To the Newly Baptized · §5 · Clement of Alexandria

Release bodily cares and trust God's provision

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Clement continues his direct address to the newly baptized, now urging release from excessive cares about the body through trust in God's provision.

Release your many cares about the body, having taken courage in your hopes toward God, because he will provide you with what is necessary: sufficient food for life, covering for your body, and protection against winter cold. For the whole earth and everything that grows from it belongs to your King, and he cares surpassingly for his servants as his own members, just as he cares for his sacred places and his temples. Therefore do not fear even overwhelming sicknesses, nor the approach of old age expected in time; for sickness too will cease when we keep his commandments with whole-souled purpose.

Greek

Καὶ τὰς πολλὰς περὶ σώματος ἀνίει μερίμνας τεθαρσηκὼς ἐλπίσι ταῖς πρὸς θεόν, ὅτι σοί γε τὰ ἀναγκαῖα παρέξει διαρκῆ τροφήν τε τὴν εἰς ζωὴν καὶ κάλυμμα σώματος καὶ χειμερινοῦ ψύχους ἀλεξητήρια. τοῦ γὰρ δὴ σοῦ βασιλέως γῆ τε ἅπασα καὶ ὅσα ἐκφύεται· ὡς μέλη δὲ αὑτοῦ τῶν αὑτοῦ θεραπόντων ὑπερβαλλόντως περιέπει καθάπερ ἱερὰ καὶ ναοὺς αὑτοῦ. διὰ δὴ τοῦτο μηδὲ νόσους ὑπερβαλλούσας δέδιθι μηδὲ γήρως ἔφοδον χρόνῳ προσδοκωμένου· παύσεται γὰρ καὶ νόσος, ὅταν ὁλοψύχῳ προθέσει ποιῶμεν τὰς αὐτοῦ ἐντολάς.

About this text

A short address to a newly baptized Christian on conduct, speech, self-control, and trust in God.

Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–c. 215) wrote this short address to a newly baptized Christian. Clement was a leading teacher in the early Church at Alexandria, and he composed the work as a piece of moral and spiritual instruction for a recent convert. Its purpose is to guide the new believer in conduct, speech, self-control, and trust in God.

The address is a direct exhortation from Clement to the new believer, using second-person imperatives throughout. The reader will meet only Clement as the speaker, though he constantly refers the believer to God, Christ, and the Son of God. No other voices are quoted or argued against in this fragment.

A reader should know that the work uses several terms with specific meanings. 'Calm' means quietness and self-possession in speech and action, while 'vehemence' is rash intensity that disturbs the mind. The 'mind' should rule the 'passions' such as gluttony and anger from a quiet throne. 'Modesty' means reverence, especially toward women, and 'graciousness' is the manner of bearing with the proud. Believers are called God's 'members' and 'temples', meaning he cares for them as his own body and sacred shrines. The fragment contains no direct biblical quotations.

New English from the Greek base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Clement of Alexandria G.W. Butterworth Clement of Alexandria Harvard University Press Cambridge, MA William Heinemann London 1919 Loeb Classical Library (Greek)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.