St Clement of Rome
(AD 92 to 101)
The Epistle to the Corinthians
St Clement was the fourth bishop of Rome (after St Peter, Linus, and Cletus) from year 92 to 101. St Clement was ordained by St Peter. We have very few other data on his life. His writings lead us to think he was a Jew with a good knowledge of Greek philosophy and of Sacred Scriptures. Some think he was related to the Flavii, the ruling family of emperors Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. He could have been in some way at the service of that family. This fact could explain his knowledge of army life and his respect for Roman institutions and authorities. The Church venerates him as a martyr; it seems he was deported to southern Russia, and later drowned in the sea with an anchor tied at his neck.
The Epistle of St Clement, Bishop of Rome, was motivated by “the strife, friction, and schisms” that were afflicting the Christian community at Corinth. Some members of this community dared to depose several clerics of the local church in defiance of ecclesiastical authority.
The tone of St Clement’s Epistle is one proper to an outspoken, firm, yet fatherly reprimand addressed to an entire congregation. He assumes the right to intervene in the internal affairs of another local church, which is distant from Rome. He does not excuse himself for doing so; on the contrary, he begs for pardon for not having intervened earlier due to the ongoing persecution by Domitian. He does not give allowance for parleying; what he expects is outright submission. Clement’s only justification is that he speaks “as the representative of the Roman Church” who writes under the impulse of the Holy Spirit and should be obeyed under pain of sin (chapter 59).
It is generally supposed to have been written in or about the year 96, and is, therefore, prior to some books of the New Testament and the letters of St Ignatius of Antioch. St John the Apostle must have been still alive in Ephesus, in the same ecclesiastical province of Corinth. Yet the appeal to set things straight is to Clement, not to John. Clement is now the voice of Peter, the Chair of Rome. These facts make it difficult to affirm that the Primacy of Rome was an addition of Constantine or the Dark Ages.
This epistle, a model of pastoral letters, was accepted and read for many years in the church assemblies. Clement was successful in restoring order. Thus, this epistle conclusively proves that Christians of this early age already regarded the Bishop of Rome as the visible head of the Universal Church.
When St Clement quotes the words of Christ, he does not use the written gospels. He quotes from an oral tradition. This does not mean that the first three gospels were unknown to him, but that Christ’s teaching was transmitted both in writing and in the living tradition of the Church.
In the first section of the letter, St Clement praises the community at Corinth for their virtues.
1 You certainly did everything without making distinction of persons, and regulated your conduct by God’s commandments. You were obedient to your superiors and paid due respect to the old men among you. You trained the young people to habits of modest and sober thoughts. You encouraged the women to discharge all their duties with a pious, blameless, and undefiled conscience, showing their husbands due affection; and you taught them to live in mortification, to remain within the established norms of obedience, and to manage their households with responsibility.
2 You were all humble, and in no way arrogant, preferring to be obedient rather than to give orders, happier to give than to receive, content with the things Christ has given us, attentive to his words, which you had laid up carefully in your hearts, and keeping his sufferings before your eyes.
In this way, a profound, rich peace was granted to all, you had an unquenchable desire to do good, and the fullness of the Holy Spirit was poured forth on all of you. Full as you were of holy intentions, you stretched forth your hands toward almighty God, begging him to be merciful on your undeliberate [venial] sins.
The third chapter, by way of contrast, describes the current situation, and indicates the roots of the trouble: jealousy and envy: “Everyone follows the appetites of his depraved heart, for they are taken over by that unjust and wicked jealousy and envy through which death came into the world.”
In the following chapters, St Clement uses the examples of the Old Testament (Cain, the brothers of Joseph, etc.) and the present testimony of the martyrs. A qualified eyewitness, St Clement gives in chapters 5 and 6 the earliest testimony to the martyrdom of St Peter and St Paul at Rome. The journey of St Paul to the Iberian peninsula is implied.
5 Let us leave behind the examples from times of old, and come to those who struggled closest to us; let us consider the noble models of our own generation. It was through jealousy and envy that the greatest and most upright pillars of the Church were persecuted and struggled unto death.
Let us set before our eyes the good apostles. First of all, Peter, who because of unreasonable jealousy, suffered not merely once or twice but many times, and having thus given his testimony, went to the place of glory that he deserved.
It was through jealousy and conflict that Paul showed the way to the prize of perseverance. He was put in chains seven times, sent into exile, and stoned; a herald both in the east and the west, he achieved a noble fame by his faith. He taught justice to the entire world and, when he had reached the limits of the western world, he gave his testimony before those in authority; then he left this world and was taken up into the holy place, as a superb example of endurance.
The sixth chapter gives us information about Nero’s persecution of the Christians, many of them women.
6 Around these men with their holy lives there gathered a great throng of the elect, who, though victims of jealousy, gave us the finest example of endurance in the midst of many indignities and tortures.
Through jealousy, women were tormented like Dirce or the daughters of Danaus, suffering terrible and unholy acts of violence. But they courageously finished the race with faith till the end and despite their bodily weakness won a noble prize. It was jealousy that separated wives from husbands, and violated the words of our father Adam: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” Jealousy and strife have overthrown great cities and uprooted mighty nations.
7 We are writing this, beloved, not only as a warning for you, but also as a reminder to ourselves; for we are all placed in the same arena, and the same contest lies before us. Let us, then, give up vain and useless desires, and go straight to the glorious and venerable norms contained in our tradition. Let us consider what is good, what is pleasing, what is acceptable in the sight of him who made us.
St Clement continues inviting all to repentance and conversion.
Let us fix our gaze on the Blood of Christ, realizing how precious it is to his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world.
If we review the various ages of history, we will see that in every generation, the Lord has offered the opportunity of repentance to any who were willing to turn to him. When Noah preached the need of conversion, all who listened to him were saved. Jonah told the Ninevites they were going to be destroyed, but when they did penance, their prayers gained God’s forgiveness for their sins, and they were saved, even though they were not of God’s people.
8 Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the ministers of God’s grace have spoken of repentance; indeed, the Master of the whole universe himself spoke of conversion with an oath: “As I live,” says the Lord, “I do not wish the death of the sinner but his repentance.” He added this evidence of his goodness: “House of Israel, repent of your wickedness. Tell the sons of my people: If their sins should reach from earth to heaven, if they are brighter than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, you need only turn to me with your whole heart and say, ‘Father,’ and I will listen to you as to a holy people.”
In other words, God wanted all his beloved ones to have the opportunity to repent, and he confirmed this desire of his almighty Will.
9 Thus, we should obey God’s sovereign and glorious Will, and hope for his mercy and loving kindness with bended knees. We should be suppliant before him and turn to his compassion, rejecting empty works, quarreling, and jealousy, which only lead to death.
The author exhorts the readers to humility.
13 Brothers, we should be humble in mind, putting aside all arrogance, pride, and foolish anger. Rather, we should act in accordance with the Scriptures, as the Holy Spirit says: “The wise man must not boast of his wisdom nor the strong man of his strength nor the rich man of his riches. Rather, let him who glories glory in the Lord by seeking him and doing what is right and just.”
Recall especially what the Lord Jesus said when he taught gentleness and endurance in suffering. “Be merciful,” he said, “so that you may have mercy shown to you. Forgive, so that you may be forgiven. As you treat others, so you will be treated. As you give, so you will receive. As you judge, so you will be judged. As you are kind to others, so you will be treated kindly. The measure of your giving will be the measure of your receiving.”
Let these commandments and precepts strengthen us to live in obedience to his sacred words, with humility in our hearts. As Scripture asks: “Whom shall I look upon with favor except the humble, gentle, and meek man who trembles at my words?”
16 Christ belongs to the humble and not to those who exalt themselves above His flock. The Lord Jesus Christ, having the scepter of God’s greatness, did not come into the world with pomp and arrogance –although he could have come thus. He came in a spirit of humility, as the Holy Spirit said of him: “I am a worm, not a man; the scorn of men, despised by people.” Dearly beloved, look at the example he gives us. If the Lord humbled himself to his extent, what should we do, who –through him– have placed ourselves under the influence of his grace?
14 Thus, it is right and holy, brethren, that we should be obedient to God rather than follow those proud and arrogant ringleaders of quarrels born of envy. No ordinary harm, surely, but serious danger will follow if we recklessly yield to the caprices of men who plunge into strife and sedition to estrange us from the cause of right. Let us be kind to one another, imitating the compassion and goodness of our Maker.
19 Sharing then in the heritage of so many vast and glorious achievements, let us hasten toward the goal of peace, set before us from the beginning.
God, in his goodness to all, is the source of the order and harmony existing in the universe.
Let us fix our gaze on the Father and Creator of the whole world, and let us hold on to his peace and blessings, his splendid and surpassing gifts. Let us contemplate him in our thoughts, and with our mind’s eye reflect upon the peaceful and orderly unfolding of his plan; let us consider the care with which he provides for the whole creation.
