Miscellanies 5.4.25
Summary: All Scripture is spoken in parables, as the psalm says; Paul speaks God's hidden wisdom among the perfect, revealed by the Spirit; the unspiritual man cannot receive it.
Greek text · Stählin 2:341–342
ἄντικρυς γοῦν περὶ πάσης γραφῆς τῆς καθʼ ἡμᾶς ἐν τοῖς ψαλμοῖς γέγραπται ὡς ἐν παραβολῇ εἰρημένης· ἀκούσατε, λαός μου, τὸν νόμον μου, κλίνατε τὸ οὖς ὑμῶν εἰς τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ στόματός μου· ἀνοίξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα μου, φθέγξομαι προβλήματα ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς. καὶ ὁ γενναῖος ἀπόστολος τὰ ὅμοια ὧδέ πως λέγει· σοφίαν δὲ λαλοῦμεν ἐν τοῖς τελείοις, σοφίαν δὲ οὐ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου οὐδὲ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου τῶν καταργουμένων· ἀλλὰ λαλοῦμεν θεοῦ σοφίαν ἐν μυστηρίῳ, τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην, ἣν προώρισεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων εἰς δόξαν ἡμῶν· ἣν οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἔγνωκεν· εἰ γὰρ ἔγνωσαν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν. οἱ φιλόσοφοι δὲ οὐκ ἐνηργήθησαν ἐνυβρίσαι τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ κυρίου· ἀπόκειται τοίνυν τὴν οἴησιν τῶν ἐν Ἰουδαίοις σοφῶν ἐπιραπίζειν τὸν ἀπόστολον· διὸ καὶ ἐπιφέρει· ἀλλὰ κηρύσσομεν καθὼς γέγραπται, φησίν, ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. ἡμῖν γὰρ ἀπεκάλυψεν ὁ θεὸς διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος· τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμα πάντα ἐρευνᾷ, καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ θεοῦ. πνευματικὸν γὰρ καὶ γνωστικὸν οἶδεν τὸν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος μαθητὴν τοῦ ἐκ θεοῦ χορηγουμένου, ὅ ἐστι νοῦς Χριστοῦ. ψυχικὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος· μωρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστιν.
English · Claude translation
Plainly, at any rate, it is written in the Psalms about all our Scripture, as spoken in parable: “Hear, my people, my law; incline your ear to the words of my mouth; I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter riddles from the beginning.” And the noble apostle says similar things thus: “We speak wisdom among the perfect, but a wisdom not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages for our glory; which none of the rulers of this age has known; for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” The philosophers were not moved to insult the Lord's coming; it remains, then, that the apostle rebukes the conceit of the wise among the Jews. That is why he adds: “But we preach, as it is written, what eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love him. For God has revealed it to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” For he knows as spiritual and knowing the disciple of the Holy Spirit supplied from God, which is the mind of Christ. “But the psychic man does not receive the things of the Spirit; for they are foolishness to him.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Ps 78:1–2 (77:1–2 LXX) and 1 Cor 2:6–10, 14.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 5.4.25 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/5/4/25/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 5.4.25 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/5/4/25/).
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