countless people to come and study under his guidance, and
to live according to his maxim and his example.
- But for all his knowledge, Origen committed a grave
error. In his zeal, he misinterpreted our Lord's saying
concerning those who make themselves eunuchs for the sake
of the Kingdom of Heaven – and carried it out literally on
himself.^11 For this error, he paid dearly later on in his life. - Origen was the first Christian thinker who attempted
to push the effort of intelligence to its extremity in his
zealous investigation of the mysteries. By his persistent
efforts to probe into the secrets of the Cosmos, he succeeded
in reaching out beyond the frontiers of the Church, and in
winning the intellectual aristocracy of the pagans to his
Lord.l2 - As he grew older, his reputation widened and his
influence became more sweeping and more beneficial. The
most outstanding Bishops of all Christian churches sought
the advantage of his teaching; Alexander of Jerusalem and
Theostite of Caesarea (of Palestine) desired to be his
disciples for life; Firmillion, Bishop of Caesarea (in
Cappadocia), together with all his province, invited Origen
to come to them, endeavouring to detain him in their midst
as long as possible. The Councils of Achaia and Arabia
appealed to him as the invincible defender of the Faith, and
the inveterate winner of the heretics to Orthodoxy. Berylle,
Bishop of Bostra, recognised his own error^13 when he spoke
with Origen, and having been won, he vowed eternal
friendship with him, and wrote to him incessantly, expressing
to him his deepest esteem. And not only did the Churchmen
revert to him, but the princes of the world desired to have
their share also. Mamea, mother of Emperor Alexander