Sophia Scriptura

The Instructor 2.12.120

Clement of Alexandria · The Instructor · ca. 190–200 · Alexandria · Read in context

Summary: God gives necessities openly and hides luxuries; all things are made for sharing, and the loving person says “Why should I not share?”; spending on people is better than on jewels.

Greek text · Stählin 1:228–229

πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ τὰ ἀναγκαῖα καθάπερ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸν ἀέρα προφανῆ πᾶσι χορηγεῖ, τὰ δὲ ὅσα μὴ ἀναγκαῖα γῇ τε καὶ ὕδατι ἔκρυψεν. διὰ τοῦτό τοι μύρμηκες χρυσωρυχοῦσι, καὶ γρῦπες χρυσοφυλακοῦσι, καὶ ἡ θάλασσα τὸν μαργαρίτην ἔκρυψεν λίθον· ὑμεῖς δὲ περίεργοι εἰς ἃ μὴ δεῖ. ἰδοὺ ὅλος ἀναπέπταται οὐρανός, καὶ οὐ ζητεῖτε τὸν θεόν· τὸ δὲ κεκρυμμένον χρυσίον καὶ τοὺς λίθους οἱ τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ κεκριμένοι γεωρυχοῦσι παρʼ ἡμῖν. ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ γραφῇ ἀντᾴδετε, βοώσης ἐκείνης διαρρήδην· »ζητεῖτε πρῶτον τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν.« εἰ δὲ καὶ πάντα ὑμῖν δεδώρηται καὶ εἰ πάντα ὑμῖν συγκεχώρηται καὶ εἰ »πάντα ἡμῖν ἔξεστι«, φησὶν ὁ ἀπόστολος, »ἀλλʼ οὐ πάντα συμφέρει«. παρήγαγεν δὲ τὸ γένος ἡμῶν ἐπὶ κοινωνίᾳ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸς τῶν ἑαυτοῦ πρότερος μεταδοὺς καὶ κοινὸν πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπικουρήσας λόγον, πάντα ποιήσας ὑπὲρ πάντων. κοινὰ οὖν τὰ πάντα καὶ μὴ πλεονεκτούντων οἱ πλούσιοι. τὸ οὖν πάρεστί μοι καὶ πλεονάζει μοι, διὰ τί μὴ τρυφήσω; οὐκ ἀνθρώπινον οὐδὲ κοινωνικόν, ἐκεῖνο δὲ μᾶλλον ἀγαπητικόν· πάρεστί μοι, διὰ τί μὴ μεταδῶ τοῖς δεομένοις; ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος τέλειος ὁ τὸ »ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτὸν« πληρώσας. αὕτη γὰρ ἡ ἀληθὴς τρυφή, ἡ θησαυριζομένη πολυτέλεια, ἣ δὲ εἰς τὰς ματαίους ἐπιθυμίας ἀνάλωσις ἀπωλείας, οὐ δαπάνης, ἐπέχει λόγον. δέδωκεν γὰρ ὁ θεὸς οἶδʼ ὅτι τῆς χρήσεως ἡμῖν τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἀλλὰ μέχρι τοῦ ἀναγκαίου, καὶ τὴν χρῆσιν κοινὴν εἶναι βεβούληται. ἄτοπον δὲ ἕνα τρυφᾶν πενομένων πλειόνων. πόσῳ μὲν γὰρ εὐκλεέστερον τοῦ πολυτελῶς οἰκεῖν τὸ πολλοὺς εὐεργετεῖν; πόσῳ δὲ συνετώτερον τοῦ εἰς λίθους καὶ χρυσίον τὸ εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἀναλίσκειν; πόσῳ δὲ ὠφελιμώτερον τῶν ἀψύχων κοσμίων τὸ φίλους κεκτῆσθαι κοσμίους; τίνα δὲ ἂν ἀγροὶ τοσοῦτον ὅσον τὸ χαρίζεσθαι ὠφελήσειαν;

English · Claude translation

For, first, he supplies the necessities, like water and air, openly to all, while what is not necessary he has hidden in earth and water. So ants dig for gold and griffins guard gold, and the sea has hidden the pearl; but you are curious about what you should not be. Look, the whole heaven is spread open, and you do not seek God; while hidden gold and stones are dug up among us by those condemned to death. And you contradict the Scripture, which cries out plainly: “Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all these things will be added to you.” Even if all things have been given to you, and all permitted, and “all things are lawful for us,” says the apostle, “not all things are profitable.” God himself brought our race into being for sharing, first sharing his own, and giving his own Word as a common help to all humankind, making all things for all. So all things are common, and let not the rich take more than their share. To say, “It is at hand for me and I have plenty; why should I not enjoy it?” is not human nor social; this rather is loving: “I have it; why should I not share it with those in need?” Such a one is perfect, having fulfilled “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This is true enjoyment, the treasured wealth; while spending on vain desires counts as waste, not expenditure. I know that God has given us the right to use, but only up to what is necessary, and he has willed that the use be common. It is absurd for one to live in luxury while many are in need. How much more glorious it is to do good to many than to live expensively! How much wiser to spend on people than on stones and gold! How much more useful to acquire well-ordered friends than lifeless ornaments! What estates could benefit anyone as much as giving?

About this passage

Source
Stählin 1:228–229 · Otto Stählin, ed., Clemens Alexandrinus, vol. 1, Protrepticus und Paedagogus, GCS 12 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1905) · Greek text: Otto Stählin, Clemens Alexandrinus 1: Protrepticus und Paedagogus (GCS 12, 1905), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0
Text
As printed in Stählin, GCS 12. Manuscript variants and the editor's apparatus are not reproduced; no textual problem is noted in this passage.
Translation
Claude translation (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-26 · Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Stählin (1905); made independently of existing English translations.
Compare
Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2 (1885) (an older public-domain English translation, whole volume at CCEL; checked against ours only after ours was made)
Scripture
Extrabiblical texts
  • Herodotus, Hist. 3.102 (Herodotus, Histories) · allusion, medium confidence
Topics
Ethics

Notes

Translation notes

  • The gold-digging ants and gold-guarding griffins are from Herodotus (3.102, 3.116). “Those condemned to death” refers to convicts sent to the mines. The quotations are Matt 6:33 (with “kingdom of heaven”), 1 Cor 10:23, and Matt 22:39. This passage is a classic early Christian statement on the common use of goods.

Cite this passage

Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 2.12.120 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/2/12/120/).

Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 2.12.120 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/2/12/120/).

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