Today, Origen begins his great work On First Principles by refuting the idea that God is corporeal. Drawing from Scripture, he shows that “light,” “fire,” and “spirit” refer not to bodily realities but to God’s incorporeal and incomprehensible nature, who must be worshipped in spirit and truth. Augustine, reflecting on the “earth invisible and formless” of Genesis, sees it as an image for the raw, unshaped matter from which God formed the beauty of the created world. Aquinas asks whether all human sins come from the devil’s temptation, concluding that while the devil was the original corrupter of human nature, our own disordered desires can produce sin even without his prompting (Deuteronomy 4:24; 1 John 1:5; Psalm 36:9; John 4:21–24; Colossians 1:15; Genesis 1:2; John 8:34).

Readings:

Origen, On First Principles, Book 1, Chapter 1

Augustine, The Confessions, Book 12, Chapter 4 (Section 4)

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 114, Article 3

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Today we see Irenaeus paint a vivid picture of the resurrection life in the renewed earth, using Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Daniel to show that the saints will reign in a restored creation before entering the new heavens and new earth. Augustine reflects on the formlessness and darkness of the deep before creation, teaching that darkness is simply the absence of light and that before God’s forming there was a shapeless matter without beauty or spirit. Aquinas examines whether tempting is proper to the devil, explaining that God tests to reveal and strengthen virtue, but the devil tempts to lure into sin, making him the chief instigator of evil even when he works through the world, the flesh, or human agents (Isaiah 26:19; Luke 12:37–38; Genesis 22:1).

Readings:

Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 5, Chapters 34–36

Augustine, The Confessions, Book 13, Chapter 3 (Section 3)

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 114, Article 2

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In today’s readings, Irenaeus gives a vivid picture of the kingdom before the final judgment—a time when the righteous will rise, inherit the renewed creation, and reign with Christ, fulfilling the promises made to Abraham and the patriarchs (Romans 8:19–21; Matthew 5:5). Augustine reflects on the difficulty of discovering truth, yet clings to God’s promise that those who seek will find, meditating on the mystery of the visible heaven and the “heaven of heavens” that belongs to the Lord alone (Matthew 7:7–8; Psalm 115:16). Thomas Aquinas answers whether men are assailed by demons, affirming that God allows such assaults not for our ruin but for the proving and strengthening of our faith, just as He allowed Job and Peter to be tested (Job 1:12; Luke 22:31–32).

Readings:

Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 5, Chapters 32–33

Augustine, The Confessions, Book 12, Chapters 1–2

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part 1, Question 114, Article 1

Explore the Project:

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#Irenaeus #ChurchFathers #Confessions #SummaTheologica #Resurrection #KingdomOfGod #SpiritualWarfare #HistoricalTheology