Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Homily III/Chapter 22

by Anonymous

Chapter XXII.—Male and Female.

“But a companion was created along with him, a female nature, much differing from him, as quality from substance, as the moon from the sun, as fire from light.  She, as a female ruling the present world as her like,^[1] was entrusted to be the first prophetess, announcing prophecy with all amongst those born of woman.^[2]  But the other, as the son of man, being a male, prophesies better things to the world to come as a male.

Footnotes

1. That is, the present world is female, and is under the rule of the female; the world to come is male, and is under the rule of the male.
2. The allusion is to the fact that John the Baptist is called the greatest of those born of woman, while Christ is called the Son of man.