Reading Scripture: Types and Figures
Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor 5
That pedagogy means the leading of children is clear from the word itself. What remains is to identify the children whom Scripture praises, and then to assign them their pedagogue. We are those children. Yet Scripture celebrates us in many ways and, through a variety of allegorical names, transforms the simplicity of faith.
In the Gospel the Lord stood on the shore and called to the disciples, who were fishing, 'Children, do you have any food?' (John 21:5) He addressed them as children already established in knowledge. When people brought children to him for the laying on of hands in blessing, the disciples tried to stop them, but Jesus said, 'Let the children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these' (Matt. 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16). The Lord himself explains the meaning: 'Unless you turn and become like these children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven' (Matt. 18:3) — not allegorizing regeneration here, but holding up the simplicity found in children as a pattern for us to imitate.
The prophetic Spirit also singles out children: 'Children who had been weaned, cutting branches of olive or palm, went out to meet the Lord and cried, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"' (Matt. 21:15-16; Ps. 118:26) This is light, glory, and praise joined with supplication to the Lord; for 'Hosanna,' when rendered into Greek, conveys exactly that. It seems to me that Scripture, by allegorizing this prophecy, rebukes the faint-hearted in part: 'Have you never read, "From the lips of infants and nurslings you have ordained praise"?' (Matt. 21:16; Ps. 8:2)
The Lord in the Gospel opens the disciples' eyes, urging them to attend to him as one already hastening to the Father. He makes the hearers more eager, foretelling that he will soon be taken from them, and shows that they must grasp the truth all the more diligently while the Word has not yet been taken up into heaven. Again he calls them children: 'Children, I am with you only a little longer' (John 13:33). Once more he likens the kingdom of heaven to children sitting in the marketplaces who call out, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn' (Matt. 11:16-17; Luke 7:32), along with whatever else he appropriately added.
Not only does the Gospel think this way; prophecy agrees with it. David says, 'Praise the Lord, children, praise the name of the Lord' (Ps. 148:12-13). And through Isaiah: 'Here am I, and the children God has given me' (Isa. 8:18). Do you marvel to hear that men among the nations are children to the Lord?
Greek
Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἡ παιδαγωγία παίδων ἐστὶν ἀγωγή, σαφὲς ἐκ τοῦ ὀνόματος· λοιπὸν δέ ἐστι τοὺς παῖδας ἐπιθεωρῆσαι, οὓς αἰνίττεται ἡ γραφή, εἶτα τὸν παιδαγωγὸν αὐτοῖς ἐπιστῆσαι. οἱ παῖδες ἡμεῖς· πολλαχῶς δὲ ἡμᾶς ἐξυμνεῖ πολυτρόπως τε ἀλληγορεῖ ὀνόμασι ποικίλοις τὸ ἀφελὲς τῆς πίστεως ἐξαλλάττουσα ἡ γραφή. ἐν γοῦν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ· »σταθείς«, φησίν, »ὁ κύριος ἐπὶ τῷ αἰγιαλῷ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς (ἁλιεύοντες δὲ ἔτυχον) ἐνεφώνησέν [τε], παιδία, μή τι ὄψον ἔχετε;« τοὺς ἤδη ἐν ἕξει τῶν γνωρίμων παῖδας προσειπών. »προσήνεγκάν τε αὐτῷ«, φησί, »παιδία« εἰς χειροθεσίαν εὐλογίας, κωλυόντων δὲ τῶν γνωρίμων, εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς »ἄφετε τὰ παιδία καὶ μὴ κωλύετε αὐτὰ ἐλθεῖν πρός με· τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.« τί βούλεται τὸ λεχθέν, αὐτὸς διασαφήσει ὁ κύριος λέγων »ἐὰν μὴ στραφῆτε καὶ γένησθε ὡς τὰ παιδία ταῦτα, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν,« οὐ τὴν ἀναγέννησιν ἐνταῦθα ἀλληγορῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐν παισὶν ἁπλότητα εἰς ἐξομοίωσιν παρακατατιθέμενος ἡμῖν. τοὺς παῖδας [ἡμᾶς] καὶ τὸ προφητικὸν ἐκλέγεται πνεῦμα· »δρεψάμενοι«, φησί, »κλάδους ἐλαίας ἢ φοινίκων οἱ παῖδες ἐξῆλθον εἰς ὑπάντησιν κυρίῳ καὶ ἐκέκραγον λέγοντες, ὡσαννὰ τῷ υἱῷ Δαβίδ, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου,« φῶς καὶ δόξα καὶ αἶνος μεθ᾿ ἱκετηρίας τῷ κυρίῳ· τουτὶ γὰρ ἐμφαίνει ἑρμηνευόμενον Ἑλλάδι φωνῇ τὸ ὡσαννά. καί μοι δοκεῖ ἡ γραφὴ ταύτην αἰνιττομένη τὴν προφητείαν τὴν προειρημένην ἐν ὀνείδους μέρει τοῖς ῥᾳθύμοις ἐγκαλεῖν· »οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε ὅτι ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον;« τοῦτό τοι καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ μυωπίζει τοὺς γνωρίμους, προσέχειν αὐτῷ παρορμῶν ὡς ἤδη σπεύδων πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, ὀρεκτικωτέρους παρασκευάζων τοὺς ἀκροατὰς μετ᾿ ὀλίγον ἀπεῖναι προμηνύων, ὡς δέον αὐτοῖς ἀποκαρπίζεσθαι τῆς ἀληθείας ἀφειδέστερον δηλῶν ὅσον οὐδέπω ἀπαίροντος εἰς οὐρανὸν τοῦ λόγου. πάλιν οὖν αὐτοὺς παιδία καλεῖ· φησὶ γὰρ »παιδία, ἔτι μικρὸν μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν εἰμι.« αὖθίς τε παιδίοις ὁμοιοῖ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν »ἐν ἀγοραῖς καθημένοις καὶ λέγουσιν, ηὐλήσαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ οὐκ ὠρχήσασθε, ἐθρηνήσαμεν καὶ οὐκ ἐκόψασθε,« καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τούτοις οἰκείως ἐπήγαγεν. καὶ οὔτι γε μόνον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ταύτῃ φρονεῖ, ὁμοδοξεῖ δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἡ προφητεία. λέγει γοῦν Δαβὶδ »αἰνεῖτε, παῖδες, κύριον, αἰνεῖτε τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου.« λέγει δὲ καὶ διὰ Ἡσαΐου »ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία, ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ θεός.« Θαυμάζεις ἀκούων τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς ἐν ἔθνεσι παῖδας παρὰ κυρίῳ;