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The Stromata, or Miscellanies

Clement of Alexandria

Book 4 · Chapter 21

About this work

A wide-ranging collection on faith, knowledge, philosophy, Scripture, ethics, and Christian maturity that intentionally mixes subjects while portraying the ideal Christian knower formed through disciplined inquiry.

Author: Clement of Alexandria
Date: c. AD 195–215
Origin: Alexandria
Genre: Theological Treatise

Chapter XXI.—Description of the Perfect Man, or Gnostic.

Here I find perfection apprehended variously in relation

‹ Book 4 · Chapter 20 Book 4 · Chapter 22 ›

to

Him

who

excels

in

every

virtue

.

Accordingly

one

is

perfected

as

pious

,

and

as

patient

,

and

as

continent

,

and

as

a

worker

,

and

as

a

martyr

,

and

as

a

Gnostic

.

But

I

know

no

one

of

men

perfect

in

all

things

at

once

,

while

still

human

,

though

according

to

the

mere

letter

of

the

law

,

except

Him

alone

who

for

us

clothed

Himself

with

humanity

.

Who

then

is

perfect

?

He

who

professes

abstinence

from

what

is

bad

.

Well

,

this

is

the

way

to

the

Gospel

and

to

well

-

doing

.

But

gnostic

perfection

in

the

case

of

the

legal

man

is

the

acceptance

of

the

Gospel

,

that

he

that

is

after

the

law

may

be

perfect

.

For

so

he

,

who

was

after

the

law

,

Moses

,

foretold

that

it

was

necessary

to

hear

in

order

that

we

might

,

according

to

the

apostle

,

receive

Christ

,

the

fulness

of

the

law

.

But

now

in

the

Gospel

the

Gnostic

attains

proficiency

not

only

by

making

use

of

the

law

as

a

step

,

but

by

understanding

and

comprehending

it

,

as

the

Lord

who

gave

the

Covenants

delivered

it

to

the

apostles

.

And

if

he

conduct

himself

rightly

(

as

assuredly

it

is

impossible

to

attain

knowledge

(

gnosis

)

by

bad

conduct

)

;

and

if

,

further

,

having

made

an

eminently

right

confession

,

he

become

a

martyr

out

of

love

,

obtaining

considerable

renown

as

among

men

;

not

even

thus

will

he

be

called

perfect

in

the

flesh

beforehand

;

since

it

is

the

close

of

life

which

claims

this

appellation

,

when

the

gnostic

martyr

has

first

shown

the

perfect

work

,

and

rightly

exhibited

it

,

and

having

thankfully

shed

his

blood

,

has

yielded

up

the

ghost

:

blessed

then

will

he

be

,

and

truly

proclaimed

perfect

,

“

that

the

excellency

of

the

power

may

be

of

God

,

and

not

of

us

,

”

as

the

apostle

says

.

Only

let

us

preserve

free

-

will

and

love

:

“

troubled

on

every

side

,

yet

not

distressed

;

perplexed

,

but

not

in

despair

;

persecuted

,

but

not

forsaken

;

cast

down

,

but

not

destroyed

.

”

For

those

who

strive

after

perfection

,

according

to

the

same

apostle

,

must

“

give

no

offence

in

anything

,

but

in

everything

approve

themselves

not

to

men

,

but

to

God

.

”

And

,

as

a

consequence

,

also

they

ought

to

yield

to

men

;

for

it

is

reasonable

,

on

account

of

abusive

calumnies

.

Here

is

the

specification

:

“

in

much

patience

,

in

afflictions

,

in

necessities

,

in

distresses

,

in

stripes

,

in

imprisonments

,

in

tumults

,

in

labours

,

in

watchings

,

in

fastings

,

in

pureness

,

in

knowledge

,

in

long

-

suffering

,

in

kindness

,

in

the

Holy

Ghost

,

in

love

unfeigned

,

in

the

word

of

truth

,

in

the

power

of

God

,

”

that

we

may

be

the

temples

of

God

,

purified

“

from

all

filthiness

of

the

flesh

and

of

the

spirit

.

