Tag Archives: Apostolic Fathers

Theophilus of Antioch: Inspired by Demons

12 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by in Ante-Nicene, Bibliology, Uncategorized

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Theophilus then proceeds to speak of the difference between the biblical and pagan understanding of the world: their inspiration:

And without meaning to do so, they acknowledge that they know not the truth; but being inspired by demons and puffed up by them, they spoke at their instance whatever they said. For indeed the poets,—Homer, to wit, and Hesiod, being, as they say, inspired by the Muses,—spoke from a deceptive fancy, and not with a pure but an erring spirit.

Now this is without question impolitic in contemporary culture: these poets spoke by demons or “deceptive fancy”.  It is interesting that we, at least in educated society do not believe in such things. And yet Shamans, Astrology, and any number of other such things are believes.  Unabashedly demonic merchandise and imagery is very common.  The culture is frankly gnostic.  A scientist on staff at an internationally known institution and respected institution told me, “My colleagues are quite superstitious”.

Theophilous contrasts this with the prophets:

But men of God carrying in them a holy spirit and becoming prophets, being inspired and made wise by God, became God-taught, and holy, and righteous. Wherefore they were also deemed worthy of receiving this reward, that they should become instruments of God, and contain the wisdom that is from Him, through which wisdom they uttered both what regarded the creation of the world and all other things. For they predicted also pestilences, and famines, and wars.

And they not only predicated, but their predications have come true:

and they all have spoken things consistent and harmonious with each other, both what happened before them and what happened in their own time, and what things are now being fulfilled in our own day: wherefore we are persuaded also concerning the future things that they will fall out, as also the first have been accomplished.

Theophilus of Antioch, “Theophilus to Autolycus,” in Fathers of the Second Century: Hermas, Tatian, Athenagoras, Theophilus, and Clement of Alexandria (Entire), ed. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, trans. Marcus Dods, vol. 2, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company, 1885), 97.

Translation and Notes: 1 Clement 14.1 (Let us do kindness …)

09 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by in 1 Clement, Church History, Greek, New Testament Background

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(The previous post in this series can be found here: https://memoirandremains.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/translation-and-notes-1-clement-13-walk-humbly/)

Translation:

Therefore, it is just and holy, men and brothers, that we should be obedient to God – rather than follow leaders of a loathsome jealousy in their arrogance and chaos.  For we will not suffer common harm, but rather endure profound danger if we recklessly surrender ourselves to the will of mere men – men who hurl you out into strife and rebellion, separating you from everything good. Rather, let us do kindness to them, according to the compassion and sweetness of the One who made us.

 

Greek Text:

XIV. Δίκαιον οὖν καὶ ὅσιον, ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ὑπηκόους ἡμᾶς μᾶλλον γενέσθαι τῷ Θεῷ ἢ τοῖς ἐν ἀλαζονείᾳ καὶ ἀκαταστασίᾳ μυσεροῦ ζήλους ἀρχηγοῖς ἐξακολουθεῖν. 2 βλάβην γὰρ οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν, μᾶλλον δὲ κίνδυνον ὑποίσομεν μέγαν, ἐὰν ῥιψοκινδύνως ἐπιδῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς θελήμασιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οἵτινες ἐξακοντίζουσιν εἰς ἔριν καὶ στάσεις εἰς τὸ ἀπαλλοτριῶσαι ἡμᾶς τοῦ καλῶς ἔχοντος. 3 χρηστευσώμεθα αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν καὶ γλυκύτητα τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἡμᾶς.

 

Translation Notes:

Δίκαιον οὖν καὶ ὅσιον, Therefore, just and holy

The clause contains an ellipsis: the verb “to be” is implied but not stated.  Therefore it is just and holy

ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί: men, brothers

Vocative.

ὑπηκόους ἡμᾶς μᾶλλον γενέσθαι τῷ Θεῷ: obedient for us more/especially so to be to God – for us to be particularly obedient to God.

Obedience is accusative as an adjective modifying the direct object (us) of the verb “to be”.  The dative is the dative of the indirect object: we are obedient to God. The infinitive is complementary.  

ἢ τοῖς ἐν ἀλαζονείᾳ καὶ ἀκαταστασίᾳ or to those [leaders who] in boasting and disorder

ἢ τοῖς: or to those [leaders].  

The article will be matched by “leaders” after the intervening adjectival phrase.  The “those [leaders]” is the indirect object and parallels “God” in the previous clause. Note that the adjectives are singular; the pronoun plural.  The adjectives are thus abstracted.

ἐν:  This phrase presents some difficulties in translation. If we omit this phrase, first, it will help to determine a translation. Therefore, the discussion of the translation will follow the translation of the clause, μυσεροῦ ζήλους ἀρχηγοῖς ἐξακολουθεῖν.

ἀλαζονείᾳ: pretense, arrogance, boasting – a thoroughly negative word: James 4:16; 1 John 2:16

ἀκαταστασίᾳ: disorder. The word is used twice in Paul’s letter to Corinth, 1 Cor. 14:33 & 2 Cor. 12:20: “For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder”  (ESV).  “Jealousy” is also used by Clement in the next phrase; however, this is not a clear allusion – even though the ideas are similar.

 

μυσεροῦ ζήλους ἀρχηγοῖς ἐξακολουθεῖν: to follow leaders of loathsome jealousy;

This entire clause present some difficulties due to the variability of usage and the mix of cases.

μυσεροῦ: Not used in the NT, “of loathsome”. This potentially modifies rulers: loathsome rulers (attributive genitive). It could modify “jealousy” “loathsome jealousy”.

Ζήλους: jealousy, genitive.

ἐξακολουθεῖν: to follow. Complementary infinitive, parallels “to be” in the previous clause.

 

The “en” of the preceding phrase, of itself presents some possibilities of translation:  First, the preposition + dative describes the agency used by the agent (those) (see, Wallace 373).   Second, it could be a general adjectival reference. Third, this may be the ‘dative of rule,” that is, they are such according to the particular standard. Fourth, it may be a dative of manner, “with”.

The genitive phrase, “of loathsome jealousy” – this could modify either “disorder” or “leaders”.

The difficulty of the translation can be seen in the slight variations of the translators.  Lightfoot translates the “en” phrase as an agency used by the leaders.

rather than follow those who in arrogance and unruliness have set themselves up as leaders in abominable jealousy

Joseph Barber Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers (London: Macmillan and Co., 1891), 63. This seems ambiguous:  the phrase “in abominable jealousy” comes along awkwardly at the end as a limping adjectival phrase

Lake:

rather than to follow those who in pride and unruliness are the instigators of an abominable jealousy.

Pope Clement I, Pope Clement I, et al., The Apostolic Fathers, ed. Pope Clement I et al., vol. 1, The Loeb Classical Library (London: Heinemann, 1912–1913), 31. Lake takes “pride and unruliness” to describe at least the sphere in which the leaders are operating. Their leadership is “an abominable jealousy.”

Brannan:

rather than to follow those instigators of loathsome jealousy in arrogance and insurrection.

Rick Brannan, trans., The Apostolic Fathers in English (Logos Bible Software, 2012).  The dative describe the sphere of action. The accusative jealousy is an adjective (accusative of manner

 

The dative is the sphere of activity.

Holmes:

Rather than follow those who in arrogance and unruliness have set themselves up as leaders in abominable jealousy

Holmes follows largely after Lightfoot.

Grant & Osborne:

Rather than follow those arrogant and unruly instigators of a detestable jealousy.

They take arrogant and unruly as adjectives describing the leaders and place the whole in the sphere of detestable jealousy.

The leaders are leaders of a “loathsome jealousy”. They operate by means of arrogance and disorder.

βλάβην γὰρ οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν: For it is not just receiving harm

βλάβην: means harm. However, due to the contrast in the next phrase, “great danger”, the implication is “mere harm”, “insignificant harm”.

τὴν τυχοῦσαν: the [harm] received, that is, “common” [context dependent].

 

μᾶλλον δὲ κίνδυνον ὑποίσομεν μέγαν:  but rather great danger we shall endure

ὑποίσομεν: we shall endure.

 

ἐὰν ῥιψοκινδύνως ἐπιδῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς: if we rashly surrender ourselves

Third class conditional sentence, “ean” + subjunctive:  This specifies what is (likely) to occur in the future, if something happens. The triggering future event is uncertain, but the connection to the outcome is not.

ῥιψοκινδύνως: Rashly, foolhardy. Not used in NT.

ἐπιδῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς: we hand over ourselves. The verb is subjunctive: hand over, yield control over, surrender. The pronoun is reflexive.

τοῖς θελήμασιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων: to the will of men

The dative is the dative of indirect object.

The genitive “of men” is adjectival (producer: men produce the will/desire). The use of “men” is to highlight the distinction with God.

οἵτινες ἐξακοντίζουσιν εἰς ἔριν καὶ στάσεις: those who will hurl [you] out to anger and rebellion

οἵτινες: relative pronoun, nominative plural.

