Kościół jako rzeczywistość wieczna w doktrynie Orygenesa

Abstract

In Origen’s theological research, the term Church has a very wide meaning, which conveys the framework of the earthly religious institution and the community of believers. In its fundamental sense, it means the family of all rational beings created by God and His works relating to the history of angels and people. According to this Alexandrian, God created beings gifted with rational thinking, to make up one community closely bonded with Him, meaning the Church understood in a broad sense. There turned out to be an impediment to achieving this eternal plan of God because of the incorrectly used gift of free will by rational beings. The fall through sin caused a breakdown of the first heavenly and earthly Church, and at the same time initiated the long process of a return to the original state of harmony. It is divided into two stages: the Old Testament Church and the Church of Christ. The later, being the fullest manifestation of the community of united people by God in the annals of the visible world, does not have a status as the ultimate Church and only comprises an image of the eschatological reality. There will be a bringing together of the heavenly Church with the earthly Church and a complete union of rational beings with Christ. The Church understood in this way crosses the limits of the present time and becomes an everlasting reality, prepared in the preexistence and also having a continuation and fulfillment in eschatology. It is not eternity understood in an absolute way, pertaining only to God, but in the sense of a lengthy continuation which had a beginning but does not have an end. Origen’s ecclesiology was formed in a climate of ancient Greek philosophy, under the strong influence of Platonic teaching on the preexistence of the soul and the Platonic-stoic theory of the wandering of worlds, which was a normal phenomenon in the Alexandrian environment at the turn of the II and III centuries. Despite such a dependency on erroneous philosophical theories and certain logical inconsistencies, Origen's concept of the eternal Church on many essential points turned out to be an inspiration for later Catholic ecclesiology, particularly in her ecumenical and mystical tendencies. It presents all of humanity as chosen from the beginning by God and called to be His Church. It acknowledges Christ as the foundation and Bridegroom not only of the Christian Church instituted by His incarnation, but the entire community of people for whom this Church of Christ is the visible sacramental sign and invitation to return to unity with God. It is proof that the world was created for Church which does not pass away but grows and changes, in order to finally become the perfect coronation of works as the only family under Christ as the Head, and through Him the Father of the universe.