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The Stromata, or Miscellanies

Clement of Alexandria

Book 6 · Chapter 13

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 XIII.—Degrees of Glory in Heaven Corresponding with the Dignities of the Church Below.

He, then, who has first moderated

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his

passions

and

trained

himself

for

impassibility

,

and

developed

to

the

beneficence

of

gnostic

perfection

,

is

here

equal

to

the

angels

.

Luminous

already

,

and

like

the

sun

shining

in

the

exercise

of

beneficence

,

he

speeds

by

righteous

knowledge

through

the

love

of

God

to

the

sacred

abode

,

like

as

the

apostles

.

Not

that

they

became

apostles

through

being

chosen

for

some

distinguished

peculiarity

of

nature

,

since

also

Judas

was

chosen

along

with

them

.

But

they

were

capable

of

becoming

apostles

on

being

chosen

by

Him

who

foresees

even

ultimate

issues

.

Matthias

,

accordingly

,

who

was

not

chosen

along

with

them

,

on

showing

himself

worthy

of

becoming

an

apostle

,

is

substituted

for

Judas

.

Those, then, also now, who have exercised themselves in the Lord’s commandments, and lived perfectly and gnostically according to the Gospel, may be enrolled in the chosen body of the apostles. Such an one is in reality a presbyter of the Church, and a true minister (deacon) of the will of God, if he do and teach what is the Lord’s; not as being ordained by men, nor regarded righteous because a presbyter, but enrolled in the presbyterate because righteous. And although here upon earth he be not honoured with the chief seat, he will sit down on the four-and-twenty thrones, judging the people, as John says in the Apocalypse.

For, in truth, the covenant of salvation, reaching down to us from the foundation of the world, through different generations and times, is one, though conceived as different in respect of gift. For it follows that there is one unchangeable gift of salvation given by one God, through one Lord, benefiting in many ways. For which cause the middle wall which separated the Greek from the Jew is taken away, in order that there might be a peculiar people. And so both meet in the one unity of faith; and the selection out of both is one. And the chosen of the chosen are those who by reason of perfect knowledge are called [as the best] from the

Church itself, and honoured with the most august glory—the judges and rulers—four-and-twenty (the grace being doubled) equally from Jews and Greeks. Since, according to my opinion, the grades here in the Church, of bishops, presbyters, deacons, are imitations of the angelic glory, and of that economy which, the Scriptures say, awaits those who, following the footsteps of the apostles, have lived in perfection of righteousness according to the Gospel. For these taken up in the clouds, the apostle writes, will first minister [as deacons], then be classed in the presbyterate, by promotion in glory (for glory differs from glory) till they grow into “a perfect man.”

Notes

187
In opposition to the heretical opinion, that those who are saved have an innate original excellence, on account of which they are saved. [Elucidation VIII.]
188
Or, “elected”—χειροτονούμενος. Acts xiv. 23, “And when they had ordained (χειροτονήσαντες) them elders in every church.” A different verb (καθίστημι) is used in Tit. i. 5.
189
Presbytery or eldership.
190
πσωτοκαθεδρία, Mark xii. 39, Luke xx. 46.
191
Rev. iv. 4, xi. 16.
192
Eph ii. 14, 15, 16, iv. 13.
193
προκοπαί. [Book vii. cap. i, infra.]
194
1 Thess. iv. 17.
195
1 Cor. xv. 41.
196
Eph. iv. 13.