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Clement, an early Roman bishop and the disciple of Peter and Paul, gave
urgently needed counsel to the church at Corinth.
Sections: God Sees All | Characteristics of the Blessed | Agree Without
Delay | The Provisions of Our High Priest | Everyone is Needed | Church
Political Battles Foreseen | We Have Opposition Enough from the Wicked
| Schism Subverts Faith | Remember Paul's Epistle | More on Love to the
Corinthians | Sections: Forgiveness Called for | Submit not to Us--But
to the Will of God | Bottom Line: Repent, Humble Yourselves | Write Back
Soon! |
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God Sees All
Since then all things are seen and heard [by God], let us fear Him and
forsake those wicked works which spring from evil desires. Through His
mercy, we may be protected from the judgments to come. For where can any
of us flee from His mighty hand? Or what world will receive any of those
who run away from Him? For the Scripture says in a certain place, "Wither
shall I go, and where shall I be hid from Thy presence? If I ascend into
heaven, Thou art there; if I go away even to the uttermost parts of the
earth, there is Thy right hand; if I make my bed in the abyss, there is
Thy Spirit." (24) Where, then, shall any one go, or where shall he
escape from Him who comprehends all things?
Let us then draw near to Him with holiness of spirit, lifting up pure
and undefiled hands unto Him, loving our gracious and merciful Father,
who has made us partakers in the blessings of His elect. For it is written,
"When the Most High divided the nations, when He scattered the sons
of Adam, He fixed the bounds of the nations according to the number of
the angels of God. His people Jacob became the portion of the Lord, and
Israel the lot of His inheritance." (25) And in another place [the
Scripture] says, "Behold, the Lord taketh unto Himself a nation out
of the midst of the nations, as a man takes the first fruits of his threshing-floor;
and from that nation shall come forth the Most Holy."(26)
Characteristics of the Blessed
Since we are the Holy One's portion, let us do everything which concerns
holiness. Let us avoid all evil-speaking, all abominable and impure embraces,
all drunkenness, seeking after change, all abominable lusts, detestable
adultery, and wretched pride. "For God," says [the Scripture],
"resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."(27). . .Let
our praise be in God and not of ourselves, for God hates those that commend
themselves. Let testimony to our good deeds be borne by others, as it
was in the case of our righteous forefathers. Boldness, arrogance, and
audacity belong to those that are accursed of God; but moderation, humility,
and meekness to such as are blessed by Him.
Let us cling then to His blessing and consider what are the means of
possessing it. Let us think over the things which have taken place from
the beginning. For what reason was our father Abraham blessed? Was it
not because he produced righteousness and truth through faith? Isaac,
with perfect confidence, as if knowing what was to happen, cheerfully
yielded himself as a sacrifice. Jacob, because of his brother, went out
with humility from his own land and came to Laban and served him. There
was given to him the scepter of the twelve tribes of Israel.
[From Jacob came the Levitical priests, Jesus Christ, and all the kings
and rulers of Judah]. . .All these, therefore, were highly honored and
made great, not for their own sake, or for their own works, or for their
righteousness, but through the working of His will. And we too, being
called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor
by our own wisdom, understanding, godliness, or works which we have produced
in holiness of heart. But we are justified by that faith through which,
from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
Agree Without Delay
What shall we do, then, brothers? Shall we become lazy in well-doing and
stop practicing love? God forbid that any such course should be followed
by us! But rather let us hurry with all energy and readiness of mind to
perform every good work. For the Creator and Lord of all Himself rejoices
in His works. For by His infinitely great power He established the heavens,
and by His incomprehensible wisdom He adorned them. He also divided the
earth from the water which surrounds it, and fixed it upon the immovable
foundation of His own will. . .[Clement here summarizes God's creative
acts from Genesis 1-2] We see, then, how all righteous men have been adorned
with good works and how the Lord Himself, adorning himself with his works,
rejoiced. Having therefore such an example, let us without delay agree
to His will, and let us work righteousness with our whole strength. .
.
How blessed and wonderful, beloved, are the gifts of God! Life in immortality,
splendor in righteousness, truth in perfect confidence, faith in assurance,
self-control in holiness! And all these fall under our understanding;
What then shall those things be which are prepared for those who wait
for Him? The Creator and Father of all worlds, the Most Holy, alone knows
their amount and their beauty. Let us therefore earnestly strive to be
among those that wait for Him, so that we may share in His promised gifts.
