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1 Clement

Rome writes to a divided Corinthian church, recalling Peter and Paul and urging respect for ministers appointed in the apostles’ succession.^{1 2 3}

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Read Roberts and Donaldson’s translation ↗ · Translation by Roberts and Donaldson.

At a glance

Genre: Letter from the church at Rome to the church at Corinth.¹
Author: Unnamed in the letter; traditionally Clement (Kirsopp Lake).^{4 5}
Written: About AD 96 (John Chapman); AD 75–110 is Lake’s safer range.^{5 6}
Occasion: Division at Corinth, including the removal of presbyters.^{1 3}

Summary

Readers of Paul’s letters can see Corinth’s divisions through a later appeal from Rome. 1 Clement recalls Peter and Paul, defends the succession of approved ministers and asks the Corinthians to revisit Paul’s earlier letter. The writer is unnamed. Kirsopp Lake accepted the traditional attribution to Clement while acknowledging its lack of corroboration. Catholic scholar John Chapman dated it about AD 96; Lake preferred AD 75–110 because the narrower date depends on interpreting the opening.^{8 sources}8 sources1. (attributed)3. (attributed)2. (attributed)7. (attributed)8. 1 Corinthians 1:12 4. Lake 5. Chapman 6. Lake

Division and the apostles’ example
Chapters 1–5
The letter confronts the Corinthian disturbance and holds up Peter and Paul as people who suffered through envy.^{1 2}
An argument for resurrection
Chapters 24–26
Among its examples of resurrection, the letter tells of a phoenix said to return to life after five hundred years.⁹
Order, ministers and Paul’s letter
Chapters 41–47
The letter describes sacrifices at Jerusalem, says the apostles arranged for approved ministers to succeed their appointees, and recalls Paul’s earlier letter about Corinthian factions.^{4 sources}4 sources10. (attributed)3. (attributed)7. (attributed)8. 1 Corinthians 1:12
Judith and Esther as examples
Chapter 55
Judith’s venture into the enemy camp and Esther’s example become lessons in self-sacrifice.^{11 12}

Stories

Remembering Peter and Paul
Chapter 5
The letter recalls the suffering and martyrdom of both men. It says Paul reached the far western limit, but gives neither man’s place or manner of death.²
The phoenix returns
Chapter 25
The author presents a unique Arabian bird, said to live five hundred years and rise from its own decay, as a sign of resurrection.⁹

Connections to the Bible

Echoes and allusions

1 Corinthians 1:12 · Chapter 47
The letter explicitly asks the Corinthians to take up Paul’s epistle and recalls their factions around Paul, Cephas and Apollos. The same connection includes 1 Corinthians 3:4–6.^{7 8}
Hebrews 1:1–14 · Chapter 36medium confidence
Eusebius says Clement’s letter takes many thoughts and some exact expressions from Hebrews. In his judgment, this shows Hebrews was not a recent work.¹³

Retellings

Judith 8:33–13:20 · Chapter 55
The letter recalls Judith entering the enemy camp to save her city, making her an example of self-sacrifice.^{11 12}

Shared figures

Esther 4:16 · Chapter 55
Esther appears alongside Judith as an example of self-sacrifice.^{11 12}
Philippians 4:3 · Traditional author identificationlow confidence
Eusebius identifies Clement of Rome with Paul’s fellow-worker named here. Catholic scholar Chapman thinks they were probably different people.^{14 5 15}

How far did its authority extend?

Dionysius of Corinth, quoted by Eusebius, reports church reading of the letter through Clement. The fifth-century Codex Alexandrinus includes the Clement letters after the New Testament. McDonald’s distinction, reported by Alex Jassen, separates authoritative use from a precisely defined collection of books.^{4 sources}4 sources16. Eusebius 17. Fenlon 18. Lake 19. Jassen 2008

Reasons for valuing it

Early church: Greek

Dionysius of Corinth, quoted by Eusebius, says the earlier letter through Clement continued to supply advice through church reading.¹⁶

Early church: Greek

Clement of Alexandria calls its writer an apostle. Lake judges that he appears to treat the letter as Scripture.^{20 21}

Academic (critical)

J. F. Fenlon says the Alexandrinus scribe seems to count the Clement letters as New Testament. Lake cautiously links that placement and Clement of Alexandria’s use to early acceptance in Alexandria and Egypt.^{17 18}

Sources

21 sources from 10 works

Clement of Rome (attributed), First Epistle to the Corinthians, tr. Roberts and Donaldson, ANF vol. 1 (New Advent)
- 1
  chapter 1↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d ↩^e
- 2
  chapter 5↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d
- 3
  chapter 44↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d
- 7
  chapter 47↩^a ↩^b ↩^c
- 9
  chapter 25↩^a ↩^b
- 10
  chapter 41↩
- 11
  chapter 55↩^a ↩^b ↩^c
Kirsopp Lake, The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 1 (Loeb Classical Library, 1912), introduction to I Clement
- 4
  pp. 3-4↩^a ↩^b ↩^c
- 6
  pp. 4-5↩^a ↩^b
- 18
  pp. 6-7↩^a ↩^b ↩^c
- 21
  p. 6↩
5
John Chapman, Pope St. Clement I, The Catholic Encyclopedia vol. 4 (1908), New Advent↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d
8
1 Corinthians 1:12↩^a ↩^b ↩^c
12
Judith 8:33↩^a ↩^b ↩^c
Eusebius, Church History, tr. A. C. McGiffert, NPNF 2nd ser. vol. 1 (New Advent)
- 13
  3.38.1↩
- 14
  3.15↩
- 16
  4.23.11↩^a ↩^b ↩^c
15
Philippians 4:3↩
17
J. F. Fenlon, Codex Alexandrinus, The Catholic Encyclopedia vol. 4 (1908), New Advent↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d
19
Alex Jassen, “Review of Lee Martin McDonald, The Biblical Canon (2007), Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 8 (2008)” (2008)↩^a ↩^b
20
Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, book 4, tr. W. Wilson, ANF vol. 2 (New Advent), 4.17↩

1 Clement

At a glance

Summary

Contents

Division and the apostles’ example

An argument for resurrection

Order, ministers and Paul’s letter

Judith and Esther as examples

Stories

Remembering Peter and Paul

The phoenix returns

Connections to the Bible

Echoes and allusions

Retellings

Shared figures

How far did its authority extend?

Reasons for valuing it

Early church: Greek

Early church: Greek

Academic (critical)

Further reading

Sources

Report a problem

At a glance

Summary

Contents

Division and the apostles’ example

An argument for resurrection

Order, ministers and Paul’s letter

Judith and Esther as examples

Stories

Remembering Peter and Paul

The phoenix returns

Connections to the Bible

Echoes and allusions

Retellings

Shared figures

How far did its authority extend?

Reasons for valuing it

Early church: Greek

Early church: Greek

Academic (critical)

Related books

Further reading

Sources

Report a problem