Miscellanies 7.13.81
Summary: The one who knows forgives all who wrong him and prays accordingly; he prays for the needs of poor brothers rather than for wealth to give them, and becomes an instrument of God's goodness.
Greek text · Stählin 2
Οὐδέποτε τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν ἁμαρτησάντων μέμνηται, ἀλλὰ ἀφίησι. διὸ καὶ δικαίως εὔχεται, »ἄφες ἡμῖν« λέγων· »καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν·« ἓν γάρ ἐστι καὶ τοῦτο ὧν ὁ θεὸς βούλεται, μηδενὸς ἐπιθυμεῖν, μηδένα μισεῖν· ἑνὸς γὰρ θελήματος ἔργον οἱ πάντες ἄνθρωποι. καὶ μή τι τὸν γνωστικὸν »τέλειον« εἶναι βουλόμενος ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν »ὡς τὸν οὐράνιον πατέρα«, τουτέστιν ἑαυτόν, ὁ λέγων »δεῦτε, τέκνα, ἀκούσατέ μου φόβον κυρίου«, οὐ τῆς διʼ ἀγγέλων βοηθείας ἐπιδεῆ ἔτι εἶναι βούλεται τοῦτον, παρʼ ἑαυτοῦ δὲ ἄξιον γενόμενον λαμβάνειν, καὶ τὴν φρουρὰν ἔχειν παρʼ ἑαυτοῦ διὰ τῆς εὐπειθείας; ὁ τοιοῦτος ἀπαιτεῖ παρὰ κυρίου, οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ αἰτεῖ. καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πενομένων ἀδελφῶν οὐκ αὐτὸς αἰτήσεται ὁ γνωστικὸς [οὐ] χρημάτων περιουσίαν εἰς μετάδοσιν, ἐκείνοις δὲ ὧν δέονται χορηγίαν εὔξεται γενέσθαι. δίδωσι γὰρ οὕτως καὶ τὴν εὐχὴν τοῖς δεομένοις ὁ γνωστικὸς καὶ τὸ διὰ τῆς εὐχῆς ἀγνώστως ἅμα καὶ ἀτύφως παρέχεται. πενία μὲν οὖν πολλάκις καὶ νόσος καὶ τοιαῦται πεῖραι ἐπὶ νουθεσίᾳ προσφέρονται καὶ πρὸς διόρθωσιν τῶν παρεληλυθότων καὶ πρὸς ἐπιστροφὴν τῶν μελλόντων. ὁ τοιοῦτος τὸν ἐπικουφισμὸν τούτοις αἰτούμενος, ἅτε τὸ ἐξαίρετον τῆς γνώσεως ἔχων, οὐ διὰ κενοδοξίαν, ἀλλὰ διʼ αὐτὸ τὸ εἶναι γνωστικός, αὐτὸς ἐργάζεται τὴν εὐποιίαν. ὄργανον γενόμενος τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγαθότητος.
English · Claude translation
He never remembers those who have sinned against him, but forgives them. That is why he also prays rightly, saying, “Forgive us, for we too forgive.” For this too is one of the things God wills: to desire nothing and to hate no one; for all human beings are the work of one will. And does not our Savior, wishing the one who knows to be “perfect as the heavenly Father,” that is, as himself, he who says, “Come, children, hear me: the fear of the Lord,” wish him no longer to need the help that comes through angels, but, having become worthy, to receive it from himself, and to have his protection from himself through obedience? Such a person claims from the Lord, and does not merely ask. And in the case of poor brothers, the one who knows will not ask for an abundance of money for himself to share, but will pray that a supply of what they need may come to them. For in this way the one who knows gives even his prayer to those in need, and provides what comes through prayer unknown to them and without pride. Poverty, then, and disease and such trials are often brought upon people for admonition, both for correction of the past and for care about the future. Such a person, asking relief for them, since he has the special gift of knowledge, not from vainglory but simply because he is one who knows, himself works the good deed, having become an instrument of God's goodness.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Luke 11:4, Matt 5:48, and Ps 34:11 (33:12 LXX). The bracketed οὐ is marked by Stählin for deletion.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period in the digital text; stray periods in the digital text): ὁ θεὸς βούλεται. μηδενὸς ἐπιθυμεῖν. μηδένα μισεῖν → ὁ θεὸς βούλεται, μηδενὸς ἐπιθυμεῖν, μηδένα μισεῖν; »δεῦτε. τέκνα. ἀκούσατέ → »δεῦτε, τέκνα, ἀκούσατέ; πατέρα«. τουτέστιν ἑαυτόν. ὁ λέγων → πατέρα«, τουτέστιν ἑαυτόν, ὁ λέγων; ἄξιον γενόμενον λαμβάνειν. καὶ → ἄξιον γενόμενον λαμβάνειν, καὶ; τὸν ἐπικουφισμὸν τούτοις αἰτούμενος. ἅτε → τὸν ἐπικουφισμὸν τούτοις αἰτούμενος, ἅτε.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.13.81 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/13/81/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.13.81 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/13/81/).
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