The Instructor 1.7.59
Summary: The old covenant taught by fear through the Word as angel; in the new, the Word became flesh and fear became love, and God's people, foreknown from eternity, are newborn.
Greek text · Stählin 1:124–125
τὸ μὲν οὖν πρότερον τῷ πρεσβυτέρῳ λαῷ πρεσβυτέρα διαθήκη ἦν καὶ νόμος ἐπαιδαγώγει τὸν λαὸν μετὰ φόβου καὶ λόγος ἄγγελος ἦν, καινῷ δὲ καὶ νέῳ λαῷ καινὴ καὶ νέα διαθήκη δεδώρηται καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ γεγένηται καὶ ὁ φόβος εἰς ἀγάπην μετατέτραπται καὶ ὁ μυστικὸς ἐκεῖνος ἄγγελος Ἰησοῦς τίκτεται. ὁ γὰρ αὐτὸς οὗτος παιδαγωγὸς τότε μὲν »φοβηθήσῃ κύριον τὸν θεὸν« ἔλεγεν, ἡμῖν δὲ »ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου« παρῄνεσεν. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐντέλλεται ἡμῖν »παύσασθε ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων ὑμῶν«, τῶν παλαιῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, »μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν· ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθόν· ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην, ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν.« αὕτη μου ἡ νέα διαθήκη παλαιῷ κεχαραγμένη γράμματι. οὐκ ἄρα ἡ νεότης τοῦ λόγου ὀνειδιστέα. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ ὁ κύριος λέγει· »μὴ λέγε ὅτι νεώτερός εἰμι· πρὸ τοῦ με πλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ ἐπίσταμαί σε, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ σε ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ μήτρας ἡγίακά σε.« ταῦτα δύναται πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἡ προφητεία αἰνίττεσθαι τοὺς πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου εἰς πίστιν ἐγνωσμένους θεῷ, νυνὶ δὲ νηπίους διὰ τὴν ἔναγχος πεπληρωμένην βούλησιν τοῦ θεοῦ, καθὸ εἰς κλῆσιν καὶ σωτηρίαν νεογνοὶ
English · Claude translation
Formerly, then, the older people had an older covenant, and the law instructed the people with fear, and the Word was an angel; but to the fresh and new people a fresh and new covenant has been given, the Word has become flesh, fear has been turned into love, and that mystic angel, Jesus, is born. For this same Instructor then said, “You shall fear the Lord your God,” but to us he has urged, “You shall love the Lord your God.” That is why he also commands us, “Cease from your deeds,” your old sins; “learn to do good; turn away from evil and do good; you have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.” This is my new covenant, engraved in the old letter. The newness of the Word, then, is not to be reproached. In Jeremiah too the Lord says: “Do not say, I am too young; before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came out of the womb I sanctified you.” The prophecy can hint at us here, who before the foundation of the world were known to God for faith, and now are infants because of God's will recently fulfilled, since we are newborn to the call and to salvation.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- “The Word was an angel” means that the Word acted as God's messenger (ἄγγελος) in the old covenant, not that he is a created angel.
- The quotations are Deut 6:13 and 6:5, Isa 1:16–17, Ps 34:14 (33:15 LXX), Ps 45:7 (44:8 LXX), and Jer 1:7, 5; the allusions are John 1:14 and Eph 1:4.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (misplaced space at the opening quotation mark; stray period in the digital text): ἄγγελος ἦν, καινῷ. δὲ → ἄγγελος ἦν, καινῷ δὲ; ἡμῖν δὲ» ἀγαπήσεις → ἡμῖν δὲ »ἀγαπήσεις.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 1.7.59 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/1/7/59/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 1.7.59 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/1/7/59/).
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