The Ancient Witnesses

192 • The Ancient Witnesses: A Journey to Discover Our Sacred Roots

must take care lest we eat the devil’s stone and believe we are eating God’s bread!” 44 Origen paused to wipe his brow. “He just named the most infamous heretics of the Second Century,” whispered Father Greg. “What did they teach?” I asked. “Marcion taught that the Creator god was evil,” he replied, “and that he was an entirely different god than the Father of Jesus Christ. Valentinius and Basilides taught various forms of Gnosticism in place of the Gospel, meaning they denied that God’s Son could have come in the flesh.” “But what is Origen saying about their bread?” I asked. “They compromised God’s word,” explained Father Greg, “Jesus refused to accept the devil’s suggestion to turn stones into bread, but the heretics followed the evil suggestion, rejecting God’s bread, God’s word.” Origen went on to the second temptation, calling on Preacher to read the next verse in Luke’s account of the temptations. Joseph handed his Bible to Preacher who stood and read, The devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And

44 Adapted from Joseph T. Lienhard, Origen Homilies on Luke , Homily 29:3 in The Fathers of the Church, vol. 94, 120; and Patrologia Graeca 13, 1875).