Clement of Rome, The Second Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, Kirsopp Lake (Translator), 11

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[1] Let us then serve God with a pure heart, and¹ we shall be righteous, but if we do not serve him, because we do not believe the promise of God, we shall be miserable.

[2] For the prophetic word also says:— Miserable are the double-minded that doubt in their heart, who say. These things we heard long ago and in the time of our fathers, but we have waited from day to day, and have seen none of them.

[3] O foolish men! compare yourselves to a tree; take a vine; first it sheds its leaves, then there comes a bud, after this the unripe grape, then the full bunch.

[4] So also my people has had tumults and afflictions; afterwards it shall receive the good things.²

[5] Therefore, my brethren, let us not be double-minded, but let us be patient in hope, that we may also receive the reward.

[6] For he is faithful who promised to pay to each mall the recompense of his deeds.

[7] If then we do righteousness before God we shall enter into his kingdom, and shall receive the promises which ear hath not heard, nor hath eye seen, neither hath it entered into the heart of man.

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

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Current edition Perseus

The Second 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.)

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Epistula II ad Corinthios First1KGreek (Clement of Rome. The Apostolic Fathers, Volume 1. Lake, Kirsopp, editor. London: William Heinemann Ltd.; New York: The Macmillan Company, 1912.) — 11 focus

[1] Ἡμεῖς οὖν ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ δουλεύσωμεν τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐσόμεθα δίκαιοι: ἐὰν δὲ μὴ δουλεύσωμεν διὰ τὸ μὴ πιστεύειν ἡμᾶς τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ, ταλαίπωροι ἐσόμεθα.

[2] λέγει γὰρ ¹ καὶ ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος: Ταλαίπωροί εἰσιν οἱ δίψυχοι, οἱ διστάζοντες τῇ καρδίᾳ, οἱ λέγοντες: Ταῦτα πάλαι ² ἠκούσαμεν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας προσδεχόμενοι οὐδὲν τούτων ἑωράκαμεν.

[3] ἀνόητοι, συμβάλετε ἑαυτοὺς ξύλῳ: λάβετε ἄμπελον: πρῶτον μὲν φυλλοροεῖ, εἶτα βλαστὸς γίνεται, μετὰ ταῦτα ὄμφαξ, εἶτα σταφυλὴ παρεστηκυῖα.

[4] οὕτως καὶ ὁ λαός μου ἀκαταστασίας καὶ θλίψεις ἔσχεν: ἔπειτα ἀπολήψεται τὰ ἀγαθά.

[5] ὥστε, ἀδελφοί μου, μὴ διψυχῶμεν, ἀλλὰ ἐλπίσαντες ὑπομείνωμεν, ³ ἵνα καὶ τὸν μισθὸν κομισώμεθα.

[6] πιστὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἐπαγγειλάμενος τὰς ἀντιμισθίας ἀποδιδόναι ἐκάστῳ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ.

[7] ἐὰν οὖν ⁴ ποιήσωμεν τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰσήξομεν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ καὶ ληψόμεθα τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, ἅς οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν οὐδὲ ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδεν, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη.

Notes on the current edition

The Second Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

1. Warning against doubt

2. The additional clause at the end of this quotation seems to show that it is not derived from I. Clement, but directly from the prophetic word, cf. note on p. 51.

Clement of Rome The Second Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians 11

Kirsopp Lake (Translator)

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