stephan huller

I guess I have a problem with both the controversies surrounding the authenticity of the story (Clement must have been aware of the widespread doubts about the narrative) as well as the obvious conflict with Ephesians 5. Yes there is the allegory which follows but the hesitation which precedes it seems discernible.

Solo

FWIW, Clement in the quote paraphrases Ephesians 5:18.

Jiri

stephan huller

Exactly, there is an apparent collision course between the Gospel of John and the portrait of Jesus giving 'better wine' (= more potent) to people already drunk or drinking heavily and the dictum of Ephesians 5:18. Allegory is the way out apparently. But is this a signal of the raise WHY the Alexandrian's were so heavily dependent on allegory - i.e. that they were finding creative ways of avoiding 'objections' (cf. Celsus's criticism throughout the True Word)?

If Clement knew Paul to have had a written gospel (as we see demonstrated several times) the Gospel of John can't be that text. The other question it raises is whether this was the basis for Gaius's rejection of the Gospel of John - i.e. that there was a neo-Marcionite logic working there too i.e. the text wasn't 'apostolic' because it conflicted with Pauline doctrine. Notice the Muratorian canon's extraordinary lengths to link John and Paul. The same is present in Book Three of Irenaeus's Against Heresies in the discussion of Polycarp. The motive may have been to reassure people that 'John' was in harmony with Paul.

It is worth pointing out also that the Epistle of the Apostles includes the miracle at Cana in its strange ordering of gospel narratives. The text has been linked with the tradition of Polycarp.