Miscellanies 3.15.96
Summary: Paul's “because of sexual immorality let each have his own wife … lest Satan tempt you” is addressed not to those who use marriage restrainedly for children but to those tempted beyond that, whom Satan seeks to lead astray.
Greek text · Stählin 2:240
Αὖθίς τε ὅταν φῇ καλὸν ἀνθρώπῳ γυναικὸς μὴ ἅπτεσθαι· διὰ δὲ τὰς πορνείας ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ἐχέτω, οἷον ἐπεξηγούμενος πάλιν λέγει· ἵνα μὴ πειράζῃ ὑμᾶς ὁ σατανᾶς. οὐ γὰρ τοῖς ἐγκρατῶς χρωμένοις τῷ γάμῳ ἐπὶ παιδοποιίᾳ μόνῃ διὰ τὴν ἀκρασίαν φησίν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς καὶ πέρα παιδοποιίας προβαίνειν ἐπιθυμοῦσιν, ὡς μὴ πολὺ ἐπιπνεύσας ὁ διʼ ἐναντίας ἐκκυμήνῃ τὴν ὄρεξιν εἰς ἀλλοτρίας ἡδονάς. τάχα δὲ ἐπεὶ τοῖς δικαίως βιοῦσιν ἀνθίσταται διὰ ζῆλον καὶ ἀντιφιλονικεῖ, ὑπάγεσθαι τούτους τῷ ἑαυτοῦ τάγματι βουλόμενος, ἀφορμὰς διʼ ἐγκρατείας ἐπιπόνου παρέχειν τούτοις βούλεται.
English · Claude translation
Again, when he says, “It is good for a man not to touch a woman; but because of sexual immorality let each have his own wife,” he says again as if explaining: “so that Satan may not tempt you.” For he says “because of your lack of self-control” not to those who use marriage with self-control for the begetting of children alone, but to those who desire to go beyond the begetting of children, so that the adversary may not blow hard and swell their appetite toward other pleasures. And perhaps, since the adversary opposes those who live justly out of jealousy and contends against them, wishing to bring them under his own rank, he wishes to give them occasions through laborious self-control.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are 1 Cor 7:1–2, 5.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.15.96 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/3/15/96/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 3.15.96 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/3/15/96/).
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