Second Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians
AN ANCIENT
HOMILY BY AN UNKNOWN AUTHOR OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SECOND CLEMENT
Translated by J.B. Lightfoot.
Adapt. and mod. (c) 1990. ATHENA
DATA PRODUCTS
2 Clem. 1:1
Brethren, we ought so to think of Jesus Christ, as of God, as of the Judge of
quick and dead.
2 Clem. 1:2
And we ought not to think mean things of our
Salvation: for when we think mean things of Him, we expect also to receive mean
things. And they that listen as concerning mean things do wrong; and we
ourselves do wrong, not knowing whence and by whom and unto what place we were
called, and how many things Jesus Christ endured to suffer for our sakes.
2 Clem. 1:3
What recompense then shall we give unto Him? Or what
fruit worthy of His own gift to us? And how many
mercies do we owe to Him!
2 Clem. 1:4
For He bestowed the light upon us; He spake to
us, as a father to his sons; He saved us, when we were perishing.
2 Clem. 1:5
What praise then shall we give to Him? Or what payment
of recompense for those things which we received?
2 Clem. 1:6
We who were maimed in our understanding, and
worshipped stocks and stones and gold and silver and bronze, the works of men;
and our whole life was nothing else but death. While then we were thus wrapped
in darkness and oppressed with this thick mist in our vision, we recovered our
sight, putting off by His will the cloud wherein we were wrapped.
2 Clem. 1:7
For He had mercy on us, and in His compassion saved us, having beheld in us much error and perdition, even when we had no
hope of salvation, save that which came from Him.
2 Clem. 1:8
For He called us, when we were not, and from not being He willed us to
be.
2 Clem. 2:1
Rejoice, thou barren that barest not. Break out and cry, thou that travailest not; for more are the children of the desolate
than of her that hath the husband. In that He said Rejoice, thou barren that
barest not, He spake of us: for our Church was
barren, before that children were given unto her.
2 Clem. 2:2
And in that He said, Cry aloud, thou that travailest
not, He meaneth this; Let us not, like women in
travail, grow weary of offering up our prayers with simplicity to God.
2 Clem. 2:3
Again, in that He said, For the children of the
desolate are more than of her that hath the husband, He so spake,
because our people seemed desolate and forsaken of God, whereas now, having
believed, we have become more than those who seemed to have God.
2 Clem. 2:4
Again another scripture saith,
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.
2 Clem. 2:5
He meaneth this; that it is right to save them that
are perishing.
2 Clem. 2:6
For this indeed is a great and marvelous work, to
establish, not those things which stand, but those which are falling.
2 Clem. 2:7
So also Christ willed to save the things which were
perishing And He saved many, coming and calling us when we were even now
perishing.
2 Clem. 3:1
Seeing then that He bestowed so great mercy on us;
first of all, that we, who are living, do not sacrifice to these dead gods,
neither worship them, but through Him have known the Father of truth. What else
is this knowledge to Himward, but not to deny Him
through whom we have known Him?
2 Clem. 3:2
Yea, He Himself saith, Whoso
confesseth Me, Him will I confess before the Father.
2 Clem. 3:3
This then is our reward, if verily we shall confess
Him through whom we were saved.
2 Clem. 3:4
But wherein do we confess Him? When we do that which He saith
and are not disobedient unto His commandments, and not only honor Him with our
lips, but with our whole heart and with our whole
mind.
2 Clem. 3:5
Now He saith also in Isaiah, This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
2 Clem. 4:1
Let us therefore not only call Him Lord, for this will not save us:
2 Clem. 4:2
for He saith, Not every one
that saith unto Me, Lord, shall be saved, but he that
doeth righteousness.
2 Clem. 4:3
So then, brethren, let us confess Him in our works, by loving one another, by
not committing adultery nor speaking evil one against another nor envying, but being
temperate, merciful, kindly. And we ought to have fellow-feeling one with
another and not to be covetous. By these works let us confess Him, and not by
the contrary.
2 Clem. 4:4
And we ought not rather to fear men but God.
2 Clem. 4:5
For this cause, if ye do these things, the Lord said, Though ye be gathered
together with Me in My bosom, and do not My commandments, I will cast you away
and will say unto you, Depart from Me, I know you not whence ye are, ye workers
of iniquity.
