My LORD’s Bible1 Clement 47
1Take up the epistle of the blessed Apostle Paul. What did he write to you at the time when the gospel first began to be preached? Truly, under the inspiration of the Spirit, he wrote to you concerning himself, and Cephas, and Apollos, because even then parties had been formed among you. But that inclination for one above another entailed less guilt upon you, inasmuch as your partialities were then shown towards apostles, already of high reputation, and towards a man whom they had approved. But now reflect who those are that have perverted you, and lessened the renown of your far-famed brotherly love. It is disgraceful, beloved, yea, highly disgraceful, and unworthy of your Christian profession, that such a thing should be heard of as that the most stedfast and ancient church of the Corinthians should, on account of one or two persons, engage in sedition against its presbyters. And this rumour has reached not only us, but those also who are unconnected with us; so that, through your infatuation, the name of the Lord is blasphemed, while danger is also brought upon yourselves.
᾿Αναλάβετε τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τοῦ μακαρίου Iav- λου τοῦ ἀποστόλου. τί πρῶτον ὑμῖν ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ εὐαγ- γελίου ἔγραψεν; ἐπ᾽ ἀληθείας πνευματικῶς ἐπέστειλεν ὑμιῖῖν wept αὐτοῦ τε καὶ Κηφᾶ τε καὶ ᾿Απολλώ, διὰ τὸ καὶ τότε προσκλίσεις ὑμᾶς πεποιῆσθαι: GX ἡ πρόσκλεσις ἐκείνη ἥττονα ἁμαρτίαν ὑμῖν προσήνεγκεν" προσεκλίθητε γὰρ ἀποστόλοις μεμαρτυρημένοις καὶ ἀνδρὶ δεδοκιμασμένῳ παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς. νυνὶ δὲ κατανοήσατε τίνες ὑμᾶς διέστρεψαν καὶ τὸ σεμνὸν τῆς περιβοήτον φιλαδελφίας ὑμῶν ἐμείωσαν. αἰσχρά, ἀγαπητοί, καὶ λίαν αἰσχρά, καὶ ἀνάξια τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ ἀγωγῆς, ἀκούεσθαι τὴν βεβαιοτάτην καὶ ἀρχαίαν Κορινθίων ἐκκλησίαν δι ὃν ἡ δύο πρόσωπα στασιάζειν πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους. καὶ αὕτη ἡ ἀκοὴ οὐ μόνον εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐχώρησεν ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἑτεροκλινεῖς ὑπάρχοντας ἀφ᾽ ἡμῶν, ὥστε καὶ βλασφημίας ἐπιφέρεσθαι τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου διὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀφροσύνην, ἑαυτοῖς δὲ κίνδυνον ἐπεξεργάξεσθαι. XLVIIT. "Efdpaper οὖν τοῦτο ἐν τάχει καὶ προσπέ- σωμεν τῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ κλαύσωμεν ἱκετεύοντες αὑτόν, ὅπως ἱλέως γενόμενος ἐπικαταλλαωγῇ ἡμῖν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν σεμνὴν τῆς φιλαδελφίας ἡμῶν ἁγνὴν ἀγωγὴν ἀποκαταστήσῃ ἡμᾶς. πύλη γὰρ δικαιοσύνης ἀνεῳγυῖα εἰς ζωὴν αὕτη, καθὼς γέ- γραπται" ᾿Ανοίξατέ μοι πήλδς AIKAIOCYNHC, INA εἰσελθὼν ἐν AYTAIC ἐξομολογήςωμδι τῷ Κγρίῳ δὕτη H πύλη τοῦ Kypioy, δίκδιοι eiceAeycontal ἐν ayTH. Πολλῶν οὖν πυλῶν ἀνεῳγυιών, ἡ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐν Χριστῷ, ἐν ἡ μακάριοι πάντες οἱ εἰσελθόντες καὶ κατευθύνοντες τὴν πορείαν αὐτῶν ἐν ὁσιό- mts καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ, ἀταράχως πάντα ἐπιτελοῦντες. ἤτω τις πιστός, ἥτω δυνατὸς γνῶσιν ἐξειπεῖν, ἥτω σοφὸς ἐν δια- κρίσει λόγων, ἥτω γοργὸς ἐν ἔργοις, ἤτω ἁγνός. τοσούτῳ. γὰρ μᾶλλον τἀπεινοφρονεῖν ὀφείλει, ὅσῳ δοκεῖ μᾶλλον μείζων εἶναι, καὶ ζητεῖν τὸ κοινωφελὲς πᾶσιν καὶ μὴ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ.