The Letter of 1 Clement

The letter of 1 Clement was an important document in the early church.1 Some proto-orthodox Christians quoted it as canonical Scripture; it was included in several manuscripts, including the famous ﬁfth-century Codex Alexandrinus, as one of the books of the New Testament. Eventually, though, the book fell into disuse and was lost from view until rediscovered in the seventeenth century. The letter was sent from “the church of God that temporarily resides in Rome” to “the church of God that temporarily resides in Corinth” (1:1). Although traditionally ascribed to Clement, thought to have been the third bishop of Rome, the letter itself never names its author or mentions Clement. The purpose of the writing, in any event, is perfectly clear. There has been a division in the church in Corinth, a “vile and profane faction” (1:1) in which the elders of the church were forcibly deposed from their ofﬁce and others took their place (3:2–4). For the Roman Christians, this is an altogether unacceptable arrangement: “It is shameful, loved ones, exceedingly shameful and unworthy of your conduct in Christ, that the most secure and ancient church of the Corinthians is reported to have created a faction against its presbyters, at the instigation of one or two persons” (47:6). The letter urges the congregation to do something about the situation: they are to remove the new leaders and reinstate the old. At the core of the letter’s argument against the Corinthian usurpers lies one of the earliest expressions of the notion of “apostolic succession,” which came to play such a signiﬁcant role in theological controversies of the second century. According to this view, the original leaders of the Christian churches had been appointed by the apostles, who were themselves chosen by Christ, who was sent from God. Anyone who deposes these leaders, therefore, is in direct rebellion against God himself (chaps. 42–44). Much of the argument revolves around the history of the people of God as known from the Jewish Scriptures. According to 1 Clement, from the time of Cain and Abel onwards, envy and strife have always been

For further discussion, see Ehrman, Lost Christianities, 141–43.

Translation by Bart D. Ehrman, in The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1 (Loeb Classical Library; Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2003); used with permission.

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promoted by sinners opposed to the righteous. The new leaders of the Corinthian congregation stand within this nefarious line: they have swindled their way into power out of jealousy and rivalry. But for this author, God opposes those who exalt themselves over the ones he has himself chosen. This is shown not only from writings of the Jewish prophets, but also from the teachings of Jesus and the writings of the apostles (e.g., chaps. 12 and 46). The letter is generally recognized as having been written near the end of the ﬁrst century, possibly around 95 ce during the reign of Domitian— before, that is, some of the books of the New Testament itself had been produced (e.g., 2 Peter).

The church of God that temporarily resides in Rome, to the church of God that temporarily resides in Corinth, to those who have been called and made holy by the will of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be increased among you, from the allpowerful God, through Jesus Christ.

Because of the sudden and repeated misfortunes and setbacks we have experienced, we realize that we have been slow to turn our attention to the matters causing disputes among you, loved ones, involving that vile and profane faction that is alien and foreign to God’s chosen people—a faction stoked by a few reckless and headstrong persons to such a pitch of madness that your venerable and renowned reputation, worthy of everyone’s love, has been greatly slandered. 2 For who has ever visited you and not approved your highly virtuous and stable faith? And not been astonished by your temperate and gentle piety in Christ? And not proclaimed the magniﬁcent character of your hospitality? And not uttered a blessing for your perfect and unwavering knowledge? 3 For you used to act impartially in all that you did, and you walked according

to the ordinances of God, submitting yourselves to your leaders and rendering all due honor to those who were oldera among you. You instructed your young people to think moderate and respectful thoughts. You directed women to accomplish all things with a blameless, respectful, and pure conscience, dutifully loving their husbands. And you taught them to run their households respectfully, living under the rule of submission, practicing discretion in every way.

And all of you used to be humble in mind, not arrogant in the least, being submissive rather than forcing submission, giving more gladly than receiving,2 being satisﬁed with the provisions supplied by Christ. You heeded his words, carefully storing them up in your inner selves. And his sufferings were present before your eyes. 2 For this reason a deep and rich peace was given to all, along with an insatiable desire for doing good; and a full outpouring of the Holy Spirit came upon everyone.

Or: presbyters

Acts 20:35.

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3 And being ﬁlled with his holy will, you used to stretch out your hands to the all-powerful God, zealous for the good, with pious conﬁdence, begging him to be gracious if you inadvertently committed any sin. 4 Day and night you struggled on behalf of the entire brotherhood, that the total number of his chosen ones might be saved, with mortal fear and selfawareness.b 5 You were sincere and innocent and bore no grudges against one another. 6 Every faction and schism was loathsome to you. You used to grieve over the unlawful acts of your neighbors and considered their shortcomings your own. 7 You had no regrets when doing good; you were prepared for every good deed.3 8 You were adorned with a highly virtuous and honorable way of life, and you accomplished all things in reverential awe of him. The commandments and righteous demands of the Lord were inscribed upon the tablets of your heart.4

All glory and enlargement was given to you, and that which was written was fulﬁlled: “My loved one ate and drank and became large and grew fat and kicked out with his heels.”5 2 From this came jealousy and envy, strife and faction, persecution and disorderliness, war and captivity. 3 And so the dishonorable rose up against the honorable, the disreputable against the reputable, the senseless against the sensible, the young against the old.6, c 4 For this reason, righteousness and peace are far removed,7 since each has abandoned the reverential awe of God and become dim-sighted in faith, failing to proceed in the ordinances of his commandments and not living according to what is appropriate in Christ. Instead,

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each one walks according to the desires of his evil heart, which have aroused unrighteous and impious jealousy— through which also death entered the world.8