ἐξακοντίζουσιν: very emphatic verb; not very common in the literature. Once in the Apostolic Fathers; never in NT. Xenophon uses it to describe the “hurling” of soldiers in battle, “καὶ ἐξηκόντιζον τοῖς παλτοῖς,” they hurled their spears.

στάσεις: means riot, revolt, rebellion – the crime of Barabbas, Mark 15:7.

εἰς τὸ ἀπαλλοτριῶσαι ἡμᾶς τοῦ καλῶς ἔχοντος: to estrange you from having good.

Eis + articular infinitive (Wallace, 611): εἰς τὸ ἀπαλλοτριῶσαι. For the purpose of (or with the result).

χρηστευσώμεθα αὐτοῖς: let us [hortatory subjunctive] to them

Note that Clement responds to evil with love.

κατὰ τὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν καὶ γλυκύτητα: according to the compassion and sweetness

Kata plus accusative: according to the standard of.

τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἡμᾶς: the maker of us

The participle is substantival: the one who made us. The genitive is source/producer: God produces the compassion – he is the source of the compassion.

Lightfoot and Grant translate “them” as “one-another” – which is not tenable here. First, it is the wrong word. Second, it is the wrong idea. Holmes rightly identifies “them” as the leaders of the schism.

 

 

Translation and Notes, 1 Clement 13 (Walk Humbly)

18 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by in 1 Clement, Greek, Humility, New Testament Background

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(The previous post in this series can be found here: https://memoirandremains.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/1-clement-12-commentary-and-translation/)

1 Clement 13:

Therefore, let us humble ourselves, brothers – putting away all boasting and blindness and foolishness and wrath; let us obey what is written. For the Holy Spirit says

Let not the wiseman boast in his wisdom

Neither the strong man in his strength

Neither the rich man in his riches

But let him who boast, boast in the Lord, so that he will seek him and do justice and righteousness.

Especially, remember the word of the Lord – as he taught gentleness and longsuffering:

Show mercy that you may receive more

Forgive that you may be forgiven

As you do, thus it will be done to you.

As you give, thus it will be given to you.

As you judge, thus you shall be judged.

As you showing loving kindness, thus you will be shown loving kindness.

With what you measure, so it will be measured for you.

By means of this command and these promises, let us strength ourselves for the purpose of obedience [to walk in obedience]– being humble mind through his words which show us what is fitting for a saint. For the holy word says,

Upon whom will I look, but upon the one who is meek and quiet and trembles at my word.

 

 

Comment: The tone of Clement throughout is humble and emphatic. He does not state that the Corinthians need such humility, but he does not. Rather, the exhortations are all “we” , “let us”.

He calls them onto humility: first by referencing the OT examples given; second, by means of new quotations: 1) Jeremiahs 9:23-24 (quoted by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:31); 2) a summary of Jesus’ exhortations; and 3) a promise from Isaiah 66:2.

Translation Notes:

The only difficulty in translation appears in the last clause of the third verse.  Here are the alternative translations:

With this commandment and these precepts let us confirm ourselves, that we may walk in obedience to His hallowed words, with lowliness of mind.

-Lightfoot.

With this commandment and with these instructions let us strengthen ourselves to walk, being obedient to his saintly words, being humble-minded

-Brannan.

With this commandment and with these injunctions let us strengthen ourselves to walk in obedience to his hallowed words and let us be humble-minded

-Lake

 …for conduct obedient to his holy words in all humility

-Grant

…that we may humbly walk in obedience to his holy words

-Holmes

 

 

Ταπεινοφρονήσωμεν οὖν, ἀδελφοί

            Let us be humble (have humble minds) therefore, brothers

Hortatory subjunctive: “let us be humble”.

The verb to be humble carries negative connotations outside of Christian literature.  

Liddle & Scott define the word as meaning, “low, mean-spirited, base”. For example, Epictetus, Discourses 1.9.10-11

[10] ἐγὼ μὲν οἶμαι, ὅτι ἔδει καθῆσθαι τὸν πρεσβύτερον ἐνταῦθα οὐ τοῦτο μηχανώμενον, ὅπως μὴ ταπεινοφρονήσητε μηδὲ ταπεινοὺς μηδ᾽ ἀγεννεῖς τινας διαλογισμοὺς διαλογιεῖσθε αὐτοὶ περὶ ἑαυτῶν [11] ἀλλὰ μή τινες ἐμπίπτωσιν τοιοῦτοι νέοι, οἳ ἐπιγνόντες τὴν πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς συγγένειαν καὶ ὅτι δεσμά τινα ταῦτα προσηρτήμεθα τὸ σῶμα

Long translate this, “I indeed think that the old man ought to be sitting here, not to contrive how you may have no mean thoughts nor mean and ignoble talk about yourselves, but to take care that there be not among us any young men of such a mind, that when they have recognised their kinship to God, and that we are fettered by these bonds, the body …”

Or as Wigglesworth has it, “One would think that you would need an instructor, not to guard you from thinking too meanly or ignobly of yourselves”

 

ἀποθέμενοι πᾶσαν ἀλαζονείαν καὶ τύφος καὶ ἀφροσύνην καὶ ὀργάς

Putting  away all boasting and blindness and foolishness and wrath

The structure of this command looks very similar to NT usage[1]. The language of James and 1 Peter is the closest in construction to Clement’s usage – but it is not similar enough to demonstrate copying.

ἀλαζονείας: boasting is a common word for Clement. It is also found in 14.1, 16.2, 21.5 & 35.5.

καὶ ποιήσωμεν τὸ γεγραμμένον

and let us do (obey) that which has been written

The articular participle for the substantive.

λέγει γὰρ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον

For says the the Spirit, the Holy One,

For the Holy Spirit says.

τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον: this particular construction for “the Holy Spirit” is quite common – appearing 20 times in the NT. The clause, “the Holy Spirits says” appears in Hebrews 3:7.

Μὴ καυχάσθω ὁ σοφὸς ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτοῦ:

Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom

Here he quotes Jeremiah 9:24-25 LXX with slight modification (the LXX appears in the margin[2]). The most notable difference is that Jeremiah attributes the quotation to the Lord (kurios) and Clement (following Hebrews?) attributes the quotation to the Holy Spirit.

μηδὲ ὁ ἰσχυρὸς ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ, μηδὲ ὁ πλούσιος ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτοῦ

Neither the strong one in his strength; neither the rich one in his wealth

ἀλλʼ ἢ ὁ καυχώμενος ἐν Κυρίῳ καυχάσθω

but the boasting one in the Lord let him boast

Participle for the substantive.

τοῦ ἐκζητεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ ποιεῖν κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην

to seek him and to do judgment and righteousness.

The genitive articular infinitive may here indicate result or purpose. The one who boasts in the Lord will result in one who seeks the Lord and does justice and righteousness.

μάλιστα μεμνημένοι τῶν λόγων τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ,

especially remembering the words of the Lord Jesus

These words are similar to the sayings of the Sermon on the Mount but do not directly quote from the sermon.  “It cannot be determined whether this compilation was in circulation orally or in writing” (Grant, 36).

οὓς ἐλάλησεν διδάσκων ἐπιείκειαν καὶ μακροθυμίαν

which he spoke, teaching gentleness and longsuffering

The participle “teaching” modifies “he spoke” as a telic participle: the purpose fo the speaking was to teach gentleness and longsuffering.

οὕτως γὰρ εἶπεν

For thus he said

Introduces the quotation.

Ἐλεᾶτε ἵνα ἐλεηθῆτε,

Show mercy in order that you may receive mercy

The use of “hina” plus the subjunctive “indicates both the intention and its sure accomplishment” (Wallace, 473).

ἀφίετε ἵνα ἀφεθῇ ὑμῖν·

Forgive in order that you may be forgiven

ὡς ποιεῖτε, οὕτω ποιηθήσεται ὑμῖν·

As you do, thus it shall be done to you

ὡς δίδοτε οὕτως δοθήσεται ὑμῖν·

as you give, thus it shall be given to you

Luke 6:38 (SBLGNT)

38 δίδοτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν·

 ὡς κρίνετε, οὕτως κριθήσεσθε·

as you judge, thus you shall be judged.

Matthew 7:2 (SBLGNT)

2 ἐν ᾧ γὰρ κρίματι κρίνετε κριθήσεσθε, καὶ ἐν ᾧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε μετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν.

ὡς χρηστεύεσθε, οὕτως χρηστευθήσεται ὑμῖν·

as you show loving kindness, thus you shall be shown loving kindness

This exact verb is not quoted as being used by Jesus, but it does appear in 1 Corinthians 13:4, “love is …kind”.

ᾧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε, ἐν αὐτῷ μετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν

in what measure you measure, thus it shall be measured to you

Matthew 7:2.

3 Ταύτῃ τῇ ἐντολῇ καὶ τοῖς παραγγέλμασιν τούτοις

By means of the command and these promises

The use of the demonstrative pronoun and the article is interesting, although not rare. Here, the articles are anaphoric, pointing back to that just quoted.  The pronoun makes it more emphatic This very command …..

