The
Tri{3}nitarians translate this passage in Clement of Alexandria this
way:
According
to Migne's text:
GREEK
TEXT: “...ἄγνοια γὰρ οὐχ ἅπτεται τοῦ
υἱοῦ τοῦ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου
συμβούλου γενομένου τοῦ πατρός. αὕτη
γὰρ ἦν <ἡ> σοφία ᾗ προσέχαιρεν ὁ
παντοκράτωρ θεός· δύναμις γὰρ τοῦ
θεοῦ ὁ υἱός, ἅτε πρὸ πάντων τῶν
γενομένων ἀρχικώτατος λόγος τοῦ
πατρός, καὶ σοφία αὐτοῦ κυρίως ἂν
καὶ διδάσκαλος λεχθείη τῶν δι' αὐτοῦ
πλασθέντων...” - (7.2.7.4 “STROMATA,” Or:
“ΚΛΗΜΕΝΤΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΛΗΘΗ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΝ
ΓΝΩΣΤΙΚΩΝ ΥΠΟΜΝΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΣΤΡΩΜΑΤΕΩΝ
ΠΡΩΤΟΣ,” MPG.)
CLEMENT OF
ALEXANDRIA (circa. 155-220 C.E.): “...For ignorance applies not
to the God who, before the foundation of the world, was the
counsellor of the Father. For He was the Wisdom in which the
Sovereign God delighted. [Proverbs 8:30] For the Son is the
power of God, as being the Father's most ancient Word before the
production of all things, and His Wisdom. He is then properly called
the Teacher of the beings formed by Him...” - (Book 7, Chapter
2, Paragraph 7, Verse 4, [7.2.7.4 MPG] “STROMATA,” Or:
“MISCELLANIES,” Translated by William Wilson. From Ante-Nicene
Fathers, Vol. 2. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A.
Cleveland Coxe. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co.,
1885.)
According
to Hort's text:
GREEK
TEXT: “...ἄγνοια γὰρ
οὐχ ἅπτεται τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, τοῦ
πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου συμβούλου
γενομένου τοῦ πατρός. αὕτη γὰρ ἦν
<ἡ> σοφία ᾗ προσέχαιρεν ὁ παντοκράτωρ
θεός· Δύναμις γὰρ τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ υἱός,
ἅτε πρὸ πάντων τῶν γενομένων ἀρχικώτατος
λόγος τοῦ πατρός, καὶ σοφία αὐτοῦ
κυρίως ἂν καὶ διδάσκαλος λεχθείη τῶν
δι' αὐτοῦ πλασθέντων...” - (Book
7, Chapter 2, Paragraph 7, Verse 4, [7.2.7.4 MPG] Page
12, P. 832, S. 298, “STROMATA,” Or: “ΚΛΗΜΕΝΤΟΣ ΤΩΝ
ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΛΗΘΗ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΝ ΓΝΩΣΤΙΚΩΝ
ΥΠΟΜΝΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΣΤΡΩΜΑΤΕΩΝ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ,” in
“CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, MISCELLANIES BOOK VII, The Greek Text with
Introduction, Translation, Notes, Dissertations, and Indices by the
late Fenton John Anthony Hort and Joseph B. Mayor, London, Macmillian
and Co., Ltd, New York: The Macmillan Company 1902.)
[FOOTNOTE
17]: τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ H. τοῦ θεοῦ L.
[FOOTNOTE
19]: ἡ σοφία H. σοφία
L.
CLEMENT
OF ALEXANDRIA (circa. 155-220 C.E.): “...For ignorance touches
not the Son of God, who was the Father's counsellor before
the foundation of the world, the Wisdom in which the Almighty God
rejoiced. For the Son is the power of God, as being the
original Word of the Father, prior to all created things : and he
might be justly styled the Wisdom of God, and the Teacher of those
who were made by him...” - (Book 7, Chapter 2, Paragraph 7,
Verse 4, [7.2.7.4 MPG] in: “CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, MISCELLANIES
BOOK VII, The Greek Text with Introduction, Translation, Notes,
Dissertations, and Indices by the late Fenton John Anthony Hort and
Joseph B. Mayor, London, Macmillian and Co., Ltd, New York: The
Macmillan Company 1902.)
As
you can see there are variations in the text.
First
of all note:
Gk.,
( οὐχ ἅπτεται τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ) = Migne's
text.