For so it is written, “It came about that after some days, Cain brought an offering to God from the fruits of the earth; and for his part, Abel brought from the ﬁrst born of the sheep and their fat. 2 And God looked favorably upon Abel and his gifts but paid no regard to Cain and his offerings. 3 And Cain was extremely upset and became downcast. 4 And God said to Cain, ‘Why have you become so upset and downcast? If you brought the proper sacriﬁce but didnot exercise proper discernment, have you not sinned?d 5 Be calm. He will return to you and you will rule over him.’e 6 And Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go into the ﬁeld.’ And it came about that when they were in the ﬁeld, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and murdered him.”9 7 You see, brothers, jealousy and envy brought about the murder of a brother. 8 Because of jealousy our father Jacob ﬂed from the presence of Esau, his brother.10 9 Jealousy caused Joseph to be perse-

b Or: conscientiously; meaning obscure cOr: the presbyters. dOr: If you brought the proper sacriﬁce but did not divide it up properly, have you not sinned? Or, If you have rightly brought an offering but have not brought the right portion, have you not sinned? Or If you have brought, as was right, an offering but have not correctly discerned which one to bring, have you not sinned? Meaning obscure, both in the Hebrew of Genesis and in this Greek translation. eOr: It will turn to you and you will rule over it; meaning obscure

Titus 3:1. 4Prov 7:3. 5Deut 32:15. 6Isa 3:5. 7Isa 59:14. 8Wis 2:24. 9Gen 4:3–8. 10Gen 27:41ff.

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cuted to the point of death and to enter into slavery.11 10 Jealousy forced Moses to ﬂee from the presence of Pharoah, king of Egypt, when he heard from his fellow countrymen, “Who made you an arbitrator or judge over us? Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?”12 11 Because of jealousy Aaron and Miriam had to stay outside the camp.13 12 Jealousy brought Dathan and Abiram down into Hades while still alive because they created a faction against the servant of God, Moses.14 13 Because of jealousy not only did David incur envy from foreigners, but he was even persecuted by Saul, the king of Israel.15

But to stop giving ancient examples, let us come to those who became athletic contenders in quite recent times. We should consider the noble examples of our own generation. 2 Because of jealousy and envy the greatest and most upright pillars were persecuted, and they struggled in the contest even to death. 3 We should set before our eyes the good apostles. 4 There is Peter, who because of unjust jealousy bore up under hardships not just once or twice, but many times; and having thus borne his witness he went to the place of glory that he deserved. 5 Because of jealousy and strife Paul pointed the way to the prize for endurance. 6 Seven times he bore chains; he was sent into exile and stoned; he served as a herald in both the East and the West; and he received the noble reputation for his faith. 7 He taught righteousness to the whole world, and came to the limits of the West,

bearing his witness before the rulers. And so he was set free from this world and transported up to the holy place, having become the greatest example of endurance.

To these men who have conducted themselves in such a holy way there has been added a great multitude of the elect, who have set a superb example among us by the numerous torments and tortures they suffered because of jealousy. 2 Women were persecuted as Danaids and Dircaef and suffered terrifying and profane torments because of jealousy. But they conﬁdently completed the race of faith, and though weak in body, they received a noble reward. 3 Jealousy estranged wives from their husbands and nulliﬁed what was spoken by our father Adam, “This now is bone from my bones and ﬂesh from my ﬂesh.”16 4 Jealousy and strife overturned great cities and uprooted great nations.

f The author’s meaning is unclear. Some scholars have suggested that he is referring to Christian women martyred under Nero, who was known for his creatively brutal excesses [see Suetonius, Nero 11, 12]. If so, women executed as Dircae may have been dragged to death in the arena, bound to the horns of a bull, like Dirce of Greek myth. The reference to the Danaids is more puzzling. Some scholars have seen it as an allusion to the legend that the daughters of Danaus were taken by men against their will—i.e. that the Christian women were publicly raped before being put to death. Others have thought that it refers to the punishment of Danaus’s daughters in the afterlife, where they were compelled perpetually to ﬁll leaking vessels—i.e., that the Christian women were subject to pointless and seemingly endless torments prior to their deaths. In either event, the text is so difﬁcult that several emendations have been suggested to eliminate the reference to “Danaids and Dircae” altogether, the most popular of which changes the text to read: “persecuted as women, maidens, and slave-girls.”

Genesis 37. 12Exod 2:14. 13Numbers 12. 16:13. 151 Samuel 18ff. 16Gen 2:23.

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We are writing these things, loved ones, not only to admonish you but also to remind ourselves. For we are in the same arena and the same contest is set before us. 2 For this reason we should leave behind empty and frivolous thoughts and come to the famous and venerable rule of our tradition. 3 We should realize what is good and pleasing and acceptable before the one who made us. 4 We should gaze intently on the blood of Christ and realize how precious it is to his Father; for when it was poured out for our salvation, it brought the gracious gift of repentance to the entire world. 5 Let us review all the generations and learn that from one generation to the next the Master has provided an opportunity for repentance to those wanting to return to him. 6 Noah proclaimed repentance, and those who heeded were saved from danger.17 7 Jonah proclaimed an impending disaster to the Ninevites; and those who repented of their sins appeased God through their fervent pleas and received salvation, even though they had been estranged from God.18

Those who administered the gracious gift of God spoke through the Holy Spirit about repentance. 2 And the Master of all things himself spoke about repentance with an oath: “For as I live, says the Lord, I do not want the sinner to die but to repent.”19 And to this he added a good pronouncement: 3 “Repent from your lawlessness, house of Israel. Say to the children of my people, ‘If your sins extend from the earth to the sky and are redder than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, but you