Luke 12:20 (ESV)

20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

Examples, Matthew 12:45, 16:18, 26:34,

The dative shows the means of obedience.

στηρίξωμεν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς τὸ πορεύεσθαι ὑπηκόους

Let us strength ourselves for the purpose of going on to obedience

Eis + article + infinitive:  For the purpose of (Wallace, 591).

We are strengthened with the end of obedience.

ὄντας τοῖς ἁγιοπρεπέσι λόγοις αὐτοῦ, ταπεινοφρονοῦντες

being humble minded by means of his words which show what is fitting for a saint

ὄντας: Being, an accusative predicate, matching “ourselves” in the preceding clause.

τοῖς ἁγιοπρεπέσι λόγοις:  The dative demonstrates the means of being humble minded – as the dative was used in the previous sentence “this command ….”

ἁγιοπρεπής: as if fitting for a holy one – not used in the NT. Adjective modifying “words” the fitting for saints words

αὐτοῦ:  his, Jesus’.

ταπεινοφρονοῦντες:  being … humble minded.

 

φησὶν γὰρ ὁ ἅγιος λόγος

As the holy word says

Ἐπὶ τίνα ἐπιβλέψω,

Upon whom will I look

Epiblepein – to look upon, means more than merely see; it connotes special concern or care.

 ἀλλʼ ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν πραῢν καὶ ἡσύχιον καὶ τρέμοντά μου τὰ λόγιὰ

except upon the one who is meek and quiet and trembles at my words

 

 

[1] Hebrews 12:1 (SBLGNT)

Τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς, τοσοῦτον ἔχοντες περικείμενον ἡμῖν νέφος μαρτύρων, ὄγκον ἀποθέμενοι πάντα καὶ τὴν εὐπερίστατον ἁμαρτίαν, διʼ ὑπομονῆς τρέχωμεν τὸν προκείμενον ἡμῖν ἀγῶνα,

Hebrews 12:1 (ESV)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

James 1:21 (SBLGNT)

21 διὸ ἀποθέμενοι πᾶσαν ῥυπαρίαν καὶ περισσείαν κακίας ἐν πραΰτητι δέξασθε τὸν ἔμφυτον λόγον τὸν δυνάμενον σῶσαι τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν.

James 1:21 (ESV)

21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

1 Peter 2:1 (SBLGNT)

Ἀποθέμενοι οὖν πᾶσαν κακίαν καὶ πάντα δόλον καὶ ⸀ὑποκρίσεις καὶ φθόνους καὶ πάσας καταλαλιάς,

1 Peter 2:1 (ESV)

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

[2] Jeremiah 9:22–23 (LXX)

22 Τάδε λέγει κύριος Μὴ καυχάσθω ὁ σοφὸς ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ καυχάσθω ὁ ἰσχυρὸς ἐν τῇ ἰσχύι αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ καυχάσθω ὁ πλούσιος ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτοῦ, 23 ἀλλ̓ ἢ ἐν τούτῳ καυχάσθω ὁ καυχώμενος, συνίειν καὶ γινώσκειν ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος ποιῶν ἔλεος καὶ κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἐν τούτοις τὸ θέλημά μου, λέγει κύριος.

1 Clement 12: Commentary and Translation

05 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by in 1 Clement, Ante-Nicene, Greek, Historical Theology, Justification

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 Through faith and kindness, Rahab the prostitute was saved. 

When Joshua the son of Nun had sent spies into Jericho, the king of that land knew they had come to spy out the land.  So the king sent men to seize the spies so they could kill them.   It was then that kind Rahab welcomed the spies: she hid them beneath the flax on the roof.

The king’s men appeared and said, “The spies who came into this land came in here.  The King orders you to turn them over to us.”

She answered, “The men you are seeking did come in here; but immediately they went out and on their way.” With that she motioned  with her hand pointing them in the wrong direction.

Later she said to the spies, “I, I know that the Lord, your God, has already turned this city right here into your hands.  I know this because great fear and trembling for you has fallen on everyone who lives here. So, when you come and take this city, recuse me and all my father’s house.”

They said to her, “It will be as you have said: When you know that we are here, bring everyone under your roof – there they will be saved. Now, if we find someone outside of your house, they will be destroyed.”

Then granted to give her a token, some scarlet she should hang from her house.

Doing this made clear that redemption is through the blood of Christ, for all those who believe and hope in God.

You see beloved, not only faith – but prophecy is in this woman.

 

Comment:

Clement sets before the Corinthians the example of Rahab who was saved by faith and hospitality (of a rather extreme sort). Her physical salvation from the destruction of Jericho is used as an example of the ultimate salvation available in Christ:

πρόδηλον ποιοῦντες ὅτι διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Κυρίου λύτρωσις ἔσται πᾶσιν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν καὶ ἐλπίζουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν

Making plain beforehand that redemption is through the blood of Christ for all those who believe and hope in God.

By drawing this connection, Clement is making a veiled accusation that the Corinthians are demonstrating no true faith – and thus are not saved (very much in the model of James 2).

Translation Notes:

 

Διὰ πίστιν καὶ φιλοξενίαν

            By means of –through – faith and hospitality

 

ἐσώθη Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη

            [she]was saved Rahab the prostitute

Was saved: aorist passive.  She was saved by the actions of the spies and Israel. Yet, she was ultimately saved – as is the point of Clement’s account – by the blood of Christ by means of her faith.

 

ἐκπεμφθέντων γὰρ ὑπὸ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ τοῦ Ναυὴ

            For being sent out by Joshua of Nun (the son of Nun)

In Greek “Joshua” and “Jesus” are the same name. The specification of Joshua the son of Nu.

Sent out: an aorist passive participle: the sending occurred prior to the salvation.

 

κατασκόπων εἰς τὴν Ἰεριχώ

spies into Jericho

The spies actually came into the city.  Jericho is an indeclinable proper noun.

 

ἔγνω ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς γῆς

[he] learned the king of the land

The: that particular land (there many kings in Canaan).

 

ὅτι ἥκασιν κατασκοπεῦσαι τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν

that they had entered to spy out their country

Had entered/were present. The infinitive gives the purpose of their presence: to spy out the land.

 

καὶ ἐξέπεμψεν ἄνδρας τοὺς συλλημψομένους αὐτούς

and he sent men to apprehend them

To apprehend is a future middle participle:  logically and grammatically, it is subsequent to the action of the main verb – the king sent out  men.  The participle indicates purpose. Wallace notes that the future participle is “always” telic (636). The king sent the men for the purpose of  arresting the spies.

 

ὅπως συλλημφθέντες θανατωθῶσιν

in order that being apprehended they should be killed

Being apprehended – when they will be apprehended: aorist passive participle. The aorist does not indicate that the apprehension has already occurred; but rather establishes the logical connection: when the arrest has been complete, they will be killed.

Should be killed: a future, passive subjunctive.

 

ἡ οὖν φιλόξενος Ῥαὰβ εἰσδεξαμένη αὐτοὺς

Therefore the hospitable Rahab to welcome them

Therefore: Rahab knew the spies would be killed. Her actions were for the purpose of protecting the spies.

 

ἔκρυψεν εἰς τὸ ὑπερῷον ὑπὸ τὴν λινοκαλάμην

hid  [them] upstairs under the flax

 

ἐπισταθέντων δὲ τῶν παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ λεγόντων·

But approaching/while standing [some men] from the king and saying

Approaching/standing by: this is subordinate to the action of speaking: a temporal participle, contemporaneous with the action of speaking.

Speaking/saying: a present active participle: it introduces the action of the main verb.

 

Πρὸς σὲ εἰσῆλθον οἱ κατάσκοποι τῆς γῆς ἡμῶν·

They came to you the spies of our land [the one’s spying].

Individualizing and particularizing – note the article & “our” land. Rahab, we’re all in this together.

 

ἐξάγαγε αὐτούς, ὁ γὰρ βασιλεὺς οὕτως κελεύει·

send them out, for thus the King commands

 

ἡ δὲ ἀπεκρίθη

 But she answered

 

Εἰσῆλθον μὲν οἱ ἄνδρες,

First the men entered

The “men” is answered with the alla – not de, as most common. On one hand they came in, on the other, they went out.

 

οὕς ζητεῖτε, πρός με,

those you seek [came] to me

 

ἀλλὰ εὐθέως ἀπῆλθον

But immediately they went out

 

καὶ πορεύονται τῇ ὁδῷ·

and they went in the way

 

ὑποδεικνύουσα αὐτοῖς ἐναλλάξ

making plain to them crosswise

Making plain/indicating: present participle: the participle shows the outcome of the main verb: she answered.

ἐναλλάξ:  crosswise, in the opposite direction. ἀλλαχοῦ: go in the other direction.

