Miscellanies 2.8.39
Summary: Against the Marcionites, who call the law just but not good, Clement argues that the fear of the Lord destroys evil and so is good, bringing fearlessness and moderation; to fear sinning and keep the commandments honors God.
Greek text · Stählin 2:133–134
Τούτοις τε οὖν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἑτέροις τισί, μάλιστα δὲ τοῖς ἀπὸ Μαρκίωνος ἐμβοᾷ οὐκ ἐπαΐουσιν ἡ γραφή· ὁ δὲ ἐμοῦ ἀκούων ἀναπαήσεται ἐπʼ εἰρήνης πεποιθώς, καὶ ἡσυχάσει ἀφόβως ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ. τί τοίνυν τὸν νόμον βούλονται; κακὸν μὲν οὖν οὐ φήσουσι, δίκαιον δέ, διαστέλλοντες τὸ ἀγαθὸν τοῦ δικαίου. ὁ δὲ κύριος φοβεῖσθαι τὸ κακὸν προστάττων οὐ κακῷ τὸ κακὸν ἀπαλλάττει, τῷ δὲ ἐναντίῳ τὸ ἐναντίον καταλύει. ἀγαθῷ δὲ κακὸν ἐναντίον, ὡς δίκαιον ἀδίκῳ. εἰ τοίνυν κακῶν ἀποχὴν ἀφοβίαν εἴρηκεν ἣν ὁ τοῦ κυρίου φόβος ἐργάζεται, ἀγαθὸν ὁ φόβος, καὶ ὁ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου φόβος οὐ μόνον δίκαιος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀγαθὸς κακίαν ἀναιρῶν· φόβῳ δὲ ἀφοβίαν εἰσάγων οὐ πάθει ἀπάθειαν, παιδείᾳ δὲ μετριοπάθειαν ἐμποιεῖ. ἐπὰν οὖν ἀκούσωμεν· τίμα τὸν κύριον καὶ ἰσχύσεις, πλὴν δὲ αὐτοῦ μὴ φοβοῦ ἄλλον, τὸ φοβεῖσθαι ἁμαρτάνειν, ἕπεσθαι δὲ ταῖς ὑπὸ θεοῦ δοθείσαις ἐντολαῖς τιμὴν εἶναι τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκδεχόμεθα.
English · Claude translation
To these very people, then, and to certain others, especially the followers of Marcion, Scripture cries out, though they do not listen: “He who hears me will rest in peace, confident, and will be quiet without fear of any evil.” What, then, do they want the law to be? They will not call it evil, but just, distinguishing the good from the just. But the Lord, in commanding us to fear evil, does not rid us of evil by evil, but destroys the opposite by its opposite. And evil is the opposite of good, as the just is of the unjust. If, then, he has called abstinence from evils “fearlessness,” which the fear of the Lord produces, fear is good; and the fear that comes from the law is not only just but also good, since it takes away vice. And introducing fearlessness by fear, it produces not freedom from passion by passion, but moderation of passion by training. When, then, we hear, “Honor the Lord and you will be strong, and apart from him fear no other,” we understand that to fear to sin and to follow the commandments given by God is honor to God.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Prov 1:33 and Prov 7:1a (LXX). Marcion distinguished the just Creator of the law from the good Father of Jesus.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.8.39 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/8/39/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 2.8.39 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/2/8/39/).
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