20 By his direction, the heavens are in motion, and they are subject to him in peace. Day and night fulfill the course he has established without interfering with each other. The sun, the moon, and the clusters of stars revolve in harmony at his command, in their appointed orbits without deviation.
By his Will, the earth blossoms in the proper seasons and produces abundant food for men and animals, and all the living things on it, without reluctance and without any violation of what he has arranged.
The unexplored regions of the abysses and the indescribable realms of the deep are also subject to his laws. The mass of the boundless sea, gathered together by his ordinance in a single expanse, does not overflow its prescribed limits but acts as he commanded it. For he said: “Thus far shall you come, and your waves will be halted here” (Job 38:11). The ocean, impassable for men, and the world beyond it, are governed by the same edicts of the Lord.
The seasons–spring, summer, autumn, and winter–follow one another in harmony. The winds from the different quarters, each in its proper season, blow without the least deviation. Ever-flowing springs, created for our health and enjoyment, unfailingly offer their breasts to sustain human life.
The tiniest of living creatures meet together in harmony and peace. The great Creator and Lord of the universe commanded all these things to be established in peace and harmony, in his goodness to all, and in overflowing measure to us who seek refuge in his mercies through our Lord Jesus Christ; to him be glory and majesty for ever and ever. Amen.
We must not turn our backs and flee from God’s Will. St Clement uses the Scriptures to preach repentance and simplicity of heart and to exhort the Corinthians to flee from hypocrisy.
21 Dear friends, take care that God’s blessings, which are many, do not become the condemnation of us all. Thus, we must make good use of the talents received; we must live lives worthy of him; we must do what is good and pleasing to him. He tells us: “The Spirit of the Lord is a lantern, searching the hidden corners of our inmost being” (Prov 20:27).
Remember how near God is. No thought of ours, no conversation we hold, no plan we make, should be cut off from him. We should not turn our backs and flee from God’s Will. We should rather turn our backs and flee from stupid and foolish men, who exalt themselves and boast in the arrogance of their reason, than give offense to God.
Make good use of the sacrifice of Christ, whose Blood was shed for us. Obey your superiors; value the advice of the priests; train the young in the fear of God.
Lead your wives toward all that is good. Let them reveal by their conduct that they love chastity; by their gentleness, let them reveal a pure and sincere disposition; by their silence, let them manifest how they mortify their tongues; let them bestow an equal charity, without respect for persons, on all who have a holy fear of God.
Your children must receive instruction and learn to follow in the footsteps of Christ. They must learn how effective humility is before God, what chaste love can accomplish with God, how good and noble is the fear of God; for it brings salvation to all who possess it and who live holy lives with a pure heart. The One whose Spirit is in us is the searcher of our thoughts and of the desires of our hearts. At his Will, he shall take the breath of life from us.
22 All this is strengthened by the faith that comes to us in Christ. He himself addresses us through the Holy Spirit and says:
Come, my children, listen to me:
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Is there a man who wants life,
desiring to see good days?
Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking what is false.
Turn away from evil and do good.
Seek peace and go in pursuit of it.
The Lord turns his eyes to the just
and his ears to their prayers.
The Lord turns his face against the wicked
to destroy the memory of them from the earth.
The just man calls and the Lord hears
and delivers him out of his troubles.
Many are the trials of the just man
but from them all the Lord will rescue him.
(Ps 33:12-18.20; 31:10).
23 The Father is compassionate and full of generosity; he is kind to those who fear him. In goodness and gentleness, he gives his grace to those who approach him with undivided hearts. We must then put away all duplicity and hypocrisy; we must trust his excelling and ennobling gifts.
Chapter 24 deals about the resurrection of the dead, and points out that God keeps his promises.
24 Consider, beloved, how God keeps on reminding us of the resurrection that is to come; he has made the Lord Jesus Christ the firstfruits of this resurrection by raising him from the dead. Let us look, beloved, at the image of the resurrection that occurs in nature at its appointed time. Day and night show us a resurrection; the night lies in sleep, day rises again; the day departs, night takes its place. Think about the harvest; how the sowing takes place, and in what manner. The sower goes out and casts each seed onto the ground. Dry and bare, they fall into the earth and decay. The greatness of the Lord’s providence raises them up again from decay, and out of one many are produced and yield fruit.
27 In this hope, let our hearts be bound fast to him who is faithful in his promises and just in his judgments. He forbade us to tell lies; still less will he himself tell a lie. Nothing is impossible for God, except to tell a lie. Then let our faith in him be awakened; let us reflect that everything is close to him.
By the word of his power, God established all things; and by his word, he can reduce them to ruin. Who shall say to him: “What have you done?” Who shall stand up against the power of his might? He will accomplish everything when he wills and as he wills, and nothing that he has decreed shall pass away. All things stand in his presence, and nothing lies hidden from his counsel.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God,
and the firmament reveals the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.
No speech, no word, no voice is heard. (Ps 18:2-4).
28 Since He knows all things, even our deepest thoughts and yearnings, let us fear God and rid ourselves of impure desires to do works of evil, so that we may be protected by his mercy from the judgment that is to come. Who can escape his mighty hand? What world will give asylum to one who deserts him?
O where can I go away from your Spirit,
or where can I hide from your face?
If I climb the heavens, you are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn
and go to the sea’s furthest end,
your right hand is there,
If I lie in the grave, you are there. (Ps 138:7-9).
Where, then, can one go, where can one escape to, from the presence of him whose hands embrace the universe?
29 Let us then approach God in the state of grace, raising up to him hands pure and undefiled, out of love for our good and merciful Father who made us a chosen portion for himself.
29 Let us then approach God in the state of grace, raising up to him hands pure and undefiled, out of love for our good and merciful Father who made us a chosen portion for himself.
The bishop of Rome explains the role of faith in the salvation of man. In his reference to Abraham, he includes faith and deeds in the same sentence. Faith comes first, but it should be a living, coherent faith reflected in life.
31 God’s blessing must be our objective, and the way to win it, our study. Search the records of ancient times. Why was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not because of his upright and straightforward conduct, his deeds inspired by faith? As for Isaac’s faith, it was so strong that, assured of the outcome, he willingly allowed himself to be offered in sacrifice. Jacob had the humility to leave his native land on account of his brother, and to go and serve Laban. He was given the twelve tribes of Israel.
Faith itself is God’s gift poured on us as he wills; faith is not merely a human effort or exercise.
32 Honest reflection upon each of these examples will make us realize the magnitude of God’s gifts. All the priests and levites who served the altar of God descended from Jacob. The human nature of the Lord Jesus derived from him. Through the tribe of Judah, kings, princes, and rulers sprang from him. Nor are his other tribes without their honor, for God promised Abraham: “Your descendants shall be as the stars of heaven.”
It is obvious, therefore, that none of these owed their honor and exaltation to themselves alone, or to their own labors, or to their virtuous deeds. No; they owed everything to God’s Will.
So likewise with us, who by his Will are called in Christ Jesus. We are not justified by ourselves, our wisdom, intelligence, piety, or by any action of ours, however holy, but by faith, the one means by which God has justified men from the beginning. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
After explaining that Abraham was justified by faith, and that this faith comes through Jesus Christ, St Paul concluded that we should not “continue in sin.” St Clement argues similarly, that faith–the beginning of salvation–should produce good works enlivened by charity.
33 What must we do then, brothers? Give up good works? Stop practicing Christian charity? God forbid! We must be ready and eager for every opportunity to perform every good work, and put our whole heart into it.
Even the Creator and Lord of the universe rejoices in his works. By his supreme power, he set the heavens in their place; by his infinite wisdom, he gave them their order. He separated the land from the waters surrounding it and made his own Will its firm foundation. By his command, he brought to life the beasts that roam the earth. He created the sea and all its living creatures, and by his power set bounds to it.
Finally, with his own holy and undefiled hands, he formed man, the highest and most intelligent of his creatures, the copy of his own image. “Let us make man,” God said, “in our image and likeness. And God made man, male and female he made them.” When he had finished making all his creatures, God gave them his approval and blessing: “Increase and multiply,” he charged them.
We must recognize, therefore, that all upright men feel honored by their good works, and that even the Lord himself took delight in the glory his works gave him.
This should help us to come up with a resolute determination to always do God’s Will. Let us put our whole strength into the work of sanctifying our Christian life.
The author encourages the Corinthians to follow the way of truth, thereby preserving unity among Christians. He describes the beauty of God’s gifts. Sanctity of life and perseverance in doing God’s Will are conditions for receiving these gifts.
30 Since we are children of the Holy One, let us put on unity of mind, thinking humble thoughts, exercising mortification. Let us keep ourselves far from all backbiting and slander, foul and sinful friendship, drunkenness, rebellious desires, uncontrolled passions, detestable adultery, and abominable pride.
Let us associate with those on whom divine grace has been bestowed; let us–with humble minds–put on the garment of cordiality and mortification; keep ourselves from all backbiting and slanderous talk; and let us seek sanctity by actions, and not just words. The Sacred Scripture says: “He who speaks much will hear much against him. Or does the easy talker think that he is righteous?” (Job 11:2).