Beloved, how shall this be done? If our understanding is fixed by faith
towards God; if we earnestly seek the things which are pleasing and acceptable
to Him; if we do the things which are in harmony with His blameless will;
and if we follow the way of truth, casting away from us all unrighteousness
and iniquity, along with all covetousness, strife, evil deceit, whispering,
and evil-speaking, all hatred of God, pride and haughtiness, vainglory
and ambition. For they that do such things are hateful to God; and not
only they that do them, but also those that take pleasure in them that
do them? [Clement then quotes Rom. 1:32; Psalm 50:16-23].
The Provisions of Our High Priest
This is the way, beloved, in which we find our Savior, even Jesus Christ,
the High Priest of all our sufferings, the defender and helper of our
infirmity. By Him we look up to the heights of heaven. By Him we behold,
as in a glass, His flawless and most excellent appearance. By Him are
the eyes of our hearts opened. By Him our foolish and darkened understanding
blossoms up anew towards His marvelous light. By Him the Lord has willed
that we should taste of immortal knowledge, "who being the brightness
of His majesty, is by so much greater than the angels, as He hath by inheritance
obtained a more excellent name than they."(28). . .[Clement then
quotes Hebrews 1:7,5,13]
Everyone Is Needed
Let us then, men and brothers, with all energy act the part of soldiers,
in agreement with His holy commandments. Let us consider those who serve
under our generals, with what order, obedience, and submissiveness they
perform the things which are commanded them. All are not prefects, nor
commanders of a thousand, nor of a hundred, nor of fifty, nor the like,
but each one in his own rank performs the things commanded by the king
and the generals. The great cannot continue without the small, nor the
small without the great. There is a kind of mixture in all things, and
from this arises mutual advantage. Let us take our body for an example.
The head is nothing without the feet, and the feet are nothing without
the head. The very smallest members of our body are necessary and useful
to the whole body. But all work harmoniously together and are under one
common rule for the safekeeping of the whole body.
Let our whole body, then, be preserved in Christ Jesus; and let every
one be subject to his neighbor, according to the special gift given him.
Let the strong not despise the weak, and let the weak show respect to
the strong. Let the rich man provide for the wants of the poor; and let
the poor man bless God, because He has given him one by whom his need
may be supplied. Let the wise man display his wisdom, not only by words
but through good deeds. Let the humble not bear testimony to himself,
but let witness be borne to him by another. . .
The apostles have preached the Gospel to us from the Lord Jesus Christ;
Jesus Christ [has done so] from God. Christ therefore was sent by God,
and the apostles by Christ. Both these appointments, then, were made in
an orderly way, according to the will of God. Having therefore received
their orders, and being fully assured by the resurrection of our Lord
Jesus Christ and established in the word of God, with full assurance of
the Holy Spirit, they went out proclaiming that the kingdom of God was
at hand. Preaching in this way through countries and cities, they appointed
the first-fruits [of their labors], having first proved them by the Spirit,
to be bishops and deacons of those who should afterwards believe. Nor
was this any new thing, since indeed many ages before it was written concerning
bishops and deacons. For so the Scripture in a certain place, "I
will appoint their bishops in righteousness, and their deacons in faith."(29).
. .
Church Political Battles Foreseen
Our apostles knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that there would be
strife on account of the office of the bishop. For this reason, therefore,
since they had obtained a perfect foreknowledge of this, they appointed
those [ministers] already mentioned. Afterwards they gave instructions
that when these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed
them in their ministry. We are of opinion, therefore, that those appointed
by them, or afterwards by other eminent men, with the consent of the whole
Church, and who have blamelessly served the flock of Christ in a humble,
peaceable, and disinterested spirit and have for a long time possessed
the good opinion of all, cannot be justly dismissed from the ministry.
For our sin will not be small, if we eject as bishop those who have blamelessly
and holily fulfilled its duties. Blessed are those presbyters who, having
finished their course before now, have obtained a fruitful and perfect
departure [from this world]. They have no fear lest any one take away
from them the place appointed them. But we see that you have removed some
men of excellent behavior from the ministry which they fulfilled blamelessly
and with honor.
We Have Opposition Enough from the Wicked
You are fond of contention, brothers, and full of zeal about things which
do not concern salvation. Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are
the true utterances of the Holy Spirit. Observe that nothing of an unjust
or counterfeit character is written in them. There you will not find that
the righteous were cast off by men who themselves were holy. The righteous
were indeed persecuted, but only by the wicked. They were cast into prison,
but only by the unholy. They were stoned, but only by transgressors. They
were killed, but only by the accursed, and such as had harbored an unrighteous
envy against them. Exposed to such sufferings, they endured them gloriously.