2 Clem. 5:1
Wherefore, brethren, let us forsake our sojourn in
this world and do the will of Him that called us, and let us not be afraid to
depart out of this world.
2 Clem. 5:2
For the Lord saith, Ye shall
be as lambs in the midst of wolves.
2 Clem. 5:3
But Peter answered and said unto Him, What then, if the wolves should tear the
lambs?
2 Clem. 5:4
Jesus said unto Peter, Let not the lambs fear the wolves after they are dead;
and ye also, fear ye not them that kill you and are not able to do anything to
you; but fear Him that after ye are dead hath power over soul and body, to cast
them into the Gehenna of fire.
2 Clem. 5:5
And ye know, brethren, that the sojourn of this flesh
in this world is mean and for a short time, but the promise of Christ is great
and marvelous, even the rest of the kingdom that shall be and of life
eternal.
2 Clem. 5:6
What then can we do to obtain them, but walk in
holiness and righteousness, and consider these worldly things as alien to us,
and
not desire them?
2 Clem. 5:7
For when we desire to obtain these things we fall away
from the righteous path.
2 Clem. 6:1
But the Lord saith, No
servant can serve two masters. If we desire to serve both God and mammon, it is
unprofitable for us:
2 Clem. 6:2
For what advantage is it, if a man gain the whole
world and forfeit his soul?
2 Clem. 6:3
Now this age and the future are two enemies.
2 Clem. 6:4
The one speaketh of adultery
and defilement and avarice and deceit, but the other biddeth
farewell to these.
2 Clem. 6:5
We cannot therefore be friends of the two, but must
bid farewell to the one and hold companionship with the other.
2 Clem. 6:6
Let us consider that it is better to hate the things which are here,because they are mean and for
a short time and perishable, and to love the things which are there, for they
are good and imperishable.
2 Clem. 6:7
For, if we do the will of Christ, we shall find rest;
but if otherwise, then nothing shall deliver us from eternal punishment, if we
should disobey His commandments.
2 Clem. 6:8
And the scripture also saith
in Ezekiel, Though Noah and Job and Daniel should rise up, they shall not
deliver their children in the captivity.
2 Clem. 6:9
But if even such righteous men as these cannot by
their righteousdeeds deliver their children, with
what confidence shall we, if we keep not our baptism pure and undefiled, enter
into the kingdom of God? Or who shall be our advocate, unless we be found having holy and righteous works?
2 Clem. 7:1
So then, my brethren, let us contend, knowing that the
contest is nigh at hand, and that, while many resort to the corruptible
contests, yet not all are crowned, but only they that have toiled hard and
contended bravely.
2 Clem. 7:2
Let us then contend that we all may be crowned.
2 Clem. 7:3
Wherefore let us run in the straight course, the
incorruptible contest. And let us resort to it in throngs and contend, that we may also be crowned. And if we cannot all
be crowned, let us at least
come near to the crown.
2 Clem. 7:4
We ought to know that he which contendeth
in the corruptible contest, if he be found dealing corruptly with it, is first
flogged. and then removed and driven out of the race
course.
2 Clem. 7:5
What think ye? What shall be done to him that hath
dealt corruptly with the contest of incorruption?
2 Clem. 7:6
For as concerning them that have not kept the seal, He saith,
Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall
be for a spectacle unto all flesh.
2 Clem. 8:1
While we are on earth then, let us repent: for we are
clay under the craftsman's hand.
2 Clem. 8:2
For in like manner as the potter, if he be making a vessel, and it get twisted
or crushed in his hands, reshapeth it again; but if
he have once put it into the fiery oven, he shall no longer mend it: so also
let us, while we are in this world, repent with our whole heart of the evil
things which we have done in the flesh, that we may be saved by the Lord, while
we have yet time for repentance.
2 Clem. 8:3
For after that we have departed out of the world, we
can no more make confession there, or repent any more.
2 Clem. 8:4
Wherefore, brethren, if we shall have done the will of
the Father and kept the flesh pure and guarded the commandments of the Lord, we
shall receive life eternal.
2 Clem. 8:5
For the Lord saith in the Gospel, If
ye kept not that which is little, who shall give unto you that which is great?
For I say unto you that he which is faithful in the least, is also faithful in
much.
2 Clem. 8:6
So then He meaneth this,
Keep the flesh pure and the seal unstained, to the end that we may receive
life.
