Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (51 page)

advocates.

bad company, unseemly conversation and

4
Wherefore the world needs the godly

erroneous statements.

efforts of the true prophet that he may

3
Thence there comes ignorance, and

describe things to us as they actually are

there come also dissoluteness, unbelief,

and tell us what we have to believe reunchastity, avarice, vanity, and innumergarding everything.

able vices of this kind, which have oc

5
First of all then we must examine the

cupied the world as it were a house

prophet with all seriousness and arrive at

which, like a cloud of smoke, they have

the certainty that he is a true prophet,

filled; they have thus made muddy the

6
and then we should believe him in

eyes of those who dwell in the house and

all matters and ought not to quibble at

have prevented them from looking up and

the least small particular in his teaching,

recognising the Creator God from his

but should accept all his words as valid,

works and inferring his will.

as it may appear in faith, yet actually on

4
Therefore the friends of truth who

the ground of the sound examination that

are in the house must cry from the depth

we have made. . . .

of their heart for help for their truth-

seeking souls, that if someone is outside

the smoke-filled house, he may come and

Book
2

open the door, so that the sunlight from

outside may invade the house and that

15

the smoke within may be dissipated.

(Peter:) Now that he might

bring people to the true knowledge of all things, God, who himself is a Now the man who can help

19

single person, made a clear separation by

here, I call the true prophet; he

way of pairs of opposites, in that he, who

alone can enlighten the souls of people

from the beginning was the one and only

that with their own eyes they may be able

God, made heaven and earth, day and

to see the way to eternal salvation.

night, life and death.

2
That is not possible in any other way,

2
Among these he has gifted free-will

as indeed you yourself know; only just

to humans alone so that they may be just

now you said

or unjust. For them he has also permuted

THE HOMILIES OF CLEMENT

197

the appearing of the pairs of opposites,

5
And also from Abraham, the progenin that he has set before their eyes first itor of our people, there issued two sons,

the small and then the great, first the

the older Ishmael and then Isaac, who

world and then eternity, this world being

was blessed by God.

transitory, but the one to come eternal;

6
Again from this same Isaac there

so also ignorance precedes knowledge.

sprang two sons, the godless Esau and

3
In the same way he has ordered the

the godly Jacob.

bearers of the prophetic spirit. For since

7
Likewise there came first, as firstthe present is womanly and like a mother born into the world, the high priest

gives birth to children, but the future,

(Aaron) and then the law-giver (Moses).

manly time on the other hand takes up

its children in the manner of a father,

The syzygy associated with Eli17

4
therefore there come first the prophjah, which ought to have come, ets of this world (who prophesy falsely,

willingly held off to another time, being

and) those who have the knowledge of

resolved to take its place when the oceternal things follow them because they casion arises.

are sons of the coming age.

2
Then in the same way there came

5
Had the God-fearing known this sefirst he who was among them that are cret, then they would never have been

born of women and only after that did he

able to go wrong, and also they would

who belongs to the sons of men appear

even now have known that Simon, who

as the second.

now confounds all, is merely a helpmate

3
Following up this disposition it

of the feeble left hand (of God, i.e., the

would be possible to recognise where

evil one).

Simon belongs, who as first and before

me went to the Gentiles, and where I be

As regards the disposition of

16

long, I who came after him and followed

the prophetic mission the case

him as the light follows darkness, knowlis as follows. As God, who is one person, edge ignorance, and healing sickness.

in the beginning made first the heaven

4
Thus then, as the true prophet has

and then the earth, as it were on the right

said, a false gospel must first come from

hand and on the left, he has also in the

an impostor and only then, after the decourse of time established all the pairs of struction of the holy place, can a true

opposites. But with humans it is no

gospel be sent forth for the correction of

longer so—rather does he invert the pairs.

the sects that are to come.

2
For as with him the first is the

5
And thereafter in the end Antichrist

stronger and the second the weaker, so

must first come again and only afterwards

with humans we find the opposite, first

must Jesus, our actual Christ, appear and

the weaker and then the stronger.

then, with the rising of eternal light,

3
Thus directly from Adam, who was

everything that belongs to darkness must

made in the image of God, there issued

disappear.

as the first son the unrighteous Cain and

as the second the righteous Abel.

18

4
And in the same way from the man

Since now, as has been said,

many do not know this conwho amongst you is called Deucalion two formity of the syzygies with law, they do

symbols of the Spirit, the unclean and the

not know who this Simon, my forerunner,

clean, were sent out, the black raven and

is. For were it known, no one would

after it the white dove.

believe him. But now, as he remains

198

NON-CANONICAL EPISTLES AND RELATED WRITINGS

unknown, confidence is wrongly placed

rest sat beside one another in the middle

in him.

of the market-place in sackcloth and

2
Thus he who does what haters do

ashes and did penance for their former

finds love; the enemy is received as a

sins.

friend; people long for him who is death

2
When the Sidonians heard this, they

as a bringer of salvation; although he is

did likewise; and because they themfire, he is regarded as light; although he selves were not able on account of their

is a cheat, he obtains a hearing as a prodiseases to come to Peter, they sent a claimer of truth. . . .

petition to him.

