Miscellanies 7.15.89
Summary: Answering the objection that Christians disagree among themselves, Clement notes that Jews and Greek philosophers also have many sects, and that the Lord foretold heresies would grow like weeds among the wheat.
Greek text · Stählin 2
Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀκόλουθόν ἐστι πρὸς τὰ ὑπὸ Ἑλλήνων καὶ Ἰουδαίων ἐπιφερόμενα ἡμῖν ἐγκλήματα ἀπολογήσασθαι, συνεπιλαμβάνονται δὲ ἔν τισι τῶν ἀποριῶν ὁμοίως τοῖς προειρημένοις καὶ αἱ περὶ τὴν ἀληθῆ διδασκαλίαν αἱρέσεις, εὖ ἂν ἔχοι, πρότερον διακαθάραντας τὰ ἐμποδών, εὐτρεπεῖς ἐπὶ τὰς τῶν ἀποριῶν λύσεις, εἰς τὸν ἑξῆς προϊέναι Στρωματέα. Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν αὐτὸ τοῦτο προσάγουσιν ἡμῖν λέγοντες, μὴ δεῖν πιστεύειν διὰ τὴν διαφωνίαν τῶν αἱρέσεων· παρὰ τίνι γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἄλλων ἄλλα δογματιζόντων; πρὸς οὕς φαμεν ὅτι καὶ παρʼ ὑμῖν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις καὶ παρὰ τοῖς δοκιμωτάτοις τῶν παρʼ Ἕλλησι φιλοσόφων πάμπολλαι γεγόνασιν αἱρέσεις. καὶ οὐ δήπου φατὲ δεῖν ὀκνεῖν ἤτοι φιλοσοφεῖν ἢ ἰουδαΐζειν τῆς διαφωνίας ἕνεκα τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλας τῶν παρʼ ὑμῖν αἱρέσεων. ἔπειτα δὲ ἐπισπαρήσεσθαι τὰς αἱρέσεις τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, καθάπερ τῷ πυρῷ »τὰ ζιζάνια«, πρὸς τοῦ κυρίου προφητικῶς εἴρητο, καὶ ἀδύνατον μὴ γενέσθαι τὸ προειρημένον ἔσεσθαι· καὶ τούτου ἡ αἰτία, ὅτι παντὶ τῷ καλῷ μῶμος ἕπεται.
English · Claude translation
Since it follows next to make a defense against the charges brought against us by Greeks and Jews, and since in some of the difficulties the heresies concerning the true teaching also join in with those already mentioned, it would be well first to clear away what stands in the way, and then, ready for the solutions of the difficulties, to go on to the next Miscellany. First, then, they bring this very point against us, saying that one ought not to believe because of the disagreement among the heresies; for with whom does the truth lie, when different people teach different doctrines? To them we say that among you Jews too, and among the most esteemed of the Greek philosophers, very many sects have arisen; and surely you do not say that one should hesitate to practice philosophy or to live as a Jew because of the disagreement of your sects with one another. Next, that heresies would be sown among the truth, like “the weeds” among the wheat, was said prophetically by the Lord, and what was foretold could not fail to happen; and the reason for this is that fault-finding follows everything that is good.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- Clement plays on αἵρεσις, which means both a philosophical school or sect and a heresy. The allusion is Matt 13:24–30.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (garbled in the digital text; stray period in the digital text): ἀπολογήσασθαι. συνεπιλαμβάνονται → ἀπολογήσασθαι, συνεπιλαμβάνονται; π(??)στεύειν → πιστεύειν; »τὰ ζιζάνια«. πρὸς → »τὰ ζιζάνια«, πρὸς.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.15.89 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/15/89/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.15.89 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/15/89/).
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