esoteric character to the
PISTIS, GNOSIS, COSMOLOGY, AND THEOLOGY PISTIS, GNOSIS, C gnosis which the soul possesses after its separation from the body; so far is right: ifthe Pytha the fifth point can be related to both stages of gnosis. the Stoics, and the Aristo q portant of their doctrines 1. It is peculiar to the higher gnosis to possess an esoteric esoteric character to the | character. Its doctrines cannot be revealed to anybody, but must
| more reason to keep the | on the contrary be reserved to very few people, namely to those q common people?! This i who have proved themselves worthy of apprehending them. The , of the evangelical passage distinction between the Ay) wiorts and gnosis is also the distinc- } Sé éxAexroi, and leads h tion between those who are not allowed to approach the most q Socrates' words in Phaedo sacred doctrines and those few who are admitted to this know- ) 5é re madpo.2 In the sam ledge. Clement lays a very strong emphasis on this idea, which 10: 26, oddev kpurrov 6 od can be regarded as the leitmotiv of the Stromateis. 'He who is still droxadupOyjcera: he mak blind and obtuse, who possesses neither capacity ofunderstanding
=~ at those who show themse nor the fearless and penetrating insight peculiar to the soul longtain way what is reveal ing for contemplation . . . is like a person attending the sacred kpurrrov pavepwHjcecbar d rites without being initiated or one taking part in a holy dance
| mapaxexaduppevas 7a Tapa without being educated; being still impure and unworthy of the ,, erat TO Kexadupyrevov cs pure truth, and also devoid ofharmony and oforder andmaterial,
/ trois dAlyos pavepov yevijo he must still stay out of the divine choir' ;' 'only those who are for Clement the doctrines often in contact with them [i.e. with the writings of the barbarian
, which only very few peop philosophy] and, in their faith and in their whole life, have \ by the following evidenc produced sufficient evidence of their fitness, shall possess accordq
Strom. v. 35. 5 (ii. 349. 18 ing to them [i.e. the writings of the barbarian philosophy] the to stay on the holy ar real philosophy and the true theology.' In order to find further world, which is hidden support for his view, Clement quotes also passages of the RepubStrom. v. 80. 3 (ii. 379. 8lic,3 the Theaetetus,t and the Epinomis,s and also a passage of the really mystical speech forged letter of Lysis to Hipparchus: 'Nor must one communi- | _ its powers must remain cate the treasures of wisdom to those whose soul is unclean even i Strom. vi. 70. 2 (ii. 466. in a dream; it is not allowed to hand over what is attained by ' comprehends what see means of such hard struggles to the first person one meets with | . pet: ae ai s (ii. 490. or to expound the mysteries of the word to those who are un- { Sivom, ot ee TE initiated.'6 Clement glances at the most important Greek philoie Fa, 9 (ibaa 20 a ent f : f according to the allego sophical schools in order to prove that what he has been saying
|] into thevesn3 t Strom. v. 19. 2-3 (ii. 338. 22-6).
; 2 Strom. v. 56. 3 (ii. 364. 8-11). i ew er ree. 49
3 Strom. v. 17. 4 (ii. 337. 10-11) (Rep. vi. 494 a).
4 Strom. v. 33. 5 (iis 348. 4-7) (Theaet. 155 €). search and always sit u 5 Strom. v. 7. 6 (ii. 330. 8-12) (Epinom. 973 €).
H) © Strom. v. 57. 2 (ii. 364. 24-7). The complete text ofthis letter can be found in I * See Strom. v. 58. 1-5 (ii. 365
Iamblichus, De Vita Pyth. 75-8 (pp. 4223-45. 16 Dibner). On the forgery see i 4 See Strom. v. 17. 4-5 (ii. 337.
W. Theiler in his review of Delatte's book, Etudes sur la littérature pythagoricienne, > These words represent Cleme in Gnomon 2 (1926), 149. i, 10: 27, 8 &€ dxovere els 75 obs.