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return to me with your whole heart and say, “Father,” I will listen to you as to a holy people.’ ”20 4 And in another place he speaks as follows: “Wash and become clean; remove from yourselves the evils that are before my eyes; put an end to your evil deeds; learn to do good; pursue justice, rescue those who are treated unjustly, render a decision for the orphan and do what is right for the widow. And come, let us reason together, says the Lord. Even if your sins are like crimson, I will make them white as snow; and if they are like scarlet, I will make them white as wool. If you are willing and obey me, you will eat the good things of the earth; but if you are not willing and do not obey me, a sword will devour you. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken these things.”21 5 Because he wanted all his loved ones to have a share in repentance, he set it in place by his all-powerful will.

For this reason we should obey his magniﬁcent and glorious will and, as petitioners of his mercy and kindness, fall down before him and turn to his compassionate ways, leaving behind our pointless toil and strife and the jealousy that leads to death. 2 We should gaze intently on those who have perfectly served his magniﬁcent glory. 3 We should consider Enoch, who was transported to another place because he was found to be righteous in his obedience; and his death was never found.22

Genesis 7. 18Jonah 3. 19Cf. Ezek 33:11. 20Possibly drawn from Ezekiel 33. 21Isa 1:16–20 22Gen 5: 24; Heb 11:5.

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4 Noah, who was found to be faithful through his service, proclaimed a new beginning to the world; and through him the Master saved the living creatures that entered the ark in harmony.23

Abraham, who was called “The Friend,”24 was found to be faithful when he became obedient to God’s words. 2 In obedience he left his land, his family, and his father’s house, so that by abandoning a paltry land, an insigniﬁcant family, and a small house he might inherit the promises of God. For God said to him, 3 “Depart from your land, your family, and your father’s house to the land I will show you. And I will form you into a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great; and you will be blessed. And I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you, and all the tribes of the earth will be blessed in you.”25 4 And again when Abraham separated from Lot, God said to him, “Lift up your eyes and look out from where you are now to the north, south, east, and west; for I will give all the land that you see to you and your offspring forever. 5 And I will make your offspring like the sand of the earth. If anyone is able to count the sand of the earth, your offspring will also be counted.”26 6 Again it says, “God led Abraham out and said to him, ‘Look up into the sky and count the stars, if you are able to number them. So will your offspring be.’ And Abraham trusted God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness.”27 7 Because of his faith and hospitality, a son was given to him in his old age; and in obedience he offered him up as a sacriﬁce to God on one of the mountains that he showed him.28

Because of his hospitality and piety, Lot was saved out of Sodom when all the surrounding countryside was judged by ﬁre and brimstone.29 The Master thus made it clear that he does not abandon those who hope in him, but hands over to punishment and torment those who turn away. 2 Lot’s wife was made a sign of this: for when she left with him but then changed her mind and fell out of harmony, she was turned into a pillar of salt until this day—so that everyone may know that those who are of two minds and who doubt the power of God enter into judgment and become a visible sign for all generations.

Because of her faith and hospitality Rahab the prostitute was saved from danger.30 2 For when reconnaissance scouts had been sent into Jericho by Joshua, the son of Nun, the king of the land discovered that they had come to scout out their country and sent men to arrest them, so that once detained they could be executed. 3 And so, the hospitable Rahab brought them inside and hid them in the upper room under a pile of thatching straw.g 4 When the king’s men arrived and said, “Those who are scouting out our land came into your house; bring them out, for so the king has ordered,” she replied, “The men you are seeking did come in to see me, but they left right

Or: ﬁne linen; or: ﬂax.

Gen 6:8; Heb 11:7. 24Cf. Isa 41:8; Jas 2:23. Gen 12:1–3. 26Gen 13:14–16. 27Gen 15:5–6; Rom 4:3. 28Gen 18:21; Genesis 22; Heb 11:17. 29 The following account is drawn from Genesis 19. 30 The following account is drawn from Joshua 2. Cf. Heb 11:31; Jas 2:25. 25

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away and are going on down the road.” And she pointed them in the wrong direction. 5 And she said to the men, “I know full well that the Lord God is handing this land over to you, for fear and trembling has seized its inhabitants because of you. When you take the land, save me and my father’s household.” 6 They said to her, “It will be just as you have spoken to us. So, when you know that we are approaching, gather all your family under your roof and they will be saved. For whoever is found outside the house will perish.” 7 And they proceeded to give her a signh, that she should hang a piece of scarlet from her house—making it clear that it is through the blood of the Lord that redemption will come to all who believe and hope in God. 8 You see, loved ones, not only was faith found in the woman, but prophecy as well.