It is a fatal error to presume about one’s receiving grace without corresponding to it; you must cooperate with it energetically; whoever thinks he stands firmly should beware of a fall.
33 What shall we do, brethren? Shall we slacken from doing good, and give up charity? May the Lord never allow this to happen to us; but let us be eager to perform every good work with enthusiasm and zeal.
34 With confidence, the good laborer receives the fruit of his labor; the lazy and careless one cannot look at his employer straight in the eye.
It is our duty then to be eager to do good, for everything is from God. He warns us: “See, the Lord is coming, and the reward he brings is before him, to pay each according to his work” (Is 40:10; 62:11; Prov 24:12; Apoc 22:12).
He urges us, who believe in him with all our heart, not to be idle or lazy in any good work. Our boasting and our confidence must rest on him. Let us be subject to his Will. Look carefully at the whole host of his angels; they stand ready to serve his Will. The Sacred Scripture says: “Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him, and a thousand served him, and cried out: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole creation is full of his glory” (Dan 7:10; Is 6:3).
We too, dutifully gathered together in unity of mind, should cry out to him continuously as with one voice, so as to share in his great and glorious promises. It is written: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, man’s heart has not conceived, what great things have been prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9).
35 Beloved, how blessed, how wonderful, are God’s gifts! Life with immortality, joy with sanctity, truth with confidence, mortification with peace: All these are the gifts that fall within our understanding. What then are the other gifts prepared for those who persevere? Only the most holy Creator and Father of the ages knows their greatness and beauty.
We should then strive with the greatest determination to be found among the number of those who await him, so that we may share in the promised gifts. How will this be, beloved? We shall be awaiting him with the right attitude if our mind is fixed on God through faith, if we seek what is pleasing and acceptable to him, if we fulfill what is according to his blameless Will and follow the way of truth, rejecting all injustice, covetousness, vices, quarrels, malice and deceit, gossiping and slandering, hatred of God, arrogance and boasting, vainglory and attachment.
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We too, dutifully gathered together in unity of mind, should cry out to him continuously as with one voice, so as to share in his great and glorious promises. It is written: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, man’s heart has not conceived, what great things have been prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9).
35 Beloved, how blessed, how wonderful, are God’s gifts! Life with immortality, joy with sanctity, truth with confidence, mortification with peace: All these are the gifts that fall within our understanding. What then are the other gifts prepared for those who persevere? Only the most holy Creator and Father of the ages knows their greatness and beauty.
We should then strive with the greatest determination to be found among the number of those who await him, so that we may share in the promised gifts. How will this be, beloved? We shall be awaiting him with the right attitude if our mind is fixed on God through faith, if we seek what is pleasing and acceptable to him, if we fulfill what is according to his blameless Will and follow the way of truth, rejecting all injustice, covetousness, vices, quarrels, malice and deceit, gossiping and slandering, hatred of God, arrogance and boasting, vainglory and attachment.
Each one should persevere in his vocation, remaining in his own place, and following Christ’s orders. Thus, unity will be preserved.
36 This is the path, beloved, by which we find our salvation, Jesus Christ, the High Priest of our sacrifices, the defender and ally in our helplessness. Through him, our gaze penetrates the heights of heaven, and we see, as in a mirror, the most holy face of God. Through Christ, the eyes of our hearts are opened, and our weak and clouded understanding reaches up toward the light. Through him, the Lord God willed that we should taste eternal knowledge, for Christ “is the radiance of God’s glory, and as much greater than the angels as the Name God has given him is superior to theirs.”
Thus spoke the Father about his Son: “You are my Son. It is I who have begotten you this day. Ask and I shall give you the nations as your inheritance, and the vast, wide earth for your possession.” And again he says of him: “Be seated at my right hand, until I make your foes a footstool for your feet.”
Now, who are these foes? The wicked and those who run counter to his Will.
Christians should imitate the unity existing in the Roman army.
37 So then, my brothers, let us fight with all our might under Jesus’ unerring command. Think of the men serving under our military commanders. How well disciplined they are! How readily and submissively they carry out orders! Not everyone can be a prefect, a tribune, a centurion, or a captain of fifty, but each man in his own rank executes the orders of the emperor and the officers in command. The great cannot exist without those of humble condition, nor can those of humble condition exist without the great. Always it is the harmonious working together of its various parts that ensures the well‑being of the whole.
Another example of unity is that of the members of a human body.
Take our own body as an example: the head is helpless without the feet; and the feet can do nothing without the head. Even our least important members are useful and necessary to the whole body, and all work together in harmonious subordination for the well‑being of the body.
38 Let us, then, preserve the unity of the whole Body that we form in Christ Jesus, and let everyone render service to his neighbor in line with the particular gifts he has received. Let the strong care for the weak, and the weak respect the strong. Let the wealthy assist the poor, and the poor man thank God for giving him someone to supply his needs. The wise man should show his wisdom not by his eloquence but in active help; the humble man should not proclaim his own humility, but leave others to do so; nor must the man who preserves his chastity ever boast of it, but recognize that the ability to control his desires has been given him by another.
Think, my brothers, of what clay we were made, how we came into being, and what we were at the first moment of our existence. Think of the tomb of darkness out of which our Creator brought us into his world. Here he had his gifts prepared for us even before we were born. All this we owe to him. Therefore, we must give him thanks for everything. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Later on, the epistle points to a clear distinction between hierarchy and laity. St Clement writes: Special functions are assigned to the high priest; a special office is imposed upon the priests...
The layman is to follow the rules laid down for the laity [40]. And he concludes: Each of us, brethren, must try to please God with a right intention, each in his own place, having always in common the established rule of service [41].
St Clement continues reminding the rebellious Corinthians that the community cannot depose the priests, because the power of the hierarchy does not come from the people but from God through Christ and the apostles.
42 The apostles preached to us the gospel received from Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ was God’s ambassador. Christ, in other words, comes with a message from God, and the apostles, with a message from Christ. Both these orderly arrangements originate from the Will of God.
After receiving Christ’s instructions, the apostles were fully assured through the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and confirmed in faith by the word of God. The Holy Spirit gave them full certainty in the faith. They joyfully went forth to preach the Good News that the Kingdom of God was close at hand.
From land to land and from city to city, the apostles preached and baptized those who obeyed God’s Will. From among their earliest converts, they appointed men tested by the Spirit to act as bishops and deacons for the future believers. And this was no innovation, for, a long time before, the Scripture had spoken about bishops and deacons; for somewhere it says: “I will establish their overseers#1 in observance of the law and their ministers#2 in fidelity” (Is 60:17).
St Clement reprimands the Corinthians for removing from office bishops who were appointed by the apostles themselves, or their successors.
44 Our apostles, too, were given to understand by our Lord Jesus Christ that the office of the bishop would give rise to intrigues. For this reason, equipped as they were with perfect foreknowledge, they appointed the men mentioned above, and afterwards they laid down a permanent rule: when these men die, other approved men shall succeed to their sacred ministry. Consequently, we judge it an injustice to eject from the sacred ministry those who were appointed either by the apostles themselves, or later, by other men in high repute and with the consent of the whole Church.
St Clement stresses that the unique duty of the priest is to offer the sacrifice of the Mass.
Our sin will not be small if we reject those who have been offering the Sacrifice proper to the episcopate in a pious and irreproachable manner.
Spirit to act as bishops and deacons for the future believers. And this was no innovation, for, a long time before, the Scripture had spoken about bishops and deacons; for somewhere it says: “I will establish their overseers[1] in observance of the law and their ministers[2] in fidelity” (Is 60:17).
St Clement reprimands the Corinthians for removing from office bishops who were appointed by the apostles themselves, or their successors.
44 Our apostles, too, were given to understand by our Lord Jesus Christ that the office of the bishop would give rise to intrigues. For this reason, equipped as they were with perfect foreknowledge, they appointed the men mentioned above, and afterwards they laid down a permanent rule: when these men die, other approved men shall succeed to their sacred ministry. Consequently, we judge it an injustice to eject from the sacred ministry those who were appointed either by the apostles themselves, or later, by other men in high repute and with the consent of the whole Church.
St Clement stresses that the unique duty of the priest is to offer the sacrifice of the Mass.
Our sin will not be small if we reject those who have been offering the Sacrifice proper to the episcopate in a pious and irreproachable manner.
The Church must not be torn by strife and discord. Seek the good of all, not your personal advantage, if you want to progress in virtue.
46 The command has been written: “Cling to the saints, for those who cling to them will be sanctified.” There is a passage in Scripture, as well, which states: “With the innocent man you will become innocent, and with the chosen you will be chosen also; likewise with the perverse you will deal perversely” (Ps 17:26-27). Associate yourselves, then, with the innocent and the law-abiding; these are God’s chosen ones.
Why are there quarrels and outbursts of passion, divisions, schisms, and even war among you? Do we not have but one God, one Christ, and the same Spirit of grace, which was given to us? Do we not have the same vocation in Christ? Why do we tear apart and divide the Body of Christ? Why do we revolt against our own body? Why do we reach such a degree of insanity as to forget that we are members one of another?