PISTIS, GNOSIS, COSMOLOGY, AND THEOLOGY :
PISTIS, GNOSIS, secondly because it is notsuitable foreverybody to understand . . .
The term pvorrpiov | therefore the holy mysteries are hidden in parables and kept Synoptics (Matt. 13: 11, | safe for the selected men and for those who, coming from fistis, speaks either of the 'my are admitted into gnosis. hd t_belon; 8: 10) or of the 'myste | .
Si e n pes not Di f Strom. vi. 129. 4 (ii. 497. 16-19): Since the truth doc 'thumi pe 13: 11).! Clement does n to everybody, it is kept hidden in several ways: it illuminates o a neh tl a vie is I initiated in gnosis, namely those who. j connection with the sec a x e W. re initiated 1n gi i Gnly those' people who are MBATer IANO, any reason that he quo being moved by love, search after it.
SSorar yrGvar Ta pvorrjp The secret character of the doctrines of gnosis explains why in which he lays a stro sment often calls them pvorjpia, represents the study and Strom. v. 80. 6, vol. ii. lement ites ee tok i d \ .
| hension of them as a process of initiation (vef8ar), an st. Paul's use ofthe term | apprehe:
: he hiel \ | iders those who have attained the knowledge of the higher ; that 'the sacred and my considers i | truth as pvora:. He is very fond of these terms, and resorts to principle and its powers them whenever he comes to speak about gnosis: it is worth looking he goes on to quote the h passages as Strom. i. 13. 1
(ii. g. 24-10. 1), i. 13. 4 (id. 10. the Corinthians in whic at such passag ; » zi Je i. 18. 9
32. 3 (ii. 21. 14-15), 1. 32. 4 (ii. 2% of copia to the réAevor 11-12), 1.
(ii. 108. 27-9), iv. 3.
(ii. 249. 8)," iv. 109. 2 redeiois ..
. AaAotpev Oeo 21-3), i.
. re He ii, 296. 11-12),? v. 61.
367. 14-15), V. 90. 3 (ii, 385. 21-3); | évnv, Strom. v. 80.
479. 18-19), Vi. 102.
(ii, 483. 10-12), vi. 126. 2 conception of gnosis also Vie 95 479.
= aes 'i concep ii, 495. 29-4), Vi. 127. 5
496. 20-2), Vii. 4. 3
(ill. 5. 10 in which the apostle uses ii, 49523-4), 5, = "Dis Gal 11), vii. 6.
(iii. 6. 8), vii. 97. 4 (iii, 68. 8-9), Quis Div. salv. accordingly. In Strom. v.
(iii, 183. 21-2), 37. 1
(iii, 183. 31-2), Ecl. Proph. 35.
3: 3-5, he adds his own (iii. 147. 17).3
A few lines below, he q : ets Sea t On the exact meaning of this expression (cf, also Strom. v. 71. 1) see p. 190
NE Gr. 3) and distinguish below . viv ébavepd6n rots dytow 2 On the pvoripia of the épdouds and dydods see pp. 'me 185 os
M pvornpiov: according to :
H a intaining that 'Clemens macht von ihr > Vélker, 312, is therefore wrong inmaintaining that "Cleme sien Gatranteht | secret tradition ofgnosis, [viz. the tendency to stress the esotericism of gnosis] freilich nur se ten ebrauch', It must be remembered that the use of mystery terms in the Stromateis cannot be
| compared with the occurrence of the same terms at the end of the Protrepticus.
{ * Cf. H. von Soden, ZNW Here Clement represents Christianity as a mystery religion to which he wants to 426-7. convert all his pagan readers and, for this purpose, makes free use of the vocabulary i * I have not been convinc characteristic of the Greek mysteries (see, for instance, Protr. 119. 1, vol. i. 84. 4ff, presence of any esotericism in aud 120.