And so we should be humbleminded, brothers, laying aside all arrogance, conceit, foolishness, and forms of anger; and we should act in accordance with what is written. For the Holy Spirit says, “The one who is wise should not boast about his wisdom, nor the one who is strong about his strength, nor the one who is wealthy about his wealth; instead, the one who boasts should boast about the Lord, seeking after him and doing what is just and right.”31 We should especially remember the words the Lord Jesus spoke when teaching about gentleness and patience. 2 For he said: “Show mercy, that you may be shown mercy; forgive, that it may be forgiven you. As you do, so it will be done to you; as you give, so it will be given to you; as you judge, so you will be judged; as you show kindness, so will

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kindness be shown to you; the amount you dispense will be the amount you receive.”32 3 Let us strengthen one another in this commandment and these demands, so that we may forge ahead, obedient to his words (which are well-suited for holiness) and humble-minded. For the holy word says, 4 “Upon whom shall I look, but upon the one who is meek and mild and who trembles at my sayings?”33

And so it is right and holy for us to obey God, brothers, rather than follow those who instigate a foul jealousy with arrogance and disorderliness. 2 For we will subject ourselves not to some ordinary harm, but to real danger, if we rashly hand ourselves over to the desires of those who rush headlong into strife and faction and so estrange us from what is good for us. 3 We should treat one another kindly, according to the compassion and sweet character of the one who made us. 4 For it is written, “Those who are kind will inhabit the land, and the innocent will be left upon it; but those who break the law will be destroyed from it.”34 5 And again it says, “I saw one who was impious greatly exalted and raised high as the cedars of Lebanon. Then I passed by and look! He was no more. And I searched for his place, but did not ﬁnd it. Protect what is innocent and focus on what is upright, because the one who lives in peace will have a posterity.”35 . . .

Or: in addition they told her to give a sign

Jer 9:23–24; 1 Cor 1:31; 2 Cor 10:17. 32Matt 5:7; 6: 14–15; 7:1–2, 12; Luke 6:31, 36–38. 33Isa 66:2. 34 Prov 2:21–22; Ps 37:9, 38. 35Ps 37:35–37.

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The humility and obedient lowliness of so many people with such a strong reputation have improved not only us, but also the generations that came before us—indeed all those who received the sayings of God in reverential awe and truth. 2 And so, since we have shared in such numerous, great, and glorious deeds, we should forge ahead to the goal of peace that has been delivered to us from the beginning.36 And we should gaze intently on the Father and Creator of the entire world and cling to his magniﬁcent and superior gifts of peace and acts of kindness. 3 We should observe him with understanding and look upon his patient will with the eyes of our soul. We should realize how he feels no anger towards his entire creation.

The heavens, which move about under his management, are peacefully subject to him. 2 Day and night complete the racecourse laid out by him, without impeding one another in the least. 3 Sun and moon and the chorus of stars roll along the tracks that have been appointed to them, in harmony, never crossing their lines, in accordance with the arrangement he has made. 4 By his will and in the proper seasons, the fertile earth brings forth its rich abundance of nourishment for humans, beasts, and all living things that dwell on it, without dissenting or altering any of the decrees he has set forth. 5 Both the inscrutable regions of the abysses and the indescribable realms of the depths are constrained by the same commands. 6 The basin of the boundless sea, established by his workmanship to hold the waters collected, does not cross its re-

straining barriers, but acts just as he ordered. 7 For he said, “You shall come this far, and your waves shall crash down within you.”37 8 The ocean, boundless to humans, and the worlds beyond it are governed by the same decrees of the Master. 9 The seasons—spring, summer, fall, and winter—succeed one another in peace. 10 The forcesi of the winds complete their service in their own proper season, without faltering. And the eternal fountains, created for enjoyment and health, provide their life-giving breasts to humans without ceasing. The most insigniﬁcant living creatures associate with one anotherj in harmony and peace. 11 The great Creator and Master of all appointed all these things to be in peace and harmony, bringing great beneﬁts to all things, but most especially to us, who ﬂee to his compassion through our Lord Jesus Christ. 12 To him be the glory and the majesty forever and ever. Amen.

Loved ones, you should take care that his many acts of kindness do not lead to judgment against all of us. For this will happen if we fail to conduct ourselves worthily of him and do the things that are good and pleasing before him, in harmony. 2 For somewhere it says, “The Spirit of the Lord is a lamp that searches out the recesses deep within us.”38 3 We should realize how near he is, and that none of our thoughts or the disputes we have had is hidden from him.

Or: stations

Or: have sexual intercourse

Cf. Heb 12:1–2.

Job 38:11.

Prov 20:27.

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4 And so it is right for us not to desert from his will. 5 It is better for us to offend foolish, senseless, and presumptuous people who boast in the arrogance of their own talk than to offend God. 6 We should revere the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was given for us; we should respect our leaders; we should honor the elderly;k we should discipline our youth in the reverential fear of God; we should set our wives along the straight path that leads to the good. 7 Let them display a character of purity, worthy of love; let them exhibit the innocent will of their meekness; let them manifest the gentleness of their tongues through how they speak; let them show their love not with partiality, but equally to all those who stand in reverential awe of God in a holy way. 8 Let our children partake of the discipline that is in Christ. Let them learn the strength of humility before God and the power of pure love before God. Let them learn how the reverential awe of him is beautiful and great, and how it saves all those who conduct themselves in itl in a holy way, with a clear understanding. 9 For he is the one who explores our understandings and desires. His breath is in us, and when he wishes, he will remove it.

The faith that is in Christ guarantees all these thing. For he himself calls to us through the Holy Spirit: “Come, children, and hear me; I will teach you the reverential awe of the Lord. 2 Who is the person who wants to live and yearns to see good days? 3 Stop your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from spouting deceit. 4 Move away from evil and do what is good.

