Who Is the Rich Man That Is Saved? 33.2
Summary: Do not judge who is worthy; it is better to help the unworthy too than to miss the worthy.
Greek text · Stählin 3:181–182
καὶ τίς οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ φίλος τοῦ θεοῦ; σὺ μὲν μὴ κρῖνε, τίς ἄξιος καὶ τίς ἀνάξιος· ἐνδέχεται γάρ σε διαμαρτεῖν περὶ τὴν δόξαν· ὡς ἐν ἀμφιβόλῳ δὲ τῆς ἀγνοίας ἄμεινον καὶ τοὺς ἀναξίους εὖ ποιεῖν διὰ τοὺς ἀξίους ἢ φυλασσόμενον τοὺς ἧσσον ἀγαθοὺς μηδὲ τοῖς σπουδαίοις περιπεσεῖν.
English · Claude translation
And who is this friend of God? Do not you judge who is worthy and who is unworthy; for you may be quite mistaken in your opinion. In the uncertainty of ignorance it is better to do good even to the unworthy for the sake of the worthy, than, guarding against the less good, not to meet the earnest either.
About this passage
Notes
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray raised point in the digital text; word repeated in the digital text): σὺ μὲν μὲν μὴ κρῖνε → σὺ μὲν μὴ κρῖνε; ἢ φυλασσόμενον· τοὺς → ἢ φυλασσόμενον τοὺς.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Quis div. 33.2 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-quis-dives/33/2/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Quis div. 33.2 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-quis-dives/33/2/).
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