Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor

The Lord ministers all good and all help, both as man and as God: as God, forgiving our sins; and as man, training us not to sin. Man is therefore justly dear to God, since he is His workmanship. The other works of creation He made by the word of command alone, but man He framed by Himself, by His own hand, and breathed into him what was peculiar to Himself. What, then, was fashioned by Him, and after He likeness, either was created by God Himself as being desirable on its own account, or was formed as being desirable on account of something else. If, then, man is an object desirable for itself, then He who is good loved what is good, and the love-charm is within even in man, and is that very thing which is called the inspiration [or breath] of God; but if man was a desirable object on account of something else, God had no other reason for creating him, than that unless he came into being, it was not possible for God to be a good Creator, or for man to arrive at the knowledge of God. For God would not have accomplished that on account of which man was created otherwise than by the creation of man; and what hidden power in willing God possessed, He carried fully out by the forth-putting of His might externally in the act of creating, receiving from man what He made man;10 Bishop Kaye (Some Account of the Writings and Opinions of Clement of Alexandria, p. 48) translates, “receiving from man that which made man (that on account of which man was made).” But it seems more likely that Clement refers to the ideal man in the divine mind, whom he indentifies elsewhere with the Logos, the ἄνθρωπος ἀπαθής, of whom man was the image. The reader will notice that Clement speaks of man as existing in the divine mind before his creation, and creation is represented by God’s seeing what He had previously within Him merely as a hidden power. 1 Tim. v. 23. [On this book, Kaye’s comments extend from p. 91 to p. 111 of his analysis.] and whom He had He saw, and what He wished that came to pass; and there is nothing which God cannot do. Man, then, whom God made, is desirable for himself, and that which is desirable on his account is allied to him to whom it is desirable on his account; and this, too, is acceptable and liked.

But what is loveable, and is not also loved by Him? And man has been proved to be loveable; consequently man is loved by God. For how shall he not be loved for whose sake the only-begotten Son is sent from the Father’s bosom, the Word of faith, the faith which is superabundant; the Lord Himself distinctly confessing and saying, “For the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me;”11 John xvi. 27. [This remarkable chapter seems to begin with the author’s recollections of Pindar (ἄριστον μὲν ϋδωρ), but to lay down very justly the Scriptural ideas of temperance and abstinence.] [Note this psychological dissection. Compare Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, book vi. cap. 2, ἄισθησις, νοῦς, ὂρεξις, sense, intellect, appetition. Also, book i. cap. 11, or 13 in some editions.] and again, “And hast loved them as Thou hast loved Me?”12 John xvii. 23. Ex. xvii.; Num. xx. Odyss., iv. 456–458. What, then, the Master desires and declares, and how He is disposed in deed and word, how He commands what is to be done, and forbids the opposite, has already been shown.

Plainly, then, the other kind of discourse, the didactic, is powerful and spiritual, observing precision, occupied in the contemplation of mysteries. But let it stand over for the present. Now, it is incumbent on us to return His love, who lovingly guides us to that life which is best; and to live in accordance with the injunctions of His will, not only fulfilling what is commanded, or guarding against what is forbidden, but turning away from some examples, and imitating others as much as we can, and thus to perform the works of the Master according to His similitude, and so fulfil what Scripture says as to our being made in His image and likeness. For, wandering in life as in deep darkness, we need a guide that cannot stumble or stray; and our guide is the best, not blind, as the Scripture says, “leading the blind into pits.”13 Matt. xv. 14. [Clement reckons only two classes as living faithfully with respect to drink, the abstinent and the totally abstinent.] Phil. ii. 7. But the Word is keen-sighted, and scans the recesses of the heart. As, then, that is not light which enlightens not, nor motion that moves not, nor loving which loves not, so neither is that good which profits not, nor guides to salvation. Let us then aim at the fulfilment of the commandments by the works of the Lord; for the Word Himself also, having openly become flesh,14 John i. 14. [This seems Clement’s exposition of St. John (vi. 63), and a clear statement as to the Eucharist, which he pronounces spiritual food.] 1 Cor. xiii. 4. exhibited the same virtue, both practical and contemplative. Wherefore let us regard the Word as law, and His commands and counsels as the short and straight paths to immortality; for His precepts are full of persuasion, not of fear.

