The Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

The Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

But, to avoid using examples from antiquity, let us use heroic examples from our own time.

Let us consider all the noble examples from our age.

It was due to jealousy and envy that the greatest and most righteous pillars were persecuted and fought to the death.

Let us pass in review the good apostles: Peter, who through unwarranted jealousy underwent not one or two, but many hardships and, after thus giving testimony, went through martyrdom into the place of glory that was his due.

Through jealousy and strife Paul demonstrated how to win the prize of patient endurance: seven times he was imprisoned; he was forced into exile and stoned; he preached in the East and the West; and, finally, he won the splendid renown which his faith had earned. He travelled as far as the Western boundary and suffered a martyr’s death under our rulers.

This ended his earthly career, and he was taken up into the holy place as the greatest model of patient endurance.

These men who had led holy lives, were joined by a great multitude of the elect who suffered numerous indignities and tortures through jealousy, and thus became illustrious examples among us.

Through jealousy women too were persecuted, and, like Danaids and Dircae, endured frightful and abominable outrages; but with steadfastness they ran the race, reached the goal on the racecourse of faith, and obtained a noble prize despite the weakness of their bodies.

Jealousy has estranged wives from their husbands and thus perverted the saying of our father Adam: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”

Jealousy and strife have laid waste to mighty cities and have uprooted powerful nations.

We are writing this, beloved, not only for your admonition but also to remind ourselves; for we are on the same battlefield and face the same conflict before us.

Let us, then, give up those empty and futile aspirations, and turn to the glorious and venerable rule of our tradition. Let us attend to what is noble, what is pleasing, what is acceptable in the sight of our Maker.

Let us fix our gaze upon the Blood of Christ and understand how precious it is to the Father, because, being poured out for our salvation, it brought the grace of repentance to the whole world.

Let us turn to every age that has passed, and learn that, from generation to generation, the Lord has granted a place of repentance to all such as would be converted unto Him.

Noah preached repentance, and as many as listened to him were saved.

Jonah proclaimed destruction to the Ninevites; but they, repenting of their sins, propitiated God by prayer, and obtained salvation, although they were alien to the covenant of God.

The ministers of the grace of God have, by the Holy Spirit, spoken of repentance.

And the Lord Himself has spoken of repentance with an oath: “As truly as I live, says the Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but his repentance;” and He added a gracious declaration:

“House of Israel, repent from your iniquity.”

Say to the children of My people: “and though your sins are like scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, and should you turn to me with all your heart and say, ‘Father!’—then I would listen to you as to a consecrated people.”

And in another passage, He says as follows: “Wash and be cleansed and put away from your souls the wickedness which offends my eyes.”

Rid yourselves of your evil doings, learn to do good, strive for justice, rescue the oppressed, sustain the rights of the orphan, and see justice done to the widow. “Then come and let us reason together, says the Lord; and should your sins be like purple, I will make them white as snow; and should they be like scarlet, I will make them white as wool.

And if you are willing and listen to Me, you shall eat the good things of the land; but if you are not willing and do not listen to Me, the sword shall devour you.

Thus has the mouth of the Lord spoken.”

It follows that He wants all His beloved to have a chance to repent, and this He has ratified by His Almighty Will.

Therefore, let us comply with His magnificent and glorious purpose, and let us crave His mercy and loving kindness on bended knee, and turn to His compassion, after abandoning our vain efforts and our strife and the jealousy which leads to death.

Let us steadfastly contemplate those who have perfectly ministered to His excellent glory.

Let us take, for instance, Enoch,

Who was found to be righteous in obedience and was transported away, leaving no trace of his death.

Abraham, called “The Friend,” proved faithful in being obedient to the words of God.

Through obedience this man left his country, his kith and kin, and his father’s house, in order that by turning his back upon a little country, a slender relationship, and a small home, he might inherit the blessings promised by God. For He said to him: “Leave your country, your kith and kin, and your father’s house, and go to the country which I will show you; and I will make you the father of a mighty nation, and bless and exalt you, and you shall be blessed; and I will bless those that bless you, and curse those that curse you; and through you all the peoples of the earth shall be blessed.” And again, when he separated from Lot, God said to him: “Lift your eyes, and from the place where you are now look toward the North and the South and the East and to the sea.

For all the land which you see I will give to you and your posterity to hold forevermore. And I will make your posterity as numerous as the dust of the earth.

“If anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your posterity also can be numbered.” And again, it is said: God led Abraham out and said to him: “Look up at the heavens and count the stars if you can number them.

So numerous shall your posterity be!”

