Miscellanies 7.2.5
Summary: Faith is the first step to knowing God; above godly people and angels stands the Son, nearest to the Father, everywhere present, all-seeing, ruling all things, and teaching each kind of person in a fitting way.
Greek text · Stählin 2
Πίστις οὖν τοῦ εἰδέναι θεὸν ἡ πρώτη μετὰ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος διδασκαλίας τὴν πεποίθησιν τὸ κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ἄδικα δρᾶν, τοῦτʼ εἶναι πρέπον ἡγεῖσθαι τῇ ἐπιγνώσει τοῦ θεοῦ. ταύτῃ κράτιστον μὲν ἐν γῇ ἄνθρωπος ὁ θεοσεβέστατος, κράτιστον δὲ ἐν οὐρανῷ ἄγγελος, τὸ πλησιαίτερον κατὰ τόπον καὶ ἤδη καθαρώτερον τῆς αἰωνίου καὶ μακαρίας ζωῆς μεταλαγχάνον. τελειοτάτη δὲ καὶ ἁγιωτάτη καὶ κυριωτάτη καὶ ἡγεμονικωτάτη καὶ βασιλικωτάτη καὶ εὐεργετικωτάτη ἡ υἱοῦ φύσις ἡ τῷ μόνῳ παντοκράτορι προσεχεστάτη. αὕτη ἡ μεγίστη ὑπεροχή, ἣ τὰ πάντα διατάσσεται κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἄριστα οἰακίζει, ἀκαμάτῳ καὶ ἀτρύτῳ δυνάμει πάντα ἐργαζομένη, διʼ ὧν ἐνεργεῖ τὰς ἀποκρύφους ἐννοίας ἐπιβλέπουσα. οὐ γὰρ ἐξίσταταί ποτε τῆς αὑτοῦ περιωπῆς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, οὐ μεριζόμενος, οὐκ ἀποτεμνόμενος, οὐ μεταβαίνων ἐκ τόπου εἰς τόπον, πάντῃ δὲ ὢν πάντοτε καὶ μηδαμῇ περιεχόμενος, ὅλος νοῦς, ὅλος φῶς πατρῷον, ὅλος ὀφθαλμός, πάντα ὁρῶν, πάντα ἀκούων, εἰδὼς πάντα. δυνάμει τὰς δυνάμεις ἐρευνῶν. τούτῳ πᾶσα ὑποτέτακται στρατιὰ ἀγγέλων τε καὶ θεῶν, τῷ λόγῳ τῷ πατρικῷ τὴν ἁγίαν οἰκονομίαν ἀναδεδεγμένῳ »διὰ τὸν ὑποτάξαντα«, διʼ ὅν καὶ πάντες αὐτοῦ οἱ ἄνθρωποι. ἀλλʼ οἳ μὲν »κατʼ ἐπίγνωσιν«, οἳ δὲ οὐδέπω. καὶ οἳ μὲν ὡς φίλοι, οἳ δὲ ὡς οἰκέται πιστοί, οἳ δὲ ὡς ἁπλῶς οἰκέται. Ὁ διδάσκαλος οὗτος ὁ παιδεύων μυστηρίοις μὲν τὸν γνωστικόν.
English · Claude translation
Faith, then, is the first step toward knowing God; and with it, through the Savior's teaching, comes the conviction that one must in no way do what is unjust: this one should consider fitting for the knowledge of God. In this way the best thing on earth is the most godly human being, and the best in heaven is an angel, which is nearer in place and already purer in its share of eternal and blessed life. But most perfect, most holy, most sovereign, most commanding, most royal, and most beneficent is the nature of the Son, which is closest to the only Almighty. This is the supreme excellence, which orders all things according to the Father's will and steers the universe in the best way, working all things with untiring and unwearied power, and looking upon hidden thoughts through what it works. For the Son of God never departs from his watchtower; he is not divided, not cut off, does not pass from place to place, but is always everywhere and contained nowhere, all mind, all paternal light, all eye, seeing all things, hearing all things, knowing all things, searching the powers with power. To him the whole army of angels and gods is subjected, to the Father's Word, who has taken on the holy administration “on account of the one who subjected it”; through him all human beings are his too, but some “according to knowledge,” others not yet; some as friends, others as faithful servants, others simply as servants. This Teacher trains the one who knows by mysteries,
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The syntax of the first sentence is loose. The allusions are Rom 8:20 (“on account of the one who subjected it”), Rom 10:2 (“according to knowledge”), John 15:15 (friends), and Num 12:7 / Heb 3:5 (faithful servant). “Gods” are exalted spiritual beings, as in Ps 82:6.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period in the digital text): ὅλος ὀφθαλμός. πάντα ὁρῶν → ὅλος ὀφθαλμός, πάντα ὁρῶν.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.2.5 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/2/5/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.2.5 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/2/5/).
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