Love And Knowledge

Ὡς μὲν οὖν ἀντακολουθοῦσιν ἀλλήλαις αἱ ἀρεταί, τί χρὴ λέγειν, ἐπιδεδειγμένου ἤδη ὡς πίστις μὲν ἐπὶ μετανοίᾳ ἐλπίδι τε, εὐλάβεια δὲ ἐπὶ πίστει, καὶ ἡ ἐν τούτοις ἐπιμονή τε καὶ ἄσκησις ἅμα μαθήσει συμπεραιοῦται εἰς ἀγάπην, ἣ δὲ τῇ γνώσει τελειοῦται; ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἐξ ἀνάγκης παρασημειωτέον ὡς μόνον τὸ θεῖον σοφὸν εἶναι φύσει νοεῖσθαι χρή· διὸ καὶ ἡ σοφία δύναμις θεοῦ ἡ διδάξασα τὴν ἀλήθειαν· κἀνταῦθάπου εἴληπται ἡ τελείωσις τῆς γνώσεως. Φιλεῖ δὲ καὶ ἀγαπᾷ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὁ φιλόσοφος, ἐκ τοῦ θεράπων εἶναι γνήσιος δι' ἀγάπην ἤδη φίλος νομισθείς. Tαύτης δὲ ἀρχὴ τὸ θαυμάσαι τὰ πράγματα, ὡς Πλάτων ἐν Θεαιτήτῳ λέγει, καὶ Ματθίας ἐν ταῖς Παραδόσεσι παραινῶν θαύμασον τὰ παρόντα, βαθμὸν τοῦτον πρῶτον τῆς ἐπέκεινα γνώσεως ὑποτιθέμενος· ᾗ κἀν τῷ καθ' Ἑβραίους εὐαγγελίῳ "ὁ θαυμάσας βασιλεύσει" γέγραπται καὶ ὁ βασιλεύσας ἀναπαήσεται. Ἀδύνατον οὖν τὸν ἀμαθῆ, ἔστ' ἂν μένῃ ἀμαθής, φιλοσοφεῖν, τόν γε μὴ ἔννοιαν σοφίας εἰληφότα, φιλοσοφίας οὔσης ὀρέξεως τοῦ ὄντως ὄντος καὶ τῶν εἰς τοῦτο συντεινόντων μαθημάτων. Kἂν τὸ ποιεῖν καλῶς ᾖ τισιν ἐξησκημένον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐπίστασθαι, ὡς χρηστέον καὶ ποιητέον, καὶ συνεκπονητέον, καθὸ καὶ ὁμοιοῦταί τις θεῷ, θεῷ λέγω τῷ σωτῆρι, θεραπεύων τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν διὰ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως λόγου, δι' οὗ καθορᾶται τὰ κατ' ἀλήθειαν καλὰ καὶ δίκαια. Eὐσέβεια ἔστι πρᾶξις ἑπομένη καὶ ἀκόλουθος θεῷ. Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Στρωματεων, Λογος Β’, Κεφ' Θ’ Source: Migne PG 9.979c-981b

As, then, the virtues follow one another, what need to speak of that which has been demonstrated already, that faith hopes through repentance, and fear through faith, and patience and practice in these, along with learning, culminate in love, which is perfected by knowledge? But what one must note is that the Divine alone must be thought as wise by nature. Therefore wisdom also, which has taught the truth, is the power of God, and in it the perfection of knowledge is embraced. The philosopher loves and likes the truth, being now changed from being a true servant to being considered a friend on account of his love. 1 The beginning of knowledge is a wondering at objects, as Plato says is in his Theaetetus, 2 and Matthias exhorting us in the Traditions, says, 'Wonder at what is before you,' laying this down as the first foundation of further knowledge. So also in the Gospel to the Hebrews it is written, 'He that wonders shall reign, and he that has reigned shall rest.' It is impossible, therefore, for an ignorant man, while he remains ignorant, to philosophise, since he has no grasp of the idea of wisdom and philosophy, which is an effort to grasp that which truly is, and the studies that lead to that. Which is not done to make a man cultivated, but so that there might be knowledge of what is beneficial and how to act and labour, insofar as one has a likeness to God, I mean God the Saviour, by the service of the God of all things through the High Priest, the Word, through whom is seen what is in truth good and right, and piety is conduct suitable for following God. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, Book 2, Chapter 9 1 Jn 15.15 2 Plato Theat 155d