“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Because of his faith and hospitality, a son was granted to him in old age; and through obedience he offered him as a sacrifice to God on one of the mountains He had pointed out to him.

Hospitality and godly fear were the reason for Lot’s delivery from Sodom, while the whole surrounding country was chastised by means of fire and brimstone.

Thus, the Master made it clear that He does not abandon such as hope in Him, but those of a wayward disposition He gives over to chastisement and torment.

For example, his wife, who was of an obstinate nature and not in complete harmony with him.

Yet she was made a permanent memorial: she was turned into a pillar of salt to this day. It was to be made known to all that the double-minded and those who question the power of God become a warning example of condemnation to all generations.

Hospitality and faith were the reason why the harlot Rahab was saved.

For when spies had been sent out to Jericho by Joshua, the son of Nun, the king of the land learned that they had come to conquer the territory, and he sent out men to intercept them so that they might be arrested and executed.

Now, the hospitable Rahab received the spies into her home and hid them upstairs under flax straw.

And when the king’s men confronted her and said: “There are men in your house who have come to spy out our country.”

“Bring them out, for such is the king’s order.”

This woman replied: “Yes, the men for whom you are looking did enter my house; but they left at once and are now on their way.”

She then pointed in the opposite direction.

And she said to the spies: “I know for a certainty that the Lord God is delivering this land into your hands, for alarm and fear of you have seized its inhabitants. So, when you succeed in conquering it, save me and my father’s house.” And they said to her: “Very well; your request shall be granted.”

As soon, then, as you learn that we are approaching, gather all your people under your roof, and they will be spared; for all that are found outside the house shall perish.

And they further gave her a sign: she was to hang a scarlet thread out of her window.

Whereby they made it clear to all that through the Blood of the Lord those who believe and hope in God would be redeemed.

You see, beloved, that the woman possessed not only faith but also the gift of prophecy.

Let us, therefore, brethren, be of a humble frame of mind, ridding ourselves of all arrogance and haughtiness and foolishness and passion, and do what the Scripture says.

For the Holy Spirit declares: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, or the strong man of his strength, or the rich man of his riches; but, if anyone boasts, let his boast be in the Lord; thus, he will seek and do what is right and just.”

Especially let us be mindful of the words of the Lord Jesus which He spoke when inculcating gentleness and long-suffering. This is what He said: “Show mercy, that you may be shown mercy; forgive, that you may be forgiven.

As you treat others, so you shall be treated; as you give, so you shall receive.

As you judge, so you shall be judged.

As you show kindness, so kindness shall be shown to you; the measure you use in measuring shall be used to measuring out your share.” With this commandment and these precepts let us strengthen ourselves, that we may live in obedience to His holy words, with humility.

For the Holy Scripture says: “On whom shall I look but on him who is gentle and meek and trembles at hearing my words.”

It is right and holy, therefore, brethren, that we should be obedient to God rather than follow those who, through arrogance and insubordination, make themselves the ringleaders in quarrels born of detestable jealousy.

No ordinary harm, surely, but serious danger shall we incur 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 in imitation of the compassion and goodness of our Maker.

And again, it says: “I saw a godless man rear his head to unseemly heights like the cedars of Lebanon.

And I passed by, and behold, he was no more! And I searched for his place, and I did not find it.”

Cherish guilelessness and aim at sincerity, for posterity belongs to the peaceable man. Therefore, let us associate with those who in righteousness cultivate peace, and not with those whose peaceful intentions are but a mask. For somewhere it is said: “This people honour me with its lips; but its heart is far away from me. And again: With their lips they blessed, but with their hearts they cursed.” And again, it is said: “They loved Him with their lips, and with their tongue they lied to Him; but their heart was not sincere with Him, nor did they prove faithful to His covenant. Therefore, struck dumb shall be the treacherous lips that speak evil against the good man.” And again: “May the Lord destroy all the deceitful lips, the boastful tongue, the men that say: “Great glory will we win by our tongue, our lips are our own: who is lord over us?” Because of the wretchedness of the needy and the sighs of the poor, I will now rise,” says the Lord; “I will bring relief, and boldly will I act in bringing it.” For it is to the humble-minded that Christ belongs, not to those who exalt themselves above His flock. The Sceptre of the Divine Majesty, the Lord Jesus Christ, did not, for all His power, come clothed in boastful pomp and overweening pride, but in a humble frame of mind, as the Holy Spirit has told concerning Him.

For He says: “Lord, who has believed our teaching? And the arm of the Lord, to whom has it been revealed? Looking at Him, we announced, as it were, a child, a root in thirsty ground; there is no form, no comeliness in Him; yes, we saw Him, and He had neither form nor beauty; but His form was without eminence and deficient in comparison with the normal appearance of men.

