Day 18: ANF09 II.10-12 or FC80 II.112-129

[Nemo]

In him was life

[Nemo]

I think Origen captures the spirit of the OT psalms when he says those who are not in Christ do not have life, i.e., they are not "in the land of the living".

[Clark]

Can anyone point me to places where Origen defines or gives details of whom he denotes "saints" or "the saints" or "a saint" or "the saint"?

In paragraph 115: '... perhaps we shall be able to say that he alone who participates in this Word, insofar as he is such, is “rational.” Consequently, we could also say that the saint alone is rational.'

Paragraphs 118-119: '(118) He is God, therefore, of the fathers and of all the saints; one would not find it recorded anywhere that God is the God of any of the impious If, therefore, he is God of the saints and is said to be God of the living, the saints are living and the living are saints. There is neither a saint outside the living, nor one called living only, who does not also have with his life the fact that he is also a saint. (119) Now something similar to this can be seen in the statement, “I will please the Lord in the land of the living.” It is as if he said, “in the order of saints,” or “in the place of the saints,” since the state of being “well-pleasing” in the proper sense is either in the order of the saints or in the place of the saints. No one yet has been completely well-pleasing who has not advanced into the order of the saints. Everyone will have to advance into this state who has previously taken up the shadow, as it were, and image of being truly well-pleasing in this life.'

'(122) It is not, therefore, only the ordinary living people who will not be justified before God, but also those among the living who are superior. Or, what is better, the righteousness of all the living together will not be justified in comparison to the righteousness of God. It is as if one should gather all the nightly lights on earth and declare that these cannot give light in comparison to the rays of this sun.'

In the last paragraph (122) he seems to have a group ("the living") who are divided into "the ordinary living people" and "those among the living who are superior."

Paragraph 118 seems in its own context to equate "the living" and "the saints." : '... the saints are living and the living are saints. There is neither a saint outside the living, nor one called living only, who does not also have with his life the fact that he is also a saint.'

It is tempting to say that by "saint" he means any Christian. I'd feel more at ease if I could find a place he says that directly.