Christian Texts and History • Re: Origen's interesting ideas

4.1 found an elegant statement in the letter of a martyr—I mean Ignatius, the second bishop of Antioch after Peter. During a persecution, he fought against wild animals at Rome. He stated, “Mary’s virginity escaped the notice of the ruler of this age.”9 It escaped his notice because of Joseph, and because of their wedding, and because Mary was thought to have a husband. If she had not been betrothed or not had (as people thought) a husband, her virginity could never have been concealed from the “ruler of this age.”10 Immediately, a silent thought would have occurred to the devil: “How can this woman, who has not slept with a man, be pregnant? This conception must be divine. It must be something more sublime than human nature.” But the Savior had so arranged his plan that the devil did not know that he had taken on a body. When he was conceived, he escaped the devil’s notice. Later he commanded his disciples “not to make him known.”11

5. When the Savior was tempted by the devil himself, he never admitted that he was the Son of God. He merely said, “It is not right for me to adore you or to turn these stones into loaves of bread or to throw myself down from a high place.”12 He said that, but never said he was the Son of God. Look in other books of Scripture, too. You will find that it was Christ’s will that the devil should be ignorant of the coming of God’s Son. For, the Apostle maintains that the opposing powers13 were ignorant of his Passion. He writes, “We speak wisdom among the perfect, but not the wisdom of this age or the wisdom of the rulers of this age. They are being destroyed. We speak God’s wisdom, hidden in a mystery. None of the rulers of this age knows it. If they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory.”14 Thus the mystery of the Savior was hidden from the rulers of this age.

6. An objection to this explanation can be raised, and I think I should resolve it before someone else raises it. The problem is why something that was hidden from the rulers of this age was not hidden from the demon who said in the Gospel, “Have you come here to torture us before the assigned time? We know who you are—the Son of God.”15 Bear this in mind. The demon, who is less evil, knew the Savior. But the devil’s wickedness is greater; he is fickle and depraved. The fact that his wickedness is greater prevents him from knowing the Son of God. We ourselves can advance to virtue more easily if we are less sinful. But, if we are more sinful, then we need sweat and hard labor to be freed from our greater evil. This is my explanation of why Mary was betrothed.