Clement's letter to the Corinthians
Clement's letter to the Corinthians
Humility
The primary theme of Clement's letter to the Corinthians is humility. Clement, using continual examples from the lives of Old Testament saints and the teaching of Jesus, Paul and Peter, reminds the Corinthian church of the way of humility.
Yet this humility is not opposed to skill and power, as Clement writes:
Let a man be faithful: let him be powerful in the utterance of knowledge; let him be wise in judging of words; let him be pure in all his deeds; yet the more he seems to be superior to others [in these respects], the more humble - minded ought he to be, and to seek the common good of all, and not merely his own advantage. - Chapter 48
This humility is also shown specifically in submission to the church authorities put in place by the apostles and therefore the Lord.
Our apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and there would be strife on account of the office of the episcopate. For this reason, therefore, inasmuch as they had obtained a perfect fore-knowledge of this, they appointed those [ministers] already mentioned, and afterwards gave instructions, that when these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed them in their ministry. We are of opinion, therefore, that those appointed by them, or afterwards by other eminent men, with the consent of the whole Church, and who have blamelessly served the flock of Christ in a humble, peaceable, and disinterested spirit, and have for a long time possessed the good opinion of all, cannot be justly dismissed from the ministry. - Chapter 49
And not only this, but the position of priest and deacon was foretold in Isaiah, chapter 60 verse 17:
Nor was this any new thing, since indeed many ages before it was written concerning bishops and deacons. For thus saith the Scripture in a certain place, “I will appoint their bishops in righteousness, and their deacons in faith.” - Chapter 42
The Trinity in Clement's letter to the Corinthians
Clement's letter to the Corinthians demonstrates an early fluency in the church's language of the Holy Trinity. Clement's language demonstrates his similarity with the ease of flow which is seen in the New Testament. In particular, we see the following.
The Holy Spirit as speaking in the Old Testament. Three times Clement references the Holy Spirit in this letter, and all three times Clement refers to the Holy Spirit as 'speaking,' followed by an Old Testament quote. One of these times, Clement refers to Christ speaking through the Holy Spirit, demonstrating the personal distinction of the Son and Spirit, and also providing tangential early evidence for the procession of the Spirit from the Son.
Referencing Ezekiel 33 The ministers of the grace of God have, by the Holy Spirit, spoken of repentance; and the Lord of all things has himself declared with an oath regarding it, “As I live, saith the Lord, I desire not the death of the sinner, but rather his repentance;” - Chapter 8
Referencing Isaiah 53 Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sceptre of the majesty of God, did not come in the pomp of pride or arrogance, although He might have done so, but in a lowly condition, as the Holy Spirit had declared regarding Him. For He says, “Lord, who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" - Chapter 16
Referencing Psalm 34 For He Himself by the Holy Ghost thus addresses us: “Come, ye children, hearken unto Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord..." - Chapter 22
No particular reference Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit. - Chapter 45
Yet not only in the Old Testament. Clement is a witness to the Holy Spirit inspiring the New Testament, in this reference to Paul's letter to the Corinthians:
Truly, under the inspiration of the Spirit, he wrote to you concerning himself, and Cephas, and Apollos, because even then parties had been formed among you. - Chapter 47
Both Christ and God as Lord. 'The Lord' (Greek Kyrie, Κύριε) is how the Septuagint translated the tetragrammaton, YHWH, which is the personal name of God in the Old Testament. Clement continues the Old Testament's application of the Divine Title 'Lord' to Christ. Yet Clement also makes a distinction between the 'Creator' Lord and 'Christ' our Lord. Here he continues the scriptural appropriation of the act of creation to the Father.
All these the great Creator and Lord of all has appointed to exist in peace and harmony; while He does good to all, but most abundantly to us who have fled for refuge to His compassions through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory and majesty for ever and ever. - Chapter 20
Justification by faith in Clement
Clement's letter to the Corinthians follows the New Testaments distinction between justification without works absolutely, and justification by works which are in contrast with words. For example, James writes:
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. - James 2:24
In context, James is contrasting faith which is demonstrated by works with a 'faith' which is actually mere speech. Words without substance, or as James also puts it, 'dead faith' (2:17). Clement says something similar in chapter 30:
Let us clothe ourselves with concord and humility, ever exercising self-control, standing far off from all whispering and evil-speaking, being justified by our works, and not our words.
Here he is clearly distinguishing works with words. Later, in chapter 32, Clement writes:
And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever.
Here Clement follows Paul's way of speaking, where he speaks of justification by faith:
To the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. - Romans 4:5