Clement of Alexandria · a new plain-English translation from the original language
He, then, who has first practiced moderation of the passions and trained himself toward passionlessness, and has grown into the well-doing of gnostic perfection, is here already the equal of the angels; and being now full of light, and shining like the sun in his beneficence, he hastens by the righteous knowledge that comes through love of God toward the holy abode, just as the apostles did — not because they were apostles by becoming apostles through some special peculiarity of nature (since Judas too was chosen along with them), but because they were of such a kind as to be capable of becoming apostles, having been chosen by him who also foresees the ends of things. Matthias, at any rate, who was not chosen along with the others, having shown himself worthy to become an apostle, is set in the ranks in Judas's place.
It is possible, then, even now for whoever has trained himself in obedience to the Lord's precepts and has, gospel-wise, attained perfect and gnostic living, to be numbered among the elect rank of the apostles. Such a man is truly a presbyter of the church and an authentic servant of God's purpose, provided he both acts on and teaches the Lord's affairs — not through human ordination, nor accounted righteous merely for holding the presbyter's office, but rather admitted to that office because righteous; and even should he go unhonored on earth with the foremost seat, he will nonetheless occupy one of the twenty-four thrones and judge the nations, just as John declares in his Apocalypse. For truly there exists a single covenant of salvation extending toward us since the world began, even though its manner of bestowal has seemed to vary across successive ages and generations; it therefore emerges that a single unalterable gift of deliverance proceeds from a single God by way of a single Lord, working good in various fashions — and on that account the dividing wall separating Greek from Jew has been removed, uniting them into one particular people.
And thus both come together into the unity of the faith, and the election out of both is one. And of the elect, it is said, still more elect are those who according to perfect knowledge have been culled, as it were, from the church itself, and honored with the most magnificent glory — judges and administrators, equally from Jews and from Greeks, the twenty-four, the grace being doubled; since indeed the ranks of advancement here within the church — bishops, presbyters, deacons — represent, I believe, copies of that angelic splendor and of the arrangement which scripture promises awaits those who, walking in the apostles' own path, have spent their lives in righteousness brought to gospel perfection. The apostle writes that these, having been caught up in clouds, will minister at first, then be enrolled in the presbytery according to advancement in glory (for glory differs from glory), until they grow up into the perfect man.
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