Miscellanies 1.9.45
Summary: Though prophets and apostles lacked technical learning, their hidden meaning needs skilled teaching to be understood; dialectic helps answer questioners; action should come from reason, the Word, not mere habit.
Greek text · Stählin 2:30
Εἰ δὲ οἱ προφῆται καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι οὐ τὰς τέχνας ἐγνώκεσαν, διʼ ὧν τὰ κατὰ φιλοσοφίαν ἐμφαίνεται γυμνάσματα, ἀλλʼ ὁ νοῦς γε τοῦ προφητικοῦ καὶ τοῦ διδασκαλικοῦ πνεύματος ἐπικεκρυμμένως λαλούμενος διὰ τὸ μὴ πάντων εἶναι τὴν συνιεῖσαν ἀκοήν, τὰς ἐντέχνους ἀπαιτεῖ πρὸς σαφήνειαν διδασκαλίας. ἀσφαλῶς γὰρ ἐγνώκεσαν τὸν νοῦν ἐκεῖνον οἱ προφῆται καὶ οἱ τοῦ πνεύματος μαθηταί· ἐκ γὰρ πίστεως καὶ ὡς οὐχ οἷόν τε ῥᾳδίως ὡς τὸ πνεῦμα εἴρηκεν. ἀλλʼ οὐχ οἷόν τε οὕτως ἐκδέξασθαι μὴ μεμαθηκότας. τὰς δὲ ἐντολάς, φησίν, ἀπόγραψαι δισσῶς βουλήσει καὶ γνώσει τοῦ ἀποκρίνασθαι λόγους ἀληθείας τοῖς προβαλλομένοις σοι. τίς οὖν ἡ γνῶσις τοῦ ἀποκρίνασθαι; ἥτις καὶ τοῦ ἐρωτᾶν· εἴη δʼ ἂν αὕτη διαλεκτική. τί δʼ; οὐχὶ καὶ τὸ λέγειν ἔργον ἐστὶ τὸ ποιεῖν ἐκ τοῦ λόγου γίνεται; εἰ γὰρ μὴ λόγῳ πράττοιμεν, ἀλόγως ποιοῖμεν ἄν. τὸ λογικὸν δὲ ἔργον κατὰ θεὸν ἐκτελεῖται· καὶ οὐδὲν χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, φησί, τοῦ λόγου τοῦ θεοῦ. ἢ οὐχὶ καὶ ὁ κύριος λόγῳ πάντα ἔπρασσεν; ἐργάζεται δὲ καὶ τὰ κτήνη ἐλαυνόμενα ἀναγκάζοντι τῷ φόβῳ. οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ οἱ ὀρθοδοξασταὶ καλούμενοι ἔργοις προσφέρονται καλοῖς, οὐκ εἰδότες ἃ ποιοῦσιν;
English · Claude translation
If the prophets and apostles did not know the arts by which the exercises of philosophy are displayed, yet the meaning of the prophetic and teaching Spirit, spoken in a hidden way because the understanding ear is not for all, requires skilled teaching for clarity. For the prophets and the disciples of the Spirit knew that meaning surely; for they knew it by faith, in a way not easy for others, as the Spirit spoke. But those who have not learned cannot receive it in that way. “Write the commandments,” it says, “in a twofold way, with will and knowledge, to answer words of truth to those who put questions to you.” What, then, is the knowledge of answering? That which is also of asking; and this would be dialectic. What then? Is not speaking also a work? Doing comes from reason; for if we did not act by reason, we would act irrationally. And the rational work is carried out according to God: “and nothing came into being without him,” it says, the Word of God. Or did not the Lord too do everything by the Word? Cattle also work, driven by compelling fear. And do not those called “right believers” apply themselves to good works, not knowing what they do?
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Prov 22:20–21 (LXX) and John 1:3. “Right believers” (ὀρθοδοξασταί) are those who hold correct opinion without understanding.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.9.45 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/9/45/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.9.45 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/9/45/).
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