(07) The Epistle of Clement

The Epistle of Clement

During the First and Second centuries the Church spread quietly. The Persecutions could be trerribly cruel but they were surprisingly haphazard.

From the Pagan point of view, the Christians were exposing the Empire to the anger of the gods. What could be wrong with sacrificing to the other gods as well as to their own favourite god, like everybody else?

Paul wrote,

"We bear a treasure in earthen vessels".

Human Nature was uplifted by the Gospel, but the Christians were still all too human. In 96AD, a faction of the Corinthians expelled their priests [our English word "priest" is simply a worn down version of the Greek "presbyteros", which became "presbyter", "prestre", "preost" then "priest"] and installed their own candidates. Although the Apostle John was still alive on the island of Patmos, the other Corinthians appealed to Rome, to Clement, fourth in line from Peter.

Clement wrote in reply an epistle to the Corinthians, firstly actually apologising for his delay in responding, hinting at the Persecutions.

"Owing to the troubles that have afflicted us, we are, we admit, slow in responding..."

He then immediately launches into a blistering attack on

"the detestable schism with has been referred to us".

He praises the Corinthians for their past glories. He then condemns those who had flouted rightful authority, speaks at length of the necessity for right order, directs them to re-instate the lawful priests, and remarks that he is sending two trusted delegates, Claudius Ephebus and Valerius Bito, to ensure that all is done, and to report back "speedily" to Rome:

"that they may the sooner announce to us the peace and harmony we so earnestly desire and long for [among you], and that we may the more quickly rejoice over the good order re-established among you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you …"

Although written within the very lifetime of the Apostle John, the authoritative tone of the fourth Pope is unmistakable.