”

“

And

I

,

”

He

says

,

“

will

receive

you

;

and

I

will

be

to

you

for

a

Father

,

and

ye

shall

be

to

Me

for

sons

and

daughters

,

saith

the

Lord

Almighty

.

”

“

Let

us

then

,

”

he

says

,

“

perfect

holiness

in

the

fear

of

God

.

”

For

though

fear

beget

pain

,

“

I

rejoice

,

”

he

says

,

“

not

that

ye

were

made

sorry

,

but

that

ye

showed

susceptibility

to

repentance

.

For

ye

sorrowed

after

a

godly

sort

,

that

ye

might

receive

damage

by

us

in

nothing

.

For

godly

sorrow

worketh

repentance

unto

salvation

not

to

be

regretted

;

but

the

sorrow

of

the

world

worketh

death

.

For

this

same

thing

that

ye

sorrowed

after

a

godly

sort

,

what

earnestness

it

wrought

in

you

;

yea

,

what

clearing

of

yourselves

;

yea

,

what

compunction

;

yea

,

what

fear

;

yea

,

what

desire

;

yea

,

what

zeal

;

yea

,

revenge

!

In

all

things

ye

have

showed

yourselves

clear

in

the

matter

.

”

Such

are

the

preparatory

exercises

of

gnostic

discipline

.

And

since

the

omnipotent

God

Himself

“

gave

some

apostles

,

and

some

prophets

,

and

some

evangelists

,

and

some

pastors

and

teachers

,

for

the

perfecting

of

the

saints

,

for

the

work

of

the

ministry

,

for

the

edifying

of

the

body

of

Christ

,

till

we

all

attain

to

the

unity

of

the

faith

,

and

of

the

knowledge

of

the

Son

of

God

,

to

a

perfect

man

,

to

the

measure

of

the

stature

of

the

fulness

of

Christ

;

”

we

are

then

to

strive

to

reach

manhood

as

befits

the

Gnostic

,

and

to

be

as

perfect

as

we

can

while

still

abiding

in

the

flesh

,

making

it

our

study

with

perfect

concord

here

to

concur

with

the

will

of

God

,

to

the

restoration

of

what

is

the

truly

perfect

nobleness

and

relationship

,

to

the

fulness

of

Christ

,

that

which

perfectly

depends

on

our

perfection

.

And now we perceive where, and how, and when the divine apostle mentions the perfect man, and how he shows the differences of the perfect. And again, on the other hand: “The

manifestation of the Spirit is given for our profit. For to one is given the word of wisdom by the Spirit; to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith through the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing through the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another diversities of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: and all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, distributing to each one according as He wills.” Such being the case, the prophets are perfect in prophecy, the righteous in righteousness, and the martyrs in confession, and others in preaching, not that they are not sharers in the common virtues, but are proficient in those to which they are appointed. For what man in his senses would say that a prophet was not righteous? For what? did not righteous men like Abraham prophesy?

“For to one God has given warlike deeds, To another the accomplishment of the dance, To another the lyre and song,”

says Homer. “But each has his own proper gift of God”—one in one way, another in another. But the apostles were perfected in all. You will find, then, if you choose, in their acts and writings, knowledge, life, preaching, righteousness, purity, prophecy. We must know, then, that if Paul is young in respect to time—having flourished immediately after the Lord’s ascension—yet his writings depend on the Old Testament, breathing and speaking of them. For faith in Christ and the knowledge of the Gospel are the explanation and fulfilment of the law; and therefore it was said to the Hebrews, “If ye believe not, neither shall you understand;” that is, unless you believe what is prophesied in the law, and oracularly delivered by the law, you will not understand the Old Testament, which He by His coming expounded.

Notes

194
Deut. xviii. 15; Rom. x. 4.
195
2 Cor. iv. 8, 9.
196
2 Cor. vi. 3–7.
197
2 Cor. vii. 1, vi. 16, 17, 18.
198
2 Cor. vii. 1–11.
199
Eph. iv. 11, 12, 13.
200
1 Cor. xii. 7–11.
201
Iliad, xiii. 730.
202
1 Cor. vii. 7.
203
[Elucidation III.]
204
Isa. vii. 9.