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First Pseudo-Clement

Pseudo-Clementine writer

Chapter 11

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Clementine writer

Chapter XI.—Perniciousness of Idleness; Warning Against the Empty Longing to Be Teachers; Advice About Teaching and the Use of Divine Gifts.

Such are the ways of all those who do not

‹ Chapter 10 Chapter 12 ›

work

,

but

go

hunting

for

tales

,

and

think

to

themselves

that

this

is

profitable

and

right

.

For

such

persons

are

like

those

idle

and

prating

widows

“

who

go

wandering

about

among

houses

”

with

their

prating

,

and

hunt

for

idle

tales

,

and

carry

them

from

house

to

house

with

much

exaggeration

,

without

fear

of

God

.

And

besides

all

this

,

barefaced

men

as

they

are

,

under

pretence

of

teaching

,

they

set

forth

a

variety

of

doctrines

.

And

would

that

they

taught

the

doctrines

of

truth

!

But

it

is

this

which

is

so

disquieting

,

that

they

understand

not

what

they

mean

,

and

assert

that

which

is

not

true

:

because

they

wish

to

be

teachers

,

and

to

display

themselves

as

skilful

in

speaking

;

because

they

traffic

in

iniquity

in

the

name

of

Christ

—

which

it

is

not

right

for

the

servants

of

God

to

do

.

And

they

hearken

not

to

that

which

the

Scripture

has

said

:

“

Let

not

many

be

teachers

among

you

,

my

brethren

,

and

be

not

all

of

you

prophets

.

”

For

“

he

who

does

not

transgress

in

word

is

a

perfect

man

,

able

to

keep

down

and

subjugate

his

whole

body

.

”

And

,

“

If

a

man

speak

,

let

him

speak

in

the

words

of

God

.

”

And

,

“

If

there

is

in

thee

understanding

,

give

an

answer

to

thy

brother

but

if

not

,

put

thy

hand

on

thy

mouth

.

”

For

,

“

at

one

time

it

is

proper

to

keep

silence

,

and

at

another

thee

to

speak

.

”

And

again

it

says

“

When

a

man

speaks

in

season

,

it

is

honourable

to

him

.

”

And

again

it

says

:

“

Let

your

speech

be

seasoned

with

grace

.

For

it

is

required

of

a

man

to

know

how

to

give

an

answer

to

every

one

in

season

.

”

For

“

he

that

utters

whatsoever

comes

to

his

mouth

,

that

man

produces

strife

;

and

he

that

utters

a

superfluity

of

words

increases

vexation

;

and

he

that

is

hasty

with

his

lips

falls

into

evil

.

For

because

of

the

unruliness

of

the

tongue

cometh

anger

;

but

the

perfect

man

keeps

watch

over

his

tongue

,

and

loves

his

soul’s

life

.

”

For

these

are

they

“

who

by

good

words

and

fair

speeches

lead

astray

the

hearts

of

the

simple

,

and

,

while

offering

them

blessings

,

lead

them

astray

.

”

Let

us

,

therefore

,

fear

the

judgment

which

awaits

teachers

.

For

a

severe

judgment

will

those

teachers

receive

“

who

teach

,

but

do

not

,

”

and

those

who

take

upon

them

the

name

of

Christ

falsely

,

and

say

:

We

teach

the

truth

,

and

yet

go

wandering

about

idly

,

and

exalt

themselves

,

and

make

their

boast

”

in

the

mind

of

the

flesh

.

”

These

,

moreover

,

are

like

“

the

blind

man

who

leads

the

blind

man

,

and

they

both

fall

into

the

ditch

.

”

And

they

will

receive

judgment

,

because

in

their

talkativeness

and

their

frivolous

teaching

they

teach

natural

wisdom

and

the

“

frivolous

error

of

the

plausible

words

of

the

wisdom

of

men

,

”

“

according

to

the

will

of

the

prince

of

the

dominion

of

the

air

,

and

of

the

spirit

which

works

in

those

men

who

will

not

obey

,

according

to

the

training

of

this

world

,

and

not

according

to

the

doctrine

of

Christ

.

”

But

if

thou

hast

received

“

the

word

of

knowledge

,

or

the

word

of

instruction

,

or

of

prophecy

,

”

blessed

be

God

,

“

who

helps

every

man

without

grudging

—

that

God

who

gives

to

every

man

and

does

not

upbraid

him

.

”

With

the

gift

,

therefore

,

which

thou

hast

received

from

our

Lord

,

serve

thy

spiritual

brethren

,

the

prophets

who

know

that

the

words

which

thou

speakest

are

those

of

our

Lord

;

and

declare

the

gift

which

thou

hast

received

in

the

Church

for

the

edification

of

the

brethren

in

Christ

(

for

good

and

excellent

are

those

things

which

help

the

men

of

God

)

,

if

so

be

that

they

are

truly

with

thee

.

Notes

1
Lit. “profit and righteousness.”
2
Lit. “go about and wander.”
3
1 Tim. v. 13.
4
Lit, “in their barefacedness.”
5
1 Cor. xii. 29. [But compare Jas. iii. 1: “Be not many teachers” (R.V.), which precedes the next citation.—R.]
6
Jas. iii. 2.
7
Lit. “speech.”
8
1 Pet. iv. 11.
9
Ecclus. v. 14.
10
Eccl. iii. 7.
11
Lit. “beautiful.”
12
Prov. xxv. 11.
13
Lit. “in his place.” Col. iv. 6.
14
Lit. “his soul for life.” Prov. xviii. 6; xiii. 3; xxi. 23.
15
Rom. xvi. 17–19.
16
Matt. xxiii. 3.
17
Col. ii. 18.
18
Matt. xv. 14.
19
As 1 Cor. xv. 44 (ψυχικός).—See Jas. iii. 15 [also 1 Cor. ii. 13, 14.—R.].
20
See Col. ii. 8.
21
Eph. ii. 2; Col. ii. 8.
22
1 Cor. xii. 8–10.
23
Jas. i. 5.
24
An obscure clause, which Beelen supposes to be due to the misapprehension of the Syrian translator. Perhaps the difficulty will be met if we read “gifts,” as do Wets. and Zing., by a change in the pointing.