The Instructor 3.12.95
Summary: The apostolic household code: wives, husbands, children, fathers, slaves, and masters; then Paul's exhortations to walk by the Spirit, bear burdens, be at peace, pray, and speak graciously.
Greek text · Stählin 1:288–289
»αἱ μὲν γυναῖκες τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν ὑποτασσέσθωσαν, ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ, οἱ δὲ ἄνδρες τὰς γυναῖκας τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἀγαπάτωσαν, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.« ἀγαπάτωσαν οὖν ἀλλήλους οἱ συνεζευγμένοι »ὡς τὰ ἴδια σώματα«. »τὰ τέκνα, ὑπακούετε τοῖς γονεῦσιν ὑμῶν. οἱ πατέρες, μὴ παροργίζετε τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, ἀλλʼ ἐκτρέφετε αὐτὰ ἐν παιδείᾳ καὶ νουθεσίᾳ κυρίου. οἱ δοῦλοι, ὑπακούετε τοῖς κατὰ σάρκα κυρίοις μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου ἐν ἁπλότητι τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς τῷ Χριστῷ, ἐκ ψυχῆς μετʼ εὐνοίας δουλεύοντες. καὶ οἱ κύριοι, εὖ ποιεῖτε τοὺς οἰκέτας ὑμῶν, ἀνιέντες τὴν ἀπειλήν, εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ αὐτῶν καὶ ὑμῶν ὁ κύριός ἐστιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ προσωποληψία οὐκ ἔστιν.« »εἰ ζῶμεν πνεύματι, πνεύματι καὶ στοιχῶμεν. μὴ γινώμεθα κενόδοξοι, ἀλλήλους προκαλούμενοι, ἀλλήλοις φθονοῦντες. ἀλλήλων τὰ βάρη βαστάζετε, καὶ οὕτως ἀναπληρώσατε τὸν νόμον τοῦ Χριστοῦ. μὴ πλανᾶσθε, θεὸς οὐ μυκτηρίζεται. τὸ καλὸν ποιοῦντες μὴ ἐγκακῶμεν· καιρῷ γὰρ ἰδίῳ θερίσομεν μὴ ἐκλυόμενοι.« »εἰρηνεύετε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. παρακαλοῦμεν δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί, νουθετεῖτε τοὺς ἀτάκτους, παραμυθεῖσθε τοὺς ὀλιγοψύχους, ἀντέχεσθε τῶν ἀσθενῶν, μακροθυμεῖτε πρὸς πάντας. ὁρᾶτε μή τις κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ τινι ἀποδῷ. τὸ πνεῦμα μὴ σβέννυτε, προφητείας μὴ ἐξουθενεῖτε· πάντα δὲ δοκιμάζετε, τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε· ἀπὸ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀπέχεσθε.« »τῇ προσευχῇ προσκαρτερεῖτε, γρηγοροῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ. ἐν σοφίᾳ περιπατεῖτε πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω τὸν καιρὸν ἐξαγοραζόμενοι. ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν πάντοτε ἐν χάριτι, ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος, εἰδέναι πῶς δεῖ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ ἀποκρίνεσθαι.«
English · Claude translation
“Let wives be subject to their own husbands, as to the Lord, and let husbands love their own wives, as Christ loved the church.” Let the married, then, love one another “as their own bodies.” “Children, obey your parents. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, obey your masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as to Christ, serving from the soul with goodwill. And masters, treat your servants well, giving up threatening, knowing that both their Lord and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.” “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked. Let us not grow weary in doing good; for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” “Be at peace among yourselves. We exhort you, brothers, admonish the disorderly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient toward all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophecies; test all things; hold fast what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” “Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Eph 5:22, 25, 28; Eph 6:1, 4–9; Gal 5:25–26; 6:2, 7, 9; 1 Thess 5:13–15, 19–22; and Col 4:2, 5–6.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray punctuation in the digital text): πάντα· δὲ δοκιμάζετε → πάντα δὲ δοκιμάζετε.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 3.12.95 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/3/12/95/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 3.12.95 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/3/12/95/).
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