Ὅτι φιλάνθρωπος ὁ παιδαγωγός. Πάντα ὀνίνησιν ὁ κύριος καὶ πάντα ὠφελεῖ καὶ ὡς ἄνθρωπος καὶ ὡς θεός, τὰ μὲν ἁμαρτήματα ὡς θεὸς ἀφιείς, εἰς δὲ τὸ μὴ ἐξαμαρτάνειν παραπαιδαγωγῶν ὡς ἄνθρωπος. Εἰκότως ἄρα φίλος ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῷ θεῷ, ἐπεὶ καὶ πλάσμα αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. Καὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα κελεύων μόνον πεποίηκεν, τὸν δὲ ἄνθρωπον δι' αὑτοῦ ἐχειρούργησεν καί τι αὐτῷ ἴδιον ἐνεφύσησεν. Τὸ οὖν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπεικονισμένον ἢ ὡς δι' αὑτὸ αἱρετὸν τῷ θεῷ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δεδημιούργηται τοῦ θεοῦ ἢ ὡς ἕνεκεν ἄλλου αἱρετὸν διαπέπλασται. Εἰ μὲν οὖν δι' αὑτὸ αἱρετὸν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἀγαθὸς ὢν ἀγαθὸν ἠγάπησεν, καὶ τὸ φίλτρον ἔνδον ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, τοῦθ' ὅπερ ἐμφύσημα εἴρηται θεοῦ· εἰ δὲ ἕνεκεν τῶν ἄλλων ὁ ἄνθρωπος αἱρετὸν γέγονεν, οὐκ ἄλλην αἰτίαν ἔσχεν τοῦ ποιεῖν αὐτὸν ὁ θεὸς ἢ ὡς οὐκ ἄνευ αὐτοῦ οἵου τε ὄντος τὸν μὲν γενέσθαι δημιουργὸν ἀγαθόν, τὸν δὲ εἰς γνῶσιν ἀφικέσθαι θεοῦ, οὐ γὰρ ἄλλως ἂν τὸ οὗ ἕνεκεν ἄνθρωπος γέγονεν ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, εἰ μὴ ἄνθρωπος ἐγεγόνει, καὶ ἣν εἶχεν ἐναποκεκρυμμένην ἰσχύν, τὸ βούλεσθαι, ὁ θεὸς διὰ τῆς ἔξωθεν τοῦ πεποιηκέναι προσανεπλήρωσεν δυνάμεως, λαβὼν παρὰ ἀνθρώπου ὃ πεποίηκεν ἄνθρωπον καὶ ὃ εἶχεν εἶδεν καὶ γέγονεν ὃ ἠθέλησεν· οὐδὲν δὲ ὃ μὴ δύναται θεός. Ὁ ἄνθρω πος ἄρα ὃν πεποίηκεν ὁ θεός, δι' αὑτὸ αἱρετόν ἐστιν, τὸ δὲ δι' αὑτὸ αἱρετὸν οἰκεῖόν ἐστιν ὅτῳπερ ἂν ᾖ δι' αὑτὸ αἱρετόν, τούτῳ δὲ καὶ ἀσμενιστὸν καὶ φιλητόν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ φιλητὸν μέν τί ἐστί τινι, οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ φιλεῖται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ; φιλητὸς δὲ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἀποδέδεικται, φιλεῖται ἄρα πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ ἄνθρω πος. Πῶς γὰρ οὐ φιλεῖται, δι' ὃν ὁ μονογενὴς ἐκ κόλπων πατρὸς καταπέμπεται λόγος τῆς πίστεως; ἡ πίστις ἐκ περιουσίας αὐτὸς σαφῶς ὁ κύριος ὁμολογῶν καὶ λέγων αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ φιλεῖ ὑμᾶς, ὅτι ὑμεῖς ἐμὲ πεφιλήκατε, καὶ πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ ἠγάπησας αὐτούς, καθὼς ἐμὲ ἠγάπησας. Τί μὲν οὖν ὁ παιδαγωγὸς βούλεται καὶ τί ἐπαγγέλλεται, ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ διακείμενος καὶ ὑπαγορεύσει μὲν τῶν πρακτέων, ἀπαγορεύσει δὲ τῶν ἐναντίων, ἤδη που δῆλον. Σαφὲς δὲ ὡς ἄρα θάτερον εἶδος τῶν λόγων, τὸ διδασκαλικόν, ἰσχνόν τέ ἐστι καὶ πνευματικόν, ἀκριβολογίας ἐχόμενον, τὸ ἐποπτικόν, ὃ δὴ ὑπερ κείσθω τὰ νῦν. Καθήκει δ' ἡμῖν ἀνταγαπᾶν μὲν τὸν καθηγούμενον ἀγαπητικῶς ἀρίστου βίου, βιοῦν δὲ πρὸς τὰ διατάγματα τῆς αὐτοῦ προαιρέσεως, οὐ μόνον ἐπιτελοῦντας τὰ προσταττόμενα ἢ παραφυλάττοντας τὰ ἀπαγορευόμενα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν εἰκόνων τὰς μὲν ἐκτρεπομένους, τὰς δὲ ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα μιμουμένους ἐπιτελεῖν καθ' ὁμοίωσιν τὰ ἔργα τοῦ παιδαγωγοῦ, ἵνα δὴ τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν πληρωθῇ. Ὡς γὰρ ἐν σκότῳ βαθεῖ ἀλώμενοι τῷ βίῳ ἀπταίστου καὶ ἀκριβοῦς καθο δηγοῦ δεόμεθα. Ὁδηγὸς δὲ ἄριστος οὐχὶ ὁ τυφλός, καθά φησιν ἡ γραφή, τυφλοὺς εἰς τὸ βάραθρον χειραγωγῶν, ὀξὺ δὲ ὁ βλέπων καὶ διορῶν τὰ ἐγκάρδια λόγος. Καθάπερ οὖν οὐκ ἔστι φῶς ὃ μὴ φωτίζει οὐδὲ κινοῦν ὃ μὴ κινεῖ οὐδὲ φιλοῦν ὃ μὴ φιλεῖ, οὐδὲ ἀγαθόν ἐστιν ὃ μὴ ὠφελεῖ καὶ εἰς σωτηρίαν καθο δηγεῖ. Ἀγαπῶμεν οὖν τὰς ἐντολὰς δι' ἔργων τοῦ κυρίου, καὶ γὰρ ὁ λόγος αὐτὸς ἐναργῶς σὰρξ γενόμενος τὴν αὐτὴν ἀρετὴν πρακτικὴν ἅμα καὶ θεωρητικὴν ἐπιδεικνύς, καὶ δὴ νόμον ὑπολαμβάνοντες τὸν λόγον, τὰς ἐντολὰς καὶ τὰς ὑποθημοσύνας αὐτοῦ ὡς συντόμους ὁδοὺς καὶ συντόνους εἰς ἀιδιότητα γνωρίσωμεν· πειθοῦς γὰρ ἀνάπλεω, οὐ φόβου, τὰ προστάγματα.