Clement of Alexandria: STROMATA (MISCELLANIES), Part IV, Complete

Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.

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Page 107

And we also have already heard that angels learned the truth, and their rulers over them; [3295] for they had a beginning. It remains, then, for us, ascending to seek their teacher. And since the unoriginated Being is one, the Omnipotent God; one, too, is the First-begotten, "by whom all things were made, and without whom not one thing ever was made." [3296] "For one, in truth, is God, who formed the beginning of all things;" pointing out "the first-begotten Son," Peter writes, accurately comprehending the statement, "In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth." [3297] And He is called Wisdom by all the prophets. This is He who is the Teacher of all created beings, the Fellow-counsellor of God, who foreknew all things; and He from above, from the first foundation of the world, "in many ways and many times," [3298] trains and perfects; whence it is rightly said, "Call no man your teacher on earth." [3299]

You see whence the true philosophy has its handles; though the Law be the image and shadow of the truth: for the Law is the shadow of the truth. But the self-love of the Greeks proclaims certain men as their teachers. As, then, the whole family runs back to God the Creator; [3300] so also all the teaching of good things, which justifies, does to the Lord, and leads and contributes to this.

[3295] [See the interesting passage in Justin Martyr (and note).]

[3296] John i. 3.

[3297] Gen. i. 1.

[3298] Heb. i. 1.

[3299] Matt. xxiii. 8-10.

[3300] Eph. iii. 14, 15.

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