Clement of Rome, The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, Kirsopp Lake (Translator), 2

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[1] And you were all humble-minded and in no wise arrogant, yielding subjection rather than demanding it, giving more gladly than receiving, satisfied with the provision of Christ, and paying attention to his words you stored them up carefully in your hearts, and kept his sufferings before your eyes.

[2] Thus a profound and rich peace was given to all, you had an insatiable desire to do good, and the Holy Spirit was poured out in abundance on you all.

[3] You were full of holy plans, and with pious confidence you stretched out your hands to Almighty God in a passion of goodness, beseeching him to be merciful towards any unwilling sin.

[4] Day and night you strove on behalf of the whole brotherhood that the number of his elect should be saved with mercy and compassion.¹

[5] You were sincere and innocent, and bore no malice to one another.

[6] All sedition and all schism was abominable to you. You mourned over the transgressions of your neighbours; you judged their shortcomings as your own.

[7] You were without regret in every act of kindness, ready unto every good work.

[8] You were adorned by your virtuous and honourable citizenship and did all things in the fear of God.² The commandments and ordinances of the Lord were written on the tables of your heart.

The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. Clement of Rome. Kirsopp Lake (Translator). London. 1912.

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Current edition Perseus

The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians (English) (Clement of Rome. The Apostolic Fathers, Volume 1. Lake, Kirsopp, editor. London: William Heinemann Ltd.; New York: The Macmillan Company, 1912.)

Editions (1)

Epistula I ad Corinthios First1KGreek (Clement of Rome. The Apostolic Fathers, Volume 1. Lake, Kirsopp, editor. London: William Heinemann Ltd.; New York: The Macmillan Company, 1912.) — 2 focus

[1] Πάντες τε ἐταπεινοφρονεῖτε μηδὲν ἀλαζονευόμενοι, ὑποτασσόμενοι μᾶλλον ἦ ὑποτάσσοντες, ¹ ἥδιον διδόντες ἢ λαμβάνοντες. τοῖς ἐφοδίοις τοῦ Χριστοῦ ² ἀρκούμενοι, καὶ προσέχοντες τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ ἐπιμελῶς ἐνεστερνισμένοι ἥτε τοῖς σπλάγχνοις, καὶ τὰ παθήματα αὐτοῦ ἦν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ὑμῶν.

[2] οὕτως εἰρήνη βαθεῖα καὶ λιπαρὰ ἐδέδοτο πᾶσιν καὶ ἀκόρεστος πόθος εἰς ἀγαθοποιΐαν, καὶ πλήρης πνεύματος ἁγίου ἔκχυσις ἐπὶ πάντας ἐγίνετο:

[3] μεστοί τε ὁσίας βουλῆς, ἐν ἀγαθῇ προθυμίᾳ μετ̓ εὐσεβοῦς πεποιθήσεως ἐξετείνετε τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν πρὸς τὸν παντοκράτορα θεόν, ἱκετεύοντες αὐτὸν ἵλέως ³ γενέσθαι, εἴ τι ἄκοντες ἡμάρτετε.

[4] ἀγὼν ἦν ὑμῖν ἡμέρας τε καὶ νυκτὸς ὑπὲρ πάσης τῆς ἀδελφότητος, εἰς τὸ σώζεσθαι μετ̓ ἐλέους ⁴ καὶ συνειδήσεως ⁵ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτοῦ.

[5] εἰλικρινεῖς καὶ ἀκέραιοι ἦτε καὶ ἀμνησίκακοι εἰς ἀλλήλους.

[6] πᾶσα στάσις καὶ πᾶν σχίσμα βδελυκτὸν ἦν ὑμῖν. ἐπὶ τοῖς παραπτώμασιν τῶν πλησίον ἐπενθεῖτε: τὰ ὑστερήματα αὐτῶν ἴδια ἐκρίνετε.

[7] ἀμεταμέλητοι ἦτε ἐπὶ πάσῃ ἀγαθοποιΐᾳ, ⁶ ἕτοιμοι εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθόν.

[8] τῇ παναρέτῳ καὶ σεβασμίῳ πολιτείᾳ κεκοσμημένοι πάντα ἐν τῷ φόβῳ αὐτοῦ ἐπετελεῖτε: τὰ προστάγματα καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ κυρίου ἐπὶ τὰ ⁷ πλάτη τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν ἐγέγραπτο.

Notes on the current edition

The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

1. The MS. reading means conscience, which gives no sense. There is also a variant in the previous word: the inferior MS. (C) reads fear instead of mercy.

2. God is found only in L; the other authorities have his fear, but the meaning is plain.

Clement of Rome The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians 2

Kirsopp Lake (Translator)

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