2 Clem. 9:1
And let not any one of you say that this flesh is not
judged neither riseth again.
2 Clem. 9:2
Understand ye. In what were ye saved? In what did ye recover your sight? if ye were not in this flesh.
2 Clem. 9:3
We ought therefore to guard the flesh as a temple of God:
2 Clem. 9:4
for in like manner as ye were called in the flesh, ye shall come also in the
flesh.
2 Clem. 9:5
If Christ the Lord who saved us, being first spirit, then became flesh, and so
called us, in like manner also shall we in this flesh
receive our reward.
2 Clem. 9:6
Let us therefore love one another, that we all may
come unto the kingdom of God.
2 Clem. 9:7
While we have time to be healed, let us place
ourselves in the hands of God the physician, giving Him a recompense.
2 Clem. 9:8
What recompense? Repentance from a
sincere heart.
2 Clem. 9:9
For He discerneth all things beforehand and knoweth what is in our heart.
2 Clem. 9:10
Let us therefore give unto Him eternal praise, not from our lips only, but also
from our heart, that He may receive us as sons.
2 Clem. 9:11
For the Lord also said, These are my brethren, which
do the will of My Father.
2 Clem. 10:1
Wherefore, my brethren, let us do the will of the
Father which called us, that we may live; and let us the rather pursue virtue,
but forsake vice as the forerunner of our sins, and let us flee from
ungodliness, lest evils overtake us.
2 Clem. 10:2
For if we be diligent in doing good, peace will pursue
us.
2 Clem. 10:3
For this cause is a man unable to *attain happiness*,
seeing that they call in the fears of men, preferring rather the enjoyment
which is here than the promise which is to come.
2 Clem. 10:4
For they know not how great torment the enjoyment
which is here bringeth, and what delight the promise
which is to come bringeth.
2 Clem. 10:5
And if verily they were doing these things by
themselves alone, it had been tolerable: but now they continue teaching evil to
innocent souls, not knowing that they shall have their condemnation doubled,
both themselves and their hearers.
2 Clem. 11:1
Let us therefore serve God in a pure heart, and we
shall be righteous; but if we serve Him not, because we believe not the promise
of God, we shall be wretched.
2 Clem. 11:2
For the word of prophecy also saith: Wretched are the
double-minded, that doubt in their heart and say, These things we heard of old
in the days of our fathers also, yet we have waited day after day and seen none
of them.
2 Clem. 11:3
Ye fools! compare yourselves
unto a tree; take a vine. First it sheds its leaves, then a shoot cometh, after
this a sour berry, then a full ripe grape.
2 Clem. 11:4
So likewise My people had tumults and afflictions: but
afterward they shall receive good things.
2 Clem. 11:5
Wherefore, my brethren, let us not be double-minded
but endure patiently in hope, that we may also obtain our reward.
2 Clem. 11:6
For faithful is He that promised to pay to each man
the recompense of his works.
2 Clem. 11:7
If therefore we shalt have
wrought righteousness in the sight of God, we shalt
enter into His kingdom and shall receive the promises which ear hath not heard
nor eye seen, nor eye seen, neither hath it
entered into the heart of man.
2 Clem. 12:1
Let us therefore await the kingdom of God betimes in love and righteousness,
since we know not the day of God's appearing.
2 Clem. 12:2
For the Lord Himself, being asked by a certain person when his kingdom would
come, said, When the two shall be one, and the outside
as the inside, and the male with the female, neither male or female.
2 Clem. 12:3
Now the two are one, when we speak truth among
ourselves, and in two bodies there shall be one soul without dissimulation.
2 Clem. 12:4
And by the outside as the inside He meaneth this: by the inside he meaneth
the soul and by the outside the body. Therefore in like manner as they body appeareth, so also let thy soul be manifest by its good
works.
2 Clem. 12:5
And by the male with the female, neither male nor female, he meaneth this; that a brother seeing a sister should have no
thought of her as a female, and that a sister seeing a brother should not have
any thought of him as a male.
2 Clem. 12:6
These things if ye do, saith
He, the kingdom of my father shall come.
