Miscellanies 4.16.100
Summary: The common faith is the “fragrance of knowledge”; the veil remains until one turns to the Lord; the pleasure-loving are “offspring of vipers”; John teaches love in deed, the perfect love that casts out fear, shown in keeping the commandments.
Greek text · Stählin 2:292–293
ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τῆς γνώσεως ὁ ἀπόστολος· τὴν δὲ κοινὴν διδασκαλίαν τῆς πίστεως ὀσμὴν γνώσεως εἴρηκεν ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ πρὸς Κορινθίους. ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας τὸ αὐτὸ κάλυμμα τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης μένει, μὴ ἀνακαλυπτόμενον κατὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἐπιστροφήν. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀνάστασιν ἔδειξε τοῖς διορᾶν δυναμένοις τὴν ἔτι ἐν σαρκὶ ἐκ τοῦ βίου τοῦ ἕρποντος ἐπὶ κοιλίᾳ. ἔνθεν καὶ γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν τοὺς τοιούτους ἐκάλεσεν, τοὺς φιληδόνους, τοὺς γαστρὶ καὶ αἰδοίοις δουλεύοντας, καὶ τὰς ἀλλήλων διὰ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας ἀποτέμνοντας κεφαλάς. τεκνία, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ γλώσσῃ, φησὶν Ἰωάννης τελείους εἶναι διδάσκων, ἀλλʼ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ. ἐν τούτῳ γνωσόμεθα ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσμέν. εἰ δὲ ἀγάπη ὁ θεός, ἀγάπη καὶ ἡ θεοσέβεια· φόβος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ, ἀλλʼ ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη ἔξω βάλλει τὸν φόβον. αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν. πάλιν τε αὖ τῷ γνωστικῷ ποθοῦντι γενέσθαι γέγραπται· ἀλλὰ τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν πίστει, ἐν ἁγνείᾳ· πίστεως γάρ, οἶμαι, τελειότης πρὸς τὴν κοινὴν διαστέλλεται πίστιν.
English · Claude translation
So much the apostle says about knowledge; and in the second letter to the Corinthians he has called the common teaching of the faith “the fragrance of knowledge.” “For to this very day the same veil remains” for the many “at the reading of the old covenant,” not being lifted by the turning to the Lord. That is why he also showed a resurrection, to those who can see it, while still in the flesh, from the life that creeps on its belly. From this he also called such people “offspring of vipers,” the lovers of pleasure, those enslaved to belly and genitals, who cut off one another's heads because of worldly desires. “Little children, let us not love in word or tongue,” says John, teaching them to be perfect, “but in deed and truth. By this we will know that we are of the truth.” And if “God is love,” godliness too is love: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” And again it is written to the one who longs to become one who knows: “But be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity”; for the perfection of faith, I think, is distinguished from common faith.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations and allusions are 2 Cor 2:14, 2 Cor 3:14, 16, Gen 3:14, Matt 3:7, 1 John 3:18–19; 4:8, 18; 5:3, and 1 Tim 4:12.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.16.100 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/16/100/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.16.100 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/16/100/).
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