Miscellanies 1.26.169
Summary: As the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep, the true lawgiver cares for the human flock; Christ is both shepherd and lawgiver, the Word through whom the law was given and who reveals the Father.
Greek text · Stählin 2:105
καθάπερ οὖν τὴν ποιμενικὴν τὸ τῶν προβάτων προνοεῖν φαμεν, οὕτω γὰρ ὁ ἀγαθὸς ποιμὴν τὴν ψυχὴν τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων, οὕτω γε καὶ τὴν νομοθετικὴν τὸ τὴν ἀνθρώπων ἀρετὴν κατασκευάζειν ἐροῦμεν, τὸ ἀνθρώπινον κατὰ δύναμιν ἀγαθὸν ἀναζωπυροῦσαν, ἐπιστατικὴν οὖσαν καὶ κηδεμονικὴν τῆς ἀνθρώπων ἀγέλης. εἰ δὲ ἡ ποίμνη ἡ ἀλληγορουμένη πρὸς τοῦ κυρίου οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ ἀγέλη τις ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν, ὁ αὐτὸς ἔσται ποιμήν τε καὶ νομοθέτης ἀγαθὸς μιᾶς τῆς ἀγέλης τῶν αὐτοῦ ἐπαϊόντων προβάτων, ὁ εἷς κηδεμών, ὁ τὸ ἀπολωλὸς ἐπιζητῶν τε καὶ εὑρίσκων νόμῳ καὶ λόγῳ, εἴ γε ὁ νόμος πνευματικὸς καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν εὐδαιμονίαν ἄγων· ὁ γὰρ πνεύματι ἁγίῳ γενόμενος πνευματικός. οὗτος δὲ ὁ τῷ ὄντι νομοθέτης, ὃς οὐ μόνον ἐπαγγέλλεται τὰ ἀγαθά τε καὶ καλά, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπίσταται. τούτου καὶ ὁ νόμος τοῦ τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἔχοντος τὸ σωτήριον πρόσταγμα, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐπιστήμης πρόσταγμα ὁ νόμος, δύναμις γὰρ καὶ σοφία ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ. νόμων τε αὖ ἐξηγητὴς οὗτος αὐτός, διʼ οὗ ὁ νόμος ἐδόθη, ὁ πρῶτος ἐξηγητὴς τῶν θείων προσταγμάτων, ὁ τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρός ἐξηγούμενος υἱὸς μονογενής.
English · Claude translation
As we say, then, that shepherding is providing for sheep (for so the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep), so we shall say that legislation is forming the virtue of human beings, rekindling the human good as far as possible, being a guardian and protector of the flock of human beings. And if the flock allegorized by the Lord is nothing other than a herd of human beings, the same will be the good shepherd and lawgiver of the one flock of his sheep who listen, the one guardian, who seeks and finds the lost by law and word, if indeed the law is spiritual and leads to happiness; for the one who has come to be in the Holy Spirit is spiritual. And this is the true lawgiver, who not only proclaims good and noble things, but also knows them. Of him who has knowledge the law is the saving command; or rather the law is a command of knowledge, for the Word of God is power and wisdom. And he himself is the interpreter of the laws, through whom the law was given, the first interpreter of the divine commands, the only-begotten Son who explains the bosom of the Father.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The allusions are John 10:11, 16, Luke 15:4, Rom 7:14, 1 Cor 1:24, and John 1:18.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (misreading in the digital text (ἀγέλης)): κηδεμονικὴν τῆς ἀνθρώπων ἀφίλης → κηδεμονικὴν τῆς ἀνθρώπων ἀγέλης.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.26.169 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/26/169/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.26.169 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/26/169/).
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