Origen · a new plain-English translation from the Greek and Latin
On the text that is written: "Both were righteous in the sight of God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord without blame." Those who wish to offer some excuse for their sins think that no one is without sin, and they make use of the testimony that is written in Job: "No one is clean of defilement, not even if his life on earth has lasted but a single day;
and the number of his months..." — of which they merely produce the sound, while remaining wholly ignorant of its meaning. Against these we will answer briefly, that "being without sin" is understood in the scriptures in two ways: the one, that a person has never sinned at all; the other, that a person has ceased to sin. If, then, they say that the one who is called "without sin" is the one who has never sinned, we too agree that no one is without sin,
since all of us have at some time sinned, even if we later pursued virtue. But if they mean that no one is called "without sin" who has ever sinned, we likewise agree that no one is without sin in that sense, since we have all sinned at some time. If, however, they understand by this that a man is not without sin in such a way as to deny that anyone, after his vices,
can turn himself to the virtues so completely that he never sins at all again, their opinion is false. For it can happen that one who sinned before, having ceased to sin, is said to be without sin. So too our Lord Jesus Christ "presented to himself a glorious church, not having spot" — not because a member of the church never had a spot, but because he is no longer spotted at all;
"not having" a "wrinkle" — not because the wrinkle of the old self was never at some time present in him, but because he has ceased to have it. In the same way what follows is to be understood: "that she may be holy and" — not that she was immaculate from the beginning (for this cannot even be supposed of a human being, that his soul
was never stained) — but that she is reckoned pure and sincere because she has ceased to be stained any further. We say these things in order to show that a person can, for this reason — because he has ceased to sin — be called without sin and immaculate. Hence it is also written most clearly of Zechariah and Elizabeth: "both were righteous in the sight of God, walking in all
the commandments and ordinances of the Lord without blame." Let us look more carefully at the praises of Zechariah and Elizabeth, which holy Luke records in his narrative, not only that we may know that they were praiseworthy, but that, taking up the same holy zeal, we too may become worthy of praise. It could have been written simply: "both were righteous, walking in all the commandments" — but instead it necessarily adds:
"both were righteous in the sight of God." For it can happen that someone is righteous in the sight of men, but is not righteous "in the sight of God." For example: when a person has nothing that he can say ill of me, and considering everything about me finds nothing to disparage, I am righteous "in the sight" of men. Suppose everyone were to say of me
to hold the same opinion, and to look for something to find fault with, and yet not be able to find it, but to praise me with one accord — "I am righteous in the sight of many men." But the judgment of men is not sure; for they do not know whether I have ever sinned in the hidden places of my heart, whether I have looked at a woman so as to desire her, and adultery has been born in my heart. Men do not know, when
they see me giving alms according to my means, whether I have done it because of God's commandment or have sought the praise and favor of men. It is a difficult thing to be righteous "in the sight of" oneself, so that you do something good for no other reason than for the sake of the good itself, and seek God alone as the rewarder of the good work. Something of this sort the Apostle also says
: "whose praise is not from men, but from" — blessed and praiseworthy indeed. Men — who is righteous "in the sight of" — although they seem to hold a sure judgment, nevertheless cannot pronounce it with certainty. For it happens at times that they praise one who is not praiseworthy, and disparage one who least deserves disparagement.
God alone is a righteous judge both in praise and in blame. Hence it is fittingly added here also, in the praise of the righteous: "both were righteous in the sight of" — To this same purpose Solomon also exhorts us in Proverbs, saying: "provide good things in the sight of God and" — There follows another praise of Zechariah and Elizabeth,
this praise: "walking in all the commandments and ordinances" — When we judge rightly and correctly about certain things, we walk "in the ordinances"; when we do the opposite, we walk in the ordinance of that other thing. Hence I think that holy Luke too, wishing to proclaim them
with perfect praise, said: "both were righteous, walking in all the commandments and ordinances" — Someone may say to me: if this praise is perfect, what is the point of what is then said, "blameless"? For it would have been enough to say: "walking in all the ways and ordinances," unless it could happen that one walks in all the commandments
of God, and yet does not walk "blameless." And how can it happen that one walking "in all the commandments and ordinances" should be under blame? To him I will say briefly: unless this were so, we would never read elsewhere it written —
— is said to refer to: "follow justly that which is just." For if there were not something just which we might follow unjustly, it would never have been commanded us to "follow justly that which is just." For when we carry out God's commandment, and in our conscience we are spattered with the filth of vainglory, so as to please men, or for some other reason that is not
it is pleasing to God, the cause of the good work comes first; even though we do what God commands, we nevertheless also pursue, unjustly, what is just. It is difficult, then, to walk in all the commandments and righteous requirements of the Lord without... according to the testimony and praise of God in Christ Jesus, which must be rendered on the day of judgment by him, before whom we must all appear...
...we do not do that... it is necessary to appear before his judgment seat, that each may receive what he has done through the body, whether good or... For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God, that we may receive what we deserve in Christ Jesus, to whom is glory and dominion for ever and ever.
Amen.