1, vol. i, 84. 23 ff.). Theapologetic tendency of these passages issomething | thians. That in this epistle St. different from the esotericism which is characteristic of the gnosis of the Stromateis. and more perfect Christians is This circumstance, to which A. Wlosok, AHAW, phil.-hist. Kl. (1960), 152-4, based WvvyOnv dpiv AaAfjoat ws m has paid no attention, has been rightly pointed out by H. G. Marsh, 77S37
| vada pas éxdrica, ob Bpdpa. T (1936), 70: 'We must not forget that there are two Clements, the Alexandrine also in Strom. y, 65. 5 togethe philosopher and the Christian evangelist. The former defended the restriction of of course the esotericism of bo ET AN sr knew that the gospel for the salvation of mankind must
Own esoteric views: see Strom. esoteric truth, the latter knew gosp' hia be proclaimed to all.' Camelot, op. cit. 87-8, translates Marsh's words almost dpxatay osteo émixpupiv, and literally: 'C'est bien ici que l'on pergoit qu'il y a deux Cléments, le didascale the BpGya which are mentioned chrétien et le philosophe alexandrin: le premier sait bien que l'évangile du salut
, Be former to the first element ! doit étre préché a tous, et c'est lui qui parlait dans le Protreptique ; le second réserve 7 epee ially Rom, 16; 2 A une élite le trésor caché de la verité.'
Primm, 2KT 61 (1937) i) '
PISTIS, GNOSIS, COSMOLOGY, AND THEOLOGY . himself, namely that apostles and which they transmitted to their successors, the vvsteries? latter represents the simple pistis. hast | Leg. Alleg. iii. 219 (i. 162
The reason why Clement was led to lay such a strong emphasis { fsten t8 teyholyania on the esoteric character of gnosis and to give an esoteric inter- ; De Cher. 42 (i. 180. 15-1 pretation to the passages of the Gospels and of St. Paul contain- } initiated who are wor ing the term pvorijpiov is not far to seek. The idea that the highest
De Cher. 48 (i. 181. 19-2 : doctrines (namely the doctrines concerning the highest divinity, mysteries in your sou the origin of the world and of man, and the destiny of the human and do not reveal the soul after the death of the body) represent a secrelum arcanum i this treasure in yourse which can be revealed only to very few initiated is characteristic sai 49 i& I -" 3) :
Moses, who is dear t of the Jewish-Alexandrine philosophy, of Middle Platonism, of |) oses, Bice ' and al f the heretical Christian Gnosticism q De Sacr. Ab. et C. 60 (i. 22
Neop atonism, and also 0 Pa } i initiated may not be p which Clement knew very well and which in some sense he y fect initiaGons toianyb wanted to emulate. Already in the Wisdom of Solomon the doc- , | De Sacr, Ab, et C. 60 (i. trines concerning the essence and the origin of the divine copia q cerning the ungenera are represented as pvoripia and connected with gnosis: ri bé
} hidden:* ort codia Kal 7s eyévero, dmayyehd kal od azoxptiiw dpiv Quod D, sit imm, 61 (ii. pworipia, GAN dm' dpyfs yevéecews eéiyvidow Kal Ojow eis 76 f corrupt mysteries con eudaves rv yr@ow adrijs, 6: 225 cf. 2: 22, Kal obk éyywoar pvor}q
De Somn. i. 164 (iii. 240 pia Geod.? But it is in Philo that the use of the language of the ) hidden splendour of mysteries is particularly clear. Like Clement, Philo resorts to Pisin ea aa— : e Somn. i. 191
| mystery terms extremely frequently in order to represent the A I | ineffable doctrines, w secret character of his theological doctrines and stresses the | allowed to know. necessity ofkeeping them hidden from the multitude. The followi
De Soman. i. 226 (iii. 253. ing passages are particularly worth noticing: with the secret doctri Lee. Alles. ii.
(i. 101. 24-5): Not everybody must be allowed to ; De Vita cont. 25
25 (vi. 52. contemplate the secrets of God.
