Miscellanies 6.14.109
Summary: The believer must put off the passions; knowing is more than believing, and the one who sinned after baptism bears the pain of seeing others receive what he lacks, a grief that remains even when purifying punishments end.
Greek text · Stählin 2:486
οὐκ ἂν οὖν μετὰ ἀκρασίας πιστὸς εἴη, ἀλλὰ κἂν μὴ ἐξέλθῃ τὴν σάρκα, ἀποθέσθαι τὰ πάθη ἀνάγκη τοῦτον, ὡς εἰς τὴν μονὴν τὴν οἰκείαν χωρῆσαι δυνηθῆναι. πλέον δέ ἐστι τοῦ πιστεῦσαι τὸ γνῶναι, καθάπερ ἀμέλει τοῦ σωθῆναι τὸ καὶ μετὰ τὸ σωθῆναι τιμῆς τῆς ἀνωτάτω ἀξιωθῆναι. διὰ πολλῆς τοίνυν τῆς παιδείας ἀπεκδυσάμενος τὰ πάθη ὁ πιστὸς ἡμῖν μέτεισιν ἐπὶ τὴν βελτίονα τῆς προτέρας μονήν, μεγίστην κόλασιν ἐπιφερόμενος τὸ ἰδίωμα τῆς μετανοίας ὧν ἐξήμαρτεν μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα. ἀνιᾶται γοῦν ἔτι μᾶλλον ἤτοι μηδέπω ἢ καὶ μηδʼ ὅλως τυγχάνων ὧν ἄλλους ὁρᾷ μετειληφότας. πρὸς δὲ καὶ ἐπαισχύνεται τοῖς πλημμεληθεῖσιν αὐτῷ, αἳ δὴ μέγισται κολάσεις εἰσὶ τῷ πιστῷ. ἀγαθὴ γὰρ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνη καὶ δικαία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγαθότης αὐτοῦ. κἂν παύσωνται ἄρα που αἱ τιμωρίαι κατὰ τὴν ἀποπλήρωσιν τῆς ἐκτίσεως καὶ τῆς ἑκάστου ἀποκαθάρσεως, μεγίστην ἔχουσι παραμένουσαν λύπην οἱ τῆς ἄλλης ἄξιοι εὑρεθέντες αὐλῆς τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ συνεῖναι τοῖς διὰ δικαιοσύνην δοξασθεῖσιν.
English · Claude translation
One could not, then, be faithful and at the same time lack self-control; but even if he does not depart the flesh, he must put away the passions, so as to be able to go to his own dwelling place. To know is more than to believe, just as, indeed, to be deemed worthy of the highest honor after being saved is more than being saved. So through much discipline the believer among us, having stripped off the passions, passes to the dwelling place that is better than the former one, bearing the greatest punishment, the characteristic mark of repentance for the sins he committed after baptism. For he is pained still more at not yet, or not at all, obtaining what he sees others have received. Besides, he is ashamed of his transgressions; and these are indeed the greatest punishments for the believer. For God's righteousness is good, and his goodness is righteous. And even if the punishments come to an end somewhere, with the completion of the payment and the purification of each, those found worthy of the other fold have the greatest abiding grief, that of not being with those glorified through righteousness.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- Clement speaks of punishments that purify and may end, while the grief of a lower dwelling remains; “the other fold” recalls John 10:16.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.14.109 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/14/109/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.14.109 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/14/109/).
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