“...applies
not to the God who...” - (Wilson)
Gk.,
( οὐχ ἅπτεται τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ) =
Hort's text.
“...touches
not the Son of God, who...” - (Hort)
They
have tried/attempted to make Jesus into God himself.
These
two tri{3}nitarian translations also give the impression that Jesus, as
the Wisdom refered to here, always existed:
Gk.,
( τοῦ πρὸ καταβολῆς
κόσμου συμβούλου γενομένου τοῦ πατρός
)
“...who,
before the foundation of the world, ( was ) the counsellor of the
Father...” - (Wilson)
“...who
( was ) the Father's counsellor before the foundation of the world...”
- (Hort)
Also,
along the same lines:
Gk.,
( πρὸ πάντων τῶν γενομένων
)
“...before
the production of all things...” - (Wilson)
“...prior
to all created things...” - (Hort)
And
they give the impression that he was the direct and un-mitigated
agent in the creation, or in fact the Creator himself, by these
expressions:
Gk.,
( τῶν δι' αὐτοῦ πλασθέντων )
“...
of the beings formed ( by ) Him...” - (Wilson)
“...of
those who were made ( by ) Him...” - (Hort)
But
I disagree with their renderings, and translate the two versions of
the text this way:
According
to Migne's text:
GREEK
TEXT: “...ἄγνοια γὰρ οὐχ ἅπτεται τοῦ
υἱοῦ τοῦ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου
συμβούλου γενομένου τοῦ πατρός. αὕτη
γὰρ ἦν <ἡ> σοφία ᾗ προσέχαιρεν ὁ
παντοκράτωρ θεός· δύναμις γὰρ τοῦ
θεοῦ ὁ υἱός, ἅτε πρὸ πάντων τῶν
γενομένων ἀρχικώτατος λόγος τοῦ
πατρός, καὶ σοφία αὐτοῦ κυρίως ἂν
καὶ διδάσκαλος λεχθείη τῶν δι' αὐτοῦ
πλασθέντων...” - (7.2.7.4 “STROMATA,” Or:
“ΚΛΗΜΕΝΤΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΛΗΘΗ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΝ
ΓΝΩΣΤΙΚΩΝ ΥΠΟΜΝΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΣΤΡΩΜΑΤΕΩΝ
ΠΡΩΤΟΣ,” MPG.)
CLEMENT
OF ALEXANDRIA (circa. 155-220 C.E.):
“...For ignorance is not to be attatched to him, of the Son, of the
one [who]: “Before a founding of a world,” came into existence{*}
as a fellow counsellor of the Father. For this one was the Wisdom
which the Almighty God delighted in. For the Son [is “the] Power of
God,” seeing that before all of those things that came into
existence,{*}
[being] the Father's most ancient Logos that stretches back to a
beginning, even His Wisdom : [for] he would be like a lord, accounted as teacher of those things that have been formed through
his intermediate agency...” -
(Book 7, Chapter 2, Paragraph 7, Verse 4, [7.2.7.4 MPG] “CLEMENT,
ACCORDING TO THE TRUE GNOSTIC PHILOSOPHY, FIRST OF A PATCHWORK OF
MISCELLANIOUS REMINDER NOTES,” Or: “STROMATA,” Translated by
Matt13weedhacker 12/12/12.)
[FOOTNOTE
#]: Gk., ( ἀρχικώτατος
) = adjective, singular, masculine, nominative, superlative. Meaning:
“...primal, original, most-archaic/ancient...”. Etymologically
akin to Gk., ( ἀρχή ), and therefore refers to anything that
is the most ancient of, and originates from, or stretches back in
time to - any - Gk., ( ἀρχή ) “...beginning...”. See
also:
SUPERLATIVE
FROM WIKIPEDIA, THE FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA
In
grammar, the superlative is the form of an adjective (or adverb) that
indicates that the person or thing (or action) modified has the
quality of the adjective (or adverb) ---
to a degree greater than that of anything it is being compared to ---
in a given context.
English superlatives are typically formed with the suffix -est (e.g.
healthiest, weakest) or the word most (most recent, most
interesting).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superlative
According
to Hort's text:
GREEK
TEXT: “...ἄγνοια γὰρ οὐχ ἅπτεται τοῦ
υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, τοῦ πρὸ καταβολῆς
κόσμου συμβούλου γενομένου τοῦ πατρός.