 

 

Καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας·

And she said to the men

Knowing I know

 

γινώσκουσα γινώσκωἐγὼ

 knowing I personally know

This sort of complementary participle plus finite verb is similar to the emphatic construction in Hebrew: e.g., “You shall surely die” (מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת the infinite absolute following by finite verb).  The emphatic nature of the construction is increased by the unnecessary pronoun: knowing, I know – I.

ὅτι κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν

that the Lord your God

Hoti introduces the content of her knowledge.

 

παραδὶδωσιν ὑμῖν τήν πόλιν ταύτην,

delivers to you this city

The present for the future: “when an action still future is to be designed as good as already present, either because it is already firmly resolved upon or because it follows according to some unalterable law” (Winer, 265). The accusative is the direct object, God is delivering the city ….

Tauten: This city. No ambiguity would result without the demonstrative pronoun – however, Rahab’s language throughout shows extreme emotional agitation:  I, I know that the Lord your God is giving you this very city!

 

ὁ γὰρ φόβος καὶ ὁ τρόμος ὑμῶν ἐπέπεσεν τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν αὐτήν.

For the fear and trembling of you fell upon those dwelling in her

For gives the reason for the certainty of Rahab’s conclusion.

 

ὡς ἐὰν οὖν γένηται λαβεῖν αὐτὴν ὑμᾶς,

as it will be therefore that you take her [the city]

ⓒ ὡς ἄν or ὡς ἐάν w. subjunctive of the time of an event in the future when, as soon as.

 

William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 1106.

διασώσατέ με καὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου

absolutely save me and my father’s house

Rahab’s intensity of language continues: an aorist imperative and an emphatic version save: rescue.

καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῇ

and they said to her

Dative of indirect object.

Ἔσται οὕτως ὡς ἐλάλησας ἡμῖν.

It shall be thus as you spoke to us

 

ὡς ἐὰν οὖν γνῷς παραγινομένους ἡμᾶς,

When you know of our coming to here (appearing)

Our coming here/our presence:  In the future, when you know (aorist – the event has taken place) and simultaneously we are present.

 

συνάξεις πάντας τοὺς σοὺς ὑπὸ τὸ τέγος σου,

 gather together all those under your roof

You will gather: the indicative is being used as a substitute for the imperative: gather: “The future indicative is sometimes used for a command, almost always in OT quotations (due to a literal translation of the Hebrew)” (Wallace, 452)

καὶ διασωθήσονται·

and they will be rescued

The rescue will come: indicative not subjunctive.

ὅσοι γὰρ ἐὰν εὑρεθῶσιν ἔξω τῆς οἰκίας, ἀπολοῦνται 7

But as many as may be found outside your house, they will be destroyed

A third class condition: ean + subjunctive: there is a logical connection: If they are found outside, they will be destroyed.

καὶ προσέθεντο αὐτῇ δοῦναι σημεῖον,

and they granted to gave her a sign

προστίθημι: to set before, therefore (here) togrant.

To give: a complementary infinitive.

ὅπως κρεμάσῃ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτῆς κόκκινον,

thus she should hang from out of her house a scarlet []

It does not specify exactly what was scarlet: they just gave her a “scarlet” for her to hang.

πρόδηλον ποιοῦντες

making clear beforehand

 

ὅτι διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Κυρίου λύτρωσις

that through the blood of Christ redemption/ransom

For lutrosis, see Morris, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross.

 

ἔσται πᾶσιν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν καὶ ἐλπίζουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν.  

is to all those who believe and hope upon God

This is as emphatic a statement of justification by faith as could be found in Luther or Calvin.

Ὁρᾶτε, ἀγαπητοί,

You see, beloved

οὐ μόνον πίστις ἀλλὰ προφητεία ἐν τῇ γυναικὶ γέγονεν.

Not only faith but prophecy in the woman is found/has been found.

1 Clement 11, Translation and Commentary

29 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by in 1 Clement, Faith, Genesis, Greek, Hospitality, James

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Because he showed hospitality and was godly, Lot was saved when Sodom and all the surrounding country was destroyed by fire and sulphur. The Master has made clear already that he does not forsake those who trust him; but those of a contrary bent, he appoints to pain and punishment.  For even Lot’s wife, though she went out with him did not have the same mind; and she was appointed as a sign for everyone, a salt pillar which remains until today: those doubled-minded, those who doubt the power of God will find themselves also tokens of God’s judgment for all generations.

 

XI. Διὰ φιλοξενίαν καὶ εὐσέβειαν Λὼτ ἐσώθη ἐκ Σοδόμων, τῆς περιχώρου πάσης κριθείσης διὰ πυρὸς καὶ θείου· πρόδηλον ποιήσας ὁ δεσπότης, ὅτι τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπʼ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐγκαταλείπει, τοὺς δὲ ἑτεροκλινεῖς ὑπάρχοντας εἰς κόλασιν καὶ αἰκισμὸν τίθησιν· 2 συνεξελθούσης γὰρ αὐτῷ τῆς γυναικός, ἑτερογνώμονος ὑπαρχούσης καὶ οὐκ ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ, εἰς τοῦτο σημεῖον ἐτέθη ὥστε γενέσθαι αὐτὴν στήλην ἁλὸς ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης, εἰς τὸ γνωστὸν εἶναι πᾶσιν ὅτι οἱ δίψυχοι καὶ οἱ διστάζοντες περὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεως εἰς κρίμα καὶ εἰς σημείωσιν πάσαις ταῖς γενεαῖς γίνονται.

Comment:

Clement continues to press his point to the rebellious Corinthians. Here he notes that God rescues those who trust God (as shown by Lot’s hospitality and godliness). Yet those who doubt God’s power will find themselves (like Lot’s wife) the subject of God’s judgment.

Translation:

 

 

 

Διὰ φιλοξενίαν καὶ εὐσέβειαν

Because of/due to hospitality and godliness

Dia + the accusative means “owing to, thank to, on account of, in consequence of” …dia tous qeous eswxomhn I was saved thanks to the gods” …Smyth, 1685.2.d, p. 375. By throwing this clause prior to the main action of the sentence (the salvation of Lot), Clement forces attention on the cause of the salvation.

            In referencing “hospitality”, Clement apparently refers to the hospitality granted to the angels (that Lot would have been hospitable at other times may not be doubted, but it is likely not in view):

19 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth 2 and said, “My lords, please turn aside to your servant’s house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way.” They said, “No; we will spend the night in the town square.” 3 But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. Genesis 19:1–3 (ESV)

As for godliness, while the LXX does not use the word “godliness” to describe those saved (it uses the word “righteous”);  the negative – ungodly (asebhs) is used to describe those who will be destroyed (Gen. 18:24, LXX).

Λὼτ ἐσώθη ἐκ Σοδόμων

Lot was saved from Sodom

Saved is a “divine passive”. The preposition “ek” shows that Lot was taken out from the middle of, as opposed to the side of, Sodom.

τῆς περιχώρου πάσης κριθείσης

of the surrounding country, all of it, was judged

At the time when all the area was judged.

The article probably is used to refer to the monadic (Wallace, 223) judgment – the only one of its kind.  This is an example of the first attributive position, article, adjective (here an adjectival phrase), substantive.

The genitive here refers to the time during which the judgment took place: Lot was saved at the time of judgment (Wallace, 122).  For thorough examination of the theme of rescue from judgment, see God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment, James M. Hamilton, Jr.

διὰ πυρὸς καὶ θείου

by means of fire and sulphur

Symth  notes that dia plus genitive can reference the “means” of an action and gives the example, dia toutou grammata pemyas sending a letter by this man. Smyth, 1685.1.d, 374.

πρόδηλον ποιήσας ὁ δεσπότης

before plainly he did the master: the Master made clear [to Lot] beforehand

“Made/did” is an aorist participle, subordinated to the main verb forsake in the next clause. This is a temporal participle, it tells us when the Master acted: First, the participle is aorist (which tends to indicate an time prior to a principle, present, active verb; Wallace, 624). Second, the adverb, before-clear/plain (beforehand is the closest English) requires a temporal reference.

ὅτι τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπʼ αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐγκαταλείπει

that those who hope (those hoping) upon him he would not leave behind

Here hoti functions as a content conjunction (that), “This use involves a conjunction that introduces a subject ….” Wallace, 678.

The verb is singular, because the subject is the Master: the Master does not leave

Symth notes that epi + the accusative can mean “reference”. Symth also has a note that epi + accusative can be used to bring out “hostility” towards; hence, it could also bring a positive intense relationship.  Here is an interesting note, “To express purpose epi with accusative is generally used when the purpose involves actual or implied motion toward an object; epi with dative is used when the purpose may be attained by mental activity” (Smyth, 1689.3.d, note; 379).

τοὺς δὲ ἑτεροκλινεῖς ὑπάρχοντας

but those inclined to

The de sets up a contrast with those saved.

The substantive is a present, active accusative participle those existing.

The adjective (heteroklineis) means, inclined to, having a propensity for (a metaphorical use derived from leaning) – here there is a contrast with those who hope. Thus, the hetero-leaning is leaning away from trust in God.

