Bad and Good Teaching

Πότερον οὐχὶ Κύριός ἐστιν ὁ διδάσκων σύνεσιν καὶ ἐπιστήμην;   Τὰ οἶκονομούμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγιου Πνεύματος ἀναγραφῆς ἀξιωθῆναι χρή. Διὰ τοῦτο ἀναγράφεται ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸν ἐντυγχάνοντα ὠφελεῖσθαι ἐκ τῶν ἀναγινωσκομένων. Εἰ μὴ οὖν χρήσιμοι ἧσαν οἱ λόγοι τῶν τριῶν, τῶν παραγενομένων πρὸς τὸν Ἰὼβ, ὡς τὸν ἐντυγχάνοντα λαβεῖν τι ἀπὸ τῶν εἰρημένων ὑπ' αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν Ἰὼβ· οὐκ ἂν ἡ πρόνοια εἰς τὴν βίβλον τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐποίησεν ἀναγραφῆναι καὶ τοὺς λόγους τῶν τριῶν. Ἔστιν οὖν ὠφεληθῆναι μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ, ἐνορῶντα τοῖς δόγμασιν· ὁρᾷν δὲ τὸ ἔγκλητον τῶν λόγων περὶ ἔν μόνον, ὅτε αἰτιῶνται τὸν Ἰὼβ, οἰόμενοι αὐτὸν πάσχειν διὰ τὰ ἡμαρτημένα αὐτῳ· οὐχ ὁρῶντες, ὅτι καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ αἴτιά ἐστι τοῦ συμβαίνειν ἀνθρώποις. Τοιαῦτα ἐστι νενομισμένα εἶναι καλὰ ἢ Χαλεπὰ, ἢ ὅπως ποτὲ βούλεται τις αὐτὰ ὀνομάζειν. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Πότερον οὐχὶ Κύριός ἐστιν ὁ διδάσκων σύνεσιν καὶ ἐπιστήμην; Τὸ δόγμα ὑγιές ἐστι· ὅτι ἀληθινὸς διδάσκαλος ἀρετῆς οὐ δύναται εἶναι ἄνθρωπος. Ὁ διδάσκων γὰρ ἀνθρωπον γνῶσιν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς Ψαλμοῖς ἀναγέγραπται, ὅτι οὐκ ἄλλος ἐστὶν ἢ Θεός. Καὶ Δίδαξόν με, φησὶν, τὰ δικαιώματα σου, ὁ Προφήτης, εἰδὼς διδάσκαλον εἶναι ἀληθῆ καὶ τέλειον τὸν Θεόν. Διδάσκει δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἐλλάμπων τῇ ψυχῇ τοῦ μανθάνοντος ὑπ' αὐτοῠ, καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν φωτίζων τῷ φωτὶ, τῷ ἀληθινῷ λόγῳ αὐτοῦ. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἄνδρες δίκαιοι ἡμᾶς διδάσκουσι διδασκαλικὴν εἰληφότες χάριν.  Ὠριγένης, Ἐκλογαι Εἰς Τον Ιὠβ

Is it not the Lord who teaches understanding and knowledge? 1 Things overseen by the Holy Spirit are worthy to be described. Therefore they shall be described that the reader may be benefited by what he reads. If the words of the three who had come to Job were not useful, still the reader may be benefited from what they said to Job. Divine Providence, as it is described in the book of Job, did not fashion the words of these three, and so to draw profit from the words one must attend to the teachings, and at least note the fault of the words of the one who blamed Job, thinking that he suffered what he did on account of his sins, not seeing that there are many other causes by which things befall a man. Such things that are so constituted as to be a good or a trouble, or whatever one wishes to give as a name to these things. And then after a little while it is said: ' Is it not the Lord, who teaches understanding and knowledge? The teaching is beneficial because the true teacher of virtue is not able to be a man. 'He who teaches man knowledge,' as the Psalmist writes, 'is no one but God.' 2 And 'Teach me,' says the Prophet, 'your law,' 3 knowing God to be the true and perfect teacher. Truly God teaches, enlightening the learning soul from Himself and illuminating the mind, and without doubt His word is true. So righteous men may teach us, those who have received the grace of teaching. Origen, On Job, Fragment  1 Job 21.22 2 Ps 93.10 3 Ps 118.68