(i. 113. 17): The souls which are prepared to a Quaest, in Gen. iv. 8 (S search after the invisible mysteries of God . h knowledge and under Leg. Alleg. iii. 27 (i. 119. 10-12); Which soul succeeded in hiding i) His two highest power and in destroying vice, except that to which God revealed
Pl p © Strom. v. 61. t (ii 367. 14-19). On the interpretation which Clement gives of H sa also had describe Col, 1: 25-7 see also Marsh, 66 and 70, Primm, 400, and Camelot, op. cit. 86. A y as ra réAea Kal éeromri further proofof Clement's inclination to give an esoteric interpretation of St. Paul
! is provided by his particular predilection for the sentence of 1 Cor. 8: 7, an MW * Clement has copied this pa ovK ev raat % yv@as: in Strom, iv. 97.
1 after quoting it he adds his own remark, J * On Philo's predilection for 4 & OMyois wapadidouevn; in Strom. v. 17.
1 he connects it with Rep. vi. 494.8) TSIK 67 (1894), Heft 4, 706Phaed. 6 c,and Matt. 22: 143 in Strom. v. 61. 3 he again quotes it in order to |
11%) Wolfson, Philo i. 43-54. As to explain his interpretation of Col. 2: 2f- .
\) By Light, Light (and before hi 2 The references to these two passages of the Wisdom of Solomon are given by A Life, 303), according to which P Deden, 428. Some other passages from the Book of Daniel, the Book of Enoch, actual mystery cults in the Je the Apocalypse of Ezra, and the Apocalypse of Baruch, quoted by Deden, 429-32, criticism in his review of Goode are also worth noticing. i \ i il q| i | Bi
PISTIS, GNOSIS, COSMOLOGY, AND THEOLOGY i) PISTIS, GNOSIS, C contemplation ofthe dzepoupdros réz0s as the result of a process versus Haereses (on the Va of initiation (é€reAodvro r&v TeAeTOv iy Ours Aéyew pakapwwrarny, respect: mans Fics ee
Phaedr. 250 b, cf. 250 C5) MUOUHEVOL TE Kat sbi ot > e had Hippolytus, Ref. v. 8. 26 also held the view that the highest doctrines could not be com6 rdvrew Aeyopeva municated to everybody. The same inclination to stress the | Ref. v. 8. 26 (iii. 94. 2esoteric character of the highest doctrines occurs in Middle
; dippnra pvoripia, & he Platonism and in Neoplatonism. Plutarch, referring to the pas- { Ref. v. 8. 27 (iii. 94. 5-6) sage of Symp. 210 a, approves Plato's use of the term éomzuKdv kal AaPetv 76 péya Tob for the designation of the highest part of philosophy, namely
Ref. v. 27. 2 (ili. 133. theology (De Is. et Os. 382 d) ; he represents the knowledge of the wal eeeiv pndevi ( highest divinity as a reAer7} («al Orydvres Gdnb&s Tis wept adrd
Teele Ado. Haer. I, kabapas dAnBelas ofov ev reAerf TéAos éxew pirocodias vopilovar, f Ball st i in a De Is. et Os.
Quaest. Conv. viii. 2, 718 c—d, rv vonriy Kat CET IURRER So, ae és 3° Qu nny ad 7oS Ad , Ge Adv. Haer.i. 1. 3 (i. 12-13 | aidiov didow, nS béa tédos €OTL groaodias OLOV €TTOTTTELA teleris,
| eeu: dndppyra pvoripea, { re '
2cel oi ri fis € i t !
. f and De Def. Orac. 422 €, exeivas dvetpov eva ris éronreias Kat Adv. Haer. i. 4. 2 (is 36, teAerfs), and makes it clear that such a knowledge cannot be al Pabéa pooriipea.
| revealed to everybody (76 pi) pardv pndé dpardv avOpdizrots «dos, Adv. Haer. i. 6. 1 (i. 53.
