Miscellanies 2.11.48
Summary: Worldly knowledge puffs up, but faithful knowledge is a sure demonstration from the Scriptures; faith and demonstration are each twofold, scientific or opinion-based, and faith is a power of God.
Greek text · Stählin 2:138
Ἀλλʼ ἡ μὲν τῶν οἰησισόφων, εἴτε αἱρέσεις εἶεν βάρβαροι εἴτε οἱ παρʼ Ἕλλησι φιλόσοφοι, γνῶσις φυσιοῖ κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον· πιστὴ δὲ ἡ γνῶσις ἥτις ἂν εἴη ἐπιστημονικὴ ἀπόδειξις τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἀληθῆ φιλοσοφίαν παραδιδομένων. φήσαιμεν δʼ ἂν αὐτὴν λόγον εἶναι τοῖς ἀμφισβητουμένοις ἐκ τῶν ὁμολογουμένων ἐκπορίζοντα τὴν πίστιν. πίστεως δʼ οὔσης διττῆς, τῆς μὲν ἐπιστημονικῆς, τῆς δὲ δοξαστικῆς, οὐθὲν κωλύει ἀπόδειξιν ὀνομάζειν διττήν, τὴν μὲν ἐπιστημονικήν, τὴν δὲ δοξαστικήν. ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ γνῶσις καὶ ἡ πρόγνωσις διττὴ λέγεται, ἣ μὲν ἀπηκριβωμένην ἔχουσα τὴν ἑαυτῆς φύσιν, ἣ δὲ ἐλλιπῆ. καὶ μή τι ἡ παρʼ ἡμῖν ἀπόδειξις μόνη ἂν εἴη ἀληθής, ἅτε ἐκ θείων χορηγουμένη γραφῶν, τῶν ἱερῶν γραμμάτων καὶ τῆς θεοδιδάκτου σοφίας κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον. μάθησις γοῦν καὶ τὸ πείθεσθαι ταῖς ἐντολαῖς, ὅ ἐστι πιστεύειν τῷ θεῷ. καὶ ἡ πίστις δύναμίς τις τοῦ θεοῦ, ἰσχὺς οὖσα τῆς ἀληθείας.
English · Claude translation
But the knowledge of those who are wise in their own conceit, whether barbarian heresies or the philosophers among the Greeks, “puffs up,” according to the apostle. But faithful knowledge would be a scientific demonstration of what is handed down according to the true philosophy. We would say that it is reasoning that provides faith in disputed matters from what is agreed. And since faith is twofold, the one scientific, the other based on opinion, nothing prevents us from calling demonstration twofold too, the one scientific, the other based on opinion; since knowledge and foreknowledge are also said to be twofold, the one having its own nature exact, the other defective. And may not our demonstration alone be true, since it is supplied from the divine Scriptures, the sacred writings, and the wisdom taught by God, according to the apostle? Learning, at any rate, is also obeying the commandments, which is believing God. And faith is a certain power of God, being the strength of the truth.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations and allusions are 1 Cor 8:1, 2 Tim 3:15, and 1 Thess 4:9 (“taught by God”).
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.11.48 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/11/48/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.11.48 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/11/48/).
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