The first quotation from Romans 10 comes in Strom. 2.6.25.1 when he echoes Paul: "Lord, who has believed our report?" (Rom 10.16; Isa 53.1). This is followed by a quotation of Rom 10.17: "For 'faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the works of God,' says the apostle." That is, faith serves as the basis upon which one builds gnosis ... this faith serves as the foundation for further learning. Faith itself is not enough. Faith makes one receptive to the teaching of the Logos, but it is not sufficient in itself (2.6.26.1 ). Further, receptivity does not exclude the need for rational choice. The believer must still choose to follow: "[T]he divine work cries, calling all together; knowing perfectly well those who will not obey; whereas to obey or not is in our own power, provided we have not the excuse of ignorance to adduce" (2.6.26.3)This is of course where things get interesting and it becomes imperative that we cite the next section in full,
The implications of ignorance notwithstanding, Clement continues his argument by saying, "[The Logos] makes a just call, and demands of each according to his strength" (2.6.26.3). He is drawing on his doctrine of salvation here. He maintains He maintains that some are able, have the will or desire to improve. The linchpin is ignorance, and a person can progress only when she is not ignorant. However, the Logos accommodates itself to the abilities of the individual.
Drawing upon Rom 9.4, Clement says, "[The faithful servants] are entrusted with the utterances respecting God and the divine words, the commands with the execution of the injunctions" (2.6.27.2). Here he has clearly altered the Pauline text.
having highlighted the relevant text from Clement's Stromata in red.
Benevolence is the wishing of good things to another for his sake. For He needs nothing; and the beneficence and benignity which flow from the Lord terminate in us, being divine benevolence, and benevolence resulting in beneficence. And if to Abraham on his believing it was counted for righteousness; and if we are the seed of Abraham, then we must also believe through heating. For we are Israelites, who are convinced not by signs, but by hearing. Wherefore it is said, "Rejoice, O barren, that barest not; break forth and cry, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than of her who hath an husband." "Thou hast lived for the fence of the people, thy children were blessed in the tents of their fathers." And if the same mansions are promised by prophecy to us and to the patriarchs, the God of both the covenants is shown to be one.
Accordingly it is added more clearly, "Thou hast inherited the covenant of Israel," (unknown Romans citation) speaking to those called from among the nations that were once barren, being formerly destitute of this husband, who is the Word, -- desolate formerly, -- of the bridegroom. "Now the just shall live by faith," which is according to the covenant and the commandments; since these, which are two in name and time, given in accordance with the [divine] economy -- being in power one -- the old and the new, are dispensed through the Son by one God. As the apostle also says in the Epistle to the Romans, "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith," teaching the one salvation which from prophecy to the Gospel is perfected by one and the same Lord. "This charge," he says, "I commit to thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war the good warfare; holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck," because they defiled by unbelief the conscience that comes from God. Accordingly, faith may not, any more, with reason, be disparaged in an offhand way, as simple and vulgar, appertaining to anybody.
For, if it were a mere human habit, as the Greeks supposed, it would have been extinguished. But if it grow, and there be no place where it is not; then I affirm, that faith, whether founded in love, or in fear, as its disparagers assert, is something divine; which is neither rent asunder by other mundane friendship, nor dissolved by the presence of fear. For love, on account of its friendly alliance with faith, makes men believers; and faith, which is the foundation of love, in its turn introduces the doing of good; since also fear, the paedagogue of the law, is believed to be fear by those, by whom it is believed. For, if its existence is shown in its working, it is yet believed when about to do and threatening, and when not working and present; and being believed to exist, it does not itself generate faith, but is by faith tested and proved trustworthy. Such a change, then, from unbelief to faith -- and to trust in hope and fear, is divine. And, in truth, faith is discovered, by us, to be the first movement towards salvation; after which fear, and hope, and repentance, advancing in company with temperance and patience, lead us to love and knowledge. Rightly, therefore, the Apostle Barnabas says, "From the portion I have received I have done my diligence to send by little and little to you; that along with your faith you may also have perfect knowledge.
Fear and patience are then helpers of your faith; and our allies are long-suffering and temperance. These, then," he says, "in what respects the Lord, continuing in purity, there rejoice along with them, wisdom, understanding, intelligence, knowledge." The fore-mentioned virtues being, then, the elements of knowledge; the result is that faith is more elementary, being as necessary to the Gnostic, as respiration to him that lives in this world is to life. And as without the four elements it is not possible to live, so neither can knowledge be attained without faith. It is then the support of truth. [Strom 2.6]
Brown pays close attention to the material in this section and notes that it begins with 'troubling' statements based upon passages supposed to be in Romans but are no longer found in our received text. This should serve as an alarm to get our attention.