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5 Seek after peace and pursue it. 6 The eyes of the Lord are upon the

upright, and his ears attend to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil and destroys any recollection of them from the face of the earth. 7 The one who is upright has called out, and the Lord has heard him and delivered him from all his afﬂictions.”39 8 “Many are the plagues of the sinner, but mercy will surround those who hope in the Lord.”40

The beneﬁcent father, compassionate in every way, has pity on those who stand in awe of him; gently and kindly does he bestow his gracious gifts on those who approach him with a pure resolve. 2 And so, we should not be of two minds, nor should we entertain wild notions about his superior and glorious gifts. 3 May this Scripture be far removed from us that says: “How miserable are those who are of two minds, who doubt in their soul, who say, ‘We have heard these things from the time of our parents, and look! We have grown old, and none of these things has happened to us.’ 4 You fools! Compare yourselves to a tree. Take a vine: ﬁrst it sheds its leaves, then a bud appears, then a leaf, then a ﬂower, and after these an unripe grape, and then an entire bunch fully grown.”41 You see that the fruit of the tree becomes ripe in just a short time. 5 In truth, his plan will come to completion quickly and suddenly, as even the Scripture testiﬁes, when it says, “He will

Or: the presbyters

Or: in him

Ps 34:11–17, 19. 40Ps 32:10. Cf. 2 Clem 11:2–3.

Source unknown.

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come quickly and not delay. And suddenly the Lord will come to his temple— he who is holy, the one you await.”42

We should consider, loved ones, how the Master continuously shows us the future resurrection that is about to occur, of which he made the Lord Jesus Christ the ﬁrst-fruit by raising him from the dead.43 2 We should look, loved ones, at the resurrection that happens time after time. 3 Day and night reveal to us a resurrection: the night sleeps and the day arises; the day departs and the night arrives. 4 We should consider the crops: how, and in what way, does the sowing occur? 5 The sower goes out and casts each of the seeds onto the soil.44 Because they are dry and barren they decay when they fall onto the soil. But then the magniﬁcent forethought of the Master raises them up out of their decay, and from the one seed grow more, and so bring forth the crop.

Let us consider the incredible sign that occurs in the eastern climes, that is, in the regions near Arabia. 2 For there is a bird called the Phoenix. This unique creature lives ﬁve hundred years. And when at last it approaches its dissolution through death, it makes a tomb for itself out of frankincense, myrrh, and other spices. Then, when the time has been fulﬁlled, it enters into the tomb and dies. 3 But when its ﬂesh rots, a worm is born. And nourished by the secretions of the dead creature, it sprouts wings. Then when it becomes strong, it takes the tomb containing the bones of its predecessor and bears these from Arabia to Egypt, to the city called Heliopolis. 4 In the daytime, while all are watching, it ﬂies onto the altar of the sun and

deposits these things, and so hastens back. 5 Then the priests examine the records of the times and discover that it has come after ﬁve hundred years have elapsed.

Do we then think that it is so great and marvelous that the Creator of all things will raise everyone who has served him in a holy way with the conﬁdence of good faith, when he shows us the magniﬁcence of his promise even through a bird? 2 For it says somewhere, “You will raise me up and I will praise you,”45 and, “I lay down and slept, and I arose, because you are with me.”46 3 And again, Job says, “You will raise this ﬂesh of mine, which has endured all these things.”47 . . .

Those who are ignorant, unlearned, foolish, and uneducated mock and ridicule us, wishing to vaunt themselves in their own thoughts. 2 But what can a mortal accomplish? Or what power belongs to the one born of earth? 3 For it is written, “There was no form before my eyes, but I heard a puff of air and the sound of a voice. 4 What then? Can a mortal be pure before the Lord? Or can a man be blameless in what he does, when he does not trust his own servants and detects something crooked in his own messengers?m 5 Not even heaven is pure before him. But see! We who inhabit clay houses are ourselves made from the same clay. He smashed them like a moth, and from

Meaning obscure

Cf. Isa 13:22 (LXX); Mal 3:1. 431 Cor 15:20. Mark 4:3; cf. 1 Cor 15:36ff. 45Ps 28:7. 46Ps 3:5. 47 Job 19:26. 44

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dawn to dusk they are no more. They perished, unable to come to their own assistance. 6 He breathed upon them and they died for want of wisdom. 7 But call out; see if anyone listens or if you observe any of the holy angels. For wrathn destroys the ignorant and zealo kills the one who has been deceived. 8 I have seen the ignorant casting forth their roots, but their sustenance was immediately consumed. 9 May their children be far removed from safety; may they be derided before the doors of their inferiors, with no one there to deliver them. For the food prepared for them will be devoured by the upright, and they will not be delivered from those who are evil.”48

Since these matters have been clariﬁed for us in advance and we have gazed into the depths of divine knowledge, we should do everything the Master has commanded us to perform in an orderly way and at appointed times. 2 He commanded that the sacriﬁcial offerings and liturgical rites be performed not in a random or haphazard way, but according to set times and hours. 3 In his superior plan he set forth both where and through whom he wished them to be performed, so that everything done in a holy way and according to his good pleasure might be acceptable to his will. 4 Thus, those who make their sacriﬁcial offerings at the arranged times are acceptable and blessed. And since they follow the ordinances of the Master, they commit no sin. 5 For special liturgical rites have been assigned to the high priest, and a special place has been designated for the regular priests, and special ministries are established for the Levites. The lay person is assigned to matters enjoined on the laity.

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Brothers, let each of us be pleasing to God by keeping to our special assignments with a good conscience, not violating the established rule of his ministry, acting in reverence. 2 The sacriﬁces made daily, or for vows, for sin, or for transgression, are not offered everywhere, brothers, but in Jerusalem alone; and even there a sacriﬁce is not made in just any place, but before the sanctuary on the altar, after the sacriﬁcial animal has been inspected for blemishes by both the high priest and the ministers mentioned earlier. 3 Thus, those who do anything contrary to his plan bear the penalty of death. 4 You see, brothers, the more knowledge we have been deemed worthy to receive, the more we are subject to danger.

