning the opposing authorities, and he would have presented their differences. But it is fitting that he would teach a correspondence to “the law” “which was ordained through angels” ^[105] and to “if the word spoken through angels was confirmed” ^[106] (I say correspondence to the word which concerns those angels who were ministers to the Law and of the authority in accordance to the Scriptures), in the manner By what sort of authority was ministered to God or by what sorts of <opposing authorities> each of the terrible deeds in Egypt were effected, and what authority ministered to the changing of Moses’ staff into a serpent, and what opposing [authority] ministered to this transformation of the Egyptian staffs into dragons; and he might mention the power of the authority from which the rod of Aaron swallowed those of the Egyptians ^[107]. And he would also mention a certain authority for the change of Moses’ hand to snowy white, and from the opposing [authorities] some sort of authority was conspiring in each instance with the charmers of the Egyptians ^[108], at the time they seemed to imitate the signs of God. And so also he would go through the ten plagues of Egypt and the sending down of them through evil angels. He might also mention a certain authority was serving for the passage of the people through the Red Sea and for the drowning of the Egyptians ^[109]. A certain authority was serving the change of the water from bitter to sweet by means of a tree ^[110]. He might also mention an authority which was serving for water from a rock ^[111]. And he might present whether it was that authority or another that was serving for the rain of manna and for the provision of quail ^[112]. He might say also that a certain authority was turning back the same manna from the six days into worms and filth, but preserving [it] for the day of the Sabbath ^[113].

And why is it necessary for me to provide a recounting of the wonders in the wilderness up to the death of Moses, seeing that the Savior would have said those things concerning the authority, if the chief priests and the elders of the people were worthy of an answer to their question? Indeed it is up to you to observe the correspondence as you traverse the whole Scripture, [inquiring as to] what authority made the sun and the moon stand in place against Gabaon and against the valley of Elam^[9][114], and in numerous instances before the Jordan river was passed through ^[115] and the manna was made to cease ^[116]. One might also inquire and find many such things—unexpected—in the book of the Judges, in the manner concerning Gideon and Sampson, but also from the Kingdoms the things concerning Samuel and Elias and Elisha and Hezekiah. And would the Savior have given a treatment in the same way, discoursing concerning the mystery about the different authorities, he would have been teaching by what sort of authority and how exceeding [the authority is by which] he was doing the wonders which the people were seeing, which was given to him not from some angel and minister of God nor through some [authority] from those things that are inferior to God, but from the Father himself.

3. But since the chief priests and elders of the people here were in no way worthy of these contemplations, for this reason he does not answer them except to turn the question around, in order that through their not answering the things concerning John, he might persuade those who are inquiring with good reason that it is not in vain when he answers them, saying, I myself will not tell you by what sort of authority I do these things. I might inquire in regard to this passage whether he <continually> performs by one [authority] each of the things he has done by a certain authority, or [if] there is a progression [in authorities] that advances from a given [authority] in the beginning to something greater. The Savior certainly seems to have performed these things by one authority, which he received from the Father, for this [passage], I myself will not tell you by what sort of authority I do these things, was his way of teaching that, on the one hand, he has done [them] by <one> authority, but on the other hand he does not indicate to them by which sort, nor does he unfold its particular character or designate of what sort it is by presenting it as something preferrred above the rest of the authorities, by which the prophets before him had performed [their deeds]. Even now, in the temple, the Church, Christ is there teaching in it and certain people who are similar to these chief priests and elders of the people are inquiring of him, but they do not obtain an answer, because they are unworthy to know about the things they desire to learn. But let someone inquire whether [Jesus] inquired about John at random desiring to throw them off, as though he was indeed inquiring about some other subject, or whether he inquired about John out of necessity, in order that by his answer about him he might answer the subsequent things concerning authority. Now it appears to me that the [question] in the passage is not to be taken as something random, but because John was “a voice crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord” ^[117], and he was the one concerning whom the prophet said, “Behold I will send my angel before your face, who will prepare your way before you” ^[118], wherefore (I think) [Jesus] inquires concerning [John], not unaware that those who were overseeing would say, We do not know, on account of the things that have been recounted, but according to plan [when they respond to the question] with from heaven he would mention the authority commensurate with the answer that the baptism of John is from heaven.