Stromata I. Cap. I. 10, 2—13, 1.

The Sicilian bee A literary allusion to the bee which gathers nectar from many flowers; used here as a metaphor for the author gathering wisdom from various sources. gathers flowers from the prophetic and apostolic meadow, and has produced a pure essence of knowledge in the souls of those who hear.

3 But those who preserve the true tradition of the blessed teaching, directly from the holy apostles Peter, James, John, and Paul—a child receiving it from a father (though few are like their fathers)—have arrived by God’s grace to deposit among us those ancestral and apostolic seeds. And I know well that they will rejoice, not because they are pleased by this expression, but by the preservation of the instruction itself. For the soul that desires to keep the blessed tradition inviolable seeks such a sketch as this: "A father will rejoice over a man who loves wisdom." Proverbs 29:3 Wells that are pumped out produce clearer water, while that which no one shares turns to decay. Usage keeps iron brighter, while disuse generates rust. In short, regular exercise produces a healthy condition for both spirit and body. "No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel," but rather on a lampstand, so that it may shine for those who are worthy of the same table. For what use is wisdom if it does not make wise the one capable of hearing? Furthermore, the Savior always saves and always works, just as He sees the Father. One who teaches learns more, and often, by speaking, he listens alongside those who hear him; for "One is the Teacher," both of the speaker and the listener, the one who makes both the mind and the word gush forth like a spring. Indeed, the Lord has not forbidden one to "rest from good" The text notes a difficulty with the word "sabbatizein" (to rest/keep Sabbath); the translation reflects the context of performing good works., but has permitted the sharing of divine mysteries and that holy light with "those who are able to contain it."