Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor 9
Our divine Logos, the Pedagogue of humanity, therefore devotes all his power to saving the childlike, employing every device of wisdom. He admonishes, rebukes, strikes, convicts, threatens, heals, promises, and grants favors, binding the irrational impulses of humanity as it were with many chains. In short, the Lord relates to us just as we relate to our own children. Wisdom counsels: "If you have children, discipline them, and bend them from their youth. If you have daughters, watch over their bodies, and do not look at them with a cheerful face" (Sirach 7:23–26). We love our sons and daughters intensely, more than anything; yet those who associate with children merely for pleasure love them little, because they refuse to cause them grief, whereas those who seek the children's benefit will inflict momentary pain in order to benefit them for the age to come. The Lord likewise did not aim at present pleasure but at the joy that lies ahead. Let us now trace the manner of his philanthropic pedagogy with the testimony of the prophets.
Admonition is a fatherly rebuke that imparts understanding. Such is the Pedagogue when he admonishes, as also in the Gospel where he says, "How often I wanted to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing" (Matthew 23:37). Again Scripture admonishes: "They committed adultery with wood and stone, and they burned incense to Baal" (Jeremiah 3:9; 2:27). The greatest proof of his love for humanity is this: although he clearly knew the shamelessness of the people who were called and had revolted, he still summons them to repentance and speaks through Ezekiel: "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of scorpions; nevertheless speak to them, that perhaps they may listen" (Ezekiel 2:6). And to Moses he says, "Go and tell Pharaoh to let my people go, but I know that he will not let them go" (Exodus 3:10; 4:21). Both are displayed together: his divine foreknowledge of what will happen, and his philanthropy, which grants the soul opportunities for repentance by his own authority. He also admonishes through Isaiah, caring for the people, when he declares: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me" (this is a convicting rebuke); "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Isaiah 29:13). Here the pedagogy, having revealed sin by contrast, displays salvation.
Greek
Παντὶ τοίνυν σθένει ὁ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος παιδαγωγός, ὁ θεῖος ἡμῶν λόγος, πάσῃ καταχρώμενος σοφίας μηχανῇ, σῴζειν ἐπιβέβληται τοὺς νηπίους, νουθετῶν, ἐπιτιμῶν, ἐπιπλήττων, ἐλέγχων, ἀπειλούμενος, ἰώμενος, ἐπαγγελλόμενος, χαριζόμενος, »πολλοῖς τισιν οἱονεὶ χαλινοῖς« τὰς ἀλόγους τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος »δεσμεύων« ὁρμάς. συνελόντι γοῦν εἰπεῖν, οὕτως ὁ κύριος πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς πρὸς τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν. »τέκνα σοί ἐστιν; παίδευσον αὐτά«, ἡ σοφία παραινεῖ, »καὶ κάμψον αὐτὰ ἐκ νεότητος αὐτῶν. θυγατέρες σοί εἰσι; πρόσεχε τῷ σώματι αὐτῶν, καὶ μὴ ἱλαρώσῃς πρὸς αὐτὰς τὸ πρόσωπόν σου.« καίτοι τὰ τέκνα ἡμῶν, υἱούς τε καὶ θυγατέρας, σφόδρα καὶ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ἀγαπῶμεν. ἐπεὶ δ᾿ οἱ μὲν πρὸς χάριν ὁμιλοῦντες ὀλίγον ἀγαπῶσιν ὃ μὴ λυποῦσιν, οἱ δὲ πρὸς ὠφέλειαν ἐπιστύφοντες, εἰ καὶ παραυτίκα λυπηροί, ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸν ἔπειτα εὐεργετοῦσιν αἰῶνα, οὐ τὴν παραυτίκα ἡδονὴν ὁ κύριος, ἀλλὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἐσκόπησε τρυφήν. ἐπίωμεν δὲ ἤδη καὶ τὸν τρόπον αὐτοῦ τῆς φιλανθρώπου παιδαγωγίας μετὰ μαρτυρίας προφητικῆς. Νουθέτησις μὲν οὖν ἐστιν ψόγος κηδεμονικός, νοῦ ἐμποιητικός. τοιοῦτος ὁ παιδαγωγὸς νουθετῶν, ὡς κἀν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ λέγων »ποσάκις ἠθέλησα συναγαγεῖν τὰ τέκνα σου, ὃν τρόπον ὄρνις συνάγει τὰ νοσσία αὐτῆς ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρυγας αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἠθελήσατε«. αὖθίς τε ἡ γραφὴ νουθετεῖ, »καὶ ἐμοίχευον« λέγουσα »τὸ ξύλον καὶ τὸν λίθον, καὶ ἐθυμίασαν τῇ Βάαλ«. μέγιστον γὰρ τεκμήριον τῆς φιλανθρωπίας αὐτοῦ, ὅτι καίτοι σαφῶς εἰδὼς τὴν ἀναισχυντίαν τοῦ ἐκλακτίσαντος λαοῦ καὶ ἀποσκιρτήσαντος, ὅμως ἐπὶ τὴν μετάνοιαν παρακαλεῖ καί φησιν διὰ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιήλ· »υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, ἐν μέσῳ σκορπίων σὺ κατοικεῖς, πλὴν λάλησον αὐτοῖς, ἐὰν ἄρα ἀκούσωσιν.« ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ Μωυσεῖ »πορεύου« φησὶν »καὶ εἰπὲ τῷ Φαραώ, ἵνα ἐξαποστείλῃ τὸν λαόν, ἐγὼ δὲ οἶδα ὅτι οὐ μὴ ἐξαποστείλῃ αὐτούς«. ἐμφαίνει γὰρ ἄμφω, καὶ τὸ θεῖον προειδὼς τὸ ἐσόμενον, καὶ τὸ φιλάνθρωπον τὸ αὑτοῦ τῷ αὐτεξουσίῳ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀφορμὰς μετανοίας χαριζόμενος. νουθετεῖ δὲ καὶ διὰ Ἡσαΐου κηδόμενος τοῦ λαοῦ, ὁπηνίκα λέγει· »ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτῶν τιμῶσί με, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἐστὶν ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ« (τοῦτό ἐστι ψόγος ἐλεγκτικός)· »μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με διδάσκοντες διδασκαλίας ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων.« ἐνταῦθα ἡ κηδεμονία φανερώσασα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκ παραλλήλου δείκνυσι τὴν σωτηρίαν.