Εἰς κόλασιν καὶ αἰκισμὸν τίθησιν

to punishment and mistreatment he [God] appoints

συνεξελθούσης γὰρ αὐτῷ τῆς γυναικός

For [when] she had gone out with him, the wife

She had gone out: an adverbial, temporal participle.

ἑτερογνώμονος ὑπαρχούσης καὶ οὐκ ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ,

being otherwise opinioned and not in one mind (not having the same mind, as Lot)

εἰς τοῦτο σημεῖον ἐτέθη

            to this sign she was appointed

The verb tiqhmi is repeated here from the preceding sentence: God has appointed to punishment those who will not hope on him. Lot’s wife was appointed to be a “sign”.

 ὥστε γενέσθαι αὐτὴν στήλην ἁλὸς

so that she became a salt pillar

hoste with the anarthrous infinitive expresses result: With the result that she became (Wallace, 610)

ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης

until this day

εἰς τὸ γνωστὸν εἶναι πᾶσιν

to be known by all

Eis is here used to express the goal, purpose, intention of God’s action. Smyth, 686.d, 376.

ὅτι οἱ δίψυχοι καὶ οἱ διστάζοντες

that the double-minded and the doubting

The language here very much echoes James 1:5-8:

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5–8 (ESV)

While the world “doubled-minded” is the same in Clement and James, the word for “doubt” is different. Neither Holmes nor Grant note this as an allusion to James. Grant writes, “It is obviously a concept characteristic of Jewish Christianity” (Grant, Apostolic Fathers vol. 1, p. 33).

περὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεως

concerning the power of God

Peri + genitive, concerning, Smyth, 1393.b, 383.

Lot’s wife (and those like her) doubt the power of God.

εἰς κρίμα καὶ εἰς σημείωσιν

for judgment and for a sign

πάσαις ταῖς γενεαῖς γίνονται

for/thoughout all generations they are

Those like Lot’s wife are a made to be a sign of those who doubt.

The dative emphasizes the point in time – here defined as “all generations”.

Translation and Notes: 1 Clement 10:4-5

11 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by in 1 Clement, Ante-Nicene, Genesis, Greek

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καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῷ διαχωρισθῆναι αὐτὸν ἀπὸ Λὼτ εἴπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός. + Ἀναβλέψας τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, ἴδε ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου, οὗ νῦν σὺ εἶ, πρὸς βορρᾶν καὶ λίβα καὶ ἀνατολὰς καὶ θάλασσαν· ὅτι πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν, ἥν σὺ ὁρᾷς, σοὶ δώσω αὐτὴν καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου ἕως αἰῶνος· 5 καὶ ποιήσω τό σπέρμα σου ὡς τὴν ἄμμον τῆς γῆς εἰ δύναταί τις ἐξαριθμῆσαι τὴν ἄμμον τὴς γῆς, καὶ τὸ σπέρμα σου ἐξαριθμηθήσεται

Translation: And again, at the time of the separation from Lot, God said to him, Lift up your eyes and look about from where you stand, to the north and south, from the rising of the sun even to the sea – this is the place which I shall give to you and forever to your descendants; I will make your descendants as numerous as the sand of earth.  If one is able to count the sand of the earth, then will your descendants be numbered.

Kirsopp Lake:  4 And again, when he was separated from Lot, God said to him, “Lift up thine eyes and look from the place where thou art now, to the North and to the South and to the East and to the West; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever.  5 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth. If a man can number the dust of the earth thy seed shall also be numbered.”

Translation notes:

καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῷ διαχωρισθῆναι αὐτὸν ἀπὸ Λὼτ εἴπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός

And again, in the division (in the to have been divided) he from Lot, he said to him, (that) is God (said)

And again, when God spoke to him to depart from Lot

ὁ Θεός:  Being in the nominative and being articular, God is plainly marked as the subject. Moreover, it matches the number of the verb “he said” εἴπεν.

αὐτῷ: that is, Abraham, the one to whom God spoke.

τῷ διαχωρισθῆναι:  infinitive (here an aorist passive infinitive) of indirect discourse. This is seen, in part, by being matched to a verb of perception or communication which is a marker for the infinitive of indirect discourse (Wallace, 603-605). The verb form marks this as the summary of the communication from God.  Wallace notes, “The general principle for these infinitives is th the infinitive of indirect discourse retains the tense of the direct discourse and usually represents either an imperative or a indicative” (Wallace, 604).

Ἀναβλέψας τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου: Lifting up the eyes of you (your eyes).

Ἀναβλέψας: aorist participle of attendant circumstance: 1) it is in the aorist; 2) the main verb (“see”) is aorist; 3) the mood of the main verb is imperatival; 4) the participle precedes the main verb; and 5) occurs in narrative.

τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου: the thing seen would be in the accusative (see, e.g., Matt. 14:19), the eyes, being moved are in the dative.

ἴδε ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου: look from this place.

τοῦ: the article is deictic; that is, it refers to the particular place at hand. Translate as a demonstrative, this.

οὗ νῦν σὺ εἶ: where now you are.

Note: hou (the genitive of hos) means “where”; it marks a place. Ou (without the rough breathing) means no.

 

πρὸς βορρᾶν καὶ λίβα καὶ ἀνατολὰς καὶ θάλασσαν: to the north and south and rising (sun) (east) and sea (west).

ὅτι πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν: namely, all the land. This is an appositional use of the hoti: it elaborates the hen (that) of the next clause. Wallace, 458-4459.

ἥν σὺ ὁρᾷς: that you see

σοὶ δώσω αὐτὴν καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου ἕως αἰῶνος: to you I shall give it and to the see of you until the ages.

σοὶ: to you, dative as indirect object.

δώσω αὐτὴν: I shall give it (that is the land; note feminine form)

καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου: and to your seed (descendants). Dative of indirect object. The kai and indicates that the give to the descendants is parallel to the gift to Abraham.

ἕως αἰῶνος:

In other passages we have the expressions εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, εἰς τοὺς αἰώνας, ἕως αἰῶνος, εἰς τοὺς αἰώνας τῶν αἰώνων; see, e.g., Luke 1:33, 55; John 12:34, 13:8; Rom. 9:5; Gal. 1:5; 1 Tim. 1:17. Some translators have rendered these passages literally, and without respect to their usage in the LXX; (e.g. ‘unto the age,’ ‘unto the ages,’ &c.). In 1 Tim. 1:17, God is called ‘the King of ages’ (A. V. King Eternal); whilst in Heb. 1:2, 11:3, He is said to have made ‘the ages’ (A. V. the worlds). The rendering of the A. V. is no doubt right in the first case, and probably in the second also. Ages and worlds bear the same relation to one another as time and space do, and the process of creating worlds was the means of bringing ages into being.

 

Robert Baker Girdlestone, Synonyms of the Old Testament: Their Bearing on Christian Doctrine. (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1998), 318.

That God should remember his commitment to Abraham is the theme of Exod 2:24; 32:13; Deut 9:27 and Ps 104 [105]:8–11, 42. His mercy to the patriarchs or David appears in 2 Sam 22:51; Ps 97 [98]:3; Mic 7:20. Appeal to what was spoken to the patriarchs is also found in Deut 7:8, 12; Josh 1:6; 5:6; etc In language, “mercy—just as he spoke to our fathers—to Abraham” is close to Mic 7:20, but not closer to LXX than MT while “mercy to … and to his seed forever” could echo 2 Sam 22:51 (for “forever” Luke has εἰς τὸναἰῶνα [only here in Luke-Acts] rather than LXX ἕως αίῶνος). The first allusion underlines the eschatological coloring of the Magnificat. The second may draw in a messianic note, but probably only reflects the Jewish application to the nation of OT promises to the royal line.

John Nolland, vol. 35A, Luke 1:1–9:20, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 73.

καὶ ποιήσω τό σπέρμα σου: and I shall make the seed of you.

The kai (and) again draws a parallel, this time between the gift of the land and the extent of Abraham’s descendants.

ὡς τὴν ἄμμον τῆς γῆς εἰ δύναταί τις ἐξαριθμῆσαι τὴν ἄμμον τὴς γῆς: as the dust fo the earth – if you would be able anyone to number the dust of the earth.

ὡς τὴν ἄμμον: modifies “your seed” and thus matches the case (accusative).

Ammos, sand/dust is used idiomatically in the LXX fo something which cannot be numbered:

 

 

Gen 13:16

καὶ ποιήσω τὸ σπέρμα σου ὡς τὴν ἄμμον τῆς γῆς, εἰ δύναταί τις ἐξαριθμῆσαι τὴν ἄμμον τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὸ σπέρμα σου ἐξαριθμηθήσεται.

 

I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.

