Miscellanies 6.7.61
Summary: Christ is wisdom, so knowledge taught by the Son is wisdom embracing past, present, and future; this knowledge came down unwritten from the apostles to a few and must be trained into constant contemplation.
Greek text · Stählin 2:462–463
Εἰ τοίνυν αὐτόν τε τὸν Χριστὸν σοφίαν φαμὲν καὶ τὴν ἐνέργειαν αὐτοῦ τὴν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν, διʼ ἧς ἔστι τὴν γνωστικὴν παράδοσιν ἐκμανθάνειν, ὡς αὐτὸς κατὰ τὴν παρουσίαν τοὺς ἁγίους ἐδίδαξεν ἀποστόλους, σοφία εἴη ἂν ἡ γνῶσις, ἐπιστήμη οὖσα καὶ κατάληψις τῶν ὄντων τε καὶ ἐσομένων καὶ παρῳχηκότων βεβαία καὶ ἀσφαλής, ὡς ἂν παρὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ παραδοθεῖσα καὶ ἀποκαλυφθεῖσα. καὶ δὴ καὶ εἰ ἔστι τέλος τοῦ σοφοῦ ἡ θεωρία, ὀρέγεται μὲν ὁ μὲν ἔτι φιλοσοφῶν τῆς θείας ἐπιστήμης, οὐδέπω δὲ τυγχάνει, ἢν μὴ μαθήσει παραλάβῃ σαφηνισθεῖσαν αὐτῷ τὴν προφητικὴν φωνήν, διʼ ἧς τά τʼ ἐόντα τά τʼ ἐσόμενα πρό τʼ ἐόντα, ὅπως ἔχει τε καὶ ἔσχεν καὶ ἕξει, παραλαμβάνει. ἡ γνῶσις δὲ αὕτη ἡ κατὰ διαδοχὰς εἰς ὀλίγους ἐκ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀγράφως παραδοθεῖσα κατελήλυθεν. Ἐντεῦθεν δὲ ἄρα γνῶσιν εἴτε σοφίαν συνασκηθῆναι χρὴ εἰς ἕξιν θεωρίας ἀίδιον καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον·
English · Claude translation
If, then, we call Christ himself wisdom, and also his activity through the prophets, by which it is possible to learn thoroughly the tradition of knowledge, as he himself taught the holy apostles during his coming, then knowledge would be wisdom, being understanding and apprehension, firm and secure, of things present, future, and past, as having been handed down and revealed by the Son of God. And indeed, if contemplation is the goal of the wise man, the one who is still a philosopher reaches for divine understanding but does not yet attain it, unless by learning he receives the prophetic voice made clear to him, through which he receives “what is, what will be, and what was before,” how they are, were, and will be. This knowledge, handed down unwritten from the apostles to a few by succession, has come down to us. From this, then, knowledge or wisdom must be exercised into an eternal and unchangeable habit of contemplation.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The allusion is 1 Cor 1:24, 30; the phrase “what is, what will be, and what was before” is Homer, Il. 1.70. On the unwritten tradition compare Strom. 1.1.11–12.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.7.61 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/7/61/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.7.61 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/7/61/).
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