Thursday, November 5, 2009

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

35. Irenaeus writes that the Marcosians "adduce the following passage as the highest testimony, and, as it were, the very crown of their system:--"I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes. Even so, my Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knoweth the Father but the Son, or the Son but the Father, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him." In these words they affirm that He clearly showed that the Father of truth, conjured into existence by them, was known to no one before His advent. And they desire to construe the passage as if teaching that the Maker and Framer [of the world] was always known by all, while the Lord spoke these words concerning the Father unknown to all, whom they now proclaim."[AH i.20.1]

This scriptural reference is by far the most frequent in the writings of Clement and almost every time he cites the text he reflects some aspect of Irenaeus ascription of 'heresy' to the 'Marcosians' viz. Exhort 1.1, Instructor 1.5 viz.

Clement of Alexandria introduces the same material with the gospel with the words:

'Of late, then, God was known by the coming of Christ,' [Instructor 1.6 (twice), 1.8, 1.9]

'And He first announced the good righteousness that is from heaven, when He said ...,' [Instructor 1.28]

'It is He [Christ] who reveals the Father of the universe to whom He wills, and as far as human nature can comprehend,' [Strom. 5.13, 7.10, 7.18, Dives 7.]

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