Here are excerpts from the Wikipedia article on Origen.  ADVISORY:  this becomes monotonous.

Origen(Greek: Ὠριγένης Ōrigénēs), or Origen Adamantius, 184/5–253/4, was an early Christian Alexandrian scholar and theologian, and one of the most distinguished writers of the early Church

This was 50 years or more prior to Constantine’s becoming emperor.  If there were Christians at this time, Constantine did not invent Christianity.

In 202, Origen's father was martyred in the outbreak of the persecution during the reign of Septimius Severus.

If Christians were being persecuted at this time, then Christians existed.  This is a century prior to Constantine’s becoming emperor.  If there were Christians at this time, Constantine did not invent Christianity.

Eusebius of Caesarea, our chief witness to Origen's life, says that in 203 Origen revived the Catechetical School of Alexandria where Clement of Alexandria had once taught but had apparently been driven out during the persecution under Severus.

Ditto.

From about … 212-213 … dates Origen's acquaintance with Ambrose of Alexandria, … Later (about 218) Ambrose, a man of wealth, made a formal agreement with Origen to promulgate his writings, and all the subsequent works of Origen (except his sermons, which were not expressly prepared for publication) were dedicated to Ambrose.

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Of Origen's activity [from 220 to 230] little is known, but it was probably devoted to teaching and writing. The latter was rendered the more easy for him by Ambrose, who provided him with more than seven stenographers to take dictation in relays, as many scribes to prepare long-hand copies, and a number of girls to multiply the copies. At the request of Ambrose, he now began a huge commentary on the Bible, beginning with John, and continuing with Genesis, Psalms 1-25 and Lamentations, besides brief exegeses of selected texts (forming the ten books of his Stromateis), two books on the resurrection, and the work On First Principles.

This implies a prodigious literary production.  Evidence that the man existed is thus most likely quite strong. Evidence that he was a Christian is thus also most likely quite strong.

Origen died after having being tortured for the Christian faith during the Decian persecution..

If there was a persecution of Christians during Origen’s lifetime, then there must have been Christians to persecute.  That is, Christians existed.  This is 60 years or more prior to Constantine’s becoming emperor.  Constantine did not invent Christianity.

[About 240] probably occurred the attacks on Origen's own orthodoxy which compelled him to defend himself in writing to Pope Fabian and many bishops.

60 years prior to Constantine’s becoming emperor, there was a pope, and bishops.  Thus Christianity was in existence at this time.  Constantine did not invent it.

There was second outbreak of the Antonine Plague, which at its height in 251 to 266 took the lives of 5,000 a day in Rome. This time it was called the Plague of Cyprian. Emperor Gaius Messius Quintus Decius, believing the plague to be a product of magic, caused by the failure of Christians to recognize him as Divine, began Christian persecutions.  This time Origen did not escape.

Again:  if Christians are being persecuted, then Christians must exist.  This is still 40 years prior to Constantine’s becoming emperor.  Constantine cannot have invented Christianity.

He was likewise keenly conscious of the textual difficulties in the manuscripts of the New Testament, although he never wrote definitely on this subject. In his exegetical writings he frequently alludes to the variant readings, but his habit of making rough citations in his dictation, the verification being left to the scribes, renders it impossible to deduce his text from his commentaries. Eusebius in Ecclesiastical History 6.25.7 strongly implies Origen disputed the authenticity of the Letters of Paul when he wrote that Paul did not write to all the churches that he taught and even to the ones he wrote he only sent a few lines. However, Origen's own writings refer often to the words of Paul.

Here is evidence of early Christian criticism of Christian texts.  So, those texts — having been in existence at this time — pre-date Constantine by at least 50 years.  Constantine cannot have invented Christianity.

Codex Athous Laura 184 … gives the division of the fifteen books of the commentary on Romans (except XI and XII) and of the five books on Galatians, as well as the extent of the commentaries on Philippians and Corinthians (Romans I from 1:1 to 1:7; II from 1:8 to 1:25; III from 1:26 to 2:11; IV from 2:12 to 3:15; V from 3:16 to 3:31; VI from 4:1 to 5:7; VII from 5:8 to 5:16; VIII from 5:17 to 6:15; IX from 6:16 to 8:8; X from 8:9 to 8:39; XIII from 11:13 to 12:15; XIV from 12:16 to 14:10; XV from 14:11 to the end; Galatians I from 1:1 to 2:2; II from 2:3 to 3:4; III from 3:5 to 4:5; IV from 4:6 to 5:5; and V from 5:6 to 6:18; the commentary on Philippians extended to 4:1; and on Ephesians to 4:13).

Origen didn’t just quote incidentally, once in a while, from preliminary versions of books destined for inclusion in the GT; he wrote commentaries on, eesh, the finished form of practically every one.

This being, again, at least 50 years before Constantine, those texts pre-date Constantine, and Constantine cannot have invented them.

The eight books against Celsus, Contra Celsumwere written in 248 in reply to the polemic of the pagan philosopher against Christianity.

That a pagan philosopher engaged in polemic against Christianity, means Christianity must have been in existence.  This is 60 years or more before Constantine became emperor.  Constantine cannot have invented Christianity.

P.

“What I admire is honesty and truth, no matter who, or what, the sources are.”
— Uri Yosef
Last Edited By: Proteus Sat, 2-Jul-11 09:51:47. Edited 1 times.