Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

Second Pseudo-Clement

Pseudo-Clementine writer

Chapter 15

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Clementine writer

Chapter XV.—The Example of Jesus; How We May Allow Ourselves to Be Served by Women.

And, not to extend our discourse to too great

‹ Chapter 14 Chapter 16 ›

length

,

what

shall

we

say

concerning

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

?

Our

Lord

Himself

was

constantly

with

His

twelve

disciples

when

He

had

come

forth

to

the

world

.

And

not

only

so

;

but

also

,

when

He

was

sending

them

out

,

He

sent

them

out

two

and

two

together

,

men

with

men

;

but

women

were

not

sent

with

them

,

and

neither

in

the

highway

nor

in

the

house

did

they

associate

with

women

or

with

maidens

:

and

thus

they

pleased

God

in

everything

.

Also

,

when

our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

Himself

was

talking

with

the

woman

of

Samaria

by

the

well

alone

,

“

His

disciples

came

”

and

found

Him

talking

with

her

,

“

and

wondered

that

Jesus

was

standing

and

talking

with

a

woman

.

”

Is

He

not

a

rule

,

such

as

may

not

be

set

aside

,

an

example

,

and

a

pattern

to

all

the

tribes

of

men

?

And

not

only

so

;

but

also

,

when

our

Lord

was

risen

from

the

place

of

the

dead

,

and

Mary

came

to

the

place

of

sepulture

,

she

ran

and

fell

at

the

feet

of

our

Lord

and

worshipped

Him

,

and

would

have

taken

hold

of

Him

.

But

He

said

to

her

:

“

Touch

Me

not

;

for

I

am

not

yet

ascended

to

My

Father

.

”

Is

it

not

,

then

,

matter

for

astonishment

,

that

,

while

our

Lord

did

not

allow

Mary

,

the

blessed

woman

,

to

touch

His

feet

,

yet

thou

livest

with

them

,

and

art

waited

on

by

women

and

maidens

,

and

sleepest

where

they

sleep

,

and

women

wash

thy

feet

for

thee

,

and

anoint

thee

!

Alas

for

this

culpable

state

of

mind

!

Alas

for

this

state

of

mind

which

is

destitute

of

fear

!

Alas

for

this

affrontery

and

folly

,

which

is

without

fear

of

God

!

Dost

thou

not

judge

thine

own

self

?

Dost

thou

not

examine

thine

own

self

?

Dost

thou

not

know

thine

own

self

and

the

measure

of

thy

strength

?

These

things

,

moreover

,

are

trustworthy

,

and

these

things

are

true

and

right

;

and

these

are

rules

immutable

for

those

who

behave

themselves

uprightly

in

our

Lord

.

Many

holy

women

,

again

,

ministered

to

holy

men

of

their

substance

,

as

the

Shunammite

woman

ministered

to

Elisha

;

but

she

did

not

live

with

him

,

but

the

prophet

lived

in

a

house

apart

.

And

,

when

her

son

died

,

she

wanted

to

throw

herself

at

the

feet

of

the

prophet

;

but

his

attendant

would

not

allow

her

,

but

restrained

her

.

But

Elisha

said

to

his

servant

:

“

Let

her

alone

,

because

her

soul

is

distressed

.

”

From

these

things

,

then

,

we

ought

to

understand

their

manner

of

life

.

To

Jesus

Christ

our

Lord

women

ministered

of

their

substance

:

but

they

did

not

live

with

him

;

but

chastely

,

and

holily

,

and

unblameably

they

behaved

before

the

Lord

,

and

finished

their

course

,

and

received

the

crown

in

our

Lord

God

Almighty

.

Notes

1
John iv. 27.
2
John xx. 17.
3
2 Kings iv. 27.
4
Beelen suggests the reading “from,” or to render the present text “by.”