The Instructor 3.12.87
Summary: The Instructor now gives a summary of Scripture's commandments, leaving interpretation to the Teacher; he leads the child on the way of salvation to the treasures of wisdom revealed through law, prophets, Christ, and the Spirit.
Greek text · Stählin 1:283–284
Ὅσα μὲν οὖν οἴκοι παραφυλακτέον καὶ ὡς τὸν βίον ἐπανορθωτέον, ὁ παιδαγωγὸς ἡμῖν ἅδην διείλεκται· ἃ δʼ οὖν καὶ κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς ὁμιλεῖν αὐτῷ φίλον τοῖς παιδίοις ἄχρις ἂν ἀγάγῃ αὐτὰ πρὸς τὸν διδάσκαλον, ταῦτα δὲ ἡμῖν ἐν κεφαλαίου μέρει διʼ αὐτῶν ὑποτίθεται καὶ παρατίθεται τῶν γραφῶν, γυμνὰς παρατιθέμενος τὰς παραγγελίας, ἁρμοζόμενος μὲν τῷ χρόνῳ τῆς καθοδηγήσεως, τὰς δὲ ἐξηγήσεις αὐτῶν ἐπιτρέπων τῷ διδασκάλῳ· καὶ γὰρ ὁ νόμος αὐτοῦ τὸν φόβον ὑπεκλύειν βούλεται τὸ ἑκούσιον ἐλευθερώσας εἰς πίστιν. ἄκουε, φησίν, ὦ παιδίον καλῶς παιδαγωγούμενον, τὰ κεφάλαια τῆς σωτηρίας, γυμνώσω γὰρ τὸ ἦθος τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ, καί σοι ταύτας τὰς καλὰς ἐντολὰς ὑποθήσομαι, διʼ ὧν ἀφίξῃ πρὸς σωτηρίαν. ἄγω δέ σε τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν σωτήριον. ἀπόστα τῶν τῆς πλάνης ὁδῶν, »ὅτι κύριος γινώσκει ὁδὸν δικαίων, καὶ ὁδὸς ἀσεβῶν ἀπολεῖται.« ἕπου τοίνυν, ὦ παιδίον, τὴν ἀγαθὴν ὁδόν, ἣν ἂν σοι ἐξηγήσωμαι, τὰ ὦτά μοι ὑποσχὼν τὰ ἀκουστικά, »καὶ δώσω σοι θησαυροὺς σκοτεινούς, ἀποκρύφους, ἀοράτους« ἔθνεσιν, ἡμῖν δὲ ὁρατούς· »σοφίας δὲ θησαυροὶ ἀνέκλειπτοι«, οὓς θαυμάζων ὁ ἀπόστολος »ὢ βάθος« φησὶ »πλούτου καὶ σοφίας«. θησαυροὶ δὲ ὑφʼ ἑνὸς πολλοὶ χορηγούμενοι θεοῦ, οἳ μὲν διὰ τοῦ νόμου, οἳ δὲ διὰ προφητῶν ἀποκαλύπτονται, οἳ δὲ τῷ θείῳ στόματι, ἄλλος δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος τῇ ἑπτάδι ἐπᾴδων· εἷς δὲ ὢν ὁ κύριος διὰ πάντων τούτων ὁ αὐτός
English · Claude translation
The Instructor has discussed with us sufficiently what must be observed at home and how life must be corrected. What it pleases him to say to the children along the way, until he brings them to the Teacher, he sets before us in summary through the Scriptures themselves, setting out the commandments bare, suited to the time of guidance, and entrusting their interpretation to the Teacher. For his law wishes to loosen fear, freeing the will for faith. “Hear,” he says, “O child well instructed, the chief points of salvation; for I will lay bare my character and set before you these good commandments, through which you will come to salvation. I lead you on the way of salvation. Stand away from the ways of error, ‘for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly will perish.’ Follow, then, O child, the good way that I will explain to you, lending me your attentive ears, ‘and I will give you treasures dark, hidden, unseen’” by the Gentiles but seen by us. “The treasures of wisdom are unfailing,” at which the apostle marvels and says, “O the depth of the riches and wisdom!” Many treasures are supplied by the one God; some are revealed through the law, some through the prophets, some by the divine mouth, and another by the sevenfold chorus of the Spirit; but the Lord, being one, is through all of them the same
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The Instructor leads to the Teacher: Clement planned a further work, “the Teacher” (Didaskalos). “The sevenfold chorus of the Spirit” recalls Isa 11:2. The quotations are Ps 1:6, Isa 45:3, Wis 7:14, and Rom 11:33. The sentence continues in the next section.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (accent: grave on ἂν; misspelling in the digital text (imperative ἄκουε)): ἄκους, φησίν, ὦ παιδίον → ἄκουε, φησίν, ὦ παιδίον; ἣν ἄν σοι ἐξηγήσωμαι → ἣν ἂν σοι ἐξηγήσωμαι.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 3.12.87 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/3/12/87/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 3.12.87 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/3/12/87/).
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