Miscellanies 5.3.16
Summary: Hope and faith see with the mind; the Word, who is the truth, is seen by the mind, as Plato's truth is seen only by the mind; the Word created the world and then became flesh to be seen; the kingdom is seized by persistent righteous living and prayer.
Greek text · Stählin 2:336
ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ἐλπίζων, καθάπερ ὁ πιστεύων, τῷ νῷ ὁρᾷ τὰ νοητὰ καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα. εἰ τοίνυν φαμέν τι εἶναι δίκαιον, φαμὲν δὲ καὶ καλόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀλήθειάν τι λέγομεν, οὐδὲν δὲ πώποτε τῶν τοιούτων τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς εἴδομεν ἀλλʼ ἢ μόνῳ τῷ νῷ, ὁ δὲ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐγώ φησιν εἰμὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια· νῷ ἄρα θεωρητὸς ὁ λόγος. τοὺς δὲ ἀληθινούς, ἔφη, φιλοσόφους τίνας λέγεις; τοὺς τῆς ἀληθείας, ἦν δʼ ἐγώ, φιλοθεάμονας. ἐν δὲ τῷ Φαίδρῳ περὶ ἀληθείας ὡς ἰδέας λέγων ὁ Πλάτων δηλώσει. ἡ δὲ ἰδέα ἐννόημα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅπερ οἱ βάρβαροι λόγον εἰρήκασι τοῦ θεοῦ· ἔχει δὲ τὰ τῆς λέξεως ὧδε· τολμητέον γὰρ οὖν τό γε ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν ἄλλως τε καὶ περὶ ἀληθείας λέγοντα· ἡ γὰρ ἀχρώματός τε καὶ ἀσχημάτιστος καὶ ἀναφὴς οὐσία ὄντως οὖσα ψυχῆς κυβερνήτῃ μόνῳ νῷ θεατή. προελθὼν δὲ ὁ λόγος δημιουργίας αἴτιος, ἔπειτα καὶ ἑαυτὸν γεννᾷ, ὅταν ὁ λόγος σὰρξ γένηται, ἵνα καὶ θεαθῇ. ὁ τοίνυν δίκαιος ζητήσει εὕρεσιν ἀγαπητικήν, εἰς ἣν σπεύδων εὐτυχεῖ· τῷ κρούοντι, γάρ φησιν, ἀνοιγήσεται· αἰτεῖτε καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν· οἱ γὰρ ἁρπάζοντες τὴν βασιλείαν βιασταὶ οὐ τοῖς ἐριστικοῖς λόγοις, ἐνδελεχείᾳ δὲ ὀρθοῦ βίου ἀδιαλείπτοις τε εὐχαῖς ἐκβιάζεσθαι εἴρηνται, τὰς ἐπὶ τοῖς προτέροις ἁμαρτήμασιν ἀπηλειφότες κηλῖδας. τὴν μέντοι κακότητα καὶ ἰλαδὸν ἔστιν ἑλέσθαι. τῷ δʼ αὖ πονοῦντι καὶ θεὸς συλλαμβάνει. οὐ γὰρ ἐν μέσοισι κεῖται δῶρα δυσμάχητα Μοισᾶν τὠπιτυχόντι φέρειν.
English · Claude translation
For the one who hopes, like the one who believes, sees intelligible and future things with the mind. If, then, we say that something is just, and say that something is beautiful, and speak of truth too, yet have never seen any such thing with our eyes, but only with the mind; and the Word of God says, “I am the truth”; then the Word is contemplated by the mind. “Whom do you call the true philosophers?” he said. “Those who love the sight of truth,” said I. And in the Phaedrus Plato will show it, speaking of truth as an Idea. And the Idea is a thought of God, which the barbarians have called the Word of God. The words run thus: “For one must dare to speak the truth, especially when speaking about truth; for the colorless, shapeless, intangible substance that truly is, is visible only to the mind, the soul's pilot.” And the Word, coming forth, is the cause of creation; then also he begets himself, when the Word becomes flesh, so that he may also be seen. The righteous man, then, will seek a loving discovery, and hastening toward it is fortunate; for “to the one who knocks,” it says, “it will be opened; ask and it will be given to you.” For “the violent who seize the kingdom” are said to take it by force not with contentious words, but by the perseverance of a right life and unceasing prayers, having wiped away the stains of their former sins. “Vice can be chosen in abundance.” “And God helps the one who toils.” “For the hard-won gifts of the Muses do not lie in the middle for anyone who happens by to carry off.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are John 14:6, Plato, Republic 5.475e, Phaedrus 247c, John 1:14, Matt 7:7–8, Matt 11:12, Hesiod, Works and Days 287, Aeschylus (fragment 395), and Bacchylides (fragment).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (wrong breathing on οὐ): οὖ γὰρ ἐν μέσοισι κεῖται → οὐ γὰρ ἐν μέσοισι κεῖται.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 5.3.16 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/5/3/16/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 5.3.16 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/5/3/16/).
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