Adamantius Origen (A.D. 184-254), was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and was one of the most famous "church fathers," was instrumental in editing manuscripts upon which the NIV, NASB, and all modern versions, are based. He attended the School of Alexandria, which was a theological school and was established in the 2nd century after Christ. This school mixed Greek philosophy or Gnostic beliefs (secret mystical occult knowledge) with Biblical teaching.

Origen taught many non-Christian doctrines (see below). He stated that he would not hand down Christian teachings, pure and unmixed, but rather clothed with the precepts of pagan philosophy. Adam Clarke says Origen was the first "Christian" teacher of purgatory.  A pupil of the Gnostic star worshipper Clement of Alexandria, Origin lightly esteemed the Bible's historical basis. "The Scriptures," Origen maintained, "are of little use to those who understand them as they are written." He is known for the Old Testament six-column Bible called the "Hexapla" in which each column had a different version of the Bible. Origen was well known for his labor to produce a "so-called" correct text of the Greek New Testament. He was known for spiritualizing or turning biblical events into allegories.

Origen greatly influenced Eusebius (260-340), who produced 50 copies of an "ecumenical" Bible (at the behest of Emperor Constantine). Although Constantine is remembered for establishing Sunday worship and the "Christian" (Catholic) Church as the state religion, his action in choosing Eusebius' rendition of Origen's Bible was perhaps more important, since ALL MODERN VERSIONS are based on the Codex Vaticanus and the Codex Sinaiticus, which are of the Eusebio-Origen type. Many authorities believe they were actually 2 of the 50 Constantine Bibles.

Some of Origen's Beliefs:

 

  • Origen believed that man was divine.

  • He believed in the pre-existence of souls

  • He taught that everyone, including the Devil, would eventually be saved.

  • He described the Trinity as a "hierarchy," not as an equality of Father, Son, and Spirit.

  • He believed in baptismal regeneration.

  • He believed in purgatory.

  • He taught that the Holy Spirit was the first creature made by God.

  • He believed Christ was created.

  • He taught transmigration (this is the belief that at death the soul passes into another body).

  • He denied a literal interpretation of the Genesis creation, taught that it was a "myth" and taught that there was no actual person named "Adam."

  • He taught that Christ "became" God at His baptism.

  • He taught, based on Matthew 19, that a true man of God should be castrated,  which he did to himself.

  • He denied the physical resurrection of believers.

Jack Moorman author of the book Forever Settled writes: "He (Origen) is considered by many to be the most profound mind in the history of the church. But in fact it may be said that he had a greater corrupting influence on the early church and on the Bible itself than any man." 

According to Les Garrett in his book Which Bible Can We Trust?, "Origen, being the textual critic, is supposed to have corrected numerous portions of the sacred manuscripts. Evidence to the contrary shows that he changed them to agree with his human philosophy of mystical and allegorical ideas. Thus, through deceptive scholarship of this kind, certain manuscripts became corrupt."

 

Home          Does it Really Matter?          Manuscripts           Codex Sinaiticus          Codex Vaticanus           Textus Receptus            Westcott & Hort
Is Older Better?           Other Translations             Altered Verses           Constantine            Origen            Tischendorf            Catholics & the Jesuits