αὕτη γὰρ ἦν <ἡ> σοφία ᾗ προσέχαιρεν
ὁ παντοκράτωρ θεός· Δύναμις γὰρ τοῦ
θεοῦ ὁ υἱός, ἅτε πρὸ πάντων τῶν
γενομένων ἀρχικώτατος λόγος τοῦ
πατρός, καὶ σοφία αὐτοῦ κυρίως ἂν
καὶ διδάσκαλος λεχθείη τῶν δι' αὐτοῦ
πλασθέντων...” - (Book
7, Chapter 2, Paragraph 7, Verse 4, [7.2.7.4 MPG] Page
12, P. 832, S. 298, “STROMATA,” Or: “ΚΛΗΜΕΝΤΟΣ ΤΩΝ
ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΛΗΘΗ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΝ ΓΝΩΣΤΙΚΩΝ
ΥΠΟΜΝΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΣΤΡΩΜΑΤΕΩΝ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ,” in
“CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, MISCELLANIES BOOK VII, The Greek Text with
Introduction, Translation, Notes, Dissertations, and Indices by the
late Fenton John Anthony Hort and Joseph B. Mayor, London, Macmillian
and Co., Ltd, New York: The Macmillan Company 1902.)
[FOOTNOTE
17]: τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ H. τοῦ θεοῦ L.
[FOOTNOTE
19]: ἡ σοφία H. σοφία
L.
CLEMENT
OF ALEXANDRIA (circa. 155-220 C.E.):
“...For ignorance is not to be attatched to him, of the Son of [He
that is] definitively God, [who]: “Before a founding of a world,”
came into existence{*}
as a fellow counsellor of the Father. For this one was the Wisdom
which the Almighty God delighted in. For the Son [is “the] Power of
God,” seeing that before all of those things that came into
existence,{*}
[being] the Father's most ancient Logos originating from a
beginning,{#} and His Wisdom, : [for] he would be properly accounted as a teacher of those things that have been formed through his
intermediate agency...” -
(Book 7, Chapter 2, Paragraph 7, Verse 4, [7.2.7.4 MPG] “CLEMENT,
ACCORDING TO THE TRUE GNOSTIC PHILOSOPHY, FIRST OF A PATCHWORK OF
MISCELLANIOUS REMINDER NOTES,” Or: “STROMATA,” Translated by
Matt13weedhacker 12/12/12.)
[FOOTNOTE
#]: Gk., ( ἀρχικώτατος ) = adjective, singular,
masculine, nominative, superlative. Meaning: “...primal, original,
most-archaic/ancient...”. Etymologically akin to Gk., ( ἀρχή
), and therefore refers to anything that is the most ancient of, and
originates from, or stretches back in time to - any - Gk., ( ἀρχή
) “...beginning...”. See also:
SUPERLATIVE
FROM WIKIPEDIA, THE FREE ENCYCLOPEDIA
In
grammar, the superlative is the form of an adjective (or adverb) that
indicates that the person or thing (or action) modified has the
quality of the adjective (or adverb) ---
to a degree greater than that of anything it is being compared to ---
in a given context.
English superlatives are typically formed with the suffix -est (e.g.
healthiest, weakest) or the word most (most recent, most
interesting).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superlative
Now
getting back to those points in the two tri{3}nitarian translations:
Gk.,
( οὐχ ἅπτεται τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ) = Migne's
text.
“...applies
not to the God who...” - (Wilson)
Gk.,
( οὐχ ἅπτεται τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ) =
Hort's text.
“...touches
not the Son of God, who...” - (Hort)
This
is obvious tampering with the text, and bias translation, plain and
simple.
I
have gone with Horts text:
“...is
not to be attatched to him, of the Son, of the one [who]...”
The
footnotes and textual notes reveal the manuscript tampering, and retro-editing
by Tri{3}nitarian copyists that has gone on over the centuries.
The
impression is also given that he, Jesus, was the direct and un-mitigated agent in the
creation, or in fact the Creator himself, by these expressions:
Gk.,
( τῶν δι' αὐτοῦ πλασθέντων )
“...
of the beings formed ( by ) Him...” - (Wilson)
“...of
those who were made ( by ) Him...” - (Hort)
They
say: “...( BY ) HIM...” which is the translation of Gk., ( δι'
αὐτοῦ ).
Gk.,
( διὰ )
literally means: “...( THROUGH )...” not: “...BY...” which is
another Greek word altogether.
Gk.,
( ύπὸ ) =
“...BY...”
