Miscellanies 5.10.62
Summary: Paul asks for prayer to speak the mystery of Christ, and Hebrews distinguishes milk for infants from solid food for the perfect; some things were handed down unwritten.
Greek text · Stählin 2:367–368
καὶ ἔτι σαφέστερον ἐκκαλύπτει τὸ μὴ πάντων εἶναι τὴν γνῶσιν, ἐπιλέγων· προσευχόμενοι ἅμα καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ὁ θεὸς ἀνοίξῃ ἡμῖν θύραν τοῦ λαλῆσαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, διʼ ὃ καὶ δέδεμαι, ἵνα φανερώσω αὐτὸ ὡς δεῖ με λαλῆσαι. ἦν γάρ τινα ἀγράφως παραδιδόμενα. αὐτίκα τοῖς Ἑβραίοις καὶ γὰρ ὀφείλοντες εἶναι διδάσκαλοι διὰ τὸν χρόνον φησίν, ὡς ἂν ἐγγηράσαντες τῇ διαθήκῃ τῇ παλαιᾷ, πάλιν χρείαν ἔχετε τοῦ διδάσκειν ὑμᾶς, τίνα τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ γεγόνατε χρείαν ἔχοντες γάλακτος καὶ οὐ στερεᾶς τροφῆς· πᾶς γὰρ ὁ μετέχων γάλακτος ἄπειρος λόγου δικαιοσύνης, νήπιος γάρ ἐστι, τὰ πρῶτα μαθήματα πεπιστευμένος· τελείων δέ ἐστιν ἡ στερεὰ τροφή, τῶν διὰ τὴν ἕξιν τὰ αἰσθητήρια γεγυμνασμένα ἐχόντων πρὸς διάκρισιν καλοῦ τε καὶ κακοῦ. διὸ ἀφέντες τὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγον ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα φερώμεθα.
English · Claude translation
And he reveals still more clearly that knowledge does not belong to all, adding: “praying at the same time for us too, that God may open to us a door to speak the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am also in bonds, that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak.” For there were certain things handed down without writing. So, to the Hebrews he says: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers” (as having grown old in the old covenant), “you again have need that someone teach you what are the elements of the beginning of the oracles of God, and you have become such as need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is an infant,” having believed only the first lessons; “but solid food belongs to the perfect, who through practice have their senses trained to distinguish good and evil. Therefore, leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us press on to perfection.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Col 4:3–4 and Heb 5:12–6:1, with Clement's comments inserted.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 5.10.62 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/5/10/62/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 5.10.62 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/5/10/62/).
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