Miscellanies 7.13.83
Summary: The one who knows is troubled by nothing, unafraid of death, and uses the world with thanksgiving; those who receive the Word loftily will stand like the towers of Zion in faith and knowledge.
Greek text · Stählin 2
Ἐπʼ οὐδενὶ τοίνυν εἰκότως ταράσσεται τῶν συμβαινόντων οὐδὲ ὑποπτεύει τῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἐπὶ τῷ συμφέροντι γινομένων οὐδὲν οὐδὲ αἰσχύνεται ἀποθανεῖν, εὐσυνείδητος ὢν ταῖς ἐξουσίαις ὀφθῆναι, πάντας ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν τοὺς τῆς ψυχῆς ἀποκεκαθαρμένος σπίλους, ὅ γε εὖ μάλα ἐπιστάμενος ἄμεινον αὐτῷ μετὰ τὴν ἔξοδον γενήσεσθαι. ὅθεν οὐδέποτε τὸ ἡδὺ καὶ τὸ συμφέρον προκρίνει τῆς οἰκονομίας, γυμνάζων ἑαυτὸν διὰ τῶν ἐντολῶν, ἵνα καὶ πρὸς τὸν κύριον εὐάρεστος ἐν πᾶσι γένηται καὶ πρὸς τὸν κόσμον ἐπαινετός. ἐπεὶ τὰ πάντα ἐφʼ ἑνὸς τοῦ παντοκράτορος θεοῦ ἵσταται. »εἰς τὰ ἴδια«, φησίν, »ἦλθεν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐδέξαντο.« διὸ καὶ κατὰ τὴν τῶν κοσμικῶν χρῆσιν οὐ μόνον εὐχαριστεῖ καὶ θαυμάζει τὴν κτίσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ χρώμενος ὡς προσῆκεν ἐπαινεῖται. ἐπεὶ τὸ τέλος αὐτῷ διʼ ἐνεργείας γνωστικῆς τῆς κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς εἰς θεωρίαν περαιοῦται. ἐνθένδε ἤδη, διʼ ἐπιστήμης τὰ ἐφόδια τῆς θεωρίας καρπούμενος μεγαλοφρόνως τε τὸ τῆς γνώσεως ἀναδεξάμενος μέγεθος, πρόεισιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγίαν τῆς μεταθέσεως ἀμοιβήν. ἀκήκοεν γὰρ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ λέγοντος· »κυκλώσατε Σιὼν καὶ περιλάβετε αὐτήν, διηγήσασθε ἐν τοῖς πύργοις αὐτῆς« αἰνίσσεται γάρ, οἶμαι, τοὺς ὑψηλῶς προσδεξαμένους τὸν λόγον ὑψηλοὺς ὡς πύργους ἔσεσθαι καὶ βεβαίως ἔν τε τῇ πίστει καὶ τῇ γνώσει στήσεσθαι.
English · Claude translation
Reasonably, then, he is troubled by nothing that happens, nor does he suspect anything of what takes place under God's dispensation for our good, nor is he ashamed to die, since he has a good conscience about being seen by the powers, having been cleansed, so to speak, of all the stains of the soul, and knowing very well that it will be better for him after his departure. Hence he never prefers what is pleasant or what seems advantageous to the dispensation, training himself through the commandments so as to become pleasing to the Lord in all things and praiseworthy before the world, since all things depend on the one almighty God. “To his own,” it says, “the Son of God came, and his own did not receive him.” That is why, in the use of the things of the world, he not only gives thanks and admires creation, but, using it as is fitting, is also praised; since his end, through knowing activity according to the commandments, is completed in contemplation. From here already, gathering by understanding the provisions for contemplation and generously taking up the greatness of knowledge, he advances to the holy reward of his being taken up. For he has heard the psalm that says, “Go around Zion and encompass her, tell of it in her towers.” For it hints, I think, that those who have received the Word in a lofty way will be lofty as towers, and will stand firm in faith and in knowledge.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are John 1:11 (Clement's text adds “the Son of God”) and Ps 48:12 (47:13 LXX). “The powers” are the spiritual powers the soul meets after death.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period in the digital text; stray periods in the digital text): »εἰς τὰ ἴδια«. φησίν → »εἰς τὰ ἴδια«, φησίν; αἰνίσσεται γάρ. οἶμαι. τοὺς → αἰνίσσεται γάρ, οἶμαι, τοὺς.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.13.83 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/13/83/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.13.83 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/13/83/).
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