Gk.,
( διὰ
) =
THE INTERMEDIATE AGENT, AN AGENT WHO
ACTS ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER OR IN THE PLACE OF ANOTHER
Gk.,
( ύπὸ ) =
THE DIRECT
OR ULTIMATE AGENT, WHO HAS OR USES NO INTERMEDIARY
Compare
the Bibles teaching:
JOHN
1:3: “...All things [Gk.,
( διὰ
)]
through
His intermediate agency came into being, and without
Him there came into being not even one thing which has come into
existence...” - (Wuests New Testament: An Expanded Translation
By Kenneth S. Wuest, Wm. B. Erdmans Publishing Co. 1961.)
JOHN
1:10: “...In the universe He was, and the universe [Gk.,
( διὰ
)]
through
His intermediate agency came into existence, and the
world of sinners did not have an experiential knowledge of Him...”
- (Wuests New Testament: An Expanded Translation By Kenneth S.
Wuest, Wm. B. Erdmans Publishing Co. 1961.)
1ST
CORRINTIANS 8:6: “...Yet to us there is one God, the Father,
[Gk., ( ἐξ οὗ )] out from whom as a source are all things and
we for Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, [Gk.,
( δι’ οὗ )]
through
whose intermediate agency all things exist and we
through Him...” - (Wuests New Testament: An Expanded Translation
By Kenneth S. Wuest, Wm. B. Erdmans Publishing Co. 1961.)
COLOSSIANS
1:16: “...All things [Gk.,
( διὰ
)]
through
Him as intermediate agent and with a view to Him stand
created...” - (Wuests New Testament: An Expanded Translation By
Kenneth S. Wuest, Wm. B. Erdmans Publishing Co. 1961.)
HEBREWS
1:2: “...Whom He appointed heir of all things, [Gk.,
( διὰ
)]
through
whom also He constituted the ages...” - (Wuests
New Testament: An Expanded Translation By Kenneth S. Wuest, Wm. B.
Erdmans Publishing Co. 1961.)
And
these comments:
ORIGEN
OF ALEXANDRIA (circa 185-253 C.E.): “...Thus also here, if all
things were made [Gk.,
( διὰ
)]
( THROUGH
) the Word, they were not made [Gk.,
( ύπὸ
)] (
BY
) the Word, but [Gk.,
( ύπὸ
)] (
BY
) one more powerful and greater than the Word...” -
([Book , Chapter , “COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN,”] Origenis
Opera, Ed. De La Rue, Vol. IV. p. 6, Quoted on Page 85, Chapter 7,
“Gk., ( διὰ ) AND Gk.,
( ύπὸ ),” A
VINDICATION OF UNITRARIANISM, In Reply To The Rev. Ralph Wardlaw, D.
D. By James Yates, Fourth Edition, London: Edward T. Whitfield, 2
Essex Street, Strand, 1850.)
EUSEBIUS
OF
CAESAREA (circa. 260-340 C.E. ): “...And
when he says, in one place,[John 1:10] that the world, and in
another,[John 1:3] that all things, were made [Gk.,
( διὰ
)](
THROUGH
HIM ), he
declares the ministration of the Word ( to ) God. For,
when the Evangelist might have said, “All things were made
[Gk.,
( ύπὸ
)] (
BY HIM
),” and again, “The world was made [Gk.,
( ύπὸ
)] (
BY HIM ),”
he has not said, [Gk.,
( ύπὸ
)] “(
BY HIM
),” but, [Gk.,
( διὰ
)]
“( THROUGH
HIM ),” in
order that he might raise our conceptions to the underived power of
the Father as the original ( cause ) of all things...” - (Book
1, Chapter 20, DE ECCLES. THEOL. Quoted on Page 85, Chapter 7, “Gk.,
( διὰ ) AND Gk., ( ύπὸ
),” A VINDICATION OF UNITRARIANISM, In Reply To The
Rev. Ralph Wardlaw, D. D. By James Yates, Fourth Edition, London:
Edward T. Whitfield, 2 Essex Street, Strand, 1850.)
CORNELIUS
LAPIDE (circa. 1567-1637 C.E.): “...You will
ask, - ( WHY THEN ) - does S. John use the preposition Gk.,
( διὰ
) Ltn., (
per ), or “...through...”
instead
of
Gk., ( ύπὸ
)
“...by...”
when he says that all things were made Gk.,
( διὰ
)
through
Him?...” - (Notes on John 1:3,
“SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY,” 1616.)
