Origen of Alexandria on Free Will and the Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
There are in the Scriptures ten thousand passages that very clearly prove the existence of free will. But some sayings of the Old and the New Testaments incline us to the opposite conclusion, namely, that it is not in our power whether we keep the commandments and are saved or transgress them and are lost. Therefore, let’s bring forward some of these sayings and explain them. Now many people have been troubled by the story of Pharaoh. In dealing with him God says several times, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart” (e.g., Ex 4:21; 7:3). If he is hardened by God and because of being hardened sins, he is not himself responsible for the sin. And if this is so, Pharaoh has no free will. Let’s begin with the statements made about Pharaoh, that he was hardened by God in order that he might not let the people go. Now these statements are used by some of the heretics, who practically destroy free will. God, in order to display his mighty works for the salvation of the many, needs Pharaoh to pr...