Remember the words of Jesus our Lord: Woe to that man; it would be better for him if he had not been born rather than to be an occasion of sin to one of my chosen ones. Indeed it would be better for him to have a great millstone round his neck and to be drowned in the sea than to pervert one of my chosen ones. #3 Your schism has led many astray, has cast many into doubt, many into discouragement, and all of us into sorrow. And still your rebellion continues.
47 Take up the letter of Blessed Paul the Apostle. What did he write to you in the first days of the preaching of the gospel? Even then you had developed factions. So Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote to you concerning himself and Cephas and Apollos. But with that division you incurred less sin because you were supporting apostles of high reputation and a person approved by them.
St Clement urges them to live charity and to seek forgiveness for their sins. Unity will be restored with penance and self-denial for the good of one’s neighbor.
48 We should put an end to this division immediately. Let us kneel down before our Master and implore his mercy with our tears. Then he will be reconciled to us and restore us to the practice of brotherly love that befits us. For this is the gate of justice and sanctity that leads us to life, as it is written: “Open to me the gates of justice. When I have entered there, I shall praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the just shall enter through it” (Ps 117:19).
There are many gates which stand open, but the gate of justice and sanctity is the gateway of Christ. All who enter through this gate are blessed, pursuing their way in holiness and justice, accomplishing all their tasks without discord.
A faithful may have some gift or charisma; he may be able to speak with wisdom; he may be skilled in the evaluation of what is said; he may be pure and chaste in his actions. But the greater he seems to be, the more humbly he should act; and the more zealous he should be for the common good, rather than his personal interest.
Charity should be at the heart of relations within the Church. Who can express the binding power of divine love and charity?
Christians are often called “the chosen ones” by the Apostolic Fathers. Baptism is a sign of God’s predilection for us; “He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy” (Eph 1:4).
49 Let anyone who truly loves Christ keep his commandments. Who can express the binding power of divine love and charity? Who can find words for the splendor of its beauty? Beyond all description are the heights to which this love lifts us. Charity unites us to God; “it cancels innumerable sins” (1 Pet 4:8). Charity endures everything, suffers everything patiently till the end.
Charity is neither servile nor arrogant. It does not provoke schisms or form cliques, but always acts in harmony with others. By charity, all God’s chosen ones reach perfection; without love or charity, it is impossible to please him. Out of love the Lord took us to himself. Because he loves us and because it was God’s Will, our Lord Jesus Christ gave his Blood for us–he gave his Body for our body, his Soul for our soul.
We are blessed if we fulfill the commands of the Lord out of love of God.
50 See then, beloved, what a great and wonderful thing love of God is; its perfection is beyond any description. Who are worthy to possess it unless God makes them so? Who can truly love and have charity except those to whom God grants it? To God therefore we must turn, begging of his mercy that there may be found in us a genuine love, free from human inclination and beyond reproach.
From Adam down to the present time all generations have passed away; but those who by God’s grace were made perfect in charity have a dwelling now among the saints. When at last the Kingdom of Christ appears, they will be made manifest to all. “Take shelter in your rooms for a little while,” says Scripture, “until my wrath subsides. Then I will remember the good days, and will raise you from your graves.”
We are blessed, beloved, if we fulfill the commands of the Lord in harmonious, loving union, so that through charity our sins may be forgiven. Scripture pronounces “happy those whose transgressions are pardoned, whose sins are forgiven. Happy the man,” it says, “to whom the Lord imputes no fault, and in whose mouth there is no deceit.” This is the blessing given those whom God has chosen through Jesus Christ our Lord. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Charity leads to repentance. The repentant sinner is told to go to the priest and manifest his sorrow for his sins (no. 57).
51 We should pray then that we may be granted forgiveness for our sins and for whatever we have done yielding to the attacks of our adversary. And as for those who were the leaders of the schism and the sedition, they too should ponder on the reason for our common hope.
A man with charity and fear of God prefers to endure torment himself rather than have his neighbor suffer; and he prefers to suffer criticism silently rather than damage that harmony so admirably handed down to us. For it is better for a man to confess his sins than to harden his heart.
54 Who then among you is generous, who is compassionate, who is filled with charity? He should speak out as follows: If I have been the cause of sedition, conflict, and schisms, then I shall depart. I shall go wherever you wish, and I shall do whatever the community wants. Only let the flock of Christ live in peace with the appointed presbyters [priests].
Whoever acts thus would win great glory for himself in Christ, and he would be received everywhere, “for the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” Those who live without regret as citizens of God’s Kingdom have always acted thus in the past and will thus continue to act in the future.
57 Therefore, you who were rebellious, submit to the presbyters and receive penitential correction with humility, bending the knees of your hearts.
58 Accept our counsel, and you shall have nothing to regret. For as God lives, and as the Lord Jesus Christ lives, and the Holy Spirit, and the faith and hope of the elect, as surely my pledge will be fulfilled. Those who are eager to yield, and submit with a humble attitude, and without regrets carry out the commandments and precepts given by God will be enrolled and be in good standing among us. Thus we shall all be on the way to salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory to him forever and ever. Amen.
Those who disobey the pope are guilty of sin.
59 If anyone disobey what has been said by Christ through us, let them know that they will entangle themselves in transgression and in no small danger. And we shall be innocent of this sin.
Toward the end of the letter, St Clement inserts a prayer used in the solemn Sunday liturgy then. It is directed to God the Father and to Jesus Christ, the Word of God on high, fountain of Wisdom. With its poetic language, it bears witness to Christ’s divinity. It is one of the most precious gems preserved in early Christian literature.
For God’s chosen ones scattered throughout the world, we shall make our constant prayer to the Creator of the universe. May he allow none of them to fall away, but preserve them all through his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, through whom he called us out of darkness into light, out of ignorance to the knowledge of his glorious Name.
Give us grace, Lord, to hope in your Name. To you, all creatures owe their being. Open the eyes of our heart to know you. You alone are the Most High in the highest heavens, the Holy One, whose dwelling is in the Holy.
You humiliate the arrogance of the proud, frustrate the designs of the godless, exalt the lowly, and humble the lofty. You give men wealth and take it away; you slay them, save them, and give them new life.
You alone are the fatherly Protector of spirits, and God of all flesh. Your gaze penetrates the depths, you observe the doings of men. Helper of those in peril, Savior of those in despair, you are the Creator of all spirits, and still keep watch over all of them.
You cause the peoples on the earth to multiply, and from them all you have chosen those who love you through Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. Through him you have instructed us, sanctified us, honored us.
Lord, help and protect us. Deliver those of us who are in distress, pity the lowly, raise up the fallen, show your face to those in need, heal the sick, convert the wayward, feed the hungry, deliver the captives, support the weak, give courage to the fainthearted. Let all nations know that you alone are God; that Jesus Christ is your Son, and that “we are your people and the sheep of your pasture.”
60 Lord, you created the world according to the eternal decree now revealed in your works. You are faithful throughout all generations; you are just in judgment, wonderful in power and majesty. You created all with wisdom, established all with prudence. Everything we see proclaims your goodness. You are kind and compassionate, and never fail those who put their trust in you. Forgive our sins, our failings, and our shortcomings.
Do not hold all the transgressions of your servants against them, but purify us with your truth. And so guide our footsteps that we may walk in purity of heart, in holiness and justice. That we may do what is good and pleasing in your sight and in the sight of our leaders.
Lord, let the light of your face shine upon us, so that we may enjoy your blessings in peace. That we may be protected by your strong hand, and freed from all sin by your outstretched arm; and deliver us from those who hate us unjustly.
Give peace and concord to us and to all mankind, even as you gave it to our ancestors “when they devoutly called upon you in faith and truth.”
This beautiful prayer ends with a petition for the civil authorities. It reveals the primitive Christians’ concept of the state. It also shows that the Roman Church has the welfare of all Christendom at heart.
Grant us to be obedient to your almighty and glorious Name,
and to our rulers and authorities on earth.
61 Lord, you have given the power of government to them,
through your magnificent and indescribable might,
may we acknowledge the honor and glory you have given them,
may we be submissive to them
in perfect obedience to your Will.
Lord, grant them health, peace, concord, and firmness,
so that they may exercise the authority you have given them
without hindrance or blame.
For you, eternal King of heaven, have given the sons of men
glory, honor, and power over all things on earth.
Lord, direct our rulers’ minds so that they may choose
what is right and pleasing in your sight,
so that they may administer the power you have given them
in peace, with piety and gentleness,
and thus find favor in your eyes.
Lord, you alone are able to grant these
and even greater blessings upon us.
We render you praise and thanks
through the High Priest and Guardian of our souls,
Jesus Christ, through whom be glory and majesty to you,
now and for all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.
Footnotes:1. In Greek episkopoi, bishops; in St Clement, this word may include also the priests, presbyteroi.
