Chapter 55
Examples of love
| 1 Ἵνα δὲ καὶ ὑποδείγματα ἐθνῶν ἐνέγκωμεν. πολλοὶ βασιλεῖς καὶ ἡγούμενοι, λοιμικοῦ τινος ἐνστάντος καιροῦ, χρησμοδοτηθέντες παρέδωκαν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς θάνατον, ἵνα ῥύσωνται διὰ τοῦ ἑαυτῶν αἵματος τοὺς πολίτας· πολλοὶ ἐξεχώρησαν ἰδίων πόλεων, ἵνα μὴ στασιάζωσιν ἐπὶ πλεῖον. |
Okay, let’s bring forward some examples of the Gentiles, too. In a time of pestilence, many kings and rulers, having followed the advice of oracles, have given up themselves to death in order that they might rescue their citizens through their own blood. Many have left their own cities so that there might be no more rebellion. |
| 2 ἐπιστάμεθα πολλοὺς ἐν ἡμῖν παραδεδωκότας ἑαυτοὺς εἰς δεσμά, ὅπως ἑτέρους λυτρώσονται· πολλοὶ ἑαυτοὺς παρέδωκαν εἰς δουλείαν, καὶ λαβόντες τὰς τιμὰς αὐτῶν ἑτέρους ἐψώμισαν. |
We know that many among us have surrendered themselves to prison chains in order to ransom others.
Many have sold themselves into slavery, and with the money they received for themselves, they have fed others. |
| 3 πολλαὶ γυναῖκες ἐνδυναμωθεῖσαι διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπετελέσαντο πολλὰ ἀνδρεῖα. | Many women, having been strengthened by the grace of God, have performed many manly deeds. |
| 4 Ἰουδὶθ ἡ μακαρία, ἐν συγκλεισμῷ οὔσης τῆς πόλεως, ᾐτήσατο παρὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐαθῆναι αὐτὴν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν τῶν ἀλλοφύλων. | When the city was under siege, blessed Judith asked the elders that she might be permitted to go into the enemy’s camp. |
| 5 παραδοῦσα οὖν ἑαυτὴν τῷ κινδύνῳ ἐξῆλθεν δι' ἀγάπην τῆς πατρίδος καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ ὄντος ἐν συγκλεισμῷ, καὶ παρέδωκεν κύριος Ὀλοφέρνην ἐν χειρὶ θηλείας. |
So she gave herself up to danger and went forth because of her love for her country and its people who were under siege. And the Lord delivered Holophernes into the hand of a woman. |
| 6 οὐχ ἧττον[1] καὶ ἡ τελεία κατὰ πίστιν Ἐσθὴρ κινδύνῳ ἑαυτὴν παρέβαλεν, ἵνα τὸ ἔθνος[2] τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ μέλλον ἀπολέσθαι ῥύσηται· διὰ γὰρ τῆς νηστείας καὶ τῆς ταπεινώσεως αὐτῆς ἠξίωσεν τὸν παντεπόπτην δεσπότην[3] τῶν αἰώνων· ὃς ἰδὼν τὸ ταπεινὸν τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς ἐρύσατο τὸν λαόν ὧν χάριν ἐκινδύνευσεν. |
The danger wasn’t less that Esther also faced. In perfect faith, she endangered herself so that she might deliver the twelve tribes of Israel when they were about to perish. For through her fasting and humiliation, she prayed to the all-seeing Master, the God of the ages. When He saw the humility of her soul, He delivered the people for her sake in facing danger. |
Summary
In Chapter 55, Clement broadens his argument for noble self-sacrifice by marshaling examples from pagan antiquity (ὑποδείγματα ἐθνῶν), contemporary Christian heroics, and Old Testament heroines. Having established in Chapter 54 that a true leader should voluntarily step aside for the sake of peace, he now demonstrates that laying down one’s rights or life for others is a universal mark of greatness:
Pagan Kings and Rulers: Heathen kings and leaders, responding to oracles during times of pestilence (λοιμικὸς καιρός), surrendered themselves to death to redeem their citizens with their own blood, or chose voluntary exile to prevent further civil strife (ἵνα μὴ στασιάζωσιν).
Christian Self-Sacrifice: Within the Christian community itself, many have willingly surrendered themselves to imprisonment or sold themselves into slavery (παρέδωκαν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς δουλείαν), using their purchase price to feed the hungry (ἐψώμισαν).
Heroines of Faith: Women empowered by divine grace performed courageous deeds (ἀνδρεῖα):
Christian Self-Sacrifice: Within the Christian community itself, many have willingly surrendered themselves to imprisonment or sold themselves into slavery (παρέδωκαν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς δουλείαν), using their purchase price to feed the hungry (ἐψώμισαν).
Heroines of Faith: Women empowered by divine grace performed courageous deeds (ἀνδρεῖα):
Judith: Left her besieged city and imperiled her life out of love for her homeland and people, and the Lord delivered Holofernes into the hand of a woman.
Esther: Perfect in faith, exposed herself to deadly danger to save Israel from destruction, humbling her soul through fasting so that the all-seeing Master (παντεπόπτης δεσπότης) rescued her nation.
Significant Greek Expressions
ὑποδείγματα ἐθνῶν (Examples from the Gentiles / nations): Uses hypodeigma (pattern, example, model). Clement employs a classic Hellenistic rhetorical technique (exempla from secular history) to shame the Corinthian agitators: if even pagan kings were willing to go into exile or die to stop civil discord (stasis), Christians ought to show far greater self-denial.
λοιμικοῦ... ἐνστάντος καιροῦ (A pestilential / plaguelike season having set in):
Loimikos: pestilential, infectious, plague-ridden.
Enistēmi: to set in, be present, impend.
Refers to national crises in Greco-Roman history where legendary figures (e.g., Codrus of Athens, Marcus Curtius) offered themselves as vicarious sacrifices (devotio) to save their cities.
παρέδωκαν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς δουλείαν (They handed themselves over into slavery): Refers to voluntary self-enslavement (prasis heautou) practiced by early believers to ransom others from prison or debt, or to raise funds to feed the destitute. Shows that Christian agapē translates into radical, concrete self-sacrifice.
ἐψώμισαν (They fed [others]): Aorist active of psōmizō (to feed with morsels, give away food; cf. 1 Corinthians 13:3, Romans 12:20). Echoes Paul’s language in 1 Corinthians 13 regarding giving away one’s possessions for love.
ἐπετελέσαντο πολλὰ ἀνδρεῖα (Accomplished many manly / courageous deeds): Adjective andreios literally means "manly," "courageous," or "valiant." Used here alongside "women strengthened through God’s grace" (πολλαὶ γυναῖκες ἐνδυναμωθεῖσαι) to show that spiritual valor transcends gender distinctions.
ἐν συγκλεισμῷ (In distress / under siege): Noun synkleismos (confinement, blockading, siege; cf. Judith 7:1, 13:1). Describes the dire circumstances under which Judith acted for her people.
τὸν παντεπόπτην δεσπότην (The all-seeing Master):
Pantepoptēs: all-seeing, beholding all things (a classic Hellenistic divine title used frequently in Clement; cf. 1 Clement 64.1).
Despotēs: Sovereign Lord / Master.
Emphasizes that God observes the humble submission (tapeinōsis) of His servants and acts decisively on their behalf.
In English, a "despot" is an autocrat or tyrant who answers to no law and controls people through fear. But the meaning of the Greek δεσπότην (despotēn) does not have that negative attitude of ruling.
In English, a "despot" is an autocrat or tyrant who answers to no law and controls people through fear. But the meaning of the Greek δεσπότην (despotēn) does not have that negative attitude of ruling.