De Is. et Osir. 383 a). Albinus, after paraphrasing Plato's famous q ydow Exovres rept Ve words in Timaeus 28 c, maintains that he had allowed only a few
| eivat rovrous drorievr selectag to listen to the SxpOsIUON of the= doctrines | In the writings of Nag-H (advA oe TaN tail ae VET PORES sa ee ee gnosis is also strongly em To¥, aye tubes ta teen Hats sin ' _ 33-4) an 7 Lacs ' first treatise ofthe so-call term pveioda. in connection with the study of the theoretica to refrain from communic art of philosophy (ef pre:
7a pellw pvetoBar pabfuare, Did. ae : m Pp Pp PY (ee PEAAGL Te.
EtG [VELOVEL: HORT HAT A | the letter which the Savi 182. 8). The same views are held in Neoplatonism by Plotinus: apostles? The Gospel of tobro 81) eéAov Sydoby 76 Trav pvarnpiwv TOvde eriraypa, 76 pA)
> \ D « > " b wideetoo dv divetan ' For some general informat expepe €ls 7 MELUNMWEVOUS, WS OUK ekPopo' eae documents themselves see espec ss oy ins. eee erre
; ps P dn rodv apos aNov 76 Beiov, drw pi) Kai adr@ iSeiv edrdynrar, Enn.
87-95, be Pagan VC 2 (1048) Vi. Q. II.
| 1949), 176-80, and BAB (1949 The same ideas can be found among the Christian Gnostics. saath dy Rhovessey BAD (tas ; :
E. Crum (Boston, Mass., 195 Like Clement, they claim to possess a higher teaching—the true d'Egyple i. 133-56, and A. D. N gnosis—which cannot be revealed to everybody and must be kept
't the Coptic manuscripts and of .
_ are give y Puer My, ic y hidden and reserved for a few initiated : for them also, therefore, ae by Puech, Coptic Sh sais : pi:
. ca | oresse, Les Livres secrets des gnos gnosis is a 'mystery'. This is one of the fundamental features of * See H. C. Puech and G. Q all gnostic systems. Some passages of Hippolytus' Refutatio (on ow in pict) is manuscript aa aaa : ia, he of thelist of Doresse (op. cit. 1 the Naassenes and on the gnostic Justin) and of Irenaeus' Adj
3 See H.C, Puech and G. Q ! Clement most probably had these passages of Plato in mind in Strom. i. 176. 2 il * This gospel is contained F y Pi I (see p. 146 above) as Stahlin, app. crit. ad loc., rightly points out. The passage of 104) and X ofthe list of Doresse Pp.
Phaedrus 250 b-c is quoted in Strom. v. 138. 3.
Gospel and an English transla 2 See for instance Theaet. 155 ¢, Timacus 28 c, and Epist. vii. 341 c. On Clement's Thomas, Coptic Text established an quotations of these passages of Plato see p. 144 above and chapter I, p, 42 above.
W. Till and Yassah Abd al Masi \ | | f] PISTIS, GNOSIS, COSMOLOGY, AND THEOLOGY } PISTIS, GNOSIS, C as 'the secret words' of Jesus and contains the saying
'I tell 22. 11-17 (p. 85 Till : Li my mysteries to those who are worthy of my mysteries'! The that thou mayst tell i Gospel of Philip? insists on the secret and mysterious character thou, who belong to th of gnosis, which must not be divulged, and consequently alsoon
_ to those who are able the sharp distinction between those who possess it and ordinary i 64. 17 65.1 (pp. P/O-E, stole: j things, which are very people: who belong to the unw 101. 4-5 (p. 29): And he separated his own.
75. 15-20 (p. 191 Till):
102, 5-8 (p. 30): One single name they did not utter in the world, down and transmit it s the name which the Father gave to the Son, which is above all
| as thou. things, which is the name of the Father.
| 102. 10-12 (p. 30): This name those who have it know indeed, V | At the opening of the lo but they do not speak ofit. t contained in manuscripts 103. 22 (p. 31): But only a few who see it reap it. ry 130. 17 ff. (p. 58): To these [i.e. to the friends of the bridegroom
1, 1-4 (p. 10 and to the sons of the bridegroom] is given to enter every day Christ, revealed these s into the bridal chamber. But the others .
