Beginnings And Learning

Ἔστιν ἀρχὴ καὶ ὡς μαθήσεως καθ' ὃ τὰ στοιχεῖά φαμεν ἀρχὴν εἶναι γραμματικῆς. Κατὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος ὅτι Ὀφείλοντες εἶναι διδάσκαλοι διὰ τὸν χρόνον, πάλιν χρείαν ἔχετε τοῦ διδάσκειν ὑμᾶς τίνα τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ θεοῦ. ∆ιττὴ δὲ ἡ ὡς μαθήσεως ἀρχή, ἡ μὲν τῇ φύσει, ἡ δὲ ὡς πρὸς ἡμᾶς· ὡς εἰ λέγοιμεν ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ, φύσει μὲν αὐτοῦ ἀρχὴ ἡ θεότης, πρὸς ἡμᾶς δέ, μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ μεγέθους αὐτοῦ δυναμένους ἄρξασθαι τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀληθείας ἡ ἀνθρωπότης αὐτοῦ, καθ' ὃ τοῖς νηπίοις καταγγέλλεται Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, καὶ οὗτος ἐσταυρωμένος· ὡς κατὰ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν ἀρχὴν εἶναι μαθήσεως τῇ μὲν φύσει Χριστὸν καθ' ὃ σοφία καὶ δύναμις θεοῦ, πρὸς ἡμᾶς δὲ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, ἵνα σκηνώσῃ ἐν ἡμῖν, οὕτω μόνον πρῶτον αὐτὸν χωρῆσαι δυνα μένοις. Καὶ τάχα διὰ τοῦτο οὐ μόνον πρωτότοκός ἐστιν πάσης κτίσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἀδάμ, ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται ἄνθρωπος. Ὅτι δὲ Ἀδάμ ἐστι, φησὶν ὁ Παῦλος Ὁ ἔσχατος Ἀδὰμ εἰς πνεῦμα ζωοποιοῦν. Ὠριγένης, Των Εῑς Το Κατά Ιὠάννην Εὐαγγέλιον Εξηγητικόν, Τομός Α', Κεφ Κ' Source: Migne PG 14.53c-56a

And there is a beginning of learning, just as we say that letters are the beginning of grammar. According to this the Apostle says: 'When by reason of time you should be teachers, you again have need again that someone teach you what are the elements of the beginning of the words of God.' 1 Now the beginning of learning is twofold, according to its nature, and according to its relation to us, as if we might say, concerning Christ, that by nature His beginning is Deity, but that in relation to us who cannot, because of its greatness, grasp the whole truth about Him, His beginning is His humanity, as He is told to infants, 'Jesus Christ and Him crucified.' 2 So according to this, then, Christ is the begining of learning in His own nature because He is the wisdom and power of God, but for us the Word was made flesh that He might take up his abode among us who at first were only capable of receiving Him in such a way. And perhaps this is why He is not only the firstborn of all creation, but even Adam, which translated is 'man'. For that He is Adam Paul says: 'The last Adam was made a life-giving spirit.' 3 Origen, from the Commentary on The Gospel Of Saint John, Book 1, Chap 20 1 Heb 5.12 2 1 Cor 2.2 3 1 Cor 15.45