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Odes: Christ Speaksto
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In the Odes, there is little that can be traced to the Old Testament, almost nothing that is to be credited to the Gospels or other branches of Christian literature. Their radiance is no reflection from the illumination of other days, their inspiration is first-hand and immediate. It answers very well to the summary which Aristides made of the life of the early Christian Church when he described them as indeed 'a new people with whom something Divine is mingled.'
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Some of the Odes possess a feature which has led to much cogitation by commentators. Without any notice in the text, the vantage point within an Ode will shift from the voice of the Odist to a divine voice. Charlesworth and predecessors have labeled these passages "Christ speaks" (ex ore Christi). But it would be better not to be so committal. This is the voice of God speaking through his communicating aspect, sometimes with a strong Wisdom flavor, sometimes with other features. Since one of the strongest motifs of the Odes is the idea that the personified "Word" of God has descended and taken up residence within the Odist, it is natural for the poet to let that voice take over and speak directly.
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There are parallels in both style, and theology, between Odes and the writing of Ignatius of Antioch, as well as with the canonical Gospel of John. For example, both Odes and John use the concept of Jesus as Logos, and write in gentle metaphors. However, Odes appears more to be intended to use directly in religious services, mixing short sermons with songs and hymns. Odes ... makes clear reference to a distinct style of prayer รข€” the orant gesture of holding two hands up, apart, with palms outwards, that is rare in modern Christianity.
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The forty-one extant odes are not Jewish but Jewish-Christian. The poetical style is not that of the Qumranic Hodayoth nor the Sibylline Oracles, but akin to and based upon the Davidic Psalter. Baptismal motifs abound, and two features from the life of Jesus of Nazareth given special attention are the walking on the water (Ode 39) and the baptism (Ode 24; cf. Charlesworth, no. 1296; E. E. Fabbri, no. 1303). Other prominent features are the pervasive present joy of salvation, the image of the cross (esp. Odes 17, 42), and the virginal birth of the Son (Ode 19).
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Christ Speaksto