Miscellanies 2.15.69
Summary: Psalm 1 says the ungodly will not stand in judgment; the unbeliever is already judged; through Ezekiel the Lord rebukes the shepherds who neglect the weak, since the Father rejoices over one sinner saved; Abraham obeyed.
Greek text · Stählin 2:149–150
καὶ χρὴ μηδὲ τὴν συνείδησιν ἔχειν μεμολυσμένην. εἰκότως οὖν φησιν ὁ προφήτης· οὐχ οὕτως, φησίν, οἱ ἀσεβεῖς, ἀλλʼ ἢ ὡσεὶ χνοῦς ὃν ἐκρίπτει ὁ ἄνεμος ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς. διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀναστήσονται ἀσεβεῖς ἐν κρίσει (οἱ ἤδη κατακεκριμένοι, ἐπεὶ ὁ μὴ πιστεύων ἤδη κέκριται), οὐδὲ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐν βουλῇ δικαίων (οἱ ἤδη κατεγνωσμένοι εἰς τὸ μὴ ἑνωθῆναι τοῖς ἀπταίστως βεβιωκόσιν), ὅτι γινώσκει κύριος ὁδὸν δικαίων, καὶ ὁδὸς ἀσεβῶν ἀπολεῖται. πάλιν ὁ κύριος δείκνυσιν ἄντικρυς ἐφʼ ἡμῖν καὶ τὰ παραπτώματα καὶ τὰ πλημμελήματα, τρόπους θεραπείας καταλλήλους τοῖς πάθεσιν ὑποτιθέμενος, πρὸς τῶν ποιμένων ἐπανορθοῦσθαι βουλόμενος ἡμᾶς διὰ Ἰεζεκιήλ, αἰτιώμενος αὐτῶν, οἶμαι, τινὰς ἐφʼ οἷς οὐκ ἐτήρησαν τὰς ἐντολάς· τὸ ἠσθενηκὸς οὐκ ἐνισχύσατε καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐπιζητῶν οὐδὲ ὁ ἀποστρέφων· μεγάλη γὰρ χαρὰ παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ ἑνὸς ἁμαρτωλοῦ σωθέντος, ὁ κύριός φησι. ταύτῃ πλέον ἐπαινετὸς ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ὅτι ἐπορεύθη καθάπερ ἐλάλησεν αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος.
English · Claude translation
and one must not have a defiled conscience either. Fittingly, then, the prophet says: “Not so the ungodly, but like the chaff that the wind drives away from the face of the earth. Therefore the ungodly will not rise in judgment” (those already condemned, since “he who does not believe is already judged”), “nor sinners in the counsel of the righteous” (those already condemned so as not to be united with those who have lived without stumbling), “for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly will perish.” Again the Lord shows plainly that both trespasses and offenses rest with us, setting out ways of healing suited to the passions, wishing us to be corrected by the shepherds through Ezekiel, blaming some of them, I think, for not keeping the commandments: “You have not strengthened the weak,” and so on until, “and there was none who sought or turned back.” For “there is great joy with the Father when one sinner is saved,” says the Lord. In this way Abraham is more praiseworthy, because “he went as the Lord had told him.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Ps 1:4–6, John 3:18, Ezek 34:4–6, a free form of Luke 15:7, 10, and Gen 12:4.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.15.69 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/15/69/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.15.69 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/15/69/).
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