3
After he had stayed for some days in

Tyre and had instructed all the inhabitants

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7

and freed them from numerous sufferings, Peter founded a church and ap1 In Tyre not a few people from the pointed a bishop for them from the numneighbourhood and numerous inber of the elders who were accompanying habitants of the city came to Peter and

him; then he set out for Sidon.

cried to him: “May God have mercy upon

us through you, and may he through you

When Peter entered Sidon, the peobring us healing!” And Peter, having 6 ple brought many sick folk in beds

mounted a high rock that he might be

and set them down before him.

seen of all, greeted them in a godly way

2
And he said to them: “Do not on any

and began as follows:

account believe that I, a mortal man, myself subject to many sufferings, can do 2 “God, who has made heaven and anything to heal you! But I greatly desire the universe, is not wanting in

to tell you in what way you can be

power to save those who desire to be

delivered. . . .

saved. . . .

“And what is pleasing to God is

4

“For I mention to you two ways,

7

this, that we pray to him and ask

showing you in the first place in

from him as the one who dispenses

what way people fall into misfortune and

everything according to a righteous law,

in the second place in what way under

that we keep away from the table of dev

God’s guidance they are delivered.

ils, that we do not eat dead flesh, that we

2
“The way of those who perish is

do not touch blood, that we wash ourbroad and very easy, but it leads straight selves clean from all defilement.

away to misfortune; the way of those who

3
“Let the rest be said to you also in

are delivered is narrow and rough, but in

one word, as the God-fearing Jews heard

the end it leads to salvation those who

it, while you show yourselves, many as

have taken its burdens upon themselves.

you are, of one mind: ‘What good a per

Before these two ways there stand belief

son wishes for himself, let him confer the

and unbelief. . . .”

same also on his neighbor!’ . . .”

Such were the addresses that Peter

8

After they had thus been instructed

5

gave in Sidon. There also within a

for some days by Peter and had

few days many were converted and bebeen healed, they were baptized. At the lieved and were healed. So Peter founded

time of his other miraculous deeds the

a church there and enthroned as bishop

THE HOMILIES OF CLEMENT

199

one of the elders who were accompanybaptized them, Peter enthroned as bishop ing him. He then left Sidon.

one of the elders who were accompanying him and then journeyed to Byblus.

Immediately after the arrival of Pe9

3
On coming there he learned that

ter in Berytus an earthquake took

Simon had not waited for him even for a

place; and people came to Peter saying:

single day, but had started at once for

“Help, for we greatly fear that we shall

Tripolis. Accordingly Peter remained a

all together perish!”

few days with the people of Byblus, ef

2
Then Simon dared, along with Apfected not a few healings, and gave inpion, Annubion, Athenodorous and his struction in the Holy Scriptures. He then

other comrades, to turn against Peter in

journeyed in the track of Simon to Tripthe presence of all the people: “Flee, peoolis, being resolved to pursue him rather ple from this man;

than to make room for him.

3
“for he is a magician—you may believe me—and has himself occasioned this earthquake and has caused these dis

Book
8

eases to frighten you, as if he himself

was a god!”

4
And many other false charges of this

1 Along with Peter there entered into

Tripolis people from Tyre, Sidon,

sort did Simon and his followers bring

Berytus, Byblus and neighboring places,

against Peter, suggesting that he poswho were eager to learn, and in numbers sessed superhuman power.

that were not smaller, people from the

5
As soon as the multitude gave him a

city itself crowded about him desiring to

hearing, Peter with a smile and an imget to know him. . . .

pressive directness spoke the words: “Oh

people, I admit that, God willing, I am

capable of doing what these men here

Astonished at this eagerness of the

4

say and in addition am ready, if you will

multitudes, Peter answered: “You

not hear my words, to turn your whole

see, beloved brethren, how the words of

city upside down.”

our Lord are manifestly fulfilled. For I

remember how he said: ‘Many will come

Now when the multitude took

10

from east and west, from north and south,

alarm and readily promised to

and repose in the bosom of Abraham,

carry out his commands, Peter said: “Let

Isaac and Jacob.’4 Nevertheless ‘many are

no one of you associate with these macalled, but few are chosen.’5

gicians or in any way have intercourse

2
“In their coming in response to the

with them.”

call so much is fulfilled.

2
Scarcely had the people heard this

3
“But since it rests not with them but