And
Gk., ( πλασθέντων ) is not: “...THINGS MADE...” which
would be Gk., ( ποιημάτων ).
ποίημα
1 ποιέω
anything made or done; hence,
I. a work, Hdt.,
Plat.
Liddell
and Scott. An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon. Oxford. Clarendon
Press. 1889.
W.
Wilson translates correctly: “...THE BEINGS FORMED...”
Even
more accurately it means anything: “...FASHIONED INTO A SHAPE...”
or: “...MOLDED...”
So
I have translated:
“...of
those things that have been formed through his intermediate
agency...”
Gk.,
( τοῦ πρὸ καταβολῆς
κόσμου συμβούλου γενομένου τοῦ πατρός
)
“...who,
before the foundation of the world, ( was ) the counsellor of the
Father...” - (Wilson)
“...who
( was ) the Father's counsellor before the foundation of the world...”
- (Hort)
Now
they put emphasis on Gk., ( πρὸ ) “...before...” etc, etc.
Also
they say he: “...( was )...” the counsellor of the Father, (which
you know as well as I know), is interpreteted by them as
timeless eternal existence into the infinite past.
But:
“...was...” is a translation of the word Gk., ( γενομένου
) = particle, singular, aorist, middle person, masculine, genitive.
What
does Gk., ( γενομένου ) actually mean?
Well,
before I give the Lexical definition, lets compare this with Gk., (
γενομένων ) just two lines later in Clement, which is the
same Greek word, ( γίγνομαι ), but in the plural number, and
with the definite article, in the phrase:
Gk.,
( πρὸ πάντων τῶν γενομένων
)
“...before
the ( production ) of all things...” - (Wilson)
“...prior
to all ( created ) things...” - (Hort)
So
Gk., ( γενομένων ) = particle, plural, aorist, middle
person, neuter, genitive, becomes:
1.)
“...PRODUCTION...”
2.)
“...CREATED...”
Well,
well, well! Isn't that interesting!
Now
the Lexical definition:
γίγνομαι
γί-γνομαι is syncopated from γι-γένομαι, the Root
being ΓΕΝ; cf. aor. 2 γενέσθαι, γένος, etc.; so Lat.
gi-gno for gi-geno.
I.
Radical sense, to come into being, Lat. gigni:
1.
of persons, to be born, νέον γεγαώς new born, Od.;
γεγονέναι ἔκ τινος Hdt.; more rarely ἀπό τινος
id=Hdt.; τινος Eur.:—with Numerals, ἔτεα τρία καὶ
δέκα γεγονώς, Lat. natus annos tredecim, Hdt., etc.
2.
of things, to be produced, Plat., Xen., etc.:—of sums, ὁ γεγονὼς
ἀριθμός the result or amount, Plat.
3.
of events, to take place, come to pass, come on, happen, and in past
tenses to be, Hom., etc.:— ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, Lat. quod dii
prohibeant, Dem.:—c. dat. et part., γίγνεταί τί μοι
βουλομένωι, ἀσμένωι I am glad at its being so,
Thuc., etc.:—of sacrifices, omens, etc., to be favourable,
id=Thuc., Xen.:—in neut. part., τὸ γενόμενον the
event, the fact, Thuc.; τὰ γενόμενα the facts, Xen.; τὰ
γεγενημένα former events, the past, id=Xen.; τὸ
γενησόμενον the future, Thuc.:—of Time, ὡς τρίτη
ἡμέρη ἐγένετο arrived, Hdt.
II.
followed by a Predicate, to come into a certain state, to become,
Lat. fieri, and (in past tenses), to be so and so, Hom., etc.; πάντα
γιγνόμενος turning every way, Od.; so, παντοῖος
γ. Hdt.; τί γένωμαι; what am I to become? i. e. what is to
become of me? Aesch.; οὐκ ἔχοντες ὅ τι γένωνται
Thuc.
2.
with Adverbs, κακῶς ἐγένετό μοι it went ill with
me, Hdt.; εὖ, καλῶς, γίγνεται it goes well, etc.,
Xen.
