Miscellanies 7.10.56
Summary: Knowledge, given to those prepared for it, leads beyond the discipline that purifies us of sin to a final restoration in which the pure in heart contemplate God forever and are called gods, enthroned beneath the Savior.
Greek text · Stählin 2
γίνεται δὲ τοῦτο, ὁπόταν τις κρεμασθῇ τοῦ κυρίου διά τε πίστεως διά τε γνώσεως διά τε ἀγάπης καὶ συναναβῇ αὐτῷ ἔνθα ἐστὶν ὁ τῆς πίστεως ἡμῶν καὶ ἀγάπης θεὸς καὶ φρουρός· ὅθεν ἐπὶ τέλει ἡ γνῶσις παραδίδοται τοῖς εἰς τοῦτο ἐπιτηδείοις καὶ ἐγκρίτοις διὰ τὸ πλείονος παρασκευῆς καὶ προγυμνασίας δεῖσθαι καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἀκούειν τῶν λεγομένων καὶ εἰς καταστολὴν βίου καὶ εἰς τὸ ἐπὶ πλέον τῆς κατὰ νόμον δικαιοσύνης κατʼ ἐπίτασιν προεληλυθέναι. αὕτη πρὸς τέλος ἄγει τὸ ἀτελεύτητον καὶ τέλειον, προδιδάσκουσα τὴν ἐσομένην ἡμῖν κατὰ τὸν θεὸν μετὰ θεῶν δίαιταν, ἀπολυθέντων ἡμῶν κολάσεως καὶ τιμωρίας ἁπάσης, ἃς ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων εἰς παιδείαν ὑπομένομεν σωτήριον· μεθʼ ἣν ἀπολύτρωσιν τὸ γέρας καὶ αἱ τιμαὶ τελειωθεῖσιν ἀποδίδονται, πεπαυμένοις μὲν τῆς καθάρσεως, πεπαυμένοις δὲ καὶ λειτουργίας τῆς ἄλλης, κἂν ἁγία ᾖ καὶ ἐν ἁγίοις· ἔπειτα καθαροὺς τῇ καρδίᾳ γενομένους κατὰ τὸ προσεχὲς τοῦ κυρίου προσμένει τῇ θεωρίᾳ τῇ ἀιδίῳ ἀποκατάστασις. καὶ θεοὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν κέκληνται, [οἱ] σύνθρονοι τῶν ἄλλων θεῶν, τῶν ὑπὸ τῷ σωτῆρι πρώτων τεταγμένων, γενησόμενοι. ταχεῖα τοίνυν εἰς κάθαρσιν ἡ γνῶσις καὶ ἐπιτήδειος εἰς τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον εὐπρόσδεκτον μεταβολήν.
English · Claude translation
This happens when someone hangs upon the Lord through faith, through knowledge, and through love, and ascends with him to where the God and guardian of our faith and love is. Hence knowledge is handed on at the end to those who are fit and chosen for it, because it needs more preparation and preliminary training, both for hearing what is said and for a restrained life, and for having gone on, with growing intensity, beyond the righteousness that is according to the law. It leads to the end that is endless and perfect, teaching beforehand the life that we shall have according to God, with gods, when we have been released from all chastisement and punishment, which we undergo because of our sins as a saving discipline. After this redemption the reward and the honors are given to those who have been perfected, once they have ceased from purification, and ceased also from all other service, even if it is holy and among the holy. Then, when they have become pure in heart, restoration to eternal contemplation awaits them, by virtue of their nearness to the Lord. And they have been called by the title of gods, destined to share the throne with the other gods, who have been ranked first under the Savior. Knowledge, then, is swift for purification and suited to the welcome change to the better.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The allusions are Matt 5:20 (righteousness beyond the law), Matt 5:8 (pure in heart), Ps 82:6 (81:6 LXX) / John 10:34 (gods), and Rev 3:21 (sharing the throne). “Restoration” renders ἀποκατάστασις. The bracketed οἱ is marked by Stählin for deletion.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period in the digital text): κολάσεως καὶ τιμωρίας ἁπάσης. ἃς → κολάσεως καὶ τιμωρίας ἁπάσης, ἃς.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.10.56 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/10/56/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.10.56 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/10/56/).
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