What is the role of Church as an interpreter of Scripture?

According to Origen , “For this reason, as far as our modest perception admits, we shall address those who believe the sacred Scriptures were not composed by any human words but were written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and were also delivered and entrusted to us by the will of God the Father through His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ. And we shall try to make clear to them what seems to us the right way of understanding Scripture, observing that rule and discipline which was delivered by Jesus Christ to the apostles and which they delivered in succession to their followers who teach the heavenly Church.”¹⁰³⁵

Origen believes that our Lord Jesus Christ Himself is present among His people in the Church to enlighten their inner eyes: “Now too, if you want it, your eyes can be fixed on the Savior in this gathering, here in this assembly. For, when you direct the principal power of seeing in your heart to wisdom and truth, and to contemplating God's Only-Begotten, your eyes gaze on Jesus. Blessed is that congregation of which Scripture testifies that "the eyes of all were fixed on him"! How much would I wish that this assembly gave such testimony. I

1033 Origen, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew 12.13 (ANF 10:457ff).

1034 N. R. M. De Lange, Origen and the Jews: Studies in Jewish-Christian Relations in Third-Century Palestine (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976): p. 80.

1035 Origen, De Principiis in Origen, An Exhortation to Martyrdom: Prayer, First Principles: Book IV, Prologue to the Commentary on the Song of Songs , Homily XXVII on Numbers, trans. Rowan A. Greer (NY: Paulist Press, 1979) 4.2.2: p. 180.

wish that the eyes of all (of catechumens and faithful, of women, men, and children)-not the eyes of the body, but the eyes of the soul-would gaze upon Jesus.”¹⁰³⁶

He also says, “Now, the adornment of the world is the Church, Christ being her adornment, who is the first light of the world.”¹⁰³⁷ He adds, “For the end will come if the salt loses its flavor, and ceases to salt and preserve the earth, since it is clear that if iniquity is multiplied and love waxes cold upon the earth (Matt. 24:12) as the Savior Himself uttered an expression of doubt as to those who would witness His coming, saying, When the Son of man comes, shall He find faith upon the earth? (Luke 18:8) then the end of the age will come.”¹⁰³⁸

Origen invites his opponents to compare the pagan cities with the Christian churches established therein: “When the Churches of God which are instructed by Christ, are carefully contrasted with the assemblies of the districts in which they are situated, they are as beacons in the world; for who would not admit that even the inferior members of the Church, and those who in comparison with the better are less worthy, are nevertheless more excellent than many of those who belong to the assemblies in the different districts? For the Church of God, like that which is at Athens, is a meek and stable body, as being one which desires to please God, who is over all things; whereas the assembly of the Athenians is given to sedition, and is not at all to be compared to the Church of God in that city.”¹⁰³⁹

After contrasting in the same way the churches of Corinth and Alexandria with these cities, he says, “In like manner, also, in comparing the council of the Church of God with the council in any city, you would find that certain councilors of the Church are worthy to rule in the city of God, if there be any such city in the whole world; whereas the councilors in all other places exhibit in their characters no quality worthy of the conventional superiority which they appear to enjoy over their fellow citizens. And so, too, you must compare the ruler of the Church in each city with the ruler of the people of the city, in order to observe that even among those councilors and rulers of the Church of God who come very far short of their duty, and who lead more indolent lives than others who are more energetic, it is nevertheless possible to discover a general superiority in what relates to the progress of virtue over the characters of the councilors and rulers in the various cities.”¹⁰⁴⁰