Miscellanies 3.11.78
Summary: Paul contrasts living by the flesh, which is death and enmity to God, with life in the Spirit; believers are sons of God by the Spirit of adoption, not free to indulge the flesh.
Greek text · Stählin 2:230–231
αὖθις οὖν τοῖς φιληδόνοις ἐπιπλήττων ἐκεῖνα προστίθησι· τὸ γὰρ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς θάνατος, ὅτι οἱ κατὰ σάρκα ζῶντες τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς φρονοῦσιν, καὶ τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς ἔχθρα εἰς θεόν· τῷ γὰρ νόμῳ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ὑποτάσσεται. οἱ δὲ ἐν σαρκὶ ὄντες, οὐχ ὥς τινες δογματίζουσι, θεῷ ἀρέσαι οὐ δύνανται, ἀλλʼ ὡς προειρήκαμεν. εἶτα πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τούτων τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ φησίν· ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐν σαρκί, ἀλλʼ ἐν πνεύματι, εἴπερ πνεῦμα θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν. εἰ δέ τις πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ οὐκ ἔχει, οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῦ. εἰ δὲ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, τὸ μὲν σῶμα νεκρὸν διʼ ἁμαρτίαν, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωὴ διὰ δικαιοσύνην. ἄρα οὖν, ἀδελφοί, ὀφειλέται ἐσμέν, οὐ τῇ σαρκὶ τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα ζῆν. εἰ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ζῆτε, μέλλετε ἀποθνῄσκειν· εἰ δὲ πνεύματι τὰς πράξεις τοῦ σώματος θανατοῦτε, ζήσεσθε. ὅσοι γὰρ πνεύματι θεοῦ ἄγονται, οὗτοί εἰσιν υἱοὶ θεοῦ. καὶ πρὸς τὴν εὐγένειαν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τὴν καταπτύστως ὑπὸ τῶν ἑτεροδόξων εἰσαγομένην τῶν ἐπʼ ἀσελγείᾳ καυχωμένων ἐπιφέρει λέγων· οὐ γὰρ ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα δουλείας πάλιν εἰς φόβον, ἀλλὰ ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας, ἐν ᾧ κράζομεν· ἀββᾶ ὁ πατήρ· τουτέστιν εἰς τοῦτο ἐλάβομεν, ἵνα γινώσκωμεν τοῦτον ᾧ προσευχόμεθα, τὸν τῷ ὄντι πατέρα, τὸν τῶν ὄντων μόνον πατέρα, τὸν εἰς σωτηρίαν παιδεύοντα ὡς πατέρα καὶ τὸν φόβον † ἀπειλεῖ.
English · Claude translation
Again, then, rebuking the lovers of pleasure, he adds: “For the mind of the flesh is death, because those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; and the mind of the flesh is enmity toward God, for it does not submit to the law of God. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God,” not as some teach, but as we have said before. Then, in contrast to these, he says to the church: “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. But if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” And against the noble birth and freedom introduced so contemptibly by the heterodox who boast in licentiousness, he adds: “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, in which we cry, ‘Abba, Father’”; that is, we received it for this, that we might know the one to whom we pray, the true Father, the only Father of what exists, who trains us for salvation as a father and … fear.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Rom 8:6–15. The last words are corrupt (dagger).
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.11.78 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/3/11/78/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.11.78 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/3/11/78/).
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