Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (45 page)

that redemption will come to all who

some ordinary harm, but to real danger,

believe and hope in God.

if we rashly hand ourselves over to the

8
You see, loved ones, not only was

desires of those who rush headlong into

faith found in the woman, but prophecy

strife and faction and so estrange us from

as well.

what is good for us.

3
We should treat one another kindly,

And so we should be humble13

according to the compassion and sweet

minded, brothers, laying aside

character of the one who made us.

all arrogance, conceit, foolishness, and

4
For it is written, “Those who are kind

forms of anger; and we should act in

will inhabit the land, and the innocent

accordance with what is written. For the

will be left upon it; but those who break

Holy Spirit says, “The one who is wise

the law will be destroyed from it.”34

should not boast about his wisdom, nor

5
And again it says, “I saw one who

the one who is strong about his strength,

was impious greatly exalted and raised

nor the one who is wealthy about his

high as the cedars of Lebanon. Then I

wealth; instead, the one who boasts

passed by and look! He was no more.

should boast about the Lord, seeking af

And I searched for his place, but did not

ter him and doing what is just and

find it. Protect what is innocent and focus

right.”31 We should especially remember

on what is upright, because the one who

the words the Lord Jesus spoke when

lives in peace will have a posterity.”35 . . .

teaching about gentleness and patience.

2
For he said: “Show mercy, that you

may be shown mercy; forgive, that it may

be forgiven you. As you do, so it will be

hOr:
in
addition
they
told
her
to
give
a
sign
done to you; as you give, so it will be

31

given to you; as you judge, so you will

Jer 9:23–24; 1 Cor 1:31; 2 Cor 10:17. 32Matt 5:7; 6:

14–15; 7:1–2, 12; Luke 6:31, 36–38. 33Isa 66:2.

be judged; as you show kindness, so will

34Prov 2:21–22; Ps 37:9, 38. 35Ps 37:35–37.

174

NON-CANONICAL EPISTLES AND RELATED WRITINGS

The humility and obedient low19

straining barriers, but acts just as he

liness of so many people with

ordered.

such a strong reputation have improved

7
For he said, “You shall come this far,

not only us, but also the generations that

and your waves shall crash down within

came before us—indeed all those who

you.”37

received the sayings of God in reverential

8
The ocean, boundless to humans, and

awe and truth.

the worlds beyond it are governed by the

2
And so, since we have shared in such

same decrees of the Master.

numerous, great, and glorious deeds, we

9
The seasons—spring, summer, fall,

should forge ahead to the goal of peace

and winter—succeed one another in

that has been delivered to us from the

peace.

beginning.36 And we should gaze intently

10
The forcesi of the winds complete

on the Father and Creator of the entire

their service in their own proper seaworld and cling to his magnificent and son, without faltering. And the eternal

superior gifts of peace and acts of

fountains, created for enjoyment and

kindness.

health, provide their life-giving breasts

3
We should observe him with underto humans without ceasing. The most standing and look upon his patient will

insignificant living creatures associate

with the eyes of our soul. We should

with one anotherj in harmony and

realize how he feels no anger towards his

peace.

entire creation.

11
The great Creator and Master of all

appointed all these things to be in peace

and harmony, bringing great benefits to

The heavens, which move

20

all things, but most especially to us, who

about under his management,

flee to his compassion through our Lord

are peacefully subject to him.

Jesus Christ.

2
Day and night complete the race

12
To him be the glory and the majesty

course laid out by him, without impeding

forever and ever. Amen.

one another in the least.

3
Sun and moon and the chorus of stars

Loved ones, you should take

21

roll along the tracks that have been apcare that his many acts of kindpointed to them, in harmony, never ness do not lead to judgment against all

crossing their lines, in accordance with

of us. For this will happen if we fail to

the arrangement he has made.

conduct ourselves worthily of him and do

4
By his will and in the proper seasons,

the things that are good and pleasing bethe fertile earth brings forth its rich abunfore him, in harmony.

dance of nourishment for humans, beasts,

2
For somewhere it says, “The Spirit

and all living things that dwell on it,

of the Lord is a lamp that searches out

without dissenting or altering any of the

the recesses deep within us.”38

decrees he has set forth.

3
We should realize how near he is,

5
Both the inscrutable regions of the

and that none of our thoughts or the disabysses and the indescribable realms of putes we have had is hidden from him.

the depths are constrained by the same

commands.

6
The basin of the boundless sea, esiOr:
stations
jOr:
have
sexual
intercourse
tablished by his workmanship to hold the

waters collected, does not cross its re36Cf. Heb 12:1–2. 37Job 38:11. 38Prov 20:27.

THE LETTER OF 1 CLEMENT

175

4
And so it is right for us not to desert

5
Seek after peace and pursue it.

from his will.

