My LORD’s Bible1 Clement 42
1The apostles have preached the gospel to us from the Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ [has done so] from God. Christ therefore was sent forth by God, and the apostles by Christ. Both these appointments, then, were made in an orderly way, according to the will of God. Having therefore received their orders, and being fully assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and established in the word of God, with full assurance of the Holy Ghost, they went forth proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand. And thus preaching through countries and cities, they appointed the first fruits [of their labours], having first proved them by the Spirit, to be bishops and deacons of those who should afterwards believe. Nor was this any new thing, since indeed many ages before it was written concerning bishops and deacons. For thus saith the Scripture in a certain place, “I will appoint their bishops in righteousness, and their deacons in faith.”
Of ἀπόστολοι ἡμῖν εὐηγγελίσθησαν ἀπὸ τοῦ Kuplou Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾿Ιησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξεπέμφθη. ὁ Χριστὸς οὖν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ οἱ ἀπόστο- hos ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ" ἐγένοντο οὖν ἀμφότερα εὐτάκτως ἐκ θελήματος Θεοῦ. παραγγελίας οὖν λαβόντες καὶ πληρο- φορηθέντες διὰ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ πιστωθέντες ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ μετὰ πληροφο- ρίας πνεύματος ἁγίου ἐξῆλθον, εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ μέλλειν ἔρχεσθαι. κατὰ χώρας οὖν καὶ πόλεις κηρύσσοντες καθίστανον τὰς ἀπαρχὰς αὐτῶν, δοκιμάσαντες τῷ πνεύματι, εἰς ἐπισκόπους καὶ διακόνους τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν. καὶ τοῦτο οὐ καινῶς, ἐκ γὰρ δὴ πολλῶν χρόνων ἐγέγραπτο περὶ ἐπισκόπων καὶ διακόνων οὕτως γάρ που λέγει ἡ γραφή᾽ Karactricw τοὺὴὶς ἐπιεκόπογες δ τῶν ἐν Is. Ix. AIKAIOCYNH Kal TOYC AIAKGNOYC AYT@N ἐν πίστει. XLITI. Kai τί θαυμαστὸν εἰ οἱ ἐν. Χριστῷ πιστευθέντας παρὰ Θοοῦ ἔργον τοιοῦτο κατέστησαν τοὺς προειρημένους; ὕχου καὶ ὁ μακάριος πιςτὸς θεράπων ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ Μωύσῆς lich. wig. τὰ διατεταγμένα αὐτῷ πάντα ἐσημειώσατο ἐν ταῖς ἑεραῦι βίβλοις, ᾧ καὶ ἐπηκολούθησαν οἱ λοιποὶ προφῆται συνεπι- μαρτυροῦντες τοῖς ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ νενομοθετημένοις. ἐκεῖνος γάρ, ζήλον ἐμπεσόντος περὶ τῆς ἱερωσύνης καὶ στασιαζουσῶν τῶν φυλῶν ὁποία αὐτῶν εἴη τῷ ἐνδόξῳ ὀνόματι κεκοσμημένῃ, ἐπυγογραμμένας ὁκάστης φυλῆς κατ᾽ ὄνομα" καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὸς ὅδησεν καὶ ἐσφρόγισεν τοῖς δακτυλίοις τῶν φυλάρχων, καὶ dwiGero αὐτὰς εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἐπὶ τὴν τρά- πεῖαν τοῦ Θεοῦ: καὶ κλείσας τὴν σκηνὴν ἐσφράγισεν τὰς κλεῖδας ὡσαύτως καὶ τὰς Gipas καὶ εἶπεν αὖ- Trois’ “Ανδρες ὠδελφοί, ἧς ἂν φυλῆς ἡ ῥάβδος βλαστήσῃ, ταύτην ἐκλέλεκται ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τὸ ἱερατεύειν καὶ λειτουργοῖν αὐτῷ. πρωΐας δὲ γενομένης συνεκάλεσεν πάντα τὸν Ἰσραήλ, τὰς ἑξακοσίας χιλιάδας τῶν ἀνδρῶν, καὶ ἐπεδείξατο τοῖς φυλάρχοις τὰς σφραγῖδας καὶ ἤνοιξεν τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ μαρτυρίου καὶ προεῖλεν τὰς ῥάβδους καὶ εὑρέθη ἡ ῥάβδος ᾿Ααρὼν οὐ μόνον βεβλαστηκυῖα ἀλλὰ καὶ καρπὸν ἔχουσα. τί δοκεῖτε, ἀγαπητοί; οὐ προύήδει Μωῦσῆς τοῦτο μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι; μάλιστα foes’ ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα μὴ ἀκαταστασία γένηταε ἐν τῷ ᾿Ισραήλ, οὕτως ἐποίησεν εἰς τὸ δοξασθῆναι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ καὶ μόνου Kuplou’ ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἷς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν.