Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IX/Origen on John/Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John/Book I/Chapter 36

36.&#160; Christ as a Sword.

The texts of the New Testament, which we have discussed, are things said by Himself about Himself.&#160; Isaiah, however, He said that His mouth had been set by His Father as a sharp sword, and that He was hidden under the shadow of His hand, made like to a chosen shaft and kept close in the Father&#8217;s quiver, called His servant by the God of all things, and Israel, and Light of the Gentiles.&#160; The mouth of the Son of God is a sharp sword, for &#8220;The word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.&#8221;&#160; And indeed He came not to bring peace on the earth, that is, to corporeal and sensible things, but a sword, and to cut through, if I may say so, the disastrous friendship of soul and body, so that the soul, committing herself to the spirit which was against the flesh, may enter into friendship with God.&#160; Hence, according to the prophetic word, He made His mouth as a sword, as a sharp sword.&#160; Can any one behold so many wounded by the divine love, like her in the Song of Songs, who complained that she was wounded: &#160; &#8220;I am wounded with love,&#8221; and find the dart that wounded so many souls for the love of God, in any but Him who said, &#8220;He hath made Me as a chosen shaft.&#8221;