The Instructor 1.7.61
Summary: Prophecy gives the Instructor a rod: persuasion, threat, rod, and finally fire each heal those the previous could not; the Lord's discipline saves from death.
Greek text · Stählin 1:126
τοιοῦτον ἡμῖν ὄνομα σωτηρίου προφητεύει παιδαγωγοῦ. διὰ τοῦτο αὐτῷ ῥάβδον περιτίθησιν ἡ προφητεία, ῥάβδον παιδευτικήν, ἀρχικήν, κατεξουσιαστικήν, ἵνʼ οὓς ὁ λόγος ὁ πειθήνιος οὐκ ἰᾶται, ἀπειλὴ ἰάσεται, οὓς δὲ ἡ ἀπειλὴ οὐκ ἰᾶται, ἡ ῥάβδος ἰάσεται, οὓς δὲ ἡ ῥάβδος οὐκ ἰᾶται, τὸ πῦρ ἐπινέμεται. »ἐξελεύσεται«, φησί, »ῥάβδος ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ἰεσσαί.« ὅρα καὶ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ τὴν σοφίαν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ παιδαγωγοῦ· »οὐ κατὰ τὴν δόξαν«, φησί, »κρινεῖ, οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν λαλιὰν ἐλέγξει, ἀλλὰ κρινεῖ ταπεινῷ κρίσιν καὶ ἐλέγξει τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς τῆς γῆς.« καὶ διὰ Δαβίδ· »κύριος παιδεύων ἐπαίδευσέν με καὶ τῷ θανάτῳ οὐ παρέδωκέν με·« τὸ γὰρ ὑπὸ κυρίου παιδευθῆναι καὶ παιδαγωγηθῆναι θανάτου ἐστὶν ἀπαλλαγή. καὶ διὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ προφήτου φησίν· »ἐν ῥάβδῳ σιδηρᾷ ποιμανεῖς αὐτούς.« ταύτῃ καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος κινηθεὶς ἐν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίους »τί θέλετε;« φησίν, »ἐν ῥάβδῳ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἢ ἐν ἀγάπῃ πνεύματί τε πραΰτητος;« ἀλλὰ καὶ »ῥάβδον δυνάμεως ἐξαποστελεῖ κύριος ἐκ Σιὼν« διʼ ἄλλου προφήτου λέγει. ἡ δὲ παιδαγωγικὴ αὕτη »ἡ ῥάβδος σου καὶ ἡ βακτηρία σου παρεκάλεσάν με«, εἶπέν τις ἕτερος αὕτη τοῦ παιδαγωγοῦ ἡ δύναμις ἡ σεμνή, ἡ παρακλητική, ἡ σωτήριος.
English · Claude translation
Such is the name of the saving Instructor that he prophesies to us. That is why prophecy puts a rod in his hand, a rod of discipline, of rule, of authority: so that those whom the persuasive Word does not heal, a threat will heal; those whom the threat does not heal, the rod will heal; and those whom the rod does not heal, fire consumes. “There shall come forth,” it says, “a rod from the root of Jesse.” See the care, the wisdom, and the power of the Instructor: “He will not judge by appearance,” it says, “nor convict by hearsay; but he will give judgment to the humble and convict the sinners of the earth.” And through David: “The Lord has disciplined me severely, but has not given me over to death”; for to be disciplined and instructed by the Lord is deliverance from death. And through the same prophet he says, “You shall shepherd them with a rod of iron.” Moved by this, the apostle too says in the letter to the Corinthians, “What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?” And through another prophet he says, “The Lord will send out a rod of power from Zion.” And this rod of instruction, another said, “your rod and your staff, they have comforted me.” This is the Instructor's power: holy, consoling, saving.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Isa 11:1, 3–4; Ps 118:18 (117:18 LXX); Ps 2:9; 1 Cor 4:21; Ps 110:2 (109:2 LXX); and Ps 23:4 (22:4 LXX).
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 1.7.61 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/1/7/61/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 1.7.61 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/1/7/61/).
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