2. In Greek diakonoi, deacons
3. Cf. Mt 26:24; Lk 17:1-2; Mk 9:42.
The Epistle to the Corinthians
St Clement was the fourth bishop of Rome (after St Peter, Linus, and Cletus) from year 92 to 101. St Clement was ordained by St Peter. We have very few other data on his life. His writings lead us to think he was a Jew with a good knowledge of Greek philosophy and of Sacred Scriptures. Some think he was related to the Flavii, the ruling family of emperors Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. He could have been in some way at the service of that family. This fact could explain his knowledge of army life and his respect for Roman institutions and authorities. The Church venerates him as a martyr; it seems he was deported to southern Russia, and later drowned in the sea with an anchor tied at his neck.
The Epistle of St Clement, Bishop of Rome, was motivated by “the strife, friction, and schisms” that were afflicting the Christian community at Corinth. Some members of this community dared to depose several clerics of the local church in defiance of ecclesiastical authority.
The tone of St Clement’s Epistle is one proper to an outspoken, firm, yet fatherly reprimand addressed to an entire congregation. He assumes the right to intervene in the internal affairs of another local church, which is distant from Rome. He does not excuse himself for doing so; on the contrary, he begs for pardon for not having intervened earlier due to the ongoing persecution by Domitian. He does not give allowance for parleying; what he expects is outright submission. Clement’s only justification is that he speaks “as the representative of the Roman Church” who writes under the impulse of the Holy Spirit and should be obeyed under pain of sin (chapter 59).
It is generally supposed to have been written in or about the year 96, and is, therefore, prior to some books of the New Testament and the letters of St Ignatius of Antioch. St John the Apostle must have been still alive in Ephesus, in the same ecclesiastical province of Corinth. Yet the appeal to set things straight is to Clement, not to John. Clement is now the voice of Peter, the Chair of Rome. These facts make it difficult to affirm that the Primacy of Rome was an addition of Constantine or the Dark Ages.
This epistle, a model of pastoral letters, was accepted and read for many years in the church assemblies. Clement was successful in restoring order. Thus, this epistle conclusively proves that Christians of this early age already regarded the Bishop of Rome as the visible head of the Universal Church.
When St Clement quotes the words of Christ, he does not use the written gospels. He quotes from an oral tradition. This does not mean that the first three gospels were unknown to him, but that Christ’s teaching was transmitted both in writing and in the living tradition of the Church.
In the first section of the letter, St Clement praises the community at Corinth for their virtues.
1 You certainly did everything without making distinction of persons, and regulated your conduct by God’s commandments. You were obedient to your superiors and paid due respect to the old men among you. You trained the young people to habits of modest and sober thoughts. You encouraged the women to discharge all their duties with a pious, blameless, and undefiled conscience, showing their husbands due affection; and you taught them to live in mortification, to remain within the established norms of obedience, and to manage their households with responsibility.
2 You were all humble, and in no way arrogant, preferring to be obedient rather than to give orders, happier to give than to receive, content with the things Christ has given us, attentive to his words, which you had laid up carefully in your hearts, and keeping his sufferings before your eyes.
In this way, a profound, rich peace was granted to all, you had an unquenchable desire to do good, and the fullness of the Holy Spirit was poured forth on all of you. Full as you were of holy intentions, you stretched forth your hands toward almighty God, begging him to be merciful on your undeliberate [venial] sins.
The third chapter, by way of contrast, describes the current situation, and indicates the roots of the trouble: jealousy and envy: “Everyone follows the appetites of his depraved heart, for they are taken over by that unjust and wicked jealousy and envy through which death came into the world.”
In the following chapters, St Clement uses the examples of the Old Testament (Cain, the brothers of Joseph, etc.) and the present testimony of the martyrs. A qualified eyewitness, St Clement gives in chapters 5 and 6 the earliest testimony to the martyrdom of St Peter and St Paul at Rome. The journey of St Paul to the Iberian peninsula is implied.
5 Let us leave behind the examples from times of old, and come to those who struggled closest to us; let us consider the noble models of our own generation. It was through jealousy and envy that the greatest and most upright pillars of the Church were persecuted and struggled unto death.
Let us set before our eyes the good apostles. First of all, Peter, who because of unreasonable jealousy, suffered not merely once or twice but many times, and having thus given his testimony, went to the place of glory that he deserved.
It was through jealousy and conflict that Paul showed the way to the prize of perseverance. He was put in chains seven times, sent into exile, and stoned; a herald both in the east and the west, he achieved a noble fame by his faith. He taught justice to the entire world and, when he had reached the limits of the western world, he gave his testimony before those in authority; then he left this world and was taken up into the holy place, as a superb example of endurance.
The sixth chapter gives us information about Nero’s persecution of the Christians, many of them women.
6 Around these men with their holy lives there gathered a great throng of the elect, who, though victims of jealousy, gave us the finest example of endurance in the midst of many indignities and tortures.
Through jealousy, women were tormented like Dirce or the daughters of Danaus, suffering terrible and unholy acts of violence. But they courageously finished the race with faith till the end and despite their bodily weakness won a noble prize. It was jealousy that separated wives from husbands, and violated the words of our father Adam: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” Jealousy and strife have overthrown great cities and uprooted mighty nations.
7 We are writing this, beloved, not only as a warning for you, but also as a reminder to ourselves; for we are all placed in the same arena, and the same contest lies before us. Let us, then, give up vain and useless desires, and go straight to the glorious and venerable norms contained in our tradition. Let us consider what is good, what is pleasing, what is acceptable in the sight of him who made us.
St Clement continues inviting all to repentance and conversion.
Let us fix our gaze on the Blood of Christ, realizing how precious it is to his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world.
If we review the various ages of history, we will see that in every generation, the Lord has offered the opportunity of repentance to any who were willing to turn to him. When Noah preached the need of conversion, all who listened to him were saved. Jonah told the Ninevites they were going to be destroyed, but when they did penance, their prayers gained God’s forgiveness for their sins, and they were saved, even though they were not of God’s people.
8 Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the ministers of God’s grace have spoken of repentance; indeed, the Master of the whole universe himself spoke of conversion with an oath: “As I live,” says the Lord, “I do not wish the death of the sinner but his repentance.” He added this evidence of his goodness: “House of Israel, repent of your wickedness. Tell the sons of my people: If their sins should reach from earth to heaven, if they are brighter than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, you need only turn to me with your whole heart and say, ‘Father,’ and I will listen to you as to a holy people.”
In other words, God wanted all his beloved ones to have the opportunity to repent, and he confirmed this desire of his almighty Will.
9 Thus, we should obey God’s sovereign and glorious Will, and hope for his mercy and loving kindness with bended knees. We should be suppliant before him and turn to his compassion, rejecting empty works, quarreling, and jealousy, which only lead to death.
The author exhorts the readers to humility.
13 Brothers, we should be humble in mind, putting aside all arrogance, pride, and foolish anger. Rather, we should act in accordance with the Scriptures, as the Holy Spirit says: “The wise man must not boast of his wisdom nor the strong man of his strength nor the rich man of his riches. Rather, let him who glories glory in the Lord by seeking him and doing what is right and just.”
Recall especially what the Lord Jesus said when he taught gentleness and endurance in suffering. “Be merciful,” he said, “so that you may have mercy shown to you. Forgive, so that you may be forgiven. As you treat others, so you will be treated. As you give, so you will receive. As you judge, so you will be judged. As you are kind to others, so you will be treated kindly. The measure of your giving will be the measure of your receiving.”
Let these commandments and precepts strengthen us to live in obedience to his sacred words, with humility in our hearts. As Scripture asks: “Whom shall I look upon with favor except the humble, gentle, and meek man who trembles at my words?”
16 Christ belongs to the humble and not to those who exalt themselves above His flock. The Lord Jesus Christ, having the scepter of God’s greatness, did not come into the world with pomp and arrogance –although he could have come thus. He came in a spirit of humility, as the Holy Spirit said of him: “I am a worm, not a man; the scorn of men, despised by people.” Dearly beloved, look at the example he gives us. If the Lord humbled himself to his extent, what should we do, who –through him– have placed ourselves under the influence of his grace?
14 Thus, it is right and holy, brethren, that we should be obedient to God rather than follow those proud and arrogant ringleaders of quarrels born of envy. No ordinary harm, surely, but serious danger will follow if we recklessly yield to the caprices of men who plunge into strife and sedition to estrange us from the cause of right. Let us be kind to one another, imitating the compassion and goodness of our Maker.
19 Sharing then in the heritage of so many vast and glorious achievements, let us hasten toward the goal of peace, set before us from the beginning.
God, in his goodness to all, is the source of the order and harmony existing in the universe.
Let us fix our gaze on the Father and Creator of the whole world, and let us hold on to his peace and blessings, his splendid and surpassing gifts. Let us contemplate him in our thoughts, and with our mind’s eye reflect upon the peaceful and orderly unfolding of his plan; let us consider the care with which he provides for the whole creation.
20 By his direction, the heavens are in motion, and they are subject to him in peace. Day and night fulfill the course he has established without interfering with each other. The sun, the moon, and the clusters of stars revolve in harmony at his command, in their appointed orbits without deviation.