The apostles were given the gospel for us by the Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ was sent forth from God. 2 Thus Christ came from God and the apostles from Christ. Both things happened, then, in an orderly way according to the will of God. 3 When, therefore, the apostles received his commands and were fully convinced through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and persuaded by the word of God, they went forth proclaiming the good news that the Kingdom of God was about to come, brimming with conﬁdence through the Holy Spirit. 4 And as they preached throughout the countryside and in the cities, they appointed the ﬁrst-fruits of their ministries as bishops and deacons of those who

Or: his wrath

Or: his zeal

Job 4:16–18; 15:15; 4:19–5:5.

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were about to believe, testing them by the Spirit. 5 And this was no recent development. For indeed, bishops and deacons had been mentioned in writings long before. For thus the Scripture says in one place, “I will appoint their bishops in righteousness and their deacons in faith.”49

And why should it be so amazing if those who were in Christ and entrusted by God with such a work appointed the leaders mentioned earlier? For even the most fortunate Moses, a faithful servant in all the house,50 recorded in the sacred books all the directives that had been given him. And he was followed by all the other prophets, who together testiﬁed to the laws he laid down. 2 For when jealousy fell upon the tribes and created internal factions over the priesthood—concerning which of them should be adorned with that glorious name—Moses commanded the twelve tribal leaders to bring him rods, each one inscribed with the tribe’s name.51 Taking these he bound them together, sealed them with the rings of the tribal leaders, and set them in the Tent of Testimony on the table of God. 3 And he shut the Tent and sealed the keys just as he had done with the rods. 4 And he said to them, “Brothers, the tribe whose rod will blossom has been chosen by God to serve as his priests and ministers.” 5 When early morning came, he called together all Israel, some six hundred thousand men, and showed the tribal leaders the seals. He opened the Tent of Testimony and brought out the rods. And the rod of Aaron was found not only to have blossomed, but even to be bearing fruit. 6 What do you think, loved ones? That

Moses did not know in advance this would happen? Of course he knew. But he did this so that there might be no disorderliness in Israel, that the name of the one who is true and unique might be gloriﬁed. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

So too our apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that strife would arise over the ofﬁce of the bishop. 2 For this reason, since they understood perfectly well in advance what would happen, they appointed those we have already mentioned; and afterwards they added a codicilp to the effect that if these should die, other approved men should succeed them in their ministry. 3 Thus we do not think it right to remove from the ministry those who were appointed by them or, afterwards, by other reputable men, with the entire church giving its approval. For they have ministered over the ﬂock of Christ blamelessly and with humility, gently and unselﬁshly, receiving a good witness by all, many times over. 4 Indeed we commit no little sin if we remove from the bishop’s ofﬁce those who offer the gifts in a blameless and holy way. 5 How fortunate are the presbyters who passed on before, who enjoyed a fruitful and perfect departure from this life. For they have no fear that someone will remove them from the place established for them. 6 But we see that you have deposed

The text appears here to be corrupt, and several emendations have been proposed.

Isa 60:17 (LXX). 50Num 12:7; Heb 3:5. 51The following account is drawn from Numbers 17.

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some from the ministry held blamelessly in honor among them, even though they had been conducting themselves well.

You should strive hard, brothers, and be zealousq in matters that pertain to salvation! 2 You have gazed into the holy and true Scriptures that were given through the Holy Spirit. 3 You realize that there is nothing unjust or counterfeit written in them. There you will not ﬁnd the upright cast out by men who were holy. 4 The upright were persecuted, but by the lawless. They were imprisoned, but by the unholy. They were stoned by those who transgressed the law and killed by those who embraced vile and unjust envy. 5 And they bore up gloriously while suffering these things. 6 For what shall we say, brothers? Was Daniel cast into the lions’ den by those who feared God?52 7 Or were Ananias, Azarias, and Misael shut up in the ﬁery furnace by those who participated in the magniﬁcent and glorious worship of the Most High?53 This could never be! Who then did these things? Those who were hateful and full of every evil were roused to such a pitch of anger that they tortured those who served God with holy and blameless resolve. But they did not know that the Most High is the champion and protector of those who minister to his all-virtuous name with a pure conscience. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 8 But those who endured in conﬁdence inherited glory and honor; and they were exalted and inscribed by God in their own memorial forever and ever. Amen.

And so, we too must cling to these examples, brothers.

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2 For it is written, “Cling to those who are holy; for those who cling to them will themselves be made holy.”54 3 And again in another place it says, “With an innocent man, you too will be innocent and with one who is chosen, you will be chosen. But with one who is corrupt, you will cause corruption.”55 4 Therefore we should cling to those who are innocent and upright, for these are God’s chosen. 5 Why are there conﬂicts, ﬁts of anger, dissensions, factions, and war among you? 6 Do we not have one God, and one Christ, and one gracious Spirit that has been poured out upon us, and one calling in Christ?56 7 Why do we mangle and mutilate the members of Christ and create factions in our own body? Why do we come to such a pitch of madness as to forget that we are members of one another? Remember the words of our Lord Jesus, 8 for he said, “Woe to that person! It would have been good for him not to be born, rather than cause one of my chosen to stumble. Better for him to have a millstone cast about his neck and be drowned in the sea than to have corrupted one of my chosen.”57 9 Your schism has corrupted many and cast many into despondency, many into doubt, and all of us into grief. And your faction persists even now!