2 Clem. 13:1
Therefore, brethren, let us repent forthwith. Let us be sober unto that which
is good: for we are full of much folly and wickedness. Let us wipe away from us
our former sins, and let us not be found to be men pleasers. Neither let us
desire to please one another only, but also those men that are without, by our
righteousness, that the Name be not blasphemed by reason of us.
2 Clem. 13:2
For the Lord saith, Every
way My Name is blasphemed among all the Gentiles; and again, Woe unto him by
reason of whom My Name is blasphemed. Wherein is it blasphemed? In that ye do
not the things which I desire.
2 Clem. 13:3
For the Gentiles, when they hear from our mouths the oracles of God, marvel at
them for their beauty and greatness; then, when they discover that our works
are not worthy of the words which we speak, forthwith they betake themselves to
blasphemy, saying that it is an idle story and a delusion.
2 Clem. 13:4
For when they here from us that God saith, It is no thank unto you, if ye love them that love
you, but this is thank unto you, if ye love your enemies and them that hate
you; when they hear these things, I say, they marvel at their exceeding
goodness; but when they see that we not only do not love us, they laugh us to
scorn, and the Name is blasphemed.
2 Clem. 14:1
Wherefore, brethren, if we do the will of God our Father, we shall be of the
first Church, which is spiritual, which was created before the sun and the
moon; but if we do not the will of the Lord, we shall be of the scripture that saith, My house was made a den of robbers. So
therefore let us choose rather to be of the Church of life, that we may be
saved.
2 Clem. 14:2
And I do not suppose ye are ignorant that the living Church is the body of
Christ: for the scripture saith, God made man, male
and female. The male is Christ and the female is the Church. And the Books and
the Apostles plainly declare that the Church existeth
not now for the first time, but hath been from the beginning: for she was
spiritual, as our Jesus also was spiritual, but was manifested in the last days
that He might save us.
2 Clem. 14:3
Now the Church, being spiritual was manifested in the
flesh of Christ, thereby showing us that if any of us guard her in the flesh
and defile her not, he shall receive her again in the Holy Spirit: therefore,
when he hath defiled the copy, shall receive the original for his portion. This
therefore is what He meaneth, brethren; Guard ye the flesh, that ye may partake of the spirit.
2 Clem. 14:4
But if we say that the flesh is the Church and the
spirit is Christ, then he that hath dealt wantonly with the flesh hath dealt
wantonly with the Church. Such and one therefore shall not partake of the
spirit, which is Christ.
2 Clem. 14:5
So excellent is the life and immortality which this
flesh can receive as its portion, if the Holy Spirit be joined to it. No man
can declare or tell those things which the Lord hath prepared for His
elect.
2 Clem. 15:1
Now I do not think that I have given any mean council respecting continence,
and whosoever performeth it shall not repent thereof,
but shall save both himself and me his councilor. For it is
no mean reward to convert a wondering and perishing soul, that it may be saved.
2 Clem. 15:2
For this is the recompense which we are able to pay to
God who created us, if he that speaketh and heareth both speak and hear with faith and love.
2 Clem. 15:3
Let is therefore abide in the things which we believed, in righteousness and
holiness, that we may with boldness as of God who saith,
Whiles thou art still speaking I will say, Behold, I am here.
2 Clem. 15:4
For this word is the token of a great promise: for the
Lord saith of Himself that He is more ready to give
than he that asketh to ask.
2 Clem. 15:5
Seeing then that we are partakers of so great
kindness, let us not grudge ourselves the obtaining of so many good things. For
in proportion as the pleasure is great which these words bring to them that
have performed them, so also is the condemnation great which they bring to them
that have been disobedient.
2 Clem. 16:1
Therefore, brethren, since we have found no small opportunity for repentance,
seeing that we have time, let us turn again unto God that called us, while we
have still One that receiveth
us.
2 Clem. 16:2
For if we bid farewell to these enjoyments and conquer
our soul in refusing to fulfill its evil lusts, we shall be partakers of the
mercy of Jesus.
2 Clem. 16:3
But ye know that the day of judgment cometh even now as a burning oven, and the
powers of the heavens shall melt, and all the earth as lead melting on the
fire, and then shall appear the secret and open works of men.
2 Clem. 16:4
Almsgiving therefore is a good thing, even as repentance from sin Fasting is
better than prayer, but almsgiving better than both. And love covereth a multitude of sins, but prayer out of a good
conscience delivereth from death. Blessed is every
man that is found full of these. For almsgiving lifteth
off the burden of sin.