Of course it will be our supposition that wherever original 'troubles' with respect to Clement's orthodoxy were found someone - likely Eusebius of Caesarea - systematically corrected those beliefs with clear statements of orthodoxy and references to the familiar canon in order to obscure the fact that Clement was a heretic using a heretical canon. So Brown can only be said to be half right when he continues his analysis noting not only that Cleemnt has 'clearly altered the Pauline text' (we would say Clement is using a variant = Marcionite text of Romans) for as he continues:
In Romans, the Jews are the ones who possess the covenants and the divine commandments. The intent in Strom. appears to be a desire for greater inclusivity. This thesis, I believe, is confirmed when Clement says, "For we as seed of Abraham can be either Jews or Gentiles as long as their faith is founded upon hearing. Drawing upon John 9.4, Rom 9.4 and 10.12 (ὁ γὰρ αὐτὸς [ἐστιν] κύριος πάντων), he maintains that there is a need for inclusivity based on the inclusive nature of monotheism: "And if the same mansions are promised by prophecy to us and to the patriarchs, the God of both the covenants is shown to be one" (2.6.28). Clement's next statement may be troubling to readers for two reasons. First, it does not appear in the Romans text. Second, it could suggest that Clement's soteriology takes a salvation history perspective regarding the plan of salvation. The crucial passage concerning Jews comes in Strom. 2.9. In this section, Clement quotes Paul's famous statement Christians have supplanted Jews as the people of God. It reads: "Thou hast inherited the covenant of Israel" (2.6.29.1 ). Given the context of the statement, it appears that the best way to understand it is to say that Gentiles have inherited the covenant of Israel along with the Jews. This makes sense given that the next statement involves the inclusion of Gentiles (p. 56)
But our concern now is whether the 'correction' in Clement's orthodoxy is authentic or was it 'induced' by the insertion of foreign material - a 'filling of a pothole' so to speak in his orthodoxy. .
So it is that we can use Brown's analysis to once again guide us to where a later insertion has likely been made in the text. Clement seems to 'change his mind' - he pivots from his original argument that the Jews were rejected - to a more inclusive on which almost makes reference to 'the divine economy' - something than a 'repentant' Arian would certainly have been concerned about in the fourth century. Where is the seam to the text? Brown helps us identify it just before the mention of the Catholic constructs of 'the Epistle to the Romans' and 'the disciple Timothy' as we read again:
Given the context of the statement, it appears that the best way to understand it is to say that Gentiles have inherited the covenant of Israel along with the Jews. This makes sense given that the next statement involves the inclusion of Gentiles into the plan of salvation, and is followed by the statement quoted that maintains that both covenants are in reality one in the divine economy. (ibid)
But our conclusions will be rather different than Brown's here we will argue that this 'conciliatory' tone that suddenly emerges in Clement's writings were artificially induced by a later editor and probably Eusebius.
The passage in the Stromata is again cited here with the authentic text in red and the proposed additions in black:
Benevolence is the wishing of good things to another for his sake. For He needs nothing; and the beneficence and benignity which flow from the Lord terminate in us, being divine benevolence, and benevolence resulting in beneficence. And if to Abraham on his believing it was counted for righteousness; and if we are the seed of Abraham, then we must also believe through heating. For we are Israelites, who are convinced not by signs, but by hearing. Wherefore it is said, "Rejoice, O barren, that barest not; break forth and cry, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than of her who hath an husband." "Thou hast lived for the fence of the people, thy children were blessed in the tents of their fathers."This idea of a break here is reinforced by Brown's observation that after a segue dealing with the interpretation of Basilides and Valentinus, Clement continues with a reference to the famous passage in Romans 10:2 - 3 "For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness."And if the same mansions are promised by prophecy to us and to the patriarchs, the God of both the covenants is shown to be one.
Accordingly it is added more clearly, "Thou hast inherited the covenant of Israel," (unknown Romans citation) speaking to those called from among the nations that were once barren, being formerly destitute of this husband, who is the Word, -- desolate formerly, -- of the bridegroom."Now the just shall live by faith," which is according to the covenant and the commandments; since these, which are two in name and time, given in accordance with the [divine] economy -- being in power one -- the old and the new, are dispensed through the Son by one God. As the apostle also says in the Epistle to the Romans, "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith," teaching the one salvation which from prophecy to the Gospel is perfected by one and the same Lord. "This charge," he says, "I commit to thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war the good warfare; holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck," because they defiled by unbelief the conscience that comes from God.Accordingly, faith may not, any more, with reason, be disparaged in an offhand way, as simple and vulgar, appertaining to anybody.