Take up the epistle of that blessed apostle, Paul. 2 What did he write to you at ﬁrst, at

Or: You are contentious, brothers, and envious

Dan 6:16. 53Dan 3:19ff. 54Source unknown. Ps 18:25–26. 56Eph 4:4–6. 57Matt 26:24; Luke 17: 2.

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the beginning of his proclamation of the gospel? 3 To be sure, he sent you a letter in the Spiritr concerning himself and Cephas and Apollos, since you were even then engaged in partisanship.58 4 But that partisanship involved you in a relatively minor sin, for you were partisan towards reputable apostles and a man approved by them. 5 But now consider who has corrupted you and diminished the respect you had because of your esteemed love of others. 6 It is shameful, loved ones, exceedingly shameful and unworthy of your conduct in Christ, that the most secure and ancient church of the Corinthians is reported to have created a faction against its presbyters, at the instigation of one or two persons. 7 And this report has reached not only us but even those who stand opposed to us, so that blasphemies have been uttered against the Lord’s name because of your foolishness; and you are exposing yourselves to danger.

And so let us dispose of this problem quickly and fall down before the Master and weep, begging him to be merciful and to be reconciled to us, and to restore us to our respected and holy conduct, seen in our love of others. 2 For this is a gate of righteousness that opens up onto life, just as it is written, “Open up for me gates of righteousness; when I enter through them I will give praises to the Lord. 3 This is the gate of the Lord, and the upright will enter through it.”59 4 Although many gates open, this is the one that leads to righteousness—the one that is in Christ. All those who enter it are most fortunate; they make their path straight in holiness and righteousness, accomplishing all things without disorder. 5 Let a person be faithful, let him be

able to speak forth knowledge, let him be wise in his discernment of words, let him be pure in deeds. 6 For the more he appears to be great, the more he should be humble, striving for the good of all, not just of himself.

The one who experiences love in Christ should do what Christ commanded. 2 Who can explain the bond of God’s love? 3 Who is able to recount the greatness of its beauty? 4 The height to which love leads is beyond description. 5 Love binds us to God; love hides a multitude of sins;60 love bears all things and endures all things. There is nothing vulgar in love, nothing haughty. Love has no schism, love creates no faction, love does all things in harmony. Everyone chosen by God has been perfected in love; apart from love nothing is pleasing to God.61 6 The Master has received us in love. Because of the love he had for us, our Lord Jesus Christ gave his blood for us, by God’s will—his ﬂesh for our ﬂesh, his soul for our souls. . . .

For you know the sacred Scriptures, loved ones—and know them quite well—and you have gazed into the sayings of God. And so we write these things simply as a reminder. 2 For after Moses went up onto the mountain and spent forty days and nights in fasting and humility,62 God said to him, “Moses, Moses, go down from here at

Or: with spiritual concerns

1 Cor 1:12. 59Ps 118:19–20. 601 Pet 4:8. 61Cf. 1 Cor 13:4–7. 62The following account is drawn from Exod 32:7–10, 31–32 and Deut 9:12–14.

THE LETTER OF 1 CLEMENT

once: your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have broken the Law. They have departed quickly from the path you commanded them to take and cast metal idols for themselves.” 3 And the Lord said to him, “I have spoken with you once and again: I have seen this people and know they are stiffnecked. Let me destroy them and I will blot their name out from beneath the sky; and I will make you into a great and spectacular nation, much greater than this one.” 4 And Moses said, “May it never be Lord! Forgive the sin of this people—or blot me also out from the book of the living.” 5 O great love! O incomparable perfection! The servant speaks boldly to the Lord, and asks for the multitude to be forgiven—or pleads for himself to be blotted out with them.

Who, therefore, among you is noble? Or compassionate? Or ﬁlled with love? 2 Let that one say, “If I am the cause of faction, strife, and schisms, I will depart; I will go wherever you wish and do what is commanded by the congregation. Only allow the ﬂock of Christ to be at peace with the presbyters who have been appointed.” 3 The one who does this will have made himself eminent in Christ and will be welcomed everywhere. “For the earth, and all that is in it, belongs to the Lord.”63 4 Those who have performed their civic duty to God, without regrets, have done these things and will continue to do them.

But we should bring in examples from the Gentiles as well. Many kings and rulers, after receiving instruction from an oracle, have handed themselves over to death during the time

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of plague, in order to deliver their fellow citizens by shedding their own blood. Many left their own cities to avoid creating more factions. 2 Among ourselves, we know many who put themselves in prison in order to ransom others; many placed themselves in slavery and fed others with the purchase price they received. 3 Many women were empowered by the gracious gift of God to perform numerous “manly” deeds. 4 The blessed Judith, when her city lay under siege, asked the elders for permission to go out to the foreigners’ camp.64 5 And so she handed herself over to danger, going out because she loved her homeland and the people under siege. And the Lord handed Holofernes over to the hand of a female. 6 No less did Esther, a woman perfect in faith, put herself in danger to rescue the twelve tribes of Israel who were about to perish.65 For through her fasting and humility she petitioned the all-seeing Master, the God of eternity, who saw the humbleness of her soul and rescued the people for whom she put herself in danger. . . .

But if some disobey the words he has spoken through us, they should realize that they entangle themselves in transgression and no little danger. 2 But we ourselves will be innocent of this sin, and we will ask with a fervent prayer and petition that the Creator of all may safeguard the number of those counted among his elect throughout the entire world, through his beloved child Jesus Christ, through whom he called us

Ps 24:1. 64The account is drawn from Judith 8ff. The account is drawn from Esther 7; 4:16.