. let them be nourished taught them to John.s ! from the crumbs that fall from the table like the dogs. ii a nas eioris 132. 22 (p. Go): ... but the bridal chamber is hidden.
The Pistis-Sophia and the 133. 12-13 (p. 61): ... in order that we might go in to the secrets of views: the Pistis-Sophia c theteuth:
\ 'first mystery' ;° and the 133. 18-19 (p. 61):... the perfect things are open to us, and the [his is the book of the k hidden things of the truth. ibal = '
{ It must be remembered that M.
The Gospel of Truth represents gnosis asa hidden mystery which f for the manuscripts: in their has been revealed to the perfect men ;3 and in the Apocryphon of of Puech and Doresse, codex iE Doresse, and codex IV (pp. 2 ohn# Jesus says to John:
J q Codex III of Krause-Labib (= The esoteric character of the gospel has rightly been stressed by Y. Janssens, , contain a shorter version of the | Muséon 75 (1962), 304.
III, Doresse X) and IV (= Pu 2 This gospel is contained in the manuscript which contains the Gospel of H. see M. Krause-P. Labib, 3. A Thomas, viz. manuscript III of the list of Puech (art. cit. 104) and X of the version of codex II Krause-Labi list of Doresse (op. cit., 167). It has been translated into English by R. McL. Wil- | by S. Giversen, Acta theologica Da son (London, 1962). The edition of the Coptic text and a German translation
, * Cf. codex If Krause~Labib, of it have been published by W. C, Till, Das Evangelium nach Philippos (Berlin, * Cf. codex IT Krause—Labib, y 1963) ; in quoting it I follow Wilson's translation.
® Cf, codex II Krause-Labib, 3 Gospel of Truth 18, 11-16. This gospel, which is contained in the codex Jung, * See footnote 4, p. 152 above has been edited by M. Malinine, H. C. Puech, and G. Quispel (Ziirich, 1956); q 5 Cf. codex IV, 1. 1-3 (p. 201) this edition contains also a French, German, and English translation of the Coptic papyrus of Berlin, I quote it acc text, { _° A German translation of + This work is contained in a papyrus of Berlin as well as in three papyri of Schriften herausgegeben von C. Schm Nag-Hammadi (codex I of the lists of Puech, art. cit. 102-3, and of Doresse,
Jahrh,), 2. Auflage bearbeitet v op. cit. 165, codex III of the list of Puech, art. cit. 104-5 [= Doresse X, op.
' has been made by H. R. S. Mea cit. 167], and codex VIII of the list of Puech, art. cit. 107 [= Doresse II, op.
{ which I refer to occurs in chapter cit, 165]). The version of the papyrus of Berlin has been edited and translated } of the Pistis-Sophia must be trace by W.
CG. Till, TU 60 (Berlin, 1955) (I follow this edition in my quotations); } see Till, op. cit., preface, p. xxiv the three versions of Nag-Hammadi have been edited and translated into German
; hevertheless be quoted in order by M. Krause and P, Labib, Abh. des deutschen archdol. Inst. Kairo, Band I (1962), f the gnostic systems, namely the \ | i PISTIS, GNOSIS, COSMOLOGY, AND THEOLOGY :
PISTIS, GNOSIS, C revealed by means of the hidden mysteries which show the select finds its explanation in h race the way leading in rest to the life of the Father.'! a which he has inherited f Clement has therefore, in common with the Jewish-AlexanThe esoteric character drine philosophy, with Middle Platonism and Neoplatonism, and understand why he insists also with Gnosticism, the tendency to use mystery terms to detradition different from t scribe the esoteric character of gnosis.
This seems to suggest a literClement says—spoke in p ary dependence of Clement on this tradition rather than a direct from being divulged! and influence of the ancient Greek mysteries upon him.? few among his disciples w = é a a os
Clement's inclination to stress the esotericism of gnosis explains (adrixca ob oMois arexd why he regards Scripture as veiled by symbols which have to , mpoojKew ayrloraro, Tots be disclosed by means of an allegorical interpretation. Accordadrd, Strom. i. 13. 2, vol. ing to him, both the Old and the New Testaments were purposely what Clement himself sa * .
