Clement refers to sacrifices being made by the high priest in Jerusalem. This is unequivocally in the present tense; yet it is known that temple sacrifices ceased, once and for all, when the Roman occupied the Temple in 70CE. On the face of it, then it would appear that I Clement was written before 70 CE, some 25 years earlier than the usual date assumed for Clement's installation as Bishop of Rome.

We discussed some possibilities:

That there is a scribal error, and that the original is in a different tense

That Clement is quoting from some earlier document.

That sacrifices were made after 70 AD.

Dr. Isobel Combes suspects that we are overstating the issue:

We reviewed the known history of the letter known as I Clement, and discussed why it has never been thought be pseudonymous.

We enjoyed Clement's description of the Phoenix cycle, and wondered where he got his information.

We puzzled over Clement's references to the resurrection and his insistence on this as a future event. Apparently, there was a section of the Christian Church that believed that the general resurrection had already occured. Colossians 2:12 can be read this way, but Paul appears to oppose that view in Romans 6:4-5 .

Clement quotes Deuteronomy 32: 8-9 as "When the Most High divided the nations....... he fixed the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God." NRSV translates this as "he fixed the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the gods" -- which suggests a quixotic image -- "I'll take Israel, you, Baal, take Syria; Artemis, you can have Greece; Odin, take Germany........"

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.)