Miscellanies 4.26.166
Summary: The knower uses bodily and external goods like a traveler uses inns, caring for them without attachment and leaving gladly, thankful for his stay and longing for the heavenly dwelling, as Paul says.
Greek text · Stählin 2:322
Ὅσα δὲ τριττὰ εἶναι ἀγαθὰ οἱ Περιπατητικοὶ θέλουσι, χρῆται αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ σώματι, ὥς τις μακρὰν στελλόμενος ἀποδημίαν πανδοχείοις καὶ ταῖς παρʼ ὁδὸν οἰκήσεσιν, ἐπιμελούμενος μὲν καὶ κοσμῶν τὸν τόπον ἔνθα καταλύει, ἀπολείπων δὲ τὴν οἴκησιν καὶ τὴν κτῆσιν καθάπερ καὶ τὴν χρῆσιν ἀπροσπαθῶς, προθύμως τῷ ἀπάγοντι τοῦ βίου συνεπόμενος, οὐδαμῶς ὀπίσω κατʼ οὐδεμίαν ἀφορμὴν ἐπιστρεφόμενος, εὐχαριστήσας μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ παροικίᾳ, εὐλογῶν δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐξόδῳ, τὴν μονὴν ἀσπαζόμενος τὴν ἐν οὐρανῷ. οἴδαμεν γὰρ ὅτι, ἐὰν ἡ ἐπίγειος ἡμῶν οἰκία τοῦ σκήνους καταλυθῇ, οἰκοδομὴν ἐκ θεοῦ ἔχομεν, οἰκίαν ἀχειροποίητον αἰώνιον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. καὶ γὰρ ἐν τούτῳ στενάζομεν, τὸ οἰκητήριον ἡμῶν τὸ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐπενδύσασθαι ἐπιποθοῦντες, εἴ γε καὶ ἐνδυσάμενοι οὐ γυμνοὶ εὑρεθησόμεθα· διὰ πίστεως γὰρ περιπατοῦμεν, οὐ διὰ εἴδους, ὡς ὁ ἀπόστολός φησιν. εὐδοκοῦμεν δὲ μᾶλλον ἐκδημῆσαι ἐκ τοῦ σώματος καὶ ἐνδημῆσαι πρὸς τὸν θεόν. ἐν συγκρίσει δὲ τὸ μᾶλλον, ἡ δὲ σύγκρισις ἐπὶ τῶν καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν ὑποπιπτόντων, ὡς ὁ ἀνδρειότερος ἀνδρείων ἀνδρειότερος, δειλῶν δὲ ἀνδρειότατος.
English · Claude translation
The three kinds of goods the Peripatetics speak of he uses, and the body too, as someone setting out on a long journey uses inns and lodgings along the road, caring for and adorning the place where he stays, but leaving the dwelling and the possession, as also the use, without passion, following gladly the one who leads him out of life, never turning back for any reason, having given thanks for his sojourn, and blessing his departure, welcoming the dwelling in heaven. “For we know that if our earthly house, the tent, is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, longing to put on our dwelling from heaven, if indeed, having put it on, we will not be found naked. For we walk by faith, not by sight,” as the apostle says. “And we are well pleased rather to be away from the body and at home with God.” “Rather” is in comparison; and comparison is of things falling under likeness, as the braver of the brave is braver, but the bravest of cowards.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are 2 Cor 5:1–3, 7–8.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word repeated in the digital text): εὐλογῶν δὲ δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐξόδῳ → εὐλογῶν δὲ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐξόδῳ.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.26.166 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/26/166/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.26.166 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/26/166/).
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