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out of darkness into light, from ignorance into the knowledge of his glorious name. 3 Grant us, O Lord,s that we may hope in your name, the ultimate source of all creation. Open the eyes of our heart, that we may recognize you as the one alone who is the highest among the highest, the holy one who rests among the holy, the one who humbles the insolence of the proud, who destroys the reasonings of the nations, who exalts the humble to the heights and humiliates the exalted, the one who enriches and impoverishes, who kills and brings to life, the sole benefactor of spirits and the God of all ﬂesh, the one who peers into the places of the abyss, who observes the works of humans and helps those in danger, the savior of those who have abandoned hope, the creator and overseer of every spirit, the one who multiplies the nations upon the earth and who from them all has chosen those who love you through Jesus Christ, your beloved child, through whom you have disciplined, sanctiﬁed, and honored us. 4 We ask you, O Master, to be our helper and defender. Save those of us who are in afﬂiction, show mercy to those who are humble, raise those who have fallen, show yourself to those who are in need, heal those who are sick, set straight those among your people who are going astray. Feed the hungry, ransom our prisoners, raise up the weak, encourage the despondent. Let all the nations know you, that you alone are God, that Jesus Christ is your child, and that we are your people and the sheep of your pasture.

your judgments, spectacular in your strength and magniﬁcence; you are wise when you create and understanding when you establish what exists; you are good in what is seen and kind to those who trust you. You who are merciful and compassionate, forgive us for our lawless acts, unjust deeds, transgressions, and faults. 2 Take into account none of the sins committed by your male slaves and female servants, but cleanse us with your truth. Set our steps straight that we may go forward with devout hearts, to do what is good and pleasing to you and to those who rule us. 3 Yes, Master, make your face shine on us in peace, for our own good, that we may be protected by your powerful hand and rescued from our every sin by your exalted arm. And rescue us from those who hate us without cause. 4 Give harmony and peace both to us and to all those who inhabit the earth, just as you gave it to our ancestors when they called upon you in a holy way, in faith and truth; and allow us to be obedient to your all-powerful and allvirtuous name, and to those who rule and lead us here on earth.

You have given them, O Master, the authority to rule through your magniﬁcent and indescribable power, that we may both recognize the glory and honor you have given them

For you have made plain the eternal structure of the world through the works you have accomplished. You, O Lord, created the world in which we live; you are faithful from one generation to the next, upright in

There is an abrupt and ungrammatical shift between vv. 2 and 3 in the Greek; I have followed an emendation which restores three words to the beginning of v. 3 to indicate that the long prayer of the following chapters begins here; see 61.1

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and subject ourselves to them, resisting nothing that conforms to your will. Give to them, O Lord, health, peace, harmony, and stability, so that without faltering they may administer the rule that you have given to them. 2 For you, O Master, Heavenly King forever, give humans glory, honor, and authority over the creatures of the earth. O Lord, make their plan conform with what is good and acceptable before you, that when they administer with piety the authority you have given them, in peace and meekness, they may attain your mercy. 3 You who alone can to do these things for us, and do what is more abundantly good, we praise you through the high priest and benefactor of our souls, Jesus Christ, through whom the glory and majesty be yours both now and for all generations and forever. Amen.

Brothers, we have written you enough about what is ﬁtting for our worship and what is most proﬁtable for the virtuous life, for those who want to conduct themselves in a pious and upright way. 2 For we have touched on every aspect of faith, repentance, genuine love, selfrestraint, moderation, and endurance, reminding you that you must be pleasing, in a holy way, both to the all-powerful God—by acting in righteousness, truth, and patience, living in harmony, holding no grudges, living in love and peace with fervent gentleness, just as our ancestors, whom we mentioned before, were pleasing to God by being humble-minded toward the Father, who is both God and Creator—and to all people. 3 And we were all the more happy to bring these things to mind, since we knew full well that we were writing to faithful and highly respectable men, who

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have gazed into the sayings of God’s teaching.u

Now that we have considered such great and so many examples, it is right for us to bow our necks in submission and assume a position of obedience. In this way, by putting a halt to the futile faction, we will truly reach the goal set before us, with no blame attached. 2 For you will make us joyful and happy if you become obedient to what we have written through the Holy Spirit and excise the wanton anger expressed through your jealousy, in accordance with the request we have made in this letter for your peace and harmony. 3 And we have sent faithful and temperate men who have lived blamelessly among us from youth to old age; these also will serve as witnesses between you and us. 4 We have done this that you may know that our every concern has been— and is—for you to establish the peace quickly.

And ﬁnally, may the God who observes all things, the Master of spirits and Lord of all ﬂesh, who chose both the Lord Jesus Christ and us through him to be his special people—may he grant to every soul that is called by his magniﬁcent and holy name faith, reverential awe, peace, endurance and patience, self-restraint, purity, and moderation, that they may be found pleasing to his name through our high priest and benefactor, Jesus Christ. Through whom to him be glory and greatness, power

Or: the sayings of God that bring discipline

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and honor, both now and forevermore. Amen.

But send back to us quickly our envoys Claudius Ephebus and Valerius Bito, along with Fortunatus, in peace and with joy, that they may inform us without delay about the peace and harmony that we have

prayed and desired for you. Then we will rejoice more quickly in your stability. 2 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and with all those everywhere who are called by God through him. Through whom be to him all glory, honor, power, greatness, and the eternal throne, forever and ever. Amen.