By his Will, the earth blossoms in the proper seasons and produces abundant food for men and animals, and all the living things on it, without reluctance and without any violation of what he has arranged.
The unexplored regions of the abysses and the indescribable realms of the deep are also subject to his laws. The mass of the boundless sea, gathered together by his ordinance in a single expanse, does not overflow its prescribed limits but acts as he commanded it. For he said: “Thus far shall you come, and your waves will be halted here” (Job 38:11). The ocean, impassable for men, and the world beyond it, are governed by the same edicts of the Lord.
The seasons–spring, summer, autumn, and winter–follow one another in harmony. The winds from the different quarters, each in its proper season, blow without the least deviation. Ever-flowing springs, created for our health and enjoyment, unfailingly offer their breasts to sustain human life.
The tiniest of living creatures meet together in harmony and peace. The great Creator and Lord of the universe commanded all these things to be established in peace and harmony, in his goodness to all, and in overflowing measure to us who seek refuge in his mercies through our Lord Jesus Christ; to him be glory and majesty for ever and ever. Amen.
We must not turn our backs and flee from God’s Will. St Clement uses the Scriptures to preach repentance and simplicity of heart and to exhort the Corinthians to flee from hypocrisy.
21 Dear friends, take care that God’s blessings, which are many, do not become the condemnation of us all. Thus, we must make good use of the talents received; we must live lives worthy of him; we must do what is good and pleasing to him. He tells us: “The Spirit of the Lord is a lantern, searching the hidden corners of our inmost being” (Prov 20:27).
Remember how near God is. No thought of ours, no conversation we hold, no plan we make, should be cut off from him. We should not turn our backs and flee from God’s Will. We should rather turn our backs and flee from stupid and foolish men, who exalt themselves and boast in the arrogance of their reason, than give offense to God.
Make good use of the sacrifice of Christ, whose Blood was shed for us. Obey your superiors; value the advice of the priests; train the young in the fear of God.
Lead your wives toward all that is good. Let them reveal by their conduct that they love chastity; by their gentleness, let them reveal a pure and sincere disposition; by their silence, let them manifest how they mortify their tongues; let them bestow an equal charity, without respect for persons, on all who have a holy fear of God.
Your children must receive instruction and learn to follow in the footsteps of Christ. They must learn how effective humility is before God, what chaste love can accomplish with God, how good and noble is the fear of God; for it brings salvation to all who possess it and who live holy lives with a pure heart. The One whose Spirit is in us is the searcher of our thoughts and of the desires of our hearts. At his Will, he shall take the breath of life from us.
22 All this is strengthened by the faith that comes to us in Christ. He himself addresses us through the Holy Spirit and says:
Come, my children, listen to me:
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Is there a man who wants life,
desiring to see good days?
Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking what is false.
Turn away from evil and do good.
Seek peace and go in pursuit of it.
The Lord turns his eyes to the just
and his ears to their prayers.
The Lord turns his face against the wicked
to destroy the memory of them from the earth.
The just man calls and the Lord hears
and delivers him out of his troubles.
Many are the trials of the just man
but from them all the Lord will rescue him.
(Ps 33:12-18.20; 31:10).
23 The Father is compassionate and full of generosity; he is kind to those who fear him. In goodness and gentleness, he gives his grace to those who approach him with undivided hearts. We must then put away all duplicity and hypocrisy; we must trust his excelling and ennobling gifts.
Chapter 24 deals about the resurrection of the dead, and points out that God keeps his promises.
24 Consider, beloved, how God keeps on reminding us of the resurrection that is to come; he has made the Lord Jesus Christ the firstfruits of this resurrection by raising him from the dead. Let us look, beloved, at the image of the resurrection that occurs in nature at its appointed time. Day and night show us a resurrection; the night lies in sleep, day rises again; the day departs, night takes its place. Think about the harvest; how the sowing takes place, and in what manner. The sower goes out and casts each seed onto the ground. Dry and bare, they fall into the earth and decay. The greatness of the Lord’s providence raises them up again from decay, and out of one many are produced and yield fruit.
27 In this hope, let our hearts be bound fast to him who is faithful in his promises and just in his judgments. He forbade us to tell lies; still less will he himself tell a lie. Nothing is impossible for God, except to tell a lie. Then let our faith in him be awakened; let us reflect that everything is close to him.
By the word of his power, God established all things; and by his word, he can reduce them to ruin. Who shall say to him: “What have you done?” Who shall stand up against the power of his might? He will accomplish everything when he wills and as he wills, and nothing that he has decreed shall pass away. All things stand in his presence, and nothing lies hidden from his counsel.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God,
and the firmament reveals the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.
No speech, no word, no voice is heard. (Ps 18:2-4).
28 Since He knows all things, even our deepest thoughts and yearnings, let us fear God and rid ourselves of impure desires to do works of evil, so that we may be protected by his mercy from the judgment that is to come. Who can escape his mighty hand? What world will give asylum to one who deserts him?
O where can I go away from your Spirit,
or where can I hide from your face?
If I climb the heavens, you are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn
and go to the sea’s furthest end,
your right hand is there,
If I lie in the grave, you are there. (Ps 138:7-9).
Where, then, can one go, where can one escape to, from the presence of him whose hands embrace the universe?
29 Let us then approach God in the state of grace, raising up to him hands pure and undefiled, out of love for our good and merciful Father who made us a chosen portion for himself.
29 Let us then approach God in the state of grace, raising up to him hands pure and undefiled, out of love for our good and merciful Father who made us a chosen portion for himself.
The bishop of Rome explains the role of faith in the salvation of man. In his reference to Abraham, he includes faith and deeds in the same sentence. Faith comes first, but it should be a living, coherent faith reflected in life.
31 God’s blessing must be our objective, and the way to win it, our study. Search the records of ancient times. Why was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not because of his upright and straightforward conduct, his deeds inspired by faith? As for Isaac’s faith, it was so strong that, assured of the outcome, he willingly allowed himself to be offered in sacrifice. Jacob had the humility to leave his native land on account of his brother, and to go and serve Laban. He was given the twelve tribes of Israel.
Faith itself is God’s gift poured on us as he wills; faith is not merely a human effort or exercise.
32 Honest reflection upon each of these examples will make us realize the magnitude of God’s gifts. All the priests and levites who served the altar of God descended from Jacob. The human nature of the Lord Jesus derived from him. Through the tribe of Judah, kings, princes, and rulers sprang from him. Nor are his other tribes without their honor, for God promised Abraham: “Your descendants shall be as the stars of heaven.”
It is obvious, therefore, that none of these owed their honor and exaltation to themselves alone, or to their own labors, or to their virtuous deeds. No; they owed everything to God’s Will.
So likewise with us, who by his Will are called in Christ Jesus. We are not justified by ourselves, our wisdom, intelligence, piety, or by any action of ours, however holy, but by faith, the one means by which God has justified men from the beginning. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
After explaining that Abraham was justified by faith, and that this faith comes through Jesus Christ, St Paul concluded that we should not “continue in sin.” St Clement argues similarly, that faith–the beginning of salvation–should produce good works enlivened by charity.
33 What must we do then, brothers? Give up good works? Stop practicing Christian charity? God forbid! We must be ready and eager for every opportunity to perform every good work, and put our whole heart into it.
Even the Creator and Lord of the universe rejoices in his works. By his supreme power, he set the heavens in their place; by his infinite wisdom, he gave them their order. He separated the land from the waters surrounding it and made his own Will its firm foundation. By his command, he brought to life the beasts that roam the earth. He created the sea and all its living creatures, and by his power set bounds to it.
Finally, with his own holy and undefiled hands, he formed man, the highest and most intelligent of his creatures, the copy of his own image. “Let us make man,” God said, “in our image and likeness. And God made man, male and female he made them.” When he had finished making all his creatures, God gave them his approval and blessing: “Increase and multiply,” he charged them.
We must recognize, therefore, that all upright men feel honored by their good works, and that even the Lord himself took delight in the glory his works gave him.
This should help us to come up with a resolute determination to always do God’s Will. Let us put our whole strength into the work of sanctifying our Christian life.
The author encourages the Corinthians to follow the way of truth, thereby preserving unity among Christians. He describes the beauty of God’s gifts. Sanctity of life and perseverance in doing God’s Will are conditions for receiving these gifts.
30 Since we are children of the Holy One, let us put on unity of mind, thinking humble thoughts, exercising mortification. Let us keep ourselves far from all backbiting and slander, foul and sinful friendship, drunkenness, rebellious desires, uncontrolled passions, detestable adultery, and abominable pride.
Let us associate with those on whom divine grace has been bestowed; let us–with humble minds–put on the garment of cordiality and mortification; keep ourselves from all backbiting and slanderous talk; and let us seek sanctity by actions, and not just words. The Sacred Scripture says: “He who speaks much will hear much against him. Or does the easy talker think that he is righteous?” (Job 11:2).