2 Clem. 17:1
Let us therefore repent with our whole heart, lest any
of us perish by the way. For if we have received commands, that we should make
this our business, to tear men away from idols and to instruct them, how much
more is it wrong that a soul which knoweth
God already should perish!
2 Clem. 17:2
Therefore let us assist one another, that we may also
lead the weak upward as touching that which is good, to the end that we all may
be saved: and let us convert and admonish one another.
2 Clem. 17:3
And let us not think to give heed and believe now only, while we have departed
home, let us remember the commandments of the Lord, and not suffer ourselves to
be dragged off the other way by our worldly lusts; but coming hither more
frequently, let us strive to go forward in the commandments of the Lord, that
we all having the same mind may be gathered together unto life.
2 Clem. 17:4
For the Lord said, I come to gather together all the nations, tribes, and
languages. Herein He speaketh of the day of His
appearing, when He shall come and redeem us, each man according to
his works.
2 Clem. 17:5
And the unbelievers shall see His glory and His might: and they shall be amazed
when they see the kingdom of the world given to Jesus, saying, Woe unto us, for
Thou wast, and we knew it not, and
believed not; and we obeyed not the presbyters when they told us of our
salvation. And Their worm shall not die, and their
fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be for a spectacle unto all flesh.
2 Clem. 17:6
He speaketh of that day of judgment,
when men shall see those among us that live ungodly lives and dealt falsely
with the commandments of Jesus Christ.
2 Clem. 17:7
But the righteous, done good and endured torments and hated pleasures of the
soul, when they shall behold them that have done amiss and denied Jesus by
their words or by their deeds, how that they are punished with grievous torments
in unquenchable fire, shall give glory to God, saying, There will be hope for
him that hath served God with his whole heart.
2 Clem. 18:1
Therefore let us also be found among those that give
thanks, among those that have served God, and not among the ungodly that are
judged.
2 Clem. 18:2
For I myself too, being an utter sinner and not yet escaped from temptation,
but being still amidst the engines of the devil, do my diligence to follow
after righteousness, that I may prevail so far at least as to come near unto
it, while I fear the judgment to come.
2 Clem. 19:1
Therefore, brothers and sisters, after the God of truth hath been heard, I read unto you an exhortation to the end that ye may
give heed to the things which are written, for that ye may save both yourselves
and him that readeth in the midst of you. For I ask
of you as a reward that ye repent with your whole heart, and give salvation and
life to yourselves. For doing this we shall set a goal for all the young who
desire to toil in the study of piety and of the goodness of God.
2 Clem. 19:2
And let is not be displeased and vexed, fools that we
are, whensoever any one admonish us and turneth us aside from unrighteousness unto righteousness. For sometimes while we do evil things, we perceive itnot by reason of the double-mindedness and unbelief which
is in our breasts, and we are darkened in our understanding by our vain lusts.
2 Clem. 19:3
Let us therefore practice righteousness that we may be
saved unto the end. Blessed are they that obey these ordinances. Though they
may endure affliction for a short time in the world, they will gather the
immortal fruit of the resurrection.
2 Clem. 19:4
Therefore let not the godly be grieved, if he be miserable in the times that
now are: a blessed time awaiteth him. He shall live
again in heaven with our fathers, and shall have rejoicing throughout a sorrowless eternity.
2 Clem. 20:1
Neither suffer ye this again to trouble your mind,
that we see the unrighteous possessing wealth, and the servants of God straitened.
2 Clem. 20:2
Let us then have faith, brothers and sisters. We are
trained by the present life, that we may be crowned with the future.
2 Clem. 20:3
No righteous man hath reaped fruit quickly but waiteth
for it.
2 Clem. 20:4
For if God had paid the recompense of the righteous speedily, then straightway
we should have been training ourselves in merchandise, and not in godliness;
for we should seem to be righteous, though we were pursuing not that which is
godly, but which is gainful. And for this cause Divine judgment overtaketh a spirit that is not just, and loadeth it with chains.
2 Clem. 20:5
To the only God invisible, the Father of truth, who sent forth unto us the
Savior and Prince of immortality, through whom also He made manifest unto us the
truth and the heavenly life, to Him be the glory for ever
and ever. Amen.
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