To the Newly Baptized
By Clement of Alexandria
About
This is a short fragment a larger now-lost work that was probably called ‘Exhortation to Endurance, or, To the Newly Baptized’. It was probably written in the late 2nd or perhaps early 3rd century AD.
It was written by Clement of Alexandria (born AD ~150, died ~215), a Christian theologian, philosopher, and dean of the Christian religious School of Alexandria in Egypt.
The text advises newly converted Christians how to think and behave, although the advice is good for everyone.
Clement was a convert to Christianity, and obviously familiar with Greek philosophy, which often influenced his thinking and how he interpreted Christianity. You can see this even in this short fragment.
Early beliefs
As you’ll see throughout all early Christian writings, you’ll see how later developments, such as the Trinity, do not appear yet.
You can, however, see in his other writings how he (and other Christians) had already adopted the Greek belief in an ‘immortal soul’, but had Christianized it to teach that souls were not originally immortal until God granted them immortality thanks to Jesus’Yeshua’sIshoa’s sacrifice (whether for eternal reward or eternal punishment of some kind). He also refers to going to heaven to be with God when JesusYeshuaIshoa comes.
However, in this text, we have translated the word which can mean ‘soul’ as ‘inner person,’ as that is also a valid meaning, and the context shows it was the meaning he intended here (e.g. how grief can ‘diminsh your soul’). His other writings sometimes use ‘soul’ in the immortal Greek sense, but not in this fragment.
Source
The Greek text is from an 11th century manuscript known as the Escorial Codex (or Escorial manuscript Y.III.19).
It was discovered in the 19th century by Rev. P. Mordaunt Barnard in the Library of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, just outside of Madrid, Spain. The exact transcription is based on a critical edition by Otto Stählin. You can see the raw text in our interlinear version.
Translation
- Known and suspected fake words and phrases commonly included in popular translations are
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- Text that’s missing from our source manuscript, but filled in from another source, is marked with [[double brackets]].
- The original texts had no chapter or verse numbers, paragraph breaks, line breaks, margins, punctuation, or capital letters. These are all added for clarity, but be aware that they can sometimes subtly alter the meaning. Learn more.
- Words [inserted] by the translator for clarity are always in [brackets]. These are not part of the original source text. Learn more.
Approval
This translated text has been proofread against our original Greek source manuscript. It was approved by the editor on June 2, 2025.
1
1Be calm and composed in your words and actions, in how you speak and how you live.
Avoid acting impulsively, because this will help your mind stay steady. It won’t get upset by sudden urges, nor will it become weak, unwise, or unclear in its thinking. It won’t be controlled by overeating, intense anger, or other strong desires, which could easily take over.
You see, your mind must control your desires, sitting calmly like a ruler on a quiet throne, focused on God.
Don’t be quick to anger, slow to speak, or hesitant in your actions. This way, a good rhythm will enhance your calmness, and your behavior will appear godly and sacred.
Also, be careful to avoid signs of pride, such as:
- Holding your neck stiffly
- Keeping your head held high
- And walking with a soft, arrogant stride.
2Let your words be gentle to everyone you meet, and your greetings pleasant.
Show respect towards women by keeping your gaze lowered.
Speak carefully about everything, and let your voice convey what is helpful.
Adjust your tone to suit your listeners’ needs, making sure it’s audible—not so quiet that people can’t hear you, nor so loud that you’re shouting.
Be careful never to say anything you haven’t thought about and considered beforehand.
Don’t readily interrupt someone else’s speech with your own words. It’s important to listen and speak in turn, balancing talking and silence appropriately.
Learn eagerly, and teach willingly. Never hide wisdom from others out of envy, nor avoid learning out of shame.
Treat elders with the same respect you would give your fathers. Honor God’s servants.
Be a leader in wisdom and good character. Don’t argue with your friends, mock them, or act like a clown.
Strongly avoid lying, cheating, and disrespectful behavior. Instead, with a good reputation, patiently deal with both the proud and the disrespectful, like a gentle and generous person.
3Let all your actions and words be directed towards God.
Attribute everything you do to the Anointed One, and frequently turn your inner person to God.
Lean your thoughts on the Anointed One’s power, resting in the Savior’s divine light as if in a safe harbor, finding rest from all speech and action.
During the day, often share your wisdom with others, but dedicate most of your time, both day and night, to God.
Don’t let excessive sleep control you and prevent you from offering prayers and hymns to God, because long sleep is like a rival to death.
Always become a partaker of the Anointed One, who illuminates the divine light from heaven. For the Anointed One should be your continuous and unending joy.
4Don’t weaken your inner person’s determination through feasting and excessive drinking. Consider only what your body truly needs to function.
Don’t rush to eat before it’s time for dinner. Your dinner should be bread, with plants from the earth and ripe fruits from trees. Approach your food calmly, without showing ravenous gluttony.
Don’t be a meat-eater or a wine-lover, unless an illness requires it for healing. Instead of these pleasures, choose the joys found in divine words and hymns, which God provides you with wisdom. And let heavenly care always lift you up to heaven.
5Release your many worries about your body, strengthened by your hopes in God, because he will provide you with what you need:
- Enough food to live
- Clothing for your body
- And protection against winter cold.
Indeed, all the earth and everything that grows belongs to your King. He cares for his servants exceptionally, treating them as his own body parts, as sacred and his own temples. Therefore, don’t fear excessive illnesses or the approach of old age, which is expected in time. For illness will stop when we perform his commandments with complete dedication.
6Knowing these things, strengthen your inner person against illnesses… Be courageous, like a skilled athlete in competitions, enduring hardships with unyielding strength. Don’t let grief greatly diminish your inner person, whether an impending illness weighs you down or some other difficult thing happens to you.
Instead, nobly resist hardships with your mind, offering loving kindness to God even in the midst of painful matters. Do this as if [you are] someone who truly thinks more wisely than humans and understands things that are impossible or difficult for humans to grasp.
Pity those who suffer, and ask The God for help on behalf of others. For he will agree to his friend who asks for loving kindness, and he will provide aid to those who suffer, desiring to make his power known to humanity.
This way, by gaining knowledge, they may ascend to God and enjoy eternal blessedness when God’s son comes, restoring good things to his own.
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