Miscellanies 3.4.26
Summary: Nicolaus himself was faithful to one wife and his children lived chastely; his gesture renounced passion, and “abusing the flesh” meant self-control, as Matthias also taught.
Greek text · Stählin 2:207–208
πυνθάνομαι δʼ ἔγωγε τὸν Νικόλαον μηδεμιᾷ ἑτέρᾳ παρʼ ἣν ἔγημεν κεχρῆσθαι γυναικὶ τῶν τʼ ἐκείνου τέκνων τὰς θηλείας μὲν καταγηρᾶσαι παρθένους, ἄφθορον δὲ διαμεῖναι τὸν υἱόν· ὧν οὕτως ἐχόντων ἀποβολὴ πάθους ἦν ἡ εἰς μέσον τῶν ἀποστόλων ἡ τῆς ζηλοτυπουμένης ἐκκύκλησις γυναικός, καὶ ἡ ἐγκράτεια τῶν περισπουδάστων ἡδονῶν τὸ παραχρῆσθαι τῇ σαρκὶ ἐδίδασκεν. οὐ γάρ, οἶμαι, ἐβούλετο κατὰ τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐντολὴν δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν, ἡδονῇ καὶ θεῷ. λέγουσι γοῦν καὶ τὸν Ματθίαν οὕτως διδάξαι, σαρκὶ μὲν μάχεσθαι καὶ παραχρῆσθαι μηθὲν αὐτῇ πρὸς ἡδονὴν ἀκόλαστον ἐνδιδόντα, ψυχὴν δὲ αὔξειν διὰ πίστεως καὶ γνώσεως.
English · Claude translation
But I learn that Nicolaus had relations with no woman other than the one he married, and that of his children the daughters grew old as virgins and the son remained uncorrupted. This being so, his bringing his wife, of whom he was jealous, into the midst of the apostles was a casting off of passion; and self-control over the pleasures eagerly pursued taught him to “abuse the flesh.” For he did not wish, I think, contrary to the Savior's command, to serve two masters, pleasure and God. They say, at any rate, that Matthias too taught thus: to fight the flesh and abuse it, giving it nothing for licentious pleasure, but to make the soul grow through faith and knowledge.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The allusion is Matt 6:24. On the Traditions of Matthias see 2.9.45. The Greek παραχρῆσθαι means both “make light use of” and “abuse.”
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.4.26 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/3/4/26/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.4.26 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/3/4/26/).
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