It is a fatal error to presume about one’s receiving grace without corresponding to it; you must cooperate with it energetically; whoever thinks he stands firmly should beware of a fall.
33 What shall we do, brethren? Shall we slacken from doing good, and give up charity? May the Lord never allow this to happen to us; but let us be eager to perform every good work with enthusiasm and zeal.
34 With confidence, the good laborer receives the fruit of his labor; the lazy and careless one cannot look at his employer straight in the eye.
It is our duty then to be eager to do good, for everything is from God. He warns us: “See, the Lord is coming, and the reward he brings is before him, to pay each according to his work” (Is 40:10; 62:11; Prov 24:12; Apoc 22:12).
He urges us, who believe in him with all our heart, not to be idle or lazy in any good work. Our boasting and our confidence must rest on him. Let us be subject to his Will. Look carefully at the whole host of his angels; they stand ready to serve his Will. The Sacred Scripture says: “Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him, and a thousand served him, and cried out: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole creation is full of his glory” (Dan 7:10; Is 6:3).
We too, dutifully gathered together in unity of mind, should cry out to him continuously as with one voice, so as to share in his great and glorious promises. It is written: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, man’s heart has not conceived, what great things have been prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9).
35 Beloved, how blessed, how wonderful, are God’s gifts! Life with immortality, joy with sanctity, truth with confidence, mortification with peace: All these are the gifts that fall within our understanding. What then are the other gifts prepared for those who persevere? Only the most holy Creator and Father of the ages knows their greatness and beauty.
We should then strive with the greatest determination to be found among the number of those who await him, so that we may share in the promised gifts. How will this be, beloved? We shall be awaiting him with the right attitude if our mind is fixed on God through faith, if we seek what is pleasing and acceptable to him, if we fulfill what is according to his blameless Will and follow the way of truth, rejecting all injustice, covetousness, vices, quarrels, malice and deceit, gossiping and slandering, hatred of God, arrogance and boasting, vainglory and attachment.
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We too, dutifully gathered together in unity of mind, should cry out to him continuously as with one voice, so as to share in his great and glorious promises. It is written: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, man’s heart has not conceived, what great things have been prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9).
35 Beloved, how blessed, how wonderful, are God’s gifts! Life with immortality, joy with sanctity, truth with confidence, mortification with peace: All these are the gifts that fall within our understanding. What then are the other gifts prepared for those who persevere? Only the most holy Creator and Father of the ages knows their greatness and beauty.
We should then strive with the greatest determination to be found among the number of those who await him, so that we may share in the promised gifts. How will this be, beloved? We shall be awaiting him with the right attitude if our mind is fixed on God through faith, if we seek what is pleasing and acceptable to him, if we fulfill what is according to his blameless Will and follow the way of truth, rejecting all injustice, covetousness, vices, quarrels, malice and deceit, gossiping and slandering, hatred of God, arrogance and boasting, vainglory and attachment.
Each one should persevere in his vocation, remaining in his own place, and following Christ’s orders. Thus, unity will be preserved.
36 This is the path, beloved, by which we find our salvation, Jesus Christ, the High Priest of our sacrifices, the defender and ally in our helplessness. Through him, our gaze penetrates the heights of heaven, and we see, as in a mirror, the most holy face of God. Through Christ, the eyes of our hearts are opened, and our weak and clouded understanding reaches up toward the light. Through him, the Lord God willed that we should taste eternal knowledge, for Christ “is the radiance of God’s glory, and as much greater than the angels as the Name God has given him is superior to theirs.”
Thus spoke the Father about his Son: “You are my Son. It is I who have begotten you this day. Ask and I shall give you the nations as your inheritance, and the vast, wide earth for your possession.” And again he says of him: “Be seated at my right hand, until I make your foes a footstool for your feet.”
Now, who are these foes? The wicked and those who run counter to his Will.
Christians should imitate the unity existing in the Roman army.
37 So then, my brothers, let us fight with all our might under Jesus’ unerring command. Think of the men serving under our military commanders. How well disciplined they are! How readily and submissively they carry out orders! Not everyone can be a prefect, a tribune, a centurion, or a captain of fifty, but each man in his own rank executes the orders of the emperor and the officers in command. The great cannot exist without those of humble condition, nor can those of humble condition exist without the great. Always it is the harmonious working together of its various parts that ensures the well‑being of the whole.
Another example of unity is that of the members of a human body.
Take our own body as an example: the head is helpless without the feet; and the feet can do nothing without the head. Even our least important members are useful and necessary to the whole body, and all work together in harmonious subordination for the well‑being of the body.
38 Let us, then, preserve the unity of the whole Body that we form in Christ Jesus, and let everyone render service to his neighbor in line with the particular gifts he has received. Let the strong care for the weak, and the weak respect the strong. Let the wealthy assist the poor, and the poor man thank God for giving him someone to supply his needs. The wise man should show his wisdom not by his eloquence but in active help; the humble man should not proclaim his own humility, but leave others to do so; nor must the man who preserves his chastity ever boast of it, but recognize that the ability to control his desires has been given him by another.
Think, my brothers, of what clay we were made, how we came into being, and what we were at the first moment of our existence. Think of the tomb of darkness out of which our Creator brought us into his world. Here he had his gifts prepared for us even before we were born. All this we owe to him. Therefore, we must give him thanks for everything. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Later on, the epistle points to a clear distinction between hierarchy and laity. St Clement writes: Special functions are assigned to the high priest; a special office is imposed upon the priests...
The layman is to follow the rules laid down for the laity [40]. And he concludes: Each of us, brethren, must try to please God with a right intention, each in his own place, having always in common the established rule of service [41].
St Clement continues reminding the rebellious Corinthians that the community cannot depose the priests, because the power of the hierarchy does not come from the people but from God through Christ and the apostles.
42 The apostles preached to us the gospel received from Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ was God’s ambassador. Christ, in other words, comes with a message from God, and the apostles, with a message from Christ. Both these orderly arrangements originate from the Will of God.
After receiving Christ’s instructions, the apostles were fully assured through the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and confirmed in faith by the word of God. The Holy Spirit gave them full certainty in the faith. They joyfully went forth to preach the Good News that the Kingdom of God was close at hand.
From land to land and from city to city, the apostles preached and baptized those who obeyed God’s Will. From among their earliest converts, they appointed men tested by the Spirit to act as bishops and deacons for the future believers. And this was no innovation, for, a long time before, the Scripture had spoken about bishops and deacons; for somewhere it says: “I will establish their overseers#1 in observance of the law and their ministers#2 in fidelity” (Is 60:17).
St Clement reprimands the Corinthians for removing from office bishops who were appointed by the apostles themselves, or their successors.
44 Our apostles, too, were given to understand by our Lord Jesus Christ that the office of the bishop would give rise to intrigues. For this reason, equipped as they were with perfect foreknowledge, they appointed the men mentioned above, and afterwards they laid down a permanent rule: when these men die, other approved men shall succeed to their sacred ministry. Consequently, we judge it an injustice to eject from the sacred ministry those who were appointed either by the apostles themselves, or later, by other men in high repute and with the consent of the whole Church.
St Clement stresses that the unique duty of the priest is to offer the sacrifice of the Mass.
Our sin will not be small if we reject those who have been offering the Sacrifice proper to the episcopate in a pious and irreproachable manner.
Spirit to act as bishops and deacons for the future believers. And this was no innovation, for, a long time before, the Scripture had spoken about bishops and deacons; for somewhere it says: “I will establish their overseers[1] in observance of the law and their ministers[2] in fidelity” (Is 60:17).
St Clement reprimands the Corinthians for removing from office bishops who were appointed by the apostles themselves, or their successors.
44 Our apostles, too, were given to understand by our Lord Jesus Christ that the office of the bishop would give rise to intrigues. For this reason, equipped as they were with perfect foreknowledge, they appointed the men mentioned above, and afterwards they laid down a permanent rule: when these men die, other approved men shall succeed to their sacred ministry. Consequently, we judge it an injustice to eject from the sacred ministry those who were appointed either by the apostles themselves, or later, by other men in high repute and with the consent of the whole Church.
St Clement stresses that the unique duty of the priest is to offer the sacrifice of the Mass.
Our sin will not be small if we reject those who have been offering the Sacrifice proper to the episcopate in a pious and irreproachable manner.
The Church must not be torn by strife and discord. Seek the good of all, not your personal advantage, if you want to progress in virtue.
46 The command has been written: “Cling to the saints, for those who cling to them will be sanctified.” There is a passage in Scripture, as well, which states: “With the innocent man you will become innocent, and with the chosen you will be chosen also; likewise with the perverse you will deal perversely” (Ps 17:26-27). Associate yourselves, then, with the innocent and the law-abiding; these are God’s chosen ones.
Why are there quarrels and outbursts of passion, divisions, schisms, and even war among you? Do we not have but one God, one Christ, and the same Spirit of grace, which was given to us? Do we not have the same vocation in Christ? Why do we tear apart and divide the Body of Christ? Why do we revolt against our own body? Why do we reach such a degree of insanity as to forget that we are members one of another?
