Prophetic Extracts 25.1
Summary: John's baptism “with Spirit and fire” was not literal fire, though Heracleon reports that some branded the ears of the baptized; the winnowing image explains it.
Greek text · Stählin 3:143
Ὁ Ἰωάννης φησίν, ὅτι »ἐγὼ μὲν ὑμᾶς ὕδατι βαπτίζω, ἔρχεται δέ μου [ὁ] ὀπίσω ὁ βαπτίζων ὑμᾶς ἐν πνεύματι καὶ πυρί.« πυρὶ δὲ οὐδένα ἐβάπτισεν· »ἔνιοι δέ«, ὥς φησιν Ἡρακλέων, »πυρὶ τὰ ὦτα τῶν σφραγιζομένων κατεσημήναντο«, οὕτως ἀκούσαντες τὸ ἀποστολικόν. »τὸ γὰρ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ διακαθᾶραι τὴν ἅλω. καὶ συνάξει τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην, τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ.«
English · Claude translation
John says, “I baptize you with water, but after me comes the one who baptizes you with the Spirit and fire.” But he baptized no one with fire. “Some,” as Heracleon says, “marked the ears of those being sealed with fire,” understanding the apostolic saying in this way. “For the winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor, and he will gather the wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- Heracleon was a Valentinian commentator on John. The quotation is Matt 3:11–12 (Luke 3:16–17). The bracketed article in the Greek is the editor's deletion.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period in the digital text): ὕδατι βαπτίζω. ἔρχεται → ὕδατι βαπτίζω, ἔρχεται.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Ecl. 25.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-eclogae/25/1/).
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Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Ecl. 25.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-eclogae/25/1/).
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