As a man covered with wounds and the marks of hardship; one acquainted with infirmity; because His face is turned away, He has been dishonoured and held in disrespect.

Our sins it is that this Man bears, and for our sake He is in pain; and we regarded Him as one afflicted and bruised and ill-treated.

But He was wounded for our sins and languishes because of our iniquities.

To give us peace He is under chastisement.

By His stripes we were healed.

We all, like sheep, had gone astray; each man had wandered from his path.

And the Lord delivered Him up for our sins; yet He did not open His mouth, when He was abused, as a sheep He was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb dumb before the shearer, He did not open His mouth.

Because of His humiliation His condemnation was taken away.

As to His generation, who can fathom their minds? For His life is taken from the earth!

Because of the iniquities of my people is He come to death!

But I will deliver up the wicked for putting Him in the grave, and the rich for putting Him to death; for He has done no evil, nor was guile found on His lips.

And it pleased the Lord to cleanse Him from His wounds.

If you make an offering for sin, you will see a long-lived posterity.

And the Lord is pleased to take away the torment of His soul, to show Him light, and mould Him through understanding, and thus to render justice to a just man who served many well.

And He will take upon Himself the burden of their sins.

For this reason, He shall count a numerous inheritance and divide the spoils taken from the strong, because He was delivered up to death and classed among the lawless. And He took upon Himself the sins of many, and to atone for their sins He was delivered up.” And again, He says Himself: “I am a worm and not a man, a disgrace among men and the contempt of the people.

All that saw Me mocked at Me; they hissed at Me; they shook their heads.” He trusted in the Lord: let the Lord deliver Him, let Him save Him, for He has pleasure in Him.” You see, beloved, the example that has been given us.

For if the Lord was thus humble-minded, what shall we do, who through Him have come under the yoke of His grace?

Let us imitate the example of those also who wandered about dressed in sheepskins and goatskins, heralding the advent of Christ. We mean the prophets Elijah and Elisha, as well as Ezekiel; and in addition to these, the men of attested merit.

Abraham’s merit was magnificently attested, and he was styled a “friend of God”; still, fixing his gaze upon the majesty of God, he said: “But I am dust and ashes.” Furthermore, concerning Job the Scripture says: “Job was righteous and irreproachable, true, God-fearing, who refrained from all evil.” Still, for his part, he accused himself in these words: “No man is clean from defilement, even should his life last but one day.” Moses was called faithful in all his house, and God made use of his services to chastise Egypt with the shameful scourges inflicted on them; but even he, though magnificently honoured, did not use boastful language; on the contrary, when granted a revelation from the bush, he said: “Who am I that You send me? I am feeble of speech and slow of tongue.” And again: I am but steam from a pot.”

And what shall we say of David and his attested merit? It was he of whom God said: “I have found a man after my own heart, David, the son of Jesse.”

In everlasting mercy have I anointed him. But he, too, says to God: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the multitude of Your compassions, blot out my iniquity. Wash me more and more from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin; for I acknowledge my iniquity, and my sin is ever before my eyes.

Against You alone I have sinned, and what is evil in Your sight I have done. You, therefore, are pronounced just in Your words, and are acquitted when You are tried.

For, behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and in sin my mother carried me in pregnancy. Behold, You love sincerity of heart; the hidden secrets of Your wisdom You have revealed to me.

Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Fill my ears with joy and gladness, and my battered bones shall shout for joy.

Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.

Create a pure heart in me, God, and renew a right spirit in my inmost soul.

Do not reject me from Your presence, and Your Holy Spirit do not take away from me.

Restore to me the bliss of Your salvation, and with a princely spirit strengthen me. The wicked will I teach Your ways, and the ungodly shall repent to You. Deliver me from blood guilt, O God, my Saviour! My tongue shall exult in Your justice.

Open my mouth, O Lord, and my lips shall proclaim Your praise.

For, if You had wished for a sacrifice, I would have offered it.

But in whole burnt offerings You take no delight. A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; a contrite and humble heart God will not despise.”

The spirit of humility and sense of my own lowliness of so many well-attested men have by their obedience made better men, not only of us, but also of the generations before us as well as to those who have received His words in fear and truth.

And so, since we are allowed to profit by so many glorious examples, let us hasten on to the goal of peace handed down to us from the beginning, and let us fix our gaze upon the Father and Creator of the whole world and hold fast to His magnificent and superabundant gifts and blessings of peace.

Let us see Him in spirit and contemplate with the eyes of the soul His forbearing disposition.

Let us consider how unimpassioned He is in dealing with all of His creation.