Remember the words of Jesus our Lord: Woe to that man; it would be better for him if he had not been born rather than to be an occasion of sin to one of my chosen ones. Indeed it would be better for him to have a great millstone round his neck and to be drowned in the sea than to pervert one of my chosen ones. #3 Your schism has led many astray, has cast many into doubt, many into discouragement, and all of us into sorrow. And still your rebellion continues.
47 Take up the letter of Blessed Paul the Apostle. What did he write to you in the first days of the preaching of the gospel? Even then you had developed factions. So Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote to you concerning himself and Cephas and Apollos. But with that division you incurred less sin because you were supporting apostles of high reputation and a person approved by them.
St Clement urges them to live charity and to seek forgiveness for their sins. Unity will be restored with penance and self-denial for the good of one’s neighbor.
48 We should put an end to this division immediately. Let us kneel down before our Master and implore his mercy with our tears. Then he will be reconciled to us and restore us to the practice of brotherly love that befits us. For this is the gate of justice and sanctity that leads us to life, as it is written: “Open to me the gates of justice. When I have entered there, I shall praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the just shall enter through it” (Ps 117:19).
There are many gates which stand open, but the gate of justice and sanctity is the gateway of Christ. All who enter through this gate are blessed, pursuing their way in holiness and justice, accomplishing all their tasks without discord.
A faithful may have some gift or charisma; he may be able to speak with wisdom; he may be skilled in the evaluation of what is said; he may be pure and chaste in his actions. But the greater he seems to be, the more humbly he should act; and the more zealous he should be for the common good, rather than his personal interest.
Charity should be at the heart of relations within the Church. Who can express the binding power of divine love and charity?
Christians are often called “the chosen ones” by the Apostolic Fathers. Baptism is a sign of God’s predilection for us; “He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy” (Eph 1:4).
49 Let anyone who truly loves Christ keep his commandments. Who can express the binding power of divine love and charity? Who can find words for the splendor of its beauty? Beyond all description are the heights to which this love lifts us. Charity unites us to God; “it cancels innumerable sins” (1 Pet 4:8). Charity endures everything, suffers everything patiently till the end.
Charity is neither servile nor arrogant. It does not provoke schisms or form cliques, but always acts in harmony with others. By charity, all God’s chosen ones reach perfection; without love or charity, it is impossible to please him. Out of love the Lord took us to himself. Because he loves us and because it was God’s Will, our Lord Jesus Christ gave his Blood for us–he gave his Body for our body, his Soul for our soul.
We are blessed if we fulfill the commands of the Lord out of love of God.
50 See then, beloved, what a great and wonderful thing love of God is; its perfection is beyond any description. Who are worthy to possess it unless God makes them so? Who can truly love and have charity except those to whom God grants it? To God therefore we must turn, begging of his mercy that there may be found in us a genuine love, free from human inclination and beyond reproach.
From Adam down to the present time all generations have passed away; but those who by God’s grace were made perfect in charity have a dwelling now among the saints. When at last the Kingdom of Christ appears, they will be made manifest to all. “Take shelter in your rooms for a little while,” says Scripture, “until my wrath subsides. Then I will remember the good days, and will raise you from your graves.”
We are blessed, beloved, if we fulfill the commands of the Lord in harmonious, loving union, so that through charity our sins may be forgiven. Scripture pronounces “happy those whose transgressions are pardoned, whose sins are forgiven. Happy the man,” it says, “to whom the Lord imputes no fault, and in whose mouth there is no deceit.” This is the blessing given those whom God has chosen through Jesus Christ our Lord. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Charity leads to repentance. The repentant sinner is told to go to the priest and manifest his sorrow for his sins (no. 57).
51 We should pray then that we may be granted forgiveness for our sins and for whatever we have done yielding to the attacks of our adversary. And as for those who were the leaders of the schism and the sedition, they too should ponder on the reason for our common hope.
A man with charity and fear of God prefers to endure torment himself rather than have his neighbor suffer; and he prefers to suffer criticism silently rather than damage that harmony so admirably handed down to us. For it is better for a man to confess his sins than to harden his heart.
54 Who then among you is generous, who is compassionate, who is filled with charity? He should speak out as follows: If I have been the cause of sedition, conflict, and schisms, then I shall depart. I shall go wherever you wish, and I shall do whatever the community wants. Only let the flock of Christ live in peace with the appointed presbyters [priests].
Whoever acts thus would win great glory for himself in Christ, and he would be received everywhere, “for the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” Those who live without regret as citizens of God’s Kingdom have always acted thus in the past and will thus continue to act in the future.
57 Therefore, you who were rebellious, submit to the presbyters and receive penitential correction with humility, bending the knees of your hearts.
58 Accept our counsel, and you shall have nothing to regret. For as God lives, and as the Lord Jesus Christ lives, and the Holy Spirit, and the faith and hope of the elect, as surely my pledge will be fulfilled. Those who are eager to yield, and submit with a humble attitude, and without regrets carry out the commandments and precepts given by God will be enrolled and be in good standing among us. Thus we shall all be on the way to salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory to him forever and ever. Amen.
Those who disobey the pope are guilty of sin.
59 If anyone disobey what has been said by Christ through us, let them know that they will entangle themselves in transgression and in no small danger. And we shall be innocent of this sin.
Toward the end of the letter, St Clement inserts a prayer used in the solemn Sunday liturgy then. It is directed to God the Father and to Jesus Christ, the Word of God on high, fountain of Wisdom. With its poetic language, it bears witness to Christ’s divinity. It is one of the most precious gems preserved in early Christian literature.
For God’s chosen ones scattered throughout the world, we shall make our constant prayer to the Creator of the universe. May he allow none of them to fall away, but preserve them all through his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, through whom he called us out of darkness into light, out of ignorance to the knowledge of his glorious Name.
Give us grace, Lord, to hope in your Name. To you, all creatures owe their being. Open the eyes of our heart to know you. You alone are the Most High in the highest heavens, the Holy One, whose dwelling is in the Holy.
You humiliate the arrogance of the proud, frustrate the designs of the godless, exalt the lowly, and humble the lofty. You give men wealth and take it away; you slay them, save them, and give them new life.
You alone are the fatherly Protector of spirits, and God of all flesh. Your gaze penetrates the depths, you observe the doings of men. Helper of those in peril, Savior of those in despair, you are the Creator of all spirits, and still keep watch over all of them.
You cause the peoples on the earth to multiply, and from them all you have chosen those who love you through Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. Through him you have instructed us, sanctified us, honored us.
Lord, help and protect us. Deliver those of us who are in distress, pity the lowly, raise up the fallen, show your face to those in need, heal the sick, convert the wayward, feed the hungry, deliver the captives, support the weak, give courage to the fainthearted. Let all nations know that you alone are God; that Jesus Christ is your Son, and that “we are your people and the sheep of your pasture.”
60 Lord, you created the world according to the eternal decree now revealed in your works. You are faithful throughout all generations; you are just in judgment, wonderful in power and majesty. You created all with wisdom, established all with prudence. Everything we see proclaims your goodness. You are kind and compassionate, and never fail those who put their trust in you. Forgive our sins, our failings, and our shortcomings.
Do not hold all the transgressions of your servants against them, but purify us with your truth. And so guide our footsteps that we may walk in purity of heart, in holiness and justice. That we may do what is good and pleasing in your sight and in the sight of our leaders.
Lord, let the light of your face shine upon us, so that we may enjoy your blessings in peace. That we may be protected by your strong hand, and freed from all sin by your outstretched arm; and deliver us from those who hate us unjustly.
Give peace and concord to us and to all mankind, even as you gave it to our ancestors “when they devoutly called upon you in faith and truth.”
This beautiful prayer ends with a petition for the civil authorities. It reveals the primitive Christians’ concept of the state. It also shows that the Roman Church has the welfare of all Christendom at heart.
Grant us to be obedient to your almighty and glorious Name,
and to our rulers and authorities on earth.
61 Lord, you have given the power of government to them,
through your magnificent and indescribable might,
may we acknowledge the honor and glory you have given them,
may we be submissive to them
in perfect obedience to your Will.
Lord, grant them health, peace, concord, and firmness,
so that they may exercise the authority you have given them
without hindrance or blame.
For you, eternal King of heaven, have given the sons of men
glory, honor, and power over all things on earth.
Lord, direct our rulers’ minds so that they may choose
what is right and pleasing in your sight,
so that they may administer the power you have given them
in peace, with piety and gentleness,
and thus find favor in your eyes.
Lord, you alone are able to grant these
and even greater blessings upon us.
We render you praise and thanks
through the High Priest and Guardian of our souls,
Jesus Christ, through whom be glory and majesty to you,
now and for all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.
Footnotes:1. In Greek episkopoi, bishops; in St Clement, this word may include also the priests, presbyteroi.
2. In Greek diakonoi, deacons
3. Cf. Mt 26:24; Lk 17:1-2; Mk 9:42.