I am going to establish for everyone that there can be ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT that Clement of Alexandria was a so-called 'Marcosian.' Irenaeus wasn't telling us the whole truth. The Marcosians were just members of the worldwide tradition of the Markan See of Alexandria who happen to live outside of Egypt. The Coptic Church is absolutely certain that such a 'worldwide Church of St. Mark' did indeed exist in earliest antiquity.
Let's go through Irenaeus' report on the Marcosians line by line, section by section. But before we do let me alert the reader that the clearest proofs that Irenaeus was citing VERBATIM from a text identical with or common to Clement of Alexandria's Stromata go here.
And now let us start with the line by line proof of Irenaeus report on the Marcosians (i.e. 'those of Mark')
1. Irenaeus writes of 'those of Mark' saying that they proclaim themselves as being "perfect," so that no one can be compared to them with respect to the immensity of their knowledge, nor even were you to mention Paul or Peter, or any other of the apostles.[AH Book i.13.6]
Clement says 'Knowledge is superior to faith; as to be deemed worthy of the highest honour after being saved is superior to merely being saved.'
Clement says 'Knowledge is the perfection of man, as man, being perfected through the science (epistemen) of Divine things and being in unison with itself and the divine Word in manner, life and conversation. Through it faith is perfected, as the believer through it alone becomes perfect.' [source]
2. Irenaeus writes of 'those of Mark' saying that they assert that they themselves know more than all others, and that they alone have imbibed the greatness of the knowledge of that power which is unspeakable.
Clement says 'For I would not have you ignorant, says the Apostle, that all were under the cloud and partook of spiritual meat and drink, evidently arguing that not all who hear the word have been capable of understanding the greatness of knowledge, both in deed and word. Wherefore also he added, But He was not well pleased with all". Who is meant by 'He'? It is He who said, Why call ye me 'Lord,' and do not the will of my Father 3 ? the teaching, that is, of the Saviour, which is our spiritual food and a drink that knows no thirst, the water, of gnostical life. 'Aye,' say they, ' we are told that Knowledge puffeth up.' To whom we reply, perhaps seeming knowledge is said to puff up, if it is supposed that the interpretation of the word is self-conceit. But if, as is rather the case, the Apostle's language means to have lofty and true thoughts, then the objection vanishes.' [source]
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Got to go to bed. Much, much more to follow ...
