Chapter 19
| 1 Ὥστε, ἀδελφοὶ καὶ ἀδελφαί, μετὰ τὸν θεὸν τῆς ἀληθείας ἀναγινώσκω ὑμῖν ἔντευξιν εἰς τὸ προσέχειν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις, ἵνα καὶ ἑαυτοὺς σώσητε καὶ τὸν ἀναγινώσκοντα ἐν ὑμῖν. μισθὸν γὰρ αἰτῶ ὑμᾶς τὸ μετανοῆσαι ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας, σωτηρίαν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ζωὴν διδόντας. τοῦτο γὰρ ποιήσαντες σκοπὸν πᾶσιν τοῖς νέοις θήσομεν, τοῖς βουλομένοις περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν καὶ τὴν χρηστότητα τοῦ θεοῦ φιλοπονεῖν. |
Therefore, brothers and sisters, after the God of truth, I am reading a request to you to pay attention to what has been written,
For a reward, I ask you to repent with your whole heart, giving salvation and life to yourselves. For by doing this, we will set a goal for all the young who desire to devote themselves piety and the goodness of God. |
| 2 καὶ μὴ ἀηδῶς ἔχωμεν καὶ ἀγανακτῶμεν οἱ ἄσοφοι, ὅταν τις ἡμᾶς νουθετῇ καὶ ἐπιστρέφῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀδικίας εἰς τὴν δικαιοσύνην. ἐνίοτε γὰρ πονηρὰ πράσσοντες οὐ γινώσκομεν διὰ τὴν διψυχίαν καὶ ἀπιστίαν τὴν ἐνοῦσαν ἐν τοῖς στήθεσιν ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐσκοτίσμεθα τὴν διάνοιαν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν τῶν ματαίων. |
And let us not have displeasure and be vexed, fools that we are, when anyone admonish us and turns us aside from unrighteousness unto righteousness.
For sometimes, while doing evil things, we don’t realize it because of the double-mindedness and unbelief which is in our chests, and we are darkened in our understanding by our useless desires. |
|
3 πράξωμεν
οὖν
τὴν
δικαιοσύνην,
ἵνα
εἰς
τέλος
σωθῶμεν.
μακάριοι
οἱ
τούτοις
ὑπακούοντες
τοῖς
προστάγμασιν·
κἂν ὀλίγον χρόνον κακοπαθήσωσιν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ, τὸν ἀθάνατον τῆς ἀναστάσεως καρπὸν τρυγήσουσιν. |
Let us therefore practice righteousness that we may be saved in the end.
Blessed are those who obey these ordinances. Though they may endure affliction for a short time in the world, they will gather the immortal fruit of the resurrection. |
| 4 μὴ οὖν λυπείσθω ὁ εὐσεβής, ἐὰν ἐπὶ τοῖς νῦν χρόνοις ταλαιπωρῇ· Μακάριος αὐτὸν ἀναμένει χρόνος. ἐκεῖνος ἄνω μετὰ τῶν πατέρων ἀναβιώσας εὐφρανθήσεται εἰς τὸν ἀλύπητον αἰῶνα. |
Therefore the godly should not be grieved, if he be miserable at the present time.
A time of blessing awaits him. He will live again with our fathers above, and will rejoice in a sorrowless eternity. |
Summary
This passage offers critical historical and liturgical insight into the genre of Second Clement. The speaker explicitly confirms that he is reading a written homily (ἀναγινώσκω ... ἔντευξιν) to the gathered assembly following the reading of Scripture ("after the God of truth").He frames repentance as a joint effort between the speaker and the congregation, encouraging older members to set an inspiring example for the youth (τοῖς νέοις).
Acknowledging human foolishness and moral blindness caused by double-mindedness (διψυχία), he urges the community to welcome corrective instruction (νουθετέω), reassuring them that any brief earthly suffering will yield the immortal joy of the resurrection.
Significant Greek Expressions
ἀδελφοὶ καὶ ἀδελφαί ("brothers and sisters"):
A notable form of address explicitly including women in the congregation alongside men, reflecting the inclusive communal setting of early Christian worship assemblies.
ἀναγινώσκω ὑμῖν ἔντευξιν ("I read to you an exhortation / petition"): Provides explicit internal evidence that Second Clement is a written sermon/homily meant to be read aloud (ἀναγινώσκω) to the church. Ἔντευξιν here carries the sense of an earnest plea or exhortation.
σκοπὸν πᾶσιν τοῖς νέοις θήσομεν ("we will set a goal / target for all the young"):Σκοπός refers to an aim, target, or mark (root of scope). Faithful adult believers serve as living targets or role models for younger members learning to labor diligently (φιλοπονέω) in godliness (εὐσέβεια).
διὰ τὴν διψυχίαν... ἐσκοτίσμεθα τὴν διάνοιαν ("because of double-mindedness... our understanding is darkened"): Diagnoses spiritual self-deception. Double-mindedness (διψυχία) and unbelief (ἀπιστία) blind a person to their own sins by clouding and darkening (σκοτίζω) their moral intellect (διάνοια).
τὸν ἀθάνατον τῆς ἀναστάσεως καρπὸν τρυγήσουσιν ("they will reap the immortal fruit of the resurrection"): A rich agricultural and eschatological metaphor using τρυγάω (to gather or harvest fruit/grapes). Suffering in this life is merely temporary seed-sowing that yields an imperishable harvest at the resurrection.
εἰς τὸν ἀλύπητον αἰῶνα ("in an age free from sorrow"): An evocative description of eternity using ἀλύπητος (painless, griefless, free from sorrow). It promises that present earthly affliction (ταλαιπωρέω) will be replaced by endless joy in the presence of God and the ancestors of faith ("with the fathers").