6
The eyes of the Lord are upon the

5
It is better for us to offend foolish,

upright, and his ears attend to their

senseless, and presumptuous people who

prayer. But the face of the Lord is against

boast in the arrogance of their own talk

those who do evil and destroys any recthan to offend God.

ollection of them from the face of the

6
We should revere the Lord Jesus

earth.

Christ, whose blood was given for us; we

7
The one who is upright has called

should respect our leaders; we should

out, and the Lord has heard him and

honor the elderly;k we should discipline

delivered him from all his afflictions.”39

our youth in the reverential fear of God;

8
“Many are the plagues of the sinner,

we should set our wives along the straight

but mercy will surround those who hope

path that leads to the good.

in the Lord.”40

7
Let them display a character of purity, worthy of love; let them exhibit the innocent will of their meekness; let them

23 The beneficent father, compassionate in every way, has manifest the gentleness of their tongues

pity on those who stand in awe of him;

through how they speak; let them show

gently and kindly does he bestow his

their love not with partiality, but equally

gracious gifts on those who approach him

to all those who stand in reverential awe

with a pure resolve.

of God in a holy way.

2
And so, we should not be of two

8
Let our children partake of the disminds, nor should we entertain wild nocipline that is in Christ. Let them learn tions about his superior and glorious

the strength of humility before God and

gifts.

the power of pure love before God. Let

3
May this Scripture be far removed

them learn how the reverential awe of

from us that says: “How miserable are

him is beautiful and great, and how it

those who are of two minds, who doubt

saves all those who conduct themselves

in their soul, who say, ‘We have heard

in itl in a holy way, with a clear underthese things from the time of our parents, standing.

and look! We have grown old, and none

9
For he is the one who explores our

of these things has happened to us.’

understandings and desires. His breath is

4
You fools! Compare yourselves to a

in us, and when he wishes, he will retree. Take a vine: first it sheds its leaves, move it.

then a bud appears, then a leaf, then a

flower, and after these an unripe grape,

The faith that is in Christ guar22

and then an entire bunch fully grown.”41

antees all these thing. For he

You see that the fruit of the tree becomes

himself calls to us through the Holy

ripe in just a short time.

Spirit: “Come, children, and hear me; I

5
In truth, his plan will come to comwill teach you the reverential awe of the pletion quickly and suddenly, as even the

Lord.

Scripture testifies, when it says, “He will

2
Who is the person who wants to live

and yearns to see good days?

3
Stop your tongue from speaking evil

kOr:
the
presbyters
lOr:
in
him
and your lips from spouting deceit.

4
Move away from evil and do what is

39Ps 34:11–17, 19. 40Ps 32:10. 41Source unknown.

good.

Cf. 2 Clem 11:2–3.

176

NON-CANONICAL EPISTLES AND RELATED WRITINGS

come quickly and not delay. And suddeposits these things, and so hastens denly the Lord will come to his temple—

back.

he who is holy, the one you await.”42

5
Then the priests examine the records

of the times and discover that it has come

We should consider, loved

24

after five hundred years have elapsed.

ones, how the Master continuously shows us the future resurrection that is about to occur, of which he made

26 Do we then think that it is so

great and marvelous that the

the Lord Jesus Christ the first-fruit by

Creator of all things will raise everyone

raising him from the dead.43

who has served him in a holy way with

2
We should look, loved ones, at the

the confidence of good faith, when he

resurrection that happens time after time.

shows us the magnificence of his promise

3
Day and night reveal to us a resureven through a bird?

rection: the night sleeps and the day

2
For it says somewhere, “You will

arises; the day departs and the night

raise me up and I will praise you,”45 and,

arrives.

“I lay down and slept, and I arose, be

4
We should consider the crops: how,

cause you are with me.”46

and in what way, does the sowing occur?

3
And again, Job says, “You will raise

5
The sower goes out and casts each

this flesh of mine, which has endured all

of the seeds onto the soil.44 Because they

these things.”47 . . .

are dry and barren they decay when they

fall onto the soil. But then the magnificent forethought of the Master raises 39 Those who are ignorant, unlearned, foolish, and uneduthem up out of their decay, and from the cated mock and ridicule us, wishing to

one seed grow more, and so bring forth

vaunt themselves in their own thoughts.

the crop.

2
But what can a mortal accomplish?

Or what power belongs to the one born

Let us consider the incredible

25

of earth?

sign that occurs in the eastern

3
For it is written, “There was no form

climes, that is, in the regions near Arabia.

before my eyes, but I heard a puff of air

2
For there is a bird called the Phoenix.

and the sound of a voice.

This unique creature lives five hundred

4
What then? Can a mortal be pure

years. And when at last it approaches its

before the Lord? Or can a man be blamedissolution through death, it makes a less in what he does, when he does not

tomb for itself out of frankincense,

trust his own servants and detects somemyrrh, and other spices. Then, when the thing crooked in his own messengers?m