. written in symbols so that the truth might be kept hidden from in which he draws atten the multitude and revealed only to a few initiated. Here again
| of the Gospel of Mark.?
Clement shows how closely he depends on the Alexandrine | transmitted this system tradition going back to Philo. Philo also had regarded the letter ceived from Christ to thei '"
* + as q \ of Scripture as a symbol covering an inner truth;* his literary to a yrworiy mapddoois w output is nothing but an attempt to provide the 'initiated' reader
| The object of this traditi with an extensive commentary on the Pentateuch, based on the theological and cos allegorical interpretation of it. Clement most probably did the | exactly, by a method o same thing—applying Philo's allegorical method also to the New
; finding such doctrines in Testament—in his lost work 'Yzorumdces. The importance Clement himself brings ] which he attributes to the interpretation of Scripture, which alone,
| connection with the inter in his thought, can enable man to pass from pistis to gnosis,s by Christ and preserved Kc ctameewoll ei ; FR In recent times J. Dan
A German version of the Books of Jeu is contained in the same volume whic! for the presence of thi contains the Pistis-Sophia (see the preceding footnote). The Books of Jeu were tothe prese mate 1s co | written most probably at the beginning ofthe third century a.p. (see Till, op. cit.,
1e apocalyptic Jewis panty. rn .
Li { — centuries A.D. (in 2 Bratke, TSK 60 (1887), 647-708, is the most important supporter of the view that Clement was directly influenced by the Greek mysteries. Although it cannot Epistle of tt *). He has be denied that Clement had a very detailed knowledge of them, as can be seen from -pistle of the T'welve Apos the Protrepticus, his literary dependence on Philo, on Middle Platonism, and on , ' Strom. vi. 124. 6
(ii. 494. the gnostic literature especially in the Stromateis must also be taken into account.
; émeruyodow ebddwra elvat, 74 Beta P. Ziegert, 725 ff., and R. C. Hanson, 54-5, have rightly pointed out the influence Cf Matt. 13: 11-13 and 19: 94 which Philo had on Clement in this respect. Vélker, 12 n. 2, is wrong in main= vi, 125. 1), Mark 4: 11-12, and taining that 'Man darf m. E. der Mysteriensprache weder bei Philo noch bei
* See W, Jaeger, Early Christi Clemens irgendwelche Bedeutung beilegen', He does not seem to have under- * Strom. i. 11. 3 (ii. g. 4-8), Str stood that the use made by Philo and Clement of mystery terms has a particular
18-21), and Strom. vi. 61.
(ii. aim: the stressing of the esoteric character of gnosis.
| * Strom. vi. 125. 2 (ii 495 pace) i i a neha ma k 25. 2
- 3 See especially the whole section of Strom. vi. 126. 1-127. 4 (ii. 495. 18-496. 20).
{ Bratke, art, cit. 674, Camelot, On Clement's tendency to stress the symbolical meaning of Scripture see also and 58, C, Mondésert, RSR 26. 158-80, and Clément d'Alexandrie. Introduction a Uétude de sa oy this epistle has come down pensde religieuse. . . 131-52. oth versions have been edited 4 See p. 140 above.
