The Church In The World At The End Of The First Century

I’m trying to write a post each week from the patristics, today’s about 1 Clement 36-39.

Our series uses for its text Michael Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers.

1 Clement is from Rome and shows leadership from Rome. It is written to the Christians in Corinth and shows the problems of the 1st Century during Paul’s days continued.

Chp 36 opens with a powerful statement of christology, and I have reformatted Mike Holmes’ translation to facilitate ease in outlining the christology. #1-7 are separable comments about Jesus and then the author morphs into language from Hebrews, perhaps an indicator that Hebrews came from or was sent to Rome. The themes of this christology are redemption and knowledge.

1Clem. 36:1    This is the way, dear friends, in which we found our salvation, namely Jesus Christ, (1) the high priest of our offerings, (2) the benefactor and helper of our weakness.  2 (3) Through him we look steadily into the heights of heaven; (4) through him we see as in a mirror his faultless and transcendent face; (5) through him the eyes of our hearts have been opened; (6) through him our foolish and darkened mind springs up into the light; (7) through him the Master has willed that we should taste immortal knowledge, for he, being the radiance of his majesty, is as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent. [he morphs here]

3 For so it is written: “He makes his angels winds and his ministers flames of fire.”  4 But of his Son the Master spoke thus: “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the Gentiles for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.”  5 And again he says to him: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”  6 Who, then, are these enemies? Those who are wicked and resist his will.

The last line asks about enemies, they are identified, and that leads to moral exhortation. His imagery comes from the military. As soldiers are mixed together under the orders of the emperor so Christians are under the Lord Jesus and are serve together. But Clement morphs military into Pauline body language (37:5) and that leads him to harmony of bodily actions.

1Clem. 37:1    So let us serve as soldiers, brothers, with all seriousness under his faultless orders.  2 Let us consider the soldiers who serve under our commanders—how precisely, how readily, how obediently they execute orders.  3 Not all are prefects or tribunes or centurions or captains of fifty and so forth, but each in his own rank executes the orders given by the emperor and the commanders.  4 The great cannot exist without the small, nor the small without the great. There is a certain blending in everything, and therein lies the advantage.  5 Let us take our body as an example. The head without the feet is nothing; likewise, the feet without the head are nothing. Even the smallest parts of our body are necessary and useful to the whole body, yet all the members coalesce harmoniously and unite in mutual subjection, so that the whole body may be saved.

The diversity of the body of Christ is to find unity in redemption (38:1 with 38:1b-2). Strong (ischuros) are to support the weak and the weak are to respect the strong. This shifts to language of rich and poor. The wise, the humble and the pure are not to advertise their virtues: the wise in good works, the humble in others calling attention to their humility, and the pure in not boasting.

1Clem. 38:1    So in our case let the whole body be saved in Christ Jesus, and let each of us be mutually subject to our neighbor, in proportion to each one’s spiritual gift.  2 The strong must not neglect the weak, and the weak must respect the strong. Let the rich support the poor; and let the poor give thanks to God, because he has given him someone through whom his needs may be met. Let the wise display wisdom not in words but in good works. The humble person should not testify to his own humility, but leave it to someone else to testify about him. Let the one who is physically pure remain so and not boast, recognizing that it is someone else who grants this self-control.

Everything is from God; no one’s virtues are self-generated. 38:3-4 turns in chp 39 to the jeering world about the Christian reception of creation truths, which leads to a long citation from Job 4, 15, and 4-5. This quote combines devotion to God with accusation from world and judgment on evil. 1 Clement demonstrates yet again how deeply soaked Roman Christianity was in knowing the whole Bible.

1Clem. 38:3    Let us acknowledge, brothers, from what matter we were made; who and what we were, when we came into the world; from what grave and what darkness the one who made and created us brought us into his world, having prepared his benefits for us before we were born.  4 Seeing, therefore, that we have all these things from him, we ought in every respect to give thanks to him, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1Clem. 39:1    Senseless and stupid and foolish and ignorant people jeer and mock at us, wishing to exalt themselves in their own imaginations.  2 For what can a mortal do? Or what strength does an earthborn creature have?  3 For it is written: “There was no form before my eyes; I heard only a breath and a voice.  4 What then? Shall a mortal be clean in the presence of the Lord? Or shall a man be blameless for his deeds, seeing that he does not trust his servants and has found some fault against his angels?  5 Not even heaven is clean in his sight, much less we who dwell in houses of clay, the very same clay of which we ourselves are made. He crushed them like a moth, and between morning and evening they cease to exist. Because they could not help themselves, they perished.  6 He breathed upon them and they died, because they had no wisdom.  7 But call out, if some one should obey you, or if you should see one of the holy angels. For wrath kills the foolish person, and envy slays one who has gone astray.  8 And I have seen fools putting down roots, but suddenly their house was consumed.  9 May their children be far from safety. May they be mocked at the doors of lesser men, and there will be none to deliver them. For the things prepared for them, the righteous shall eat; but they themselves will not be delivered from evil.”