3.
followed by oblique cases of Nouns,
a.
c. gen., γ. τῶν δικαστέων to become one of the
jurymen, Hdt., etc.:— to fall to the share of, belong to, ἡ νίκη
γίγνεταί τινος Xen.:— to be master of, ἑαυτοῦ
γ. Soph., etc.; γ. ἐντὸς ἑωϋτοῦ Hdt.:—of things,
to be at, i. e. to cost, so much, c. gen. pretii, Ar.
b.
with Preps., γ. ἀπὸ, or ἐκ δείπνου to be done
supper, Hdt.; γ. εἰς τόπον to be at . . , id=Hdt.:—. γ.
ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν τινι to be out of sight, id=Hdt.; γ.
ἐν τόπωι to be in a place, id=Hdt.; also, γ. ἐν ποιήσει
to be engaged in poetry, id=Hdt., etc.; γ. δι᾽ ἔχθρας,
δι᾽ ἔριδος γ. τινι to be at enmity with, Ar., etc.:—
γ. ἐπί τινι to fall into or be in one's power, Xen.:— γ.
μετά τινος to be on his side, id=Xen.:— γ. παρά τινα
to come to one, Hdt.:— γ. πρὸς τόπωι to be at or near .
. , Plat.: γ. πρός τινι to be engaged in . . , Dem.; πρός
τι Plat.:— γ. πρὸ ὁδοῦ to be forward on the way, Il.
Thus
I have translated:
Gk.,
( τοῦ πρὸ καταβολῆς
κόσμου συμβούλου γενομένου τοῦ πατρός
)
“...of
the one [who]: “Before a founding of a world,” CAME INTO
EXISTENCE AS a fellow counsellor of the Father...”
Or
an alternative rendering can be:
“...of
the one [who]: “Before a founding of a world,” WAS BROUGHT INTO
EXISTENCE AS a fellow counsellor of the Father...”
Or:
“...of
the one [who]: “Before a founding of a world,” WAS BROUGHT INTO
BEING AS a fellow counsellor of the Father...”
Or
according to their renderings of the same word:
“...of
the one [who]: “Before a founding of a world,” was ( CREATED ) as
a fellow counsellor of the Father...”
“...of
the one [who]: “Before a founding of a world,” was ( PRODUCED )
as a fellow counsellor of the Father...”
Now
we can see ( WHY ) he can be, logically, and chronologically:
Gk.,
( πρὸ πάντων τῶν γενομένων )
“...(
BEFORE ) all of those things that came into existence...”
Yes,
he himself had “...come into existence...” ( BEFORE )
these.
So, as is said by Clement of Alexandria in other passages from his different works, like the following:
Compare:
GREEK
TEXT: “...Τὸ γὰρ “πρὸ ἑωσφόρου ἐγέννησά
σε” οὕτως ἐξακούομεν ἐπὶ τοῦ
πρωτοκτίστου Θεοῦ Λόγου· καὶ “πρὸ
ἡλίου” καὶ σελήνης καὶ πρὸ πάσης
κτίσεως “τὸ Ὄνομά σου...” - (1.20.1 “ΕΚ
ΤΩΝ ΘΕΟ∆ΟΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΣ ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΚΗΣ
ΚΑΛΟΥΜΕΝΗΣ ∆Ι∆ΑΣΚΑΛΙΑΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΥΣ
ΟΥΑΛΕΝΤΙΝΟΥ ΧΡΟΝΟΥΣ ΕΠΙΤΟΜΑΙ,” MPG)
LATIN
TEXT: “...Illud enim: “Ante luciferum genui te,”{E}
sic interpretamur, ratione Verbi a Deo primum creati, et quod: “ante
solem” et lunam omnemque creaturani: “nomen tuum sit{F}...”
- (1.20.1 “EXCERPTA EX THEODOTO,” MPG)
[FOOTNOTE
E]: Psal. CIX, 3.
[FOOTNOTE
F]: Psal. LXXII, 17.
CLEMENT
OF ALEXANDRIA (circa. 155-220 C.E.): “...For ( WE ) thus
understand: “I begot thee before the morning star,” with
reference to THE
FIRST-CREATED
LOGOS OF GOD and
similarly: “thy name is before sun,” and moon and before all
creation...” - (Chapter 1, Paragraph 20, Verse 1; [1.20.1],
“EXTRACTS FROM THEODOTUS,” By Robert Pierce Casey ; Quoted on
Pages 40-91, “The Excerpta ex Theodoto of Clement of Alexandria,”
Studies and Documents 1; London: Christophers, 1934.)
