The Instructor 2.3.36
Summary: Paul's teaching on living “as though not” applies all the more to luxury; the Lord bids us sell our goods and follow him, possessing only faith, confession, and kindness.
Greek text · Stählin 1:178–179
* * τοῦτο ὑπολείπεται μὴ γελοίως σχηματισθῆναι, καθάπερ ἐν ταῖς πομπαῖς ὁρῶνταί τινες ἔξωθεν κεχρισμέναι καταπληκτικῶς εἰς σεμνότητα, τὰ ἔνδον ἄθλιοι. τοῦτο δὴ διασαφῶν ἀκριβέστερον ἐπήγαγεν· »λοιπόν ἐστιν ἵνα καὶ οἱ ἔχοντες γυναῖκας ὡς μὴ ἔχοντες ὦσιν καὶ οἱ ἀγοράζοντες ὡς μὴ κατέχοντες.« εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ γάμου ταῦτα, ἐφʼ οὗ φησιν ὁ θεὸς »πληθύνεσθε«, πῶς οἴεσθε τὴν ἀπειροκαλίαν ἐξ αὐθεντείας κυριακῆς ἐξοριστέαν; διὰ τοῦτο καὶ »πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα«, λέγει κύριος, »καὶ πτωχοῖς δός, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι·« ἕπου τῷ θεῷ γυμνὸς ἀλαζονείας, γυμνὸς ἐπικήρου πομπῆς, τὸ σόν, τὸ ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀναφαίρετον μόνον, τὴν εἰς τὸν θεὸν πίστιν, τὴν εἰς τὸν παθόντα ὁμολογίαν, τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους εὐεργεσίαν κεκτημένος, κτῆμα τιμαλφέστατον. ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ Πλάτωνα ἀποδέχομαι ἄντικρυς νομοθετοῦντα, »ὡς οὔτε ἀργυροῦν δεῖ πλοῦτον οὔτε χρυσοῦν« [ἀσκεῖν] ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ σκεῦος ἀχρεῖον, ὃ μὴ μετὰ τῆς ἀναγκαίας χρήσεως καὶ μέτριόν ἐστιν, ὡς εἰς πολλὰ τὸ αὐτὸ εὔθετον εἴη, καθαιροῖτο δὲ ἡ πολυκτημοσύνη. παγκάλως γοῦν ἡ θεία που λέγει γραφή, πρὸς τοὺς φιλαύτους καὶ ἀλαζόνας ἀποτεινομένη· »ποῦ εἰσιν οἱ ἄρχοντες τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ οἱ κυριεύοντες τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οἱ ἐν τοῖς ὀρνέοις τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐμπαίζοντες, οἱ τὸ ἀργύριον θησαυρίζοντες καὶ τὸ χρυσίον, ᾧ ἐπεποίθεισαν ἄνθρωποι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι τέλος τῆς κτήσεως αὐτῶν, οἱ τὸ ἀργύριόν τε καὶ τὸ χρυσίον τεκταίνοντες καὶ μεριμνῶντες;
English · Claude translation
… it remains that we not be made ridiculous, as some are seen in processions, outwardly made up to look impressively solemn, but wretched within. Making this more precise, he adds: “From now on let those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who buy as though they had no possessions.” If this is said of marriage, of which God says, “Multiply,” how much more, do you think, must tastelessness be banished by the Lord's authority? That is why the Lord says, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor, and come, follow me.” Follow God stripped of pretension, stripped of perishable pomp, possessing what is yours, the only good that cannot be taken away: faith in God, confession of him who suffered, and kindness toward human beings, the most precious possession. I also accept Plato, who legislates plainly “that one should not have wealth of silver or gold,” nor any useless vessel that is not moderate and suited to necessary use, so that the same thing may serve for many purposes, and the acquisition of many possessions be removed. Very beautifully the divine Scripture says somewhere, addressing the self-loving and pretentious: “Where are the rulers of the nations, and those who lord it over the beasts of the earth, who sport with the birds of the air, who hoard silver and gold, in which men trusted, and there is no end of their getting; who work silver and gold and are anxious?
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The asterisks mark a gap in the manuscript. The quotations are 1 Cor 7:29–30, Gen 1:28, Matt 19:21, Plato, Laws 5.742a (freely), and Bar 3:16–18. The bracketed word is marked by the editor as spurious (to be deleted).
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 2.3.36 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/2/3/36/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 2.3.36 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/2/3/36/).
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