The Sentences of Sextus
Home > Apocrypha > The Sentences of Sextus The Sentences of Sextus At a Glance Treatise Genre: (5/5) ***** Reliability of Dating: (5/5) ***** Length of Text: Greek Original Language: Ancient Translations: Modern Translations: Estimated Range of Dating: 180-230 A.D. Chronological List of Early Christian Writings Discuss this text on the Early Writings forum. Text The Sentences of Sextus Offsite Links French Translation Claremont Coptic Encyclopedia: The Sentences of Sextus The Sentences of Sextus Evagrius Ponticus Nag Hammadi Codices XI, XII, XIII The Sentences of Sextus The Gospel According to Philip: The Sources and Coherence of an Early Christian Collection Books Bentley Layton, The Gnostic Scriptures: A New Translation With Annotations and Introductions (Doubleday 1987) Marvin Meyer, ed., The Nag Hammadi Scriptures (HarperOne 2009) Birger A. Pearson, Ancient Gnosticism: Traditions And Literature (Fortress Press 2007) Recommended Books for the Study of Early Christian Writings Information on the Sentences of Sextus Paul-Hubert Poirier writes, "The collection is ascribed to a certain Sextus. The earliest mention of this ascription is made by the Alexandrian Christian writer Origen (d. 254), who refers to the Sentences on five occasions. In his Commentary on the Gospel According to Matthew (15.3), he introduces sentences 13 and 273 as written by Sextus. On another occasion (Commentary on Ezekiel 1.11), he attributes sentence 352, without naming Sextus, to a 'wise and faithful man.' Hence, it would appear that Origen not only knew of the attribution of the Sentences to Sextus, but that he was convinced that Sextus was a 'faithful' man - that is, a Christian. Nevertheless, it seems that the real identity of the author of the aphorisms was no clearer for ancient readers than it is for us today. Indeed, at least since the fourth century, the given author of the Sentences of Sextus was believed to be the Roman Pope Sixtus II (d. 258). Rufinus and the Syriac version of the Sentences echo this identification. Although not impossible, authorship by the Roman bishop remains highly improbable. It was ironically criticized by Jerome and is generally rejected by modern scholarship." (The Nag Hammadi Scriptures, p. 705) R. Kany writes, "The Sententiae Sexti, a Greek collection of ethical and ascetical maxims, are among the few examples of early Christian proverbial wisdom and occupy an important place in the history of asceticism and spiritual direction. Many of the maxims remind us of the intellectual world of Clement of Alexandria and The Teachings of Silvanus (NHC 7, 4). Several give expression to an encratism and rigorism suggestive of Alexandria in the 2nd c. In the so-called Pythagorean Sentences (sent. Pythag.), the Sentences of Clitarchus (sent. Clitarch.), and citations in Porphyry's Ad Marcellam there are variants of a pagan collection of maxims colored by Neo-Pythagoreanism and Stoicism, which the Christian adapter ('Sextus') made the basis of his collection. Origen already refers to the Sextou gnomai (comm. in Mt. 15.3), mentions the popularity of the work among Christians (Cels. 8.30), and calls the author 'wise and a believer' (hom. 1.11 in Ezech.). In the 4th century the Sentences were regarded as the work of Roman bishop and martyr Sixtus II. Complete or partial translations into Arabic, Armenian, Ethiopic, Georgian, Coptic, Latin, and Syriac have come down. Rufinus's version (ca. 399) circulated in Latin monasticism and was much read as late as the Middle Ages. Pelagius referred to some of the Sentences, especially no. 36 (Latin) on the divinely given freedom that makes likeness to God possible for those who live without sin. In response to the Pelagians Jerome claims that the Sentences were the work of a pagan philosopher, and as a result they were excluded as apocryphal by the Decretum Gelasianum (5.4.11). But Chadwick sees no convincing reason for distrusting the pre-Jerome tradition and thinks it conceivable that ca. 180-210, while still a young man, Sixtus II could have partly composed the Sententiae Sexti himself and partly collected them from other sources and revised them." (Dictionary of Early Christian