My
translations of the Greek text:
GREEK
TEXT: “...Τὸ γὰρ “πρὸ ἑωσφόρου ἐγέννησά
σε” οὕτως ἐξακούομεν ἐπὶ
τοῦ πρωτοκτίστου Θεοῦ Λόγου· καὶ
“πρὸ ἡλίου” καὶ σελήνης καὶ πρὸ
πάσης κτίσεως “τὸ Ὄνομά σου...” -
(1.20.1 “ΕΚ ΤΩΝ ΘΕΟ∆ΟΤΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΣ ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΚΗΣ
ΚΑΛΟΥΜΕΝΗΣ ∆Ι∆ΑΣΚΑΛΙΑΣ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΥΣ
ΟΥΑΛΕΝΤΙΝΟΥ ΧΡΟΝΟΥΣ ΕΠΙΤΟΜΑΙ,” MPG)
CLEMENT
OF ALEXANDRIA (circa. 155-220 C.E.): “...For ( we ) [hear and]
undersatnd this, the: “Before a morning star, I caused you to be
born,” in respect to THE
FISRT-CREATED
LOGOS OF GOD, and
[the]: “Before a sun,” and of a moon, before all of creation, of his
( name )...” - (Chapter 1, Paragraph 20, Verse 1; [1.20.1], “AN
EPITOME FROM OUT OF [WHAT IS] CALLED THE TEACHINGS OF THEODOTUS,
ACCORDING TO [THE] TIMES OF VALENTIUS,” Or: “EXTRACTS FROM
THEODOTUS,” Rendering ( A ) Translated by Matt13weedhacker
11/12/12.)
CLEMENT
OF ALEXANDRIA (circa. 155-220 C.E.): “...For ( we ) [hear and]
undersatnd this, the: “Before a morning star, I caused you to be
born,” in respect to THE
FISRT-CREATED
ONE
OF GOD, [THE] LOGOS,
and [this]: “Before a sun,” and of a moon, [and] before
all of creation, about his ( name )...” - (Chapter 1, Paragraph 20,
Verse 1; [1.20.1], “AN EPITOME FROM OUT OF [WHAT IS] CALLED THE
TEACHINGS OF THEODOTUS, ACCORDING TO [THE] TIMES OF VALENTIUS,” Or:
“EXTRACTS FROM THEODOTUS,” Rendering ( B ) Translated by
Matt13weedhacker 11/12/12.)
CLEMENT
OF ALEXANDRIA (circa. 155-220 C.E.): “...For ( we ) [hear and]
undersatnd this, the: “Before a morning star, I caused your birth,”
in respect to THE
FISRT-CREATED
ONE
OF GOD, [THE] LOGOS,
and [this]: “Before a sun,” and of a moon, [and] before
all of creation, concerning his ( name )...” -
(Chapter 1, Paragraph 20, Verse 1; [1.20.1], “AN EPITOME FROM OUT
OF [WHAT IS] CALLED THE TEACHINGS OF THEODOTUS, ACCORDING TO [THE]
TIMES OF VALENTIUS,” Or: “EXTRACTS FROM THEODOTUS,” Rendering (
C ) Translated by Matt13weedhacker 11/12/12.)
And
compare also:
GREEK
TEXT: “...ἀλλ' οἳ μὲν διήκειν διὰ πάσης
τῆς οὐσίας τὸν θεόν φασιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ
ποιητὴν μόνον αὐτὸν [5.14.89.4] καλοῦμεν
καὶ λόγῳ ποιητήν. παρήγαγεν δὲ αὐτοὺς
τὸ ἐν τῇ Σοφίᾳ εἰρημένον διήκει δὲ
καὶ χωρεῖ διὰ πάντων διὰ τὴν
καθαριότητα, ἐπεὶ μὴ συνῆκαν λέγεσθαι
ταῦτα ἐπὶ τῆς
σοφίας τῆς
πρωτοκτίστου
τῷ θεῷ...” - (Book 5, Chapter 14, Paragraph
89, Verse 4, [5.14.89.3(B)-4] “STROMATA,” Or: “ΚΛΗΜΕΝΤΟΣ
ΤΩΝ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΛΗΘΗ ΦΙΛΟΣΟΦΙΑΝ ΓΝΩΣΤΙΚΩΝ
ΥΠΟΜΝΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΣΤΡΩΜΑΤΕΩΝ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ,”
MPG.)