5 See pp. 138-9 above. a J. Wainberg, TU 43 (Leipzig, 1 ' i { PISTIS, GNOSIS, COSMOLOGY, AND THEOLOGY y PISTIS, GNOSIS, CO Acts ofJohn.' If it must be admitted that two ae of the J mitted by them to their s Epistle of the Twelve Apostles contain doctrines which can be the Twelve Apostles n : j of the Twelve Ap regarded as 'gnosticasfirstae ae ea mies teMai j convincing evidence in su what happens on the earth and in peas oi * the— ' mee es the existence of the concept es ini ae ae seven pulary ri as fe a } tradition in the Jewe be pointed out that the general trend of tis work te a literature of the first two the strict esotericism which, as we have seen, is characteristic of } the presence in Clement Clement's F ek Baas ms te ao Gon = bee a , somewhere else:we must ag necessity of keeping his teaching hidden from the multitude,
Bp Ap wes A As to oe Lees ok Tait 4 it barra difficult to trace it back to }) which it praa a ' epee ea a Soois are ree ri a non-heretical Christian community of Egypt as Daniélou, fol- | According to Irenaeus, lowing van Unnik, does:5 the strict esotericism which characthat the Lord had spoke terizes it and the emphasis laid on the function of gnosis, which hidden' (raGra 5¢ davepd alone imparts life to those who possess it, seem rather to suggest ywpely Tiy Gow, pvornp a Valentinian origin.$ The Acts ofJohn? contain only one passage pepnrdo0a, Adv. Haer. i. 3. which seems to recall Clement's aoe fen 'se ire ewe Irenaeus reminds us at on of Christ: at § 97 Christ is represented in the act of explaining ~ in Sirom, vi.
. the mystery of the cross to John. Here also, however,= still f rols emruyodow ebdAwra ev far from Clement's conception of the ime e Tone Fee he év rapaBodats diehearo. A a system of secret doctrines concerning the exp oak mes of the Carpocratians, Jesu ture which was revealed by Christ to a few disciples and transdisciples in order to expla ' aa transmit these secret doctr 1 See Daniélou, art. cit., especially pp. 202-3 and 205-6.
2 See chapter 12 of the Ethiopic version, op. cit. 44, and chapter V of the Coptic J selv : wor thy of apprehe version, op. cit, 45; cf. Daniélou, art. cit. 202. j ev pvornpiw rots pabyrais 3 See chapter 13 of the Ethiopic version (op. cit. 44, 46, 48, 50) and chapters kévat, kal adrods a€idoar.. van VI of the Coptic version (op. cit. 45, 47, 49, 51); cf Daniélou, art. ci i i. 209. 10-210. 2). The j + Oi this lattes see p. 151 above.
| practically the same as th y 5 See Daniélou, art. cit. 202, and cf. W. C. Van Unnik, VC9 (1956), 149-56. i 1. 13. 2 (ii. 10. I-3), abri
I have not been convinced by Van Unnik's attempt to deny the gnostic Fe Bao RE.
Gt , origin of the letter; H. C. Puech and G. Quispel, VC 8 (1954), 1-51, have pointed I, OAtyots 8g, Ole mpoayKel out its Valentinian character (see what they say especially on pp. 9, 15, 20-1)turwbivar apos adrd.! Wh
A. Orbe, AG 83 (Romae, 1956), 199-200, though avoiding taking a definite — cratians in the passage qu position on the problem of the origin of the letter, dors not ange the possi b himself: in his letter? Clem that it goes back to a particular group of Valentinians who were in favour t ar as martyrdom. [The edition of the Coptic text of the Letter of James has recently exist, and that the sect o come out: Epistula Jacobi apocrypha, ed. M. Malinine, H. C. Puech, G. Quast q knowing it, but had interp W. Till, R. Kasser, adiuvantibus R. Mc. Wilson, Jan Zandee (Zirich u. tant to notice th: hrs !
Stuttgart, 1968). Like the Gospel of Truth, it is furnished with French, English, &. notice that Clemen and German translations, I was glad to see, reading the preface, that H. C. Puech lan conception of the s is still strongly inclined to see in it a gnostic work (see especially p. xxxv)]. i, accepts it entirely, limiting 7 They have been edited by M. Bonnet (Acta Apostolorum apocrypha, ediderunt
< R. A. Lipsius et M. Bonnet, Lipsiac, 1898) ; these Ac is oF John should bi He { __* This passage of Clement shou confounded with the Acta Iohannis recounted by Prochorus and edited by T. Zahn and 75: 15-20 of the Apocrypho (Erlangen, 1880). i * Sce footnote 2, p. 155 above.