Miscellanies 6.12.102
Summary: The knower prays at all times, first for forgiveness, then for power to do good and to understand creation, aiming at the face-to-face vision; fasting means abstaining from all evil, and righteousness must be complete on every side.
Greek text · Stählin 2:483
Εὔχεται τοίνυν ὁ γνωστικὸς καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἔννοιαν πᾶσαν τὴν ὥραν, διʼ ἀγάπης οἰκειούμενος τῷ θεῷ. καὶ τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν αἰτήσεται, μετὰ δὲ τὸ μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν ἔτι τὸ εὖ ποιεῖν δύνασθαι καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν κατὰ τὸν κύριον δημιουργίαν τε καὶ οἰκονομίαν συνιέναι, ἵνα δή, καθαρὸς τὴν καρδίαν γενόμενος, διʼ ἐπιγνώσεως τῆς διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον τὴν μακαρίαν θέαν μυηθῇ, ἐπακούσας τῆς λεγούσης γραφῆς ἀγαθὸν νηστεία μετὰ προσευχῆς· νηστεῖαι δὲ ἀποχὰς κακῶν μηνύουσιν πάντων ἁπαξαπλῶς, τῶν τε κατʼ ἐνέργειαν καὶ κατὰ λόγον καὶ κατὰ τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτήν. ὡς ἔοικεν οὖν ἡ δικαιοσύνη τετράγωνός ἐστι, πάντοθεν ἴση καὶ ὁμοία ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἔργῳ, ἐν ἀποχῇ κακῶν, ἐν εὐποιίᾳ, ἐν τελειότητι γνωστικῇ, οὐδαμῇ οὐδαμῶς χωλεύουσα, ἵνα μὴ ἄδικός τε καὶ ἄνισος φανῇ. ᾗ μὲν οὖν τίς ἐστι δίκαιος, πάντως οὗτος καὶ πιστός, ᾗ δὲ πιστός, οὐδέπω καὶ δίκαιος, τὴν κατὰ προκοπὴν καὶ τελείωσιν δικαιοσύνην λέγω, καθʼ ἣν ὁ γνωστικὸς δίκαιος λέγεται.
English · Claude translation
The one who knows, then, prays even in thought at every hour, made intimate with God through love. And first he will ask for the forgiveness of sins; then, once he no longer sins, for the ability to do good, and to understand the whole creation and ordering according to the Lord, so that, having become pure in heart, he may through the knowledge that comes by the Son of God be initiated into the blessed vision face to face, having listened to the Scripture that says, “Fasting with prayer is good.” Fasts signify abstention from all evils absolutely, those of deed, of word, and of thought itself. Righteousness, then, it seems, is foursquare, equal and alike on every side: in word, in deed, in abstention from evils, in doing good, in the perfection of knowledge, nowhere limping in any way, so as not to appear unjust and unequal. Insofar as someone is righteous, he is certainly also faithful; but insofar as he is faithful, he is not yet also righteous—I mean the righteousness that comes by progress and perfecting, according to which the one who knows is called righteous.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The allusions are Matt 5:8 and 1 Cor 13:12; the quotation is Tob 12:8 (in the reverse order, “prayer with fasting”). Clement calls righteousness “foursquare” but lists five aspects.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.12.102 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/12/102/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.12.102 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/12/102/).
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