For, if it were a mere human habit, as the Greeks supposed, it would have been extinguished. But if it grow, and there be no place where it is not; then I affirm, that faith, whether founded in love, or in fear, as its disparagers assert, is something divine; which is neither rent asunder by other mundane friendship, nor dissolved by the presence of fear. For love, on account of its friendly alliance with faith, makes men believers; and faith, which is the foundation of love, in its turn introduces the doing of good; since also fear, the paedagogue of the law, is believed to be fear by those, by whom it is believed. For, if its existence is shown in its working, it is yet believed when about to do and threatening, and when not working and present; and being believed to exist, it does not itself generate faith, but is by faith tested and proved trustworthy. Such a change, then, from unbelief to faith -- and to trust in hope and fear, is divine. And, in truth, faith is discovered, by us, to be the first movement towards salvation; after which fear, and hope, and repentance, advancing in company with temperance and patience, lead us to love and knowledge. Rightly, therefore, the Apostle Barnabas says, "From the portion I have received I have done my diligence to send by little and little to you; that along with your faith you may also have perfect knowledge.
The point here of course is that the 'correction' material not only breaks the pattern of interest from Romans chapter 10, but Romans chapter 10 itself was famous for its 'Marcionite chasm' reported originally by Irenaeus and then passed on to us by Tertullian's Latin reworking of the text where he says that in his commentary on Romans chapter 8:11:
I overleap here an immense chasm left by scripture carved away: though I take note of the apostle giving evidence for Israel that they have a zeal of God, their own God of course, though not by means of knowledge. For they, he says, being ignorant of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God: for Christ is the end of the law in righteousness to every one that believeth (Against Marcion 5.14)
It is important also to note that Origen acknowledges that the Marcionite text chopped out large portions of Romans as well. Eusebius must have noticed that Clement's discussion based on this famous (Marcionite) chapter sounded extraordinarily 'Marcionite' (= rejecting the Jews) and most importantly exhibited 'Marcionite variant' readings not only in terms of the "Thou hast inherited the covenant of Israel," above but our previous suggestion of a Eusebian correction next to Clement's reference to Romans 10:2 - 3 in Strom 2.9.
For it is here in chapter nine of the continuing discussion that Clement makes reference to what we have suggested was a similar 'chasm' as we just noted existed in the Marcionite version of the Epistle to the Romans. As Clement writes:
Such a fear, accordingly, leads to repentance and hope. Now hope is the expectation of good things, or an expectation sanguine of ab sent good; and favourable circumstances are assumed in order to good hope, which we have learned leads on to love. Now love turns out to be consent in what pertains to reason, life, and manners, or in brief, fellowship in life, or it is the intensity of friendship and of affection, with fight reason, in the enjoyment of associates. And an associate (etairos) is another self; just as we call those, brethren, who are regenerated by the same word. And akin to love is hospitality, being a congenial an devoted to the treatment of strangers. And those are strangers, to whom the things of the world are strange. For we regard as worldly those, who hope in the earth and carnal lusts. "Be not conformed," says the apostle, "to this world: but be ye transformed in the renewal of the mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:2) Hospitality, therefore, is occupied in what is useful for strangers; and guests (epixenoi) are strangers (xenoi); and friends are guests; and brethren are friends. "Dear brother," says Homer. Philanthropy, in order to which also, is natural affection, being a loving treatment of men, and natural affection, which is a congenial habit exercised in the love of friends or domestics, follow in the train of love. And if the real man within us is the spiritual, philanthropy is brotherly love to those who participate, in the same spirit. Natural affection, on the other hand, the preservation of good-will, or of affection; and affection is its perfect demonstration; and to be beloved is to please in behaviour, by drawing and attracting. And persons are brought to sameness by consent, which is the knowledge of the good things that are enjoyed in common. For community of sentiment (omognwmosunh) is harmony of opinions (sumfwnia gnwmpn). "Let your love be without dissimulation," it is said; "and abhorring what is evil, let us become attached to what is good, to brotherly love, and so on, down to if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, living peaceably with all men." (Romans 12:9,18) Then "be not overcome of evil," it is said, "but overcome evil with good." (ibid 12:21) And the same apostle owns that he bears witness to the Jews, "that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God." (Strom 2.9)
I think the argument that Eusebius added the words 'hexes heos' (down until) in that critical passage is getting much, much stronger. It appears in relation to a passage which was recognized in antiquity for its Marcionitisms hence the correction. Indeed he was originally making the very same 'Marcionite' argument identified by Tertullian from this section (i.e. the Jews have been cut off and rejected by God).
dating back to conversations with his grandfather, Gaston Frank. "He said we represent one of the last descendants of the Frankist Jewish faith in the world," he muses. "I grew up thinking that our family was something like the Last of the Mohicans."