 

Gen 22:17

ἦ μὴν εὐλογῶν εὐλογήσω σε καὶ πληθύνων πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα σου ὡς τοὺς ἀστέρας τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ὡς τὴν ἄμμον τὴν παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ κληρονομήσει τὸ σπέρμα σου τὰς πόλεις τῶν ὑπεναντίων,

 

I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,

 

Gen 28:14

καὶ ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς γῆς καὶ πλατυνθήσεται ἐπὶ θάλασσαν καὶ ἐπὶ λίβα καὶ ἐπὶ βορρᾶν καὶ ἐπʼ ἀνατολάς, καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν σοὶ πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου.

 

Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

 

Gen 32:13

σὺ δὲ εἶπας Καλῶς εὖ σε ποιήσω καὶ θήσω τὸ σπέρμα σου ὡς τὴν ἄμμον τῆς θαλάσσης, ἣ οὐκ ἀριθμηθήσεται ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους.

 

But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”

 

Gen 41:49

καὶ συνήγαγεν Ιωσηφ σῖτον ὡσεὶ τὴν ἄμμον τῆς θαλάσσης πολὺν σφόδρα, ἕως οὐκ ἠδύναντο ἀριθμῆσαι, οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἀριθμός.

 

And Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea, until he ceased to measure it, for it could not be measured.

 

Exod 2:12

περιβλεψάμενος δὲ ὧδε καὶ ὧδε οὐχ ὁρᾷ οὐδένα καὶ πατάξας τὸν Αἰγύπτιον ἔκρυψεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἄμμῳ.

 

He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

 

Josh 11:4

καὶ ἐξῆλθον αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς αὐτῶν μετʼ αὐτῶν ὥσπερ ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης τῷ πλήθει καὶ ἵπποι καὶ ἅρματα πολλὰ σφόδρα.

 

And they came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots.

 

Judg 7:12

καὶ Μαδιαμ καὶ Αμαληκ καὶ πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ ἀνατολῶν παρεμβεβλήκεισαν ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι ὡς ἀκρὶς εἰς πλῆθος, καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις αὐτῶν οὐκ ἦν ἀριθμός, ἀλλʼ ἦσαν ὥσπερ ἡ ἄμμος ἡ ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης εἰς πλῆθος.

 

And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.

 

1 Kgdms 13:5

καὶ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι συνάγονται εἰς πόλεμον ἐπὶ Ισραηλ, καὶ ἀναβαίνουσιν ἐπὶ Ισραηλ τριάκοντα χιλιάδες ἁρμάτων καὶ ἓξ χιλιάδες ἱππέων καὶ λαὸς ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν τῷ πλήθει, καὶ ἀναβαίνουσιν καὶ παρεμβάλλουσιν ἐν Μαχεμας ἐξ ἐναντίας Βαιθων κατὰ νότου.

 

And the Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. They came up and encamped in Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven.

 

2 Kgdms 17:11

ὅτι οὕτως συμβουλεύων ἐγὼ συνεβούλευσα, καὶ συναγόμενος συναχθήσεται ἐπὶ σὲ πᾶς Ισραηλ ἀπὸ Δαν καὶ ἕως Βηρσαβεε ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης εἰς πλῆθος, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου πορευόμενον ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν,

 

But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person.

 

3 Kgdms 2:35a

Καὶ ἔδωκεν κύριος φρόνησιν τῷ Σαλωμων καὶ σοφίαν πολλὴν σφόδρα καὶ πλάτος καρδίας ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν,

 

 

 

3 Kgdms 2:46a

Καὶ ἦν ὁ βασιλεὺς Σαλωμων φρόνιμος σφόδρα καὶ σοφός, καὶ Ιουδα καὶ Ισραηλ πολλοὶ σφόδρα ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης εἰς πλῆθος, ἐσθίοντες καὶ πίνοντες καὶ χαίροντες,

 

 

 

3 Kgdms 5:9

Καὶ ἔδωκεν κύριος φρόνησιν τῷ Σαλωμων καὶ σοφίαν πολλὴν σφόδρα καὶ χύμα καρδίας ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν,

 

And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore,

 

Jdth 2:20

καὶ πολὺς ὁ ἐπίμικτος ὡς ἀκρὶς συνεξῆλθον αὐτοῖς καὶ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς γῆς, οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἀριθμὸς ἀπὸ πλήθους αὐτῶν.

 

 

 

1 Macc 11:1

Καὶ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου ἤθροισεν δυνάμεις πολλὰς ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ πλοῖα πολλὰ καὶ ἐζήτησε κατακρατῆσαι τῆς βασιλείας Ἀλεξάνδρου δόλῳ καὶ προσθεῖναι αὐτὴν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ.

 

 

 

Ps 77:27

καὶ ἔβρεξεν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ὡσεὶ χοῦν σάρκας καὶ ὡσεὶ ἄμμον θαλασσῶν πετεινὰ πτερωτά,

 

he rained meat on them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas;

 

Ps 138:18

ἐξαριθμήσομαι αὐτούς, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἄμμον πληθυνθήσονται, ἐξηγέρθην καὶ ἔτι εἰμὶ μετὰ σοῦ.

 

If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.

 

Odes 7:36

οἷς ἐλάλησας πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων πληθῦναι τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν ὡς τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ὡς τὴν ἄμμον τὴν παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης.

 

 

 

Prov 27:3

βαρὺ λίθος καὶ δυσβάστακτον ἄμμος, ὀργὴ δὲ ἄφρονος βαρυτέρα ἀμφοτέρων.

 

A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

 

Job 6:3

καὶ δὴ ἄμμου παραλίας βαρυτέρα ἔσται, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἔοικεν, τὰ ῥήματά μού ἐστιν φαῦλα.

 

For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words have been rash.

 

Sirach 1:2

ἄμμον θαλασσῶν καὶ σταγόνας ὑετοῦ καὶ ἡμέρας αἰῶνος τίς ἐξαριθμήσει;

 

 

 

Sirach 18:10

ὡς σταγὼν ὕδατος ἀπὸ θαλάσσης καὶ ψῆφος ἄμμου, οὕτως ὀλίγα ἔτη ἐν ἡμέρᾳ αἰῶνος.

 

 

 

Sirach 22:15

ἄμμον καὶ ἅλα καὶ βῶλον σιδήρου εὔκοπον ὑπενεγκεῖν ἢ ἄνθρωπον ἀσύνετον.

 

 

 

Hos 2:1

Καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, ἣ οὐκ ἐκμετρηθήσεται οὐδὲ ἐξαριθμηθήσεται, καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, οὗ ἐρρέθη αὐτοῖς Οὐ λαός μου ὑμεῖς, ἐκεῖ κληθήσονται υἱοὶ θεοῦ ζῶντος.

 

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.”

 

Hab 1:9

συντέλεια εἰς ἀσεβεῖς ἥξει ἀνθεστηκότας προσώποις αὐτῶν ἐξ ἐναντίας καὶ συνάξει ὡς ἄμμον αἰχμαλωσίαν.

 

They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand.

 

Isa 10:22

καὶ ἐὰν γένηται ὁ λαὸς Ισραηλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, τὸ κατάλειμμα αὐτῶν σωθήσεται, λόγον γὰρ συντελῶν καὶ συντέμνων ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ,

 

For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness.

 

Isa 48:19

καὶ ἐγένετο ἂν ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τὸ σπέρμα σου καὶ τὰ ἔκγονα τῆς κοιλίας σου ὡς ὁ χοῦς τῆς γῆς, οὐδὲ νῦν οὐ μὴ ἐξολεθρευθῇς, οὐδὲ ἀπολεῖται τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐνώπιόν μου.

 

your offspring would have been like the sand, and your descendants like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from before me.”

 

Jer 5:22

μὴ ἐμὲ οὐ φοβηθήσεσθε; λέγει κύριος, ἢ ἀπὸ προσώπου μου οὐκ εὐλαβηθήσεσθε; τὸν τάξαντα ἄμμον ὅριον τῇ θαλάσσῃ, πρόσταγμα αἰώνιον, καὶ οὐχ ὑπερβήσεται αὐτό, καὶ ταραχθήσεται καὶ οὐ δυνήσεται, καὶ ἠχήσουσιν τὰ κύματα αὐτῆς καὶ οὐχ ὑπερβήσεται αὐτό.

 

Do you not fear me? declares the Lord. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it.

 

Jer 15:8

ἐπληθύνθησαν χῆραι αὐτῶν ὑπὲρ τὴν ἄμμον τῆς θαλάσσης, ἐπήγαγον ἐπὶ μητέρα νεανίσκου ταλαιπωρίαν ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ, ἐπέρριψα ἐπʼ αὐτὴν ἐξαίφνης τρόμον καὶ σπουδήν.

 

I have made their widows more in number than the sand of the seas; I have brought against the mothers of young men a destroyer at noonday; I have made anguish and terror fall upon them suddenly.

 

Jer 26:22

φωνὴ ὡς ὄφεως συρίζοντος, ὅτι ἐν ἄμμῳ πορεύσονται, ἐν ἀξίναις ἥξουσιν ἐπʼ αὐτὴν ὡς κόπτοντες ξύλα.

