The Fortieth Proof that Clement of the Alexandrian See of St. Mark Was a Prominent Leader of the Tradition Irenaeus Identifies as 'Marcosian'

40. Irenaeus writes of the Marcosian in "to the person who said to Him, "Good Master," He confessed that God who is truly good, saying, "Why callest thou Me good: there is One who is good, the Father in the heavens;" and they assert that in this passage the AEons receive the name of heavens." [AH i.20.2]

Clement is well known to have a common gospel variant shared with the Marcosians AND OTHER TRADITIONS WHICH EMPLOYED A DIATESSARON (i.e. a single, long gospel). Justin preserves this passage as 'one is good, my Father in the heavens,' Ptolemaeus 'for that one alone is good - God his own Father - our Savior made clear,' the Clementine Homilies 'for good is one - my Father in the heavens' and the Naasenes 'one is good, my Father in the heavens, that maketh his sun to rise upon just and unjust and rain upon holy and sinners.' This agreement is quite remarkable and argues for a common (variant) gospel text which was also in the hands of Clement.

Compare Hippolytus' citation of the so-called 'Naasenes' and Clement of Alexandria who loosely quotes the same section of the (variant) gospel "now, that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus is good, the Word Himself will again avouch: “For He is kind to the unthankful and the evil;” and further, when He says, “Be merciful, as your Father is merciful.” Still further also He plainly says, none is good, but My Father, who is in heaven. Here it is to be noted that He proclaims His Father to be good, and to be the Creator. And that the Creator is just, is not disputed. And again he says, “My Father sends rain on the just, and on the unjust.” In respect of His sending rain, He is the Creator of the waters, and of the clouds. And in respect of His doing so on all, He holds an even balance justly and rightly. And as being good, He does so on just and unjust alike.

Very clearly, then, we conclude Him to be one and the same God, thus. For the Holy Spirit has sung, “I will look to the heavens, the works of Thy hands;” and, “He who created the heavens dwells in the heavens;” and, “Heaven is Thy throne.” And the Lord says in His prayer, “Our Father, who art in heaven.” And the heavens belong to Him, who created the world. [Instructor i.8]

Of course Clement is attempting to answer objections set forth by Irenaeus (or someone like him) and argue that there is nothing heretical about the Alexandrian variant gospel (Epiphanius [adv. Haer. LXIX 19] attributes it to 'the Arians' and thus the native Alexandrian tradition as such). My guess is that Irenaeus' read Stromata and Clement responded with the argument in the Instructor.

A more faithful citation (albeit shortened and without the last clause) of the same 'Marcosian' reading appears in Stromata where Clement of Alexandria writes "for there is one good, the Father; and to be ignorant of the Father is death, as to know Him is eternal life, through participation in the power of the incorrupt One. And to be incorruptible is to participate in divinity; but revolt from the knowledge of God brings corruption. Again the prophet says: “And I will give thee treasures, concealed, dark, unseen; that they may know that I am the Lord.” Similarly David sings: “For, lo, Thou hast loved truth; the obscure and hidden things of wisdom hast Thou showed me.” “Day utters speech to day” (what is clearly written), “and night to night proclaims knowledge” (which is hidden in a mystic veil); “and there are no words or utterances whose voices shall not be heard” by God, who said, “Shall one do what is secret, and I shall not see him?” [Can the Rich Be Saved 10]

Notice that in the previous section Clement has deliberately removed the contentious word 'Father' from his citation of Mark chapter 10.

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