Monday, November 11, 2013

Clement on Timothy's Opposition to the Antitheses of False Gnosis

As, then, philosophy has been brought into evil repute by pride and self-conceit, so also ghosts by false ghosts called by the same name; of which the apostle writing says, "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding the profane and vain babblings and oppositions of gnosis falsely so called (καὶ ἀντιθέσεις τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως); which some professing, have erred concerning the faith." Convicted by this utterance, the heretics reject the Epistles. to Timothy. Well, then, if the Lord is the truth, and wisdom, and power of God, as in truth He is, it is shown that the real Gnostic is he that knows Him, and His Father by Him. For his sentiments are the same with him who said, "The lips of the righteous know high things." [Clement Stromata 2.11.52.6]


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