Origen, Matthew & the Resurrection of Saints

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God!’” Matthew 27:50-54 New International Version (NIV)

(3) Christ is called the first or “firstborn from the dead.”¹²⁷ We need to investigate whether he alone is the firstborn or first from the dead and has no other sharers with him in this status of firstness. The Apostle says about this, “For he raised us up with Christ and, at the same time, made us sit with him in the heavenly places.”¹²⁸ It may be the case that those who are said to be raised up with Christ and seated with him in heavenly places are the firstborn or first from the dead, like those individuals who are said to have been raised with him when “the tombs were opened and the bodies of many saints appeared and entered into the holy city.”¹²⁹ Possibly the Apostle is speaking about such persons when he calls that city “the church of the firstborn ones”¹³⁰ which, he mentions, is written in heaven.¹³¹ (Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Books 1-5 (Fathers of the Church Patristic Series), translated by Thomas P. Scheck [The Catholic University of America Press Publication, 2009], p. 74)

(37) If, on the other hand, as it reads in some manuscripts, “even in those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression,”¹⁷⁶ this death, namely that which was keeping souls bound in the underworld, is said to exercise dominion, then we shall understand it to mean that even the saints had fallen prey to that death certainly under the law of dying, even if not under the punishment of sin. But it was on this account that Christ descended into the underworld, not only because he would not be held by death,¹⁷⁷ but also in order that he might release those who were held there,¹⁷⁸ as we said, not so much through the crime of transgression as much as by the condition of dying. As it is written, “Many bodies of saints who were sleeping were resurrected with him and entered into the holy city.”¹⁷⁹ In this as well the prophet’s sayings were fulfilled, in which he said of Christ, “In ascending on high he led captivity captive.”¹⁸⁰ Thus by his own resurrection he has already destroyed the dominions of death, which is also why it is written that he set captivity free. Listen now to when the Apostle says that the enemy and tyrant, whose dominions [Christ] destroyed, is going to be destroyed:¹⁸¹ He says, “The last enemy is destroyed, death.”¹⁸² The kingdom of death has already been destroyed, then, and the captivity which was being held under its authority has been led away. But because that enemy and tyrant is still ultimately to be destroyed at the end of the age,¹⁸³ that is why we see him even now, I do not say reigning so much as robbing. Having been expelled from his kingdom, we see him going around through deserts and wastelands¹⁸⁴ seeking to gather to himself a band of unbelievers. That is why the Apostle cries out, “Therefore do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies any longer, to make you obey its desires.”¹⁸⁵ Content, however, with having lightly touched upon a few of these things which the Apostle wanted concealed, let us continue our investigation of the things which follow. (Ibid., pp. 324-325)

(12) It was certainly in this way, then, that Christ also emptied himself voluntarily and took the form of a slave⁵⁶⁵ and endured the dominion of the tyrant, having become obedient unto death. Through that death he destroyed him who was holding [M1052] the power of death, i.e., the devil,⁵⁶⁶ so that he could liberate those who were being held fast by death. For when [Christ] had bound the strong man⁵⁶⁷ and triumphed over him by means of his cross,⁵⁶⁸ he even advanced into his house, the house of death in the underworld, and from there he plundered his possessions, that is, he led away the souls which [the devil] was keeping. This is what he was speaking about in an enigmatic way in the Gospel when he said, “Who is able to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his possessions unless he first binds the strong man?”⁵⁶⁹ So then, first he bound him at the cross and thus he entered his house, the underworld, and from there “ascending on high he led captivity captive,”⁵⁷⁰ namely those who have been raised together with him and have entered the holy city, the heavenly Jerusalem.⁵⁷¹ Therefore it is right that the Apostle says in the present passage, “Death will no longer exercise dominion over him.” For he will no longer give himself over to the tyrant’s sphere of lordship nor will he empty himself again by taking the form of a slave and by becoming obedient unto death.⁵⁷² Never again will he endure the domination of the tyrant and of death in the form of a slave, even though he was put in this position voluntarily and not by compulsion. (Ibid., pp. 373-374)

But after these things it is written that, when they heard the voice from the cloud bearing testimony to the Son, the three Apostles, not being able to bear the glory of the voice and power resting upon it, fell on their face, Matthew 17:6 and besought God; for they were sore afraid at the supernatural sight, and the things which were spoken from the sight. But consider if you can also say this with reference to the details in the passage, that the disciples, having understood that the Son of God had been holding conference with Moses, and that it was He who said, A man shall not see My face and live, Exodus 33:20 and taking further the testimony of God about Him, as not being able to endure the radiance of the Word, humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God; 1 Peter 5:6 but, after the touch of the Word, lifting up their eyes they saw Jesus only and no other. Matthew 17:8 Moses, the law, and Elijah, the prophet, became one only with the Gospel of Jesus; and not, as they were formerly three, did they so abide, but the three became one. But consider these things with me in relation to mystical matters; for in regard to the bare meaning of the letter, Moses and Elijah, having appeared in glory and talked with Jesus, went away to the place from which they had come, perhaps to communicate the words which Jesus spoke with them, to those who were to be benefited by Him, almost immediately, namely, at the time of the passion, when many bodies of the saints that had fallen asleep, their tombs being opened, were to go to the city which is truly holy— not the Jerusalem which Jesus wept over — and there appear unto many. Matthew 27:52-53 But after the dispensation in the mountain, when the disciples were coming down from the mountain in order that, when they had come to the multitude, they might serve the Son of God concerning the salvation of the people, Jesus commanded the disciples saying, Tell the vision to no man until the Son of man rise from the dead. Matthew 17:9 But that saying, Tell the vision to no man, is like that which was investigated in the passage above, when He enjoined the disciples to tell no man that He was the Christ. Matthew 16:20 Wherefore the things that were said at that passage may be useful to us also for the passage before us; since Jesus wishes also, in accordance with these, that the things of His glory should not be spoken of, before His glory after the passion; for those who heard, and in particular the multitudes, would have been injured when they saw Him crucified, who had been so glorified. Wherefore since His being glorified in the resurrection was akin to His transfiguration, and to the vision of His face as the sun, on this account He wishes that these things should then be spoken of by the Apostles, when He rose from the dead. (Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Book XII)