Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Homily VIII/Chapter 21

by Anonymous

Chapter XXI.—Temptation of Christ.

“For once the king of the present time came to our King of righteousness, using no violence, for this was not in his power, but inducing and persuading, because the being persuaded lies in the power of every one.^[1]  Approaching Him, therefore, as being king of things present, he said to the King of things future, ‘All the kingdoms of the present world are subject to me; also the gold and the silver and all the luxury of this world are under my power.  Wherefore fall down and worship me, and I will give you all these things.’  And this he said, knowing that after He worshipped him he would have power also over Him, and thus would rob Him of the future glory and kingdom.  But He, knowing all things, not only did not worship him, but would not receive aught of the things that were offered by him.  For He pledged Himself with those that are His, to the effect that it is not lawful henceforth even to touch the things that are given over to him.  Therefore He answered and said, ‘Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.’^[2]

Footnotes

1. [The conclusion of this Homily resembles Recognitions, iv. 34–37, but much of the matter of that book is contained in Homily IX.; see footnotes.—R.]
2. Matt. iv.; Luke iv.