Sophia Scriptura

Excerpts from Theodotus 84.1

Clement of Alexandria · Excerpts from Theodotus · ca. 200 · Alexandria · Read in context

Summary: Hence the fasts, prayers, raised hands, and kneeling before baptism: a soul is rescued from the lions' mouth, and temptations follow from the angry powers.

Greek text · Stählin 3:132

Διὰ τοῦτο νηστεῖαι, δεήσεις, εὐχαί, ἐπάρσεις χειρῶν, γονυκλισίαι, ὅτι ψυχὴ ἐκ κόσμου καὶ »ἐκ στόματος λεόντων« ἀνασῴζεται, διὸ καὶ πειρασμοὶ εὐθέως ἀγανακτούντων τῶν ἀφʼ ὧν ἀφῃρέθη, κἄν τις φέρῃ προειδώς, τά γε ἔξω σαλεύουσιν.

English · Claude translation

That is why there are fasts, supplications, prayers, raising of hands, and kneeling: because a soul is being rescued from the world and “from the mouth of lions.” That is why temptations come at once too, as those from whom it was taken away are angry; and even if one bears them knowing in advance, they at least shake the outward things.

About this passage

Source
Stählin 3:132 · Otto Stählin, ed., Clemens Alexandrinus, vol. 3, Stromata Buch VII und VIII, Excerpta ex Theodoto, Eclogae propheticae, Quis dives salvetur, Fragmente, GCS 17 (Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1909) · Greek text: Otto Stählin, Clemens Alexandrinus 3 (GCS 17, 1909), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0
Text
As printed in Stählin, GCS 17. Manuscript variants and the editor's apparatus are not reproduced; no textual problem is noted in this passage.
Translation
Claude translation (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27 · Translated by Claude from the Greek text of Stählin (1909); made independently of existing English translations.
Scripture
Topics
Baptism, Fasting, Prayer

Notes

Translation notes

  • An early description of the preparation for baptism. The quotation is Ps 22:21 (21:22 LXX); compare 2 Tim 4:17.

Cite this passage

Clement of Alexandria, Exc. 84.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-excerpta/84/1/).

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Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Exc. 84.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-excerpta/84/1/).

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