Miscellanies 1.27.174
Summary: Paul shows the law's benefit to the Jews; wisdom bears law and mercy; the law and the gospel are the work of one Lord, Christ, God's power and wisdom.
Greek text · Stählin 2:107–108
τοῦ νόμου δὲ τὴν εὐποιίαν διὰ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους περικοπῆς δεδήλωκεν ὁ ἀπόστολος γράφων ὧδέ πως· εἰ δὲ σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ἐπονομάζῃ καὶ ἐπαναπαύῃ νόμῳ καὶ καυχᾶσαι ἐν θεῷ καὶ γιγνώσκεις τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ δοκιμάζεις τὰ διαφέροντα κατηχούμενος ἐκ τοῦ νόμου, πέποιθάς τε σεαυτὸν ὁδηγὸν εἶναι τυφλῶν, φῶς τῶν ἐν σκότει, παιδευτὴν ἀφρόνων, διδάσκαλον νηπίων, ἔχοντα τὴν μόρφωσιν τῆς γνώσεως καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐν τῷ νόμῳ. ταῦτα γὰρ δύνασθαι τὸν νόμον ὁμολογεῖται, κἂν οἱ κατὰ νόμον μὴ πολιτευόμενοι ὡς ἐν νόμῳ ἀλαζονεύωνται βιοῦντες· μακάριος δὲ ἀνὴρ ὃς εὗρεν σοφίαν, καὶ θνητὸς ὃς εἶδεν φρόνησιν, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῆς, τῆς σοφίας δηλονότι, δικαιοσύνη ἐκπορεύεται, νόμον δὲ καὶ ἔλεον ἐπὶ γλώσσης φορεῖ. ἑνὸς γὰρ κυρίου ἐνέργεια, ὅς ἐστι δύναμις καὶ σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅ τε νόμος τό τε εὐαγγέλιον, καὶ ὃν ἐγέννησε φόβον ὁ νόμος, ἐλεήμων οὗτος εἰς σωτηρίαν. ἐλεημοσύναι δὲ καὶ πίστεις καὶ ἀλήθεια μὴ ἐκλιπέτωσάν σε, ἄφαψαι δὲ αὐτὰς περὶ σῷ τραχήλῳ.
English · Claude translation
The apostle has shown the beneficence of the law through the passage addressed to the Jews, writing somewhat thus: “But if you call yourself a Jew and rest on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, being instructed from the law, and are confident that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, having in the law the form of knowledge and of truth.” For it is acknowledged that the law can do these things, even if those who do not live according to the law boast as though living in the law. “Blessed is the man who has found wisdom, and the mortal who has seen understanding”; and “from her mouth,” that is, wisdom's, “righteousness proceeds, and she bears law and mercy on her tongue.” For the law and the gospel are the working of one Lord, who is “the power and wisdom of God”; and the fear that the law begot is merciful for salvation. “Let not almsgiving and faith and truth forsake you, but bind them about your neck.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Rom 2:17–20, Prov 3:13, Prov 3:16 (LXX addition), 1 Cor 1:24, and Prov 3:3.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (misreading in the digital text (τὴν)): τοῦ νόμου δὲ δὴν εὐποιίαν → τοῦ νόμου δὲ τὴν εὐποιίαν.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.27.174 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/27/174/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.27.174 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/27/174/).
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