Miscellanies 7.12.72
Summary: Only the Lord was free from desire by nature; his followers become so by discipline; the knowing souls are the wise virgins of the parable, who wait for the Lord with their lamps lit and pray for what is good, not what is pleasant.
Textual problem in this passage: the printed text is uncertain or disputed here. See the notes.
Greek text · Stählin 2
Εἷς μὲν οὖν μόνος ὁ ἀνεπιθύμητος ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ κύριος ὁ φιλάνθρωπος ὁ καὶ διʼ ἡμᾶς ἄνθρωπος· ὅσοι δὲ ἐξομοιοῦσθαι σπεύδουσι τῷ ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ δεδομένῳ χαρακτῆρι ἀνεπιθύμητοι ἐξ ἀσκήσεως γενέσθαι βιάζονται. ὁ γὰρ ἐπιθυμήσας καὶ κατασχὼν ἑαυτοῦ *, καθάπερ καὶ ἡ χήρα διὰ σωφροσύνης αὖθις παρθένος. οὗτος μισθὸς γνώσεως τῷ σωτῆρι καὶ διδασκάλῳ, ὃν αὐτὸς ᾔτησεν, τὴν ἀποχὴν τῶν κακῶν καὶ τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῆς εὐποιίας. διʼ ὧν ἡ σωτηρία περιγίνεται. ὥσπερ οὖν οἱ τὰς τέχνας μεμαθηκότες διʼ ὧν ἐπαιδεύθησαν πορίζουσι τὰς τροφάς, οὕτως ὁ γνωστικὸς διʼ ὧν ἐπίσταται πορίζων τὴν ζωὴν σῴζεται. ὁ γὰρ μὴ θελήσας τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκκόψαι πάθος ἑαυτὸν ἀπέκτεινεν. ἀλλʼ ὡς ἔοικεν ἀτροφία μὲν ἡ ἄγνοια τῆς ψυχῆς, τροφὴ δὲ ἡ γνῶσις. αὗται δέ εἰσιν αἱ γνωστικαὶ ψυχαί, ἃς ἀπείκασεν τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ταῖς ἡγιασμέναις παρθένοις ταῖς προσδεχομέναις τὸν κύριον. παρθένοι μὲν γὰρ ὡς κακῶν ἀπεσχημέναι, προσδεχόμεναι δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην τὸν κύριον. καὶ τὸ οἰκεῖον ἀνάπτουσαι φῶς εἰς τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων θεωρίαν, φρόνιμοι ψυχαὶ ›ποθοῦμέν σε, ὦ κύριε, ‹ λέγουσαι. ›ἤδη ποτὲ ἀπολαβεῖν. ἀκολούθως οἷς ἐνετείλω ἐζήσαμεν, μηδὲν τῶν παρηγγελμένων παραβεβηκυῖαι· διὸ καὶ τὰς ὑποσχέσεις ἀπαιτοῦμεν, εὐχόμεθα δὲ τὰ συμφέροντα, οὐ τὰ ἡδέα ὡς καθήκοντος τοῦ αἰτεῖν τὰ κάλλιστα παρὰ σοῦ· καὶ πάντα ἐπὶ συμφόρῳ δεξόμεθα.
English · Claude translation
The only one, then, who was free from desire from the beginning is the Lord, the lover of humanity, who also became human for our sake; but those who hasten to be made like the impression he has given strive to become free from desire through discipline. For the one who has felt desire and has restrained himself … just as the widow too becomes a virgin again through self-restraint. This is the fee for knowledge owed to the Savior and Teacher, the fee that he himself asked for: abstaining from evils and practicing good, by which salvation is gained. Just as those who have learned a craft earn their living by what they were taught, so the one who knows is saved, earning life by what he understands. For whoever has not been willing to cut out the passion of the soul has killed himself. But, it seems, ignorance is the starvation of the soul, and knowledge its nourishment. These are the knowing souls that the gospel likened to the consecrated virgins waiting for the Lord: virgins because they have abstained from evils, waiting for the Lord because of their love, and kindling their own light for the contemplation of things; wise souls, saying, “We long for you, O Lord, to receive you at last. We have lived according to what you commanded, transgressing none of your precepts. Therefore we also claim the promises; and we pray for what is beneficial, not for what is pleasant, since it is fitting to ask the best things from you; and we will accept all things as for our good,
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The parable is Matt 25:1–13. An asterisk in the edition marks a gap after “restrained himself.”
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period in the digital text): σωτῆρι καὶ διδασκάλῳ. ὃν → σωτῆρι καὶ διδασκάλῳ, ὃν; πορίζουσι τὰς τροφάς. οὕτως → πορίζουσι τὰς τροφάς, οὕτως; ἡ ἄγνοια τῆς ψυχῆς. τροφὴ → ἡ ἄγνοια τῆς ψυχῆς, τροφὴ.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.12.72 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/12/72/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.12.72 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/12/72/).
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