Miscellanies 3.15.99
Summary: The true eunuch is the one who begets no truth; by obedience he bears fruit; the apostles begot spiritual children; the eunuch barred from God's assembly is the barren in word and deed, but those who make themselves eunuchs from sin are blessed.
Greek text · Stählin 2:241–242
εὐνοῦχος τοίνυν οὐχ ὁ κατηναγκασμένος τὰ μόρια οὐδὲ μὴν ὁ ἄγαμος εἴρηται, ἀλλʼ ὁ ἄγονος ἀληθείας. ξύλον οὗτος ξηρὸν ἦν πρότερον, ὑπακούσας δὲ τῷ λόγῳ καὶ φυλάξας τὰ σάββατα κατὰ ἀποχὴν ἁμαρτημάτων καὶ ποιήσας τὰς ἐντολὰς ἐντιμότερος ἔσται τῶν ἄνευ πολιτείας ὀρθῆς λόγῳ μόνῳ παιδευομένων. τεκνία, φησίν, ὀλίγον ἔτι μεθʼ ὑμῶν εἰμι, ὁ διδάσκαλος. διὸ καὶ Παῦλος Γαλάταις ἐπιστέλλων φησί· τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω ἄχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν. πάλιν τε αὖ Κορινθίοις γράφων ἐὰν γὰρ μυρίους παιδαγωγοὺς ἔχητε ἐν Χριστῷ λέγει, ἀλλʼ οὐ πολλοὺς πατέρας· ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα. διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται εὐνοῦχος εἰς ἐκκλησίαν θεοῦ, ὁ ἄγονος καὶ ἄκαρπος καὶ πολιτείᾳ καὶ λόγῳ, ἀλλʼ οἱ μὲν εὐνουχίσαντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας διὰ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν μακάριοι οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ τοῦ κόσμου νηστεύοντες.
English · Claude translation
The eunuch, then, is said to be not the one whose parts have been forcibly treated, nor indeed the unmarried man, but the one who does not beget truth. This man was formerly a dry tree; but having obeyed the Word, and kept the Sabbaths by abstaining from sins, and done the commandments, he will be more honored than those educated by word alone without right conduct. “Little children,” says the Teacher, “yet a little while I am with you.” That is why Paul too, writing to the Galatians, says: “My little children, for whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” And again, writing to the Corinthians, he says: “For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ I begot you through the gospel.” That is why “a eunuch will not enter the assembly of God,” the one who is barren and fruitless both in conduct and in word; but those who have made themselves eunuchs from all sin for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, these are blessed, who fast from the world.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations and allusions are John 13:33, Gal 4:19, 1 Cor 4:15, Deut 23:1, Matt 19:12, and an unwritten saying “fasting from the world” (compare Gos. Thom. 27).
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.15.99 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/3/15/99/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.15.99 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/3/15/99/).
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