For what shall we say, brothers? Was Daniel cast into the den of lions
by such as feared God? Were Ananias, and Azarias, and Mishael shut up
in a furnace of fire by those who observed the great and glorious worship
of the Most High? Far from us be such a thought! Who, then, were they
that did such things? The hateful and those full of all wickedness were
roused to such a pitch of fury that they inflicted torture on those who
served God with a holy and blameless purpose [of heart]. They did not
know that the Most High is the Defender and Protector of all who have
a pure conscience and venerate His all-excellent name-to whom be glory
for ever and ever. Amen. But they who with confidence endured [these things]
are now heirs of glory and honor. They have been exalted and made famous
by God in their commemoration for ever and ever. Amen.
Schism Subverts Faith
Such examples, therefore, brothers, it is right that we should follow;
since it is written, "Cleave to the holy, for those that cleave to
them shall [themselves] be made holy.". . .Why are there conflicts,
commotions, divisions, schisms, and wars among you? Have we not [all]
one God and one Christ? Is there not one Spirit of grace poured out upon
us? And have we not one calling in Christ? Why do we divide and tear to
pieces the members of Christ and raise up strife against our own body?
Have we reached such a height of madness as to forget that "we are
members one of another?" (30) Remember the words of our Lord Jesus
Christ, how He said, "Woe to that man [by whom offenses come]! It
were better for him that he had never been born, than that he should cast
a stumbling block before one of my elect. Yes, it were better for him
that a millstone should be hung about [his neck], and he should be sunk
in the depths of the sea, than that he should cast a stumbling-block before
one of my little ones."(31) Your schism has subverted [the faith
of] many, has discouraged many, has given rise to doubt in many, and has
caused grief to us all. And still your sedition continues.
Remember Paul's Epistle
Take up the epistle of the blessed Apostle Paul. What did he write to
you at the time when the Gospel first began to be preached? Truly, under
the inspiration of the Spirit, he wrote to you concerning himself, and
Cephas, and Apollos, because even then parties had been formed among you.
But that favoritism for one above another brought less guilt upon you,
since your partialities were then shown towards apostles, already of high
reputation, and towards a man whom they had approved. But now reflect
who those are that have demoralized you and lessened the renown of your
far-famed brotherly love. It is disgraceful, beloved, yes, highly disgraceful,
and unworthy of your Christian profession, that such a thing should be
heard of as that the most steadfast and ancient Church of the Corinthians
should, on account of one or two persons, engage in sedition against its
presbyters. And this rumor has not only reached us, but also those who
are unconnected with us. Through your folly the name of the Lord is blasphemed,
while danger is also brought upon yourselves.
Let us therefore, quickly put an end to this [state of things]. Let us
fall down before the Lord and beg Him with tears to mercifully be reconciled
to us and restore us to our former proper and holy practice of brotherly
love. For [such conduct] is the gate of righteousness, which is set open
for the attainment of life, as it is written, "Open to me the gates
of righteousness; I will go in by them, and will praise the Lord: this
is the gate of the Lord: the righteous shall enter in by it." (32)
Although, therefore, many gates have been set open, yet this gate of righteousness
is that gate in Christ by which blessed are all they that have entered
in and have directed their way in holiness and righteousness, doing all
things without disorder. . .
More on Love to the Corinthians
Let him who has love in Christ keep the commandments of Christ. Who can
describe the [blessed] bond of the love of God? What man is able to tell
the excellence of its beauty, as it ought to be told? The height to which
love exalts is unspeakable. Love unites us to God. Love covers a multitude
of sins. Love bears all things, is long-suffering in all things. There
is nothing base, nothing arrogant in love. Love admits of no schisms:
love gives rise to no seditions: love does all things in harmony. By love
have all the elect of God been made perfect; without love nothing is well-pleasing
to God. In love has the Lord taken us to Himself. On account of the Love
he bore us, Jesus Christ our Lord gave His blood for us by the will of
God; His flesh for our flesh, and His soul for our souls.
You see, beloved, how great and wonderful a thing is love. There is no
declaring its perfection. Who is fit to be found in it, except such as
God has granted to make so? Let us pray, therefore, and implore of His
mercy, that we may live blameless in love, free from all human partialities
for one above another. All the generations from Adam even unto this day
have passed away; but those who, through the grace of God, have been made
perfect in love, now possess a place among the godly and shall be made
known at the revelation of the kingdom of Christ. For it is written, "Enter
into thy secret chambers for a little time, until my wrath and fury pass
away; and I will remember a propitious day, and will raise you up out
of your graves."(33). . .
Footnotes.
24 Psalm 139:7-10
25 Deut. 32:8-9
26 Num. 18:27; II Chron. 31:14
27 James 4:6
28 Hebrews 1:3-4
29 Isaiah 60:17
30 Romans 12:5
31 Matt. 18:6
32 Psalm 118:19-20
33 Isaiah 26:20
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