 

“She makes a sound like a serpent gliding away; for her enemies march in force and come against her with axes like those who fell trees.

 

Dan 3:36

οἷς ἐλάλησας πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων πληθῦναι τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν ὡς τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ὡς τὴν ἄμμον τὴν παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης.

 

 

 

 

εἰ δύναταί τις ἐξαριθμῆσαι: if one (anyone, tis) to number.

To number is a complementary infinitive (Wallace 598-599); it gives content to “to be able” which requires an additional action to make a complete thought. The preposition on “to count” does not seem to add any intensive force to the base verb “to count”. Perhaps it means something like “thoroughly count”, but such a sense seems to be limited. There are instances of it being used with very large numbers, (Herodotus, 2.143.2, “counting them out to the very large number”; 4.87.1, counting out 700,000 calvary; 7.59.2, Xeres counting his troops). The verb is used only in this sentence in the entire addition of the apostolic fathers.

καὶ τὸ σπέρμα σου ἐξαριθμηθήσεται: and (then) the seed of you (your descendants) shall be counted (future passive).

Translation and Notes 1 Clement 10:1-2

18 Tuesday Dec 2012

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Ἀβραάμ, ὁ φίλος προσαγορευθείς, πιστὸς εὑρέθη ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν ὑπήκοον γενέσθαι τοῖς ῥήμασιν τοῦ Θεοῦ. 2 οὗτος δι ̓ ὑπακοῆς ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς γῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, ὅπως γῆν ὀλίγην καὶ συγγένειαν ἀσθενῆ καὶ οἶκον μικρὸν καταλιπὼν κληρονομήσῃ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας τοῦ Θεοῦ.

Translation:

Abraham was greeted as “friend.” He was found faithful in his obedience to the words of God.  In obedience, he went out from his own country and from his family and from his father’s house;  so that by leaving a little country and a feeble family and a small house he would inherit the promises of God!

Lightfoot:  Abraham, who was called the ‘friend,’ was found faithful in that he rendered obedience unto the words of God. 2He through obedience went forth from his land and from his kindred and from his father’s house, that leaving a scanty land and a feeble kindred and a mean house he might inherit the promises of God.

Counseling/Pastoral notes:  Clement seeks to win the Corinthians to obedience through biblical examples (1 Clement 9:2). Here Clement provides the example of Abraham. The section translated below opens the argument: Abraham a friend of God (and who would not want to be a friend of God) was found faithful in his obedience. He left his little land, weak family, small house to inherit the promises of God! (Clement in the following lines proves the point of Abraham’s blessing).

The pastor and counselor may take a lesson here: It is appropriate to lay out the consequences of one’s decisions with respect to the rule of God.  The Proverbs use this model throughout:

The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,

but the path of the upright is a level highway. Proverbs 15:19 (ESV)

 

The counselor aids the fellow brother or sister by laying out the consequences of a decision.  Further note the Scriptural intensity of Clement’s barrage: Clement has a ready arsenal of Scriptural examples (and exhortations) to press home his point with the Corinthians.

By referencing something beyond his own wisdom and experience, Clement also puts the Corinthians’ bad behavior into focus: you are in rebellion against God, himself. Do you see what the Lord commands?  — and, in the section at hand, Do you see how the Lord blesses?

Translation notes:

Ἀβραάμ, ὁ φίλος προσαγορευθείς: Abraham, the one greeted as friend.

Ho prosagoreutheis: substantive passive participle: the one greeted (as).

Philos: friend, the content of the address

23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. James 2:23 (ESV)

A question exists as to whether Clement references James at this point.  The language “friend of God” is not found in the OT. However, Clement uses a different word for called than is used by James. In addition, the phrase had some currency at the time:

Third, while καὶ φίλος θεοῦ ἐκλήθη is not a direct biblical citation, James apparently uses it as a paraphrase of the biblical sense (in such passages as Is. 41:8 and 2 Ch. 20:7), a paraphrase that had already become the common title in Judaism for Abraham as a result of his faithful deeds (Jub. 19:9; 30:20; 2 Esd. 3:14; Philo Abr. 273; cf. 1 Clem. 10:1; Cantinat, 154; Bowker, 209, 212; J. Jeremias, TDNT I,8). Thus it rounds off his biblical citation with a summary which is itself biblical in a loose (midrashic) sense.*

Peter H. Davids, The Epistle of James: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982), 130. The LXX references are not exact: 2 Chronicles 20:7 uses the address “beloved” τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ (ESV, friend). Isaiah 41:8 has Abraham, the one beloved, Αβρααμ, ὃν ἠγάπησα (ESV, Abraham, my friend). Thus, the OT LXX is not a precise parallel, either.

In short, an allusion can be proved or discounted.

 

πιστὸς εὑρέθη ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν ὑπήκοονγενέσθαι τοῖς ῥήμασιν τοῦ Θεοῦ: faithful he was found in obedience to have been to the words (spoken words) of God.

While the first allusion to “friend” does not prove the point of an allusion to James, the coupling of “obedience” and “faith” does more strongly suggest a relationship, in that it brings the three elements of James’ use together in the same manner.

Grant and Graham write: “Clement is obviously using Hebrews (which he knew) or James or perhaps a traditional Jewish pattern which lies behind both.”

The aorist middle infinitive here functions as a complementary/supplementary infinitive to the finite verb “he was found”: thus, he was found to be/to have been.

οὗτος δι ̓ ὑπακοῆς ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τῆς γῆς αὐτοῦ: thus, through obedience he went out from his land

Houtos: demonstrative pronoun: this one, that is Abraham.

dia + genitive: by means of obedience

καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ: and from his kindred, and from the house of his father

The use of kai/and places each of these elements in parallel.

Of the house of the father of him: second attributive position with a trailing genitive to indicate the familial relationship.

 

ὅπως γῆν ὀλίγην καὶ συγγένειαν ἀσθενῆ καὶ οἶκον μικρὸν καταλιπὼν: in order that [by leaving] a little land and a weak kindred and a small house [leaving the verb comes at the end of the sentence]

 

κληρονομήσῃ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας τοῦ Θεοῦ: he might inherit the promises of God.

This is an indication of the loss of the optative in Koine Greek.  Since the verb in the main clause is in the aorist (albeit a participle), one could have expected the optative in the purpose clause: he left that he might inherit …..

Translation 1 Clement 2:2

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

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Οὕτως εἰρἡνη βαθεῖα καὶ λιπαρὰ ἐδέδοτο πᾶσιν καὶ ἀκόρεστος πόθος εἰς ἀγαθοποιΐαν, καὶ πλήρης πνεύματος ἁγίου ἔκχυσις ἐπὶ πάντας ἐγίνετο

 

Thus a deep, radiant peace was given to all; an insatiable desire to do good works – and, the Holy Spirit richly poured out upon all.

 

 

Οὕτως: As a result of the humility of life and treasuring the word of God (referenced in 2.1), the congregation at Corinth experienced peace, good works and the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

εἰρἡνη βαθεῖα καὶ λιπαρὰ: peace deep and costly/radiant/rich. The first adjective refers simply to something deep otherwise at the extreme.  The BDAG gives “oily, fat” as the primary meaning of the second adjective, lipara; thus something bright, radiant, costly, rich. The adjective appears once in the NT at Revelation 18:14 in the phrase, “panta ta lipara kai ta lampra”, all things lipara and shinning/shiny (lampra, English cognate, lamp).  The idea is thus a peace of the most extraordinary kind.

ἐδέδοτο:  A pluperfect passive: it had been given.

καὶ:  The sentence consists of three main clauses all joined by “and”.  The repeated use of “and” between the clauses has a tendency to sound more tiresome than excited in English. Therefore, I removed the “and” between the first adjectives describing “peace.” I also removed the “and” joining the first two clauses together. I retained the final “and” to set that clause off from the preceding two clauses.

ἀκόρεστος:  A word formed by the privative alpha and koros: a measure.  The word koros appears in  Luke 16:7 as measure. In the LXX it is used to “homer” or “cors” (1 Kings 5:2), a unit of measure. The middle Liddel has the definition of “satiety” for koros (also the consequence of satiety, “insolence”).  Thus, with the privative alpha, the word means “insatiable”.

Πόθος:  desire

εἰς ἀγαθοποιΐαν: In this instance, eis is translated for, as in “for the purpose of”, “directed toward”.  The word ἀγαθοποιΐαν is combined from good and doing.  Clement uses the word three times (2:2, 2:7 & 33:1). It is used by Peter at 1 Peter 4:19.  The word is translated “doing good”.

The second clause contains no express verb and thus functions as a further object of the verb “to give” (was given).  The peace and the desire were given. The structure implies that the Holy Spirit gave the gifts of peace and desire for good works.

The final clause concerning the Holy Spirit being poured out (impliedly resulting in the peace and good works), is similar in concept to Romans 5:5, “because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (ESV).  The similarities are present in the Greek:

ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν. Romans 5:5 (NA27)

References to Imitation in the Apostolic Fathers

10 Sunday Jun 2012

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References in the Apostolic Fathers to imitation. All quotatins are from Joseph Barber Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers (London: Macmillan and Co., 1891).

