Clement on the True Gnostic

"Such patience will the Gnostic, as a Gnostic, possess. He will bless when under trial, like the noble Job; like Jonas, when swallowed up by the whale, he will pray, and faith will restore him to prophesy to the Ninevites; and though shut up with lions, he will tame the wild beasts; though cast into the fire, he will be besprinkled with dew, but not consumed. He will give his testimony by night; he will testify by day; by word, by life, by conduct, he will testify. Dwelling with the Lord, he will continue his familiar friend, sharing the same hearth according to the Spirit; pure in the flesh, pure in heart, sanctified in word. 'The world,' it is said, 'is crucified to him, and he to the world.' [Gal 6:14] He, bearing about the cross of the Savior, will follow the Lord's footsteps, as God, having become holy of holies." -- Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, II, xx

Clement uses the term "Gnostic" here in opposition to those heretical cults who thus called themselves, and who have received so much renewed attention in recent years (but with a curious absence of mention of the outright silliness of their doctrines, whose metaphysics and cosmology exceed the absurdity of the deepest secrets of Dianetics or Mormonsim). The word is from the Greek "gnosis" meaning knowledge or wisdom, specifically mystical enlightenment and insight, and his argument, as that of other Church Fathers who strove against these doctrines, is that the true Gnostic is the man whose wisdom comes from God, through the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.

So, what he is getting at here is that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" [Gal 5:22-23]: that such character and behavior as was taught by Jesus, i.e., blessing when cursed, loving when hated, praying when despitefully used, is the result of a real, mystical, supernatural relationship with the Holy Spirit of God, in which we have died to ourselves and now live in Christ.

"Assimilation to God, then, so that as far as possible a man becomes righteous and holy with wisdom"
-- Clement, Stromata, II, xxii