Who Is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved? · §34 · Clement of Alexandria

The unseen treasure and the army of the poor

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Clement is addressing the rich believer directly, explaining that the visible body deceives death and the devil because the true wealth within is invisible to them, and urging the rich person to enlist the poor and godly as spiritual bodyguards.

This visible shape deceives death and the devil, for the wealth within and its beauty are invisible to them. They rage around the little flesh, which they despise as weak. Blind to the possessions within, they do not know what a great treasure in an earthen vessel we carry (2 Corinthians 4:7), walled around by the power of God the Father, the blood of God the child, and the dew of the Holy Spirit. But do not let yourself be deceived. You who have tasted the truth and been deemed worthy of the great redemption—enroll for yourself, in contrast to other people, an army unarmed, unwarlike, bloodless, without anger, undefiled: elders who fear God, orphans beloved of God, widows armed with gentleness, men adorned with love. Acquire such people with your wealth and your body and your soul as bodyguards, over whom God is general. Because of them a ship being swamped is lifted up, steered by the prayers of the holy alone. A raging disease is subdued, driven off by the laying on of hands. An attack of robbers is disarmed, stripped of its spoil by devout prayers. The violence of demons is shattered, convicted by urgent commands.

Greek

Τοῦτο τὸ σχῆμα τὸ βλεπόμενον ἐξαπατᾷ τὸν θάνατον καὶ τὸν διάβολον· ὁ γὰρ ἐντὸς πλοῦτος καὶ τὸ κάλλος αὐτοῖς ἀθέατός ἐστι· καὶ μαίνονται περὶ τὸ σαρκίον, οὗ καταφρονοῦσιν ὡς ἀσθενοῦς. τῶν ἔνδον ὄντες τυφλοὶ κτημάτων, οὐκ ἐπιστάμενοι πηλίκον τινὰ »θησαυρὸν ἐν ὀστρακίνῳ σκεύει« βαστάζομεν, δυνάμει θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ αἵματι θεοῦ παιδὸς καὶ δρόσῳ πνεύματος ἁγίου περιτετειχισμένον. ἀλλὰ σύ γε μὴ ἐξαπατηθῇς. ὁ γεγευμένος ἀληθείας καὶ κατηξιωμένος τῆς μεγάλης λυτρώσεως, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐναντίον τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνθρώποις σεαυτῷ κατάλεξον στρατὸν ἄοπλον, ἀπόλεμον, ἀναίμακτον, ἀόργητον, ἀμίαντον, γέροντας θεοσεβεῖς. ὀρφανοὺς θεοφιλεῖς, χήρας πραότητι ὡπλισμένας. ἄνδρας ἀγάπῃ κεκοσμημένους. τοιούτους κτῆσαι τῷ σῷ πλούτῳ καὶ τῷ σώματι καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ δορυφόρους, ὧν στρατηγεῖ θεός. δι᾿ οὓς καὶ ναῦς βαπτιζομένη κουφίζεται, μόναις ἁγίων εὐχαῖς κυβερνωμένη. καὶ νόσος ἀκμάζουσα δαμάζεται, χειρῶν ἐπιβολαῖς διωκομένη. καὶ προσβολὴ λῃστῶν ἀφοπλίζεται, εὐχαῖς εὐσεβέσι σκυλευομένη, καὶ δαιμόνων βία θραύεται προστάγμασι συντόνοις ἐλεγχομένη.

About this text

Clement explains Jesus' saying about the camel and the needle's eye, and shows how a rich person may be saved.

This homily was written by Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–c. 215), a Greek Christian teacher who led the Catechetical School of Alexandria. He addressed it to fellow Christians who were troubled by Jesus' saying about the camel and the needle's eye, and who either despaired of rich believers being saved or flattered the wealthy. Clement wrote to remove that false despair and to show how a rich person may be saved.

The occasion is a controversy over the moral danger of wealth and the question of who can be saved. Clement argues that Jesus' command to sell one's possessions is not a command to become outwardly poor, but to renounce the passions and attachments of the soul that wealth can excite. The rich man in the Gospel is not condemned for having wealth, but for loving it more than eternal life. Salvation depends on the soul's disposition, not on external possessions, and wealth can be used rightly for love of neighbor.

A reader will meet Jesus, whose words from the Gospels are quoted and interpreted throughout, along with Peter, Martha, Mary, Zacchaeus, Levi, Matthew, and Paul. Clement also cites the pagan philosophers Anaxagoras, Democritus, and Crates as examples of people who gave up wealth for the wrong reasons. The work closes with the story of the apostle John and a young robber, offered as proof that no sinner is beyond hope. To follow the argument, know that Clement uses 'passions' for the disordered attachments of the soul, 'freedom from passions' for the state required for salvation, and 'worldly wealth' for what the Gospels call mammon of unrighteousness. Bible books follow the Septuagint names and Psalm numbering, so Gospel passages correspond to Mark 10:17-31, Matthew 19:16-30, and Luke 18:18-30 in modern Bibles.

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

Printed text used

Translated from Clement of Alexandria Otto Stählin Stromata, Buch VII-VIII. Excerpta ex Theodoto. Eclogae prophetica. Hinrichs Leipzig 1909 Clemens Alexandrinus 3 (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.