First Clement:

17. Let us be imitators also of them which went about in goatskins and sheepskins, preaching the coming of Christ. We mean Elijah and Elisha and likewise Ezekiel, the prophets, and besides them those men also that obtained a good report. 2Abraham obtained an exceeding good report and was called the friend of God; and looking stedfastly on the glory of God, he saith in lowliness of mind, But I am dust and ashes. 3Moreover concerning Job also it is thus written; And Fob was righteous and unblameable, one that was true and honoured God and abstained from all evil. 4Yet he himself accuseth himself saying, No man is clean from filth; no, not though his life be but for a day. 5Moses was called faithful in all His house, and through his ministration God judged Egypt with the plagues and the torments which befel them. Howbeit he also, though greatly glorified, yet spake no proud words, but said, when an oracle was given to him at the bush, Who am I, that Thou sendest me? 6Nay, I am feeble of speech and slow of tongue. And again he saith, But I am smoke from the pot.

18. But what must we say of David that obtained a good report? of whom God said, I have found a man after My heart, David the son of Jesse: with eternal mercy have I anointed him. 2Yet he too saith unto God; Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions, blot out mine iniquity. 3Wash me yet more from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. 4Against Thee only did I sin, and I wrought evil in Thy sight; that Thou mayest be justified in Thy words, and mayest conquer in Thy pleading. 5For behold, in iniquities was I conceived, and in sins did my mother bear me. 6For behold Thou hast loved truth: the dark and hidden things of Thy wisdom hast Thou showed unto me. 7Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean. Thou shalt wash me, and I shall become whiter than snow. 8Thou shalt make me to hear of joy and gladness. The bones which have been humbled shall rejoice. 9Turn away Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10Make a clean heart within me, O God, and renew a right spirit in mine inmost parts. 11Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and strengthen me with a princely spirit. 13I will teach sinners Thy ways, and godless men shall be converted unto Thee. 14Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation. 15My tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness. Lord, Thou shalt open my mouth, and my lips shall declare Thy praise. 16For, if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would have given it: in whole burnt-offerings Thou wilt have no pleasure. 17A sacrifice unto God is a contrite spirit; a contrite and humbled heart God will not despise.

19. The humility therefore and the submissiveness of so many and so great men, who have thus obtained a good report, hath through obedience made better not only us but also the generations which were before us, even them that received His oracles in fear and truth. 2Seeing then that we have been partakers of many great and glorious doings, let us hasten to return unto the goal of peace which hath been handed down to us from the beginning, and let us look stedfastly unto the Father and Maker of the whole world, and cleave unto His splendid and excellent gifts of peace and benefits. 3Let us behold Him in our mind, and let us look with the eyes of our soul unto His long-suffering will. Let us note how free from anger He is towards all His creatures (64-66).

 

Ignatius to the Ephesians:

1.1While I welcomed in God [your] well-beloved name which ye bear by natural right, [in an upright and virtuous mind], by faith and love in Christ Jesus our Saviour—being imitators of God, and having your hearts kindled in the blood of God, ye have perfectly fulfilled your congenial work—(137).

Ignatius to the Philadelphians

7. For even though certain persons desired to deceive me after the flesh, yet the spirit is not deceived, being from God; for it knoweth whence it cometh and where it goeth, and it searcheth out the hidden things. I cried out, when I was among you; I spake with a loud voice, with God’s own voice, Give ye heed to the bishop and the presbytery and deacons. 2Howbeit there were those who suspected me of saying this, because I knew beforehand of the division of certain persons. But He in whom I am bound is my witness that I learned it not from flesh of man; it was the preaching of the Spirit who spake on this wise; Do nothing without the bishop; keep your flesh as a temple of God; cherish union; shun divisions; be imitators of Jesus Christ, as He Himself also was of His Father (154-55).

Epistle of Polycarp:

8. Let us therefore without ceasing hold fast by our hope and by the earnest of our righteousness, which is Jesus Christ who took up our sins in His own body upon the tree, who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth, but for our sakes He endured all things, that we might live in Him. 2Let us therefore become imitators of His endurance; and if we should suffer for His name’s sake, let us glorify Him. For He gave this example to us in His own person, and we believed this (180).

The Epistle to Diognetus:

10. This faith if thou also desirest, apprehend first full knowledge of the Father. 2For God loved men for whose sake He made the world, to whom He subjected all things that are in the earth, to whom He gave reason and mind, whom alone He permitted to look up to heaven, whom He created after His own image, to whom He sent His only begotten Son, to whom He promised the kingdom which is in heaven, and will give it to those that have loved Him. 3And when thou hast attained to this full knowledge, with what joy thinkest thou that thou wilt be filled, or how wilt thou love Him that so loved thee before? 4And loving Him thou wilt be an imitator of His goodness. And marvel not that a man can be an imitator of God. He can, if God willeth it. 5For happiness consisteth not in lordship over one’s neighbours, nor in desiring to have more than weaker men, nor in possessing wealth and using force to inferiors; neither can any one imitate God in these matters; nay, these lie outside His greatness. 6But whosoever taketh upon himself the burden of his neighbour, whosoever desireth to benefit one that is worse off in that in which he himself is superior, whosoever by supplying to those that are in want possessions which he received from God becomes a God to those who receive them from him, he is an imitator of God. (509).

1 Clement 1.1: Translation and Comment

17 Tuesday Jan 2012

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Clement 1.1

Διὰ τὰς αἰφνιδίους καὶ ἐπαλλήλους γενομένας ἡμῖν συμφορὰς καὶ περιπτώσεις, ἀδελφοί, βράδιον νομίζομεν ἐπιστροφὴν πεποιῆσθαι περὶ τῶν ἐπιζητουμένων παρ ̓ ὑμῖν πραγμάτων, ἀγαπητοί, τῆς τε ἀλλοτρίας καὶ ξένης τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ, μιαρᾶς καὶ ἀνοσίου στάσεως, ἣν ὀλίγα πρόσωπα προπετῆ καὶ αὐθάδη ὑπάρχοντα εἰς τοσοῦτον ἀπονοίας ἐξέκαυσαν, ὥστε τὸ σεμνὸν καὶ περιβόητον καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἀξιαγάπητον ὄνομα ὑμῶν μεγάλως βλασφημηθῆναι

Beloved brothers, we know that we have been slow to give serious attention to the many unfortunate, unexpected events which have befallen you; things which are strange, alien to the elect of God – the foul, unholy rebellion  of a few self-willed individuals — inflamed with madness – who have greatly slandered your name, a name which is well-known and honored and loved by all.

Comment:

The passage piles up a great many parallel phrases to convey the emotional effect created by this rebellion in the Corinthian church. Clement is trying to convey shock – even horror – that a beloved and well-respected church (if we take this at face value, then Paul’s epistles took and brought substantial change to the congregation for many years) was facing a rebellion from some self-willed individuals. He conveys his sympathy by calling them “brothers” and then later “beloved”. Clement is also apologizing for taking so long to respond to what has occurred.

Translating the passage is difficult, because the structure of the grammar and the progression of the thought make for ponderous English, if one attempts to translate every word in something approaching the original word order. To make such a translation may convey the words but will also undercut the intent of the writer. I have attempted to bring over the emotional content by removing conjunctions to make for many short phrases pressing in upon one-another.  Compare Lightfoot’s translation:

By reason of the sudden and repeated calamities and reverses which have befallen us, brethren, we consider that we have been some that tardy in giving heed to the matters of dispute that have arisen among you, dearly beloved, and to the detestable and unholy sedition, to alien and strange to the elect of God, which a few headstrong and self-willed persons have kindled to such a pitch of madness that your name, once revered and renowned and lovely in the sight of all men, path been greatly reviled.

The use of the word aiphindios  is a loaded word in the NT, being used in conjunction with the sudden, unexpected return of Christ in judgment (Luke 21:24 & 1Thes. 5:3). It is easy to make too much of such a connection; but it at least gives us a feel for how shocking this seemed to the Roman church.

The use of miaras (foul, abominable) and anosios (unholy) in proximity to “the elect of God”, make plain the sinfulness and profanity of the action.

Stasis in this context conveys a faction or rebellion. See, e.g., Herodetus 5.28, “δὲ τούτων ἐπὶ δύο γενεὰς ἀνδρῶν νοσήσασα ἐς τὰ μάλιστα στάσι, μέχρι οὗ μιν Πάριοι κατήρτισαν.”

The slander has been “great.” It is important to understand the pain of being slandered in a culture which still respected and sought honor and worked hard to avoid shame.  All cultures have similar structures – our culture has just wildly moved the markers, such that that which is now shameful would have previously been considered honorable. Christianity took over this concern for shame and honor, but made God’s valuation the sole determinate for what is shameful or honorable. A concern for shame and honor runs through the entire work. Among other things, the multiple biblical references are an effort to orient those involved to take on a biblical standard for assessing shame and honor.