Literature, p. 534) Poirier writes, "The Sentences of Sextus must have been composed or compiled at the beginning of the third century CE by an unknown author familiar with Greek philosophy; it was soon ascribed to a certain Sextus, later identified with Pope Sixtus II. Its exact provenance cannot be determined with certainty, but the philosophical milieu it presupposes and the fact that it was known to Origen suggest Alexandria as a likely place of composition. Of course, the Coptic translation is of (Upper) Egyptian provenance, and it is to be dated no later than the second quarter of the fourth century." (The Nag Hammadi Scriptures, p. 707) Some Contemporary Texts Acts of Apollonius (180-185 A.D.) Bardesanes (180-220 A.D.) Kerygmata Petrou (180-220 A.D.) Hippolytus of Rome (180-230 A.D.) Sentences of Sextus (180-230 A.D.) 1st Apocalypse of James (180-250 A.D.) Gospel of Philip (180-250 A.D.) Clement of Alexandria (182-202 A.D.) Maximus of Jerusalem (185-195 A.D.) Go to the Chronological List of all Early Christian Writings Please buy the CD to support the site, view it without ads, and get bonus stuff! Early Christian Writings is copyright © Peter Kirby <E-Mail&gt. Follow @mrpeterkirby MLA Style Kirby, Peter. "The Sentences of Sextus." Early Christian Writings. <http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/sextus.html>. Gospels Matthew Mark Luke John Acts Letters of Paul Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Letter to the Hebrews General Letters James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation Gospels Gospel of Thomas Egerton Gospel Gospel of Peter Oxyrhynchus 840 Gospel of Mary Epistula Apostolorum Infancy Gospel of James Infancy Gospel of Thomas Acts of Pilate Diatessaron Gospel Fragments Oxyrhynchus 1224 Fayyum Fragment Gospel of the Egyptians Gospel of the Hebrews Gospel of the Ebionites Gospel of the Nazoreans Traditions of Matthias Dura-Europos Gospel Harmony Apostolic Acts Preaching of Peter Acts of Peter Acts of John Acts of Paul Acts of Andrew Acts of Peter and the Twelve Book of Thomas the Contender Acts of Thomas Martyrologies Martyrdom of Polycarp Fifth and Sixth Books of Esra Acts of Carpus, Papylus, and Agathonice Letter from Vienna and Lyons Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs Acts of Apollonius Acts of Perpetua and Felicitas Didache Apocalypse of Peter Didascalia Dialogues with Jesus Sophia of Jesus Christ Secret James Gospel of Mary Dialogue of the Savior Gospel of the Savior Books of Jeu Pistis Sophia Apocalypses 2nd Apocalypse of James Coptic Apocalypse of Paul 1st Apocalypse of James Coptic Apocalypse of Peter Acts Acts of Peter and the Twelve Book of Thomas the Contender Letter of Peter to Philip More Nag Hammadi Apocryphon of John Gospel of Truth Treatise on the Resurrection Gospel of Philip Trimorphic Protennoia Authoritative Teaching Discourse on the Eighth and the Ninth Melchizedek Quoted Authors Basilides Naassene Fragments Valentinus Marcion Epiphanes Ophite Diagrams Gospel of Judas More Quoted Authors Ptolemy Isidore Theodotus Heracleon Apelles Julius Cassianus Apostolic Fathers Didache Epistle of Barnabas First Clement Shepherd of Hermas Ignatius of Antioch Polycarp to the Philippians Second Clement Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus Martyrdom of Polycarp Apologists Aristides Justin Martyr Tatian Minucius Felix Athenagoras of Athens Theophilus of Antioch Quoted Authors Papias Quadratus Aristo of Pella Claudius Apollinaris Melito of Sardis Hegesippus Dionysius of Corinth Rhodon Theophilus of Caesarea More Quoted Authors Bardesanes Maximus of Jerusalem Polycrates of Ephesus Victor I Pantaenus Anonymous Anti-Montanist Serapion of Antioch Apollonius Caius Irenaeus of Lyons Hippolytus of Rome Clement of Alexandria Tertullian Origen Pagan and Jewish Mara bar Serapion Josephus Pliny the Younger Suetonius Tacitus Fronto Lucian of Samosata Marcus Aurelius Galen Celsus Talmud Philostratus Jewish/Christian The Twelve Patriarchs Non-Pagan Sibyllines Odes of Solomon Book of Elchasai Ascension of Isaiah Hypothesized Sources Passion Narrative Sayings Gospel Q Signs Gospel Anti-Marcionite Prologues Muratorian Canon Kerygmata Petrou Inscription of Abercias |