Miscellanies 2.12.53
Summary: Faith looks to past and future, with memory and hope; fear grows into faith and then love, not the fear of a beast but a son's reverent fear of his father; blessed is the one in whom love and fear are blended.
Greek text · Stählin 2:141–142
Τῆς δὲ πίστεως καθάπερ τοῦ χρόνου διττῶν ὄντων εὕροιμεν ἂν διττὰς ἀρετὰς συνοικούσας ἀμφοῖν. τοῦ γὰρ χρόνου τῷ μὲν παρῳχηκότι ἡ μνήμη, τῷ δὲ μέλλοντι ἐλπίς ἐστι· πιστεύομεν δὲ τὰ παρῳχηκότα γεγονέναι καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα ἔσεσθαι· ἀγαπῶμέν τε αὖ, οὕτως ἔχειν τὰ παρῳχηκότα πίστει πεπεισμένοι, τὰ μέλλοντα ἐλπίδι ἀπεκδεχόμενοι. διὰ πάντων γὰρ ἡ ἀγάπη τῷ γνωστικῷ πεφοίτηκεν ἕνα θεὸν εἰδότι· καὶ ἰδού, πάντα ὅσα δεδημιούργηκε λίαν καλὰ οἶδέν τε καὶ θαυμάζει· θεοσέβεια δὲ προστίθησι μῆκος βίου καὶ φόβος κυρίου προστίθησιν ἡμέρας. ὡς οὖν αἱ ἡμέραι μόριον βίου τοῦ κατʼ ἐπανάβασιν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ φόβος τῆς ἀγάπης ἀρχή, κατὰ παραύξησιν πίστις γινόμενος, εἶτα ἀγάπη· ἀλλʼ οὐχ ὡς φοβοῦμαι τὸ θηρίον καὶ μισῶ (διττοῦ τυγχάνοντος τοῦ φόβου), ὡς δὲ καὶ τὸν πατέρα δέδια, ὃν φοβοῦμαι ἅμα καὶ ἀγαπῶ· πάλιν, φοβούμενος μὴ κολασθῶ, ἐμαυτὸν ἀγαπῶ, αἱρούμενος τὸν φόβον· ὁ δὲ φοβούμενος προσκόψαι τῷ πατρὶ ἀγαπᾷ αὐτόν. μακάριος οὖν ὃς πιστὸς γίνεται, ἀγάπῃ καὶ φόβῳ κεκραμένος· πίστις δὲ ἰσχὺς εἰς σωτηρίαν καὶ δύναμις εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
English · Claude translation
As faith, like time, is twofold, we would find two virtues dwelling with both. For of time, memory belongs to the past and hope to the future. We believe that past things have happened and that future things will be; and again we love, persuaded by faith that past things are so, and awaiting future things in hope. For love has passed through everything for the one who knows, since he knows one God; and “behold, all things” that he has made are “very good,” he knows and wonders at them. And godliness adds length of life, and “the fear of the Lord adds days.” As, then, days are a part of life that advances, so fear too is the beginning of love, becoming faith by growth, and then love. But not as I fear a wild beast and hate it (for fear is twofold), but as I also stand in awe of my father, whom I fear and love at the same time. Again, fearing lest I be punished, I love myself, choosing fear; but the one who fears to offend his father loves him. Blessed, then, is the one who becomes faithful, blended of love and fear. And faith is strength for salvation and power for eternal life.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Gen 1:31 and Prov 10:27.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.12.53 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/12/53/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.12.53 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/12/53/).
Download citation:BibTeX ·RIS (Zotero, EndNote)
Whole work:BibTeX ·RIS ·Markdown text