We spent some time looking at the use that Clement makes of the Old Testament. His repertoire seems wider than Paul's, though he shares Paul's propensity for merging different excerpts together to make a new quotation! His (unattributed) quotes from the gospels are interesting, and we toyed with the idea that his excerpts may predate the redaction of the gospels themselves.

Chapter 59 starts with some of his usual threats, but segues into what may be an early Christian hymn.

We`were struck by Clement's description of God as the "prime cause of all animals", and compared it with Robinson's use of Tillich's phrase "the ground of our being".

Clement mentions the messengers who are carrying the letter to Corinth. They have patrician names, and it has been suggested that they were members of the imperial court, and Clement himself may have been an office-holder.

We reviewed the evidence for Clement having actual authority over the Corinthian church (Catholics, of course, accept him as the fourth Pope). We does use very direct language, but early in the letter says that the Corinthians had wishes to "consult" him. Although he enjoins them to obey the presbyters, he makes no such demand that they should obey him.

We looked at the contrast with our usual view that church officers should be replaced from to time with Clement's position that "presbyters" were appointed for life, and were owed total obedience by church members. Clement characterises opposition to the presbyters as "sedition" and quotes violent threats from the Wisdom literature in Proverbs. Catholics quote this material as establishing the Doctrine of Apostolic Succession.

We glanced at Clement's use of the doctrines of the Elect.

We were impressed by the amount of literature that Clement apparently had at his disposal -- I Corinthians, Romans, Ephesians, and Romans. One commentator said that Clement appeared to have access to all NT scriptural sources other than the Johannine tradition.

We puzzled over his use of "King Sacrifice" material, and wondered about his sources; John suggested that Clement might know Euripedes' play "Alcestis".

Clement to Corinth 1-12

There is argument as to whether Clement was a Pope, with authority over other churches, or just a leader of a particular church, asked to give an opinion on a issue at another.

He makes fluent use of Old and New Testaments, although the canon of scripture was not be established for a few hundred years.

There are interesting references to Paul and Peter, including a reference to Paul as having reached "the limits of the West" Since there is no reference to this in Acts, it may mean that Paul survived his first trial in Rome, and went on to visit Spain.

Clement's letter refers, apparently, to the expulsion of presbyters from the church at Corinth. It is unclear what the point was at issue. Clement takes the view that churchmembers should be loyal to their presbyters, even "approaching them on bended knee". Whatever view one takes of the extent of the authority vested in Clement, it does seem that the church is well on it way to having an authoritative clergy.

(We also looked at CS Lewis' poem "A Cliche Escapes From Its Cage" in reference to last week's item in the Washington Post about paganism.)