CLEMENT OF
ALEXANDRIA (circa. 155-220 C.E.): “...Well, they say that God
pervades all being; while we call Him solely Maker, and Maker by the
Word. They were misled by what is said in the book of Wisdom: “He
pervades and passes through all by reason of His purity;” since
they did not understand that this was said of
WISDOM,
WHICH WAS THE
FIRST OF THE CREATION
OF GOD...”- (Book 5, Chapter 14, Paragraph 89,
Verse 4, [5.14.89.4 MPG] “STROMATA,” Or: “MISCELLANIES,”
Translated by William Wilson. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 2.
Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe.
Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.)
Gk.,
( τῆς πρωτοκτίστου τῷ θεῷ )
A
compound word made up of Gk., ( πρῶτος ) “...FIRST...” and
Gk., ( κτίσις ) “...CREATED PRODUCT...”
STRONGS
NT 4413: πρῶτος
STRONGS
NT 2937: κτίσις
STRONGS
NUMBERS - RELATED GREEK WORDS:
2932 κτάομαι ktaomai “to
acquire, obtain, possess, purchase”
2933 κτῆμα ktéma “a
possession”
2934 κτῆνος kténos “a beast of burden -
from ktaomai; property, i.e. (specially) a domestic animal”
2935
κτήτωρ ktétór “a possessor”
2936 κτίζω ktizó
“to build, create”
2937
κτίσις ktisis “creation (the act or
the product)”
2938 κτίσμα ktisma “a creature - from ktizo; an original
formation (concretely), i.e. Product (created thing)”
2939
κτίστης ktistés “a Creator: - from ktizo; a founder, i.e.
God (as author of all things):
“...THE
FIRST ONE TO BE CREATED...”
Or:
“...THE
FIRST ONE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED...”
Or:
“...THE
FIRST ONE THAT WAS CREATED...”
Now,
this part of the phrase Gk., ( τῷ θεῷ ) is translated by W.
Wilson as a genitive:
“...(
OF ) GOD...”
But
the text is Gk., ( τῷ θεῷ ) in the dative case.
If
it was a genitive, it would be Gk., ( τοῦ θεοῦ ).
Gk.,
( τῆς σοφίας τῆς πρωτοκτίστου [ τοῦ
θεοῦ ])
It
is more accurate to translate it the following way, (which may sound crude, and rather
Un-English), but it is a literal translation of the Greek into English:
“...(
OF )-THE WISDOM, ( OF )-THE ( OF )-FIRST-ONE-TO-HAVE-BEEN-CREATED (
BY )-THE GOD...”
Which
I would paraphrase the sense as:
“...OF
HE [THAT IS] WISDOM, THE FIRST ONE TO BE CREATED BY HE [THAT IS]
DEFINITIVELY GOD...”
Or
perhaps:
“...OF
THE ONE [THAT IS] WISDOM, THE FIRST ONE TO BE CREATED BY THE ONE
[THAT IS] DEFINITIVELY GOD...”
Or
more simply:
“...OF
WISDOM, THE FIRST ONE TO BE CREATED ( BY ) GOD...”
Or:
“...OF
WISDOM, THE FIRST ONE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED (
BY ) GOD...”
Or:
“...OF
WISDOM, THE FIRST ONE THAT WAS CREATED ( BY ) GOD...”
GREEK
TEXT: “...πρωτόγονοι καὶ
πρωτόκτιστοι δυνάμεις...” -
(Fragments, Collection I, Fragment 3, MPG.)
LATIN TEXT:
“...hae namque primitivae virtutes ac
primo
creatae, inmobiles
exsistentes secundum substantiam, cum subiectis angelis et
archangelis, cum quibus vocantur equivoce, diversas operationes
efficiunt...” - (Fragments, Collection I, Fragment 3, MPL.)
CLEMENT OF
ALEXANDRIA (circa. 155-220 C.E.): “...And if any man sin,” he
says, “we have an advocate with the Father, JESUS CHRIST.” For so
the Lord is an advocate with the Father for us. So ( also ) is there,
an advocate, whom, after His assumption, He vouchsafed to send. For (
THESE ) PRIMITIVE AND FIRST-CREATED
VIRTUES
[Gk., POWERS] are unchangeable as to substance, and along with
subordinate ANGELS AND ARCH-ANGELS, WHOSE NAMES ( THEY ) SHARE,
effect divine operations...” - (Fragments, Collection I,
Fragment 3, Translated by William Wilson. From Ante-Nicene Fathers,
Vol. 2. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A.
Cleveland Coxe. Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co.,
1885.)
