Kitabı oku: «The suppressed Gospels and Epistles of the original New Testament of Jesus the Christ, Volume 6, Clement», sayfa 7
CHAPTER XXIV
1 Recommends them to God. Desires speedily to hear that this Epistle has had a good effect upon them. 4 Conclusion.
NOW God, the inspector of all things, the Father of Spirits, and the Lord of all flesh, who hath chosen our Lord Jesus Christ, and us by him, to be his peculiar people;
2 Grant to every soul of man that calleth upon his glorious and holy name, faith, fear, peace, long-suffering, patience, temperance, holiness and sobriety, unto all well-pleasing in his sight; through our High-Priest and Protector Jesus Christ, by whom be glory and majesty, and power, and honour unto him now and for ever more, Amen.
3 The messengers whom we have sent unto you, Claudius, Ephebus, and Valerios Bito, with Fortunatus, send back to us again with all speed, in peace and with joy, that they may the sooner acquaint us with your peace and concord, so much prayed for and desired by us: and that we may rejoice in your good order.
4 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, and with all that are any where called by God through him: To whom be honour and glory, and might and injesty, and eternal dominion, by Christ Jesus, from everlasting to everlasting, Amen.
REFERENCES TO CLEMENT'S FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS
[Clement was a disciple of Peter, and afterwards Bishop of Rome. Clemens Alexandrinus calls him an apostle. Jerome says he was an apostolic man, and Rafinus that he was almost an apostle. Eusebius calls this the wonderful Epistle of St. Clement, and says that it was publicly read in the assemblies of the primitive church. It is included in one of the ancient collections of the Canon Scripture. Its genuineness has been much questioned, particularly by Photius, patriarch of Constantinople in the ninth century, who objects that Clement speaks of worlds beyond the ocean: that he has not written worthily of the divinity of Christ; and that to prove the possibility of a future resurrection, he introduces the fabulous story of the phoenix's revival from its own ashes. To the latter objection, Archbishop Wake replies that the generality of the ancient Fathers have made use of the same instance in proof of the same point; and asks, if St. Clement really believed that there was such a bird, and that it did revive out of the cinders of the body after burning, where was the, great harm either in giving credit to such a wonder, or, believing it, to make rich a use as he here does of it?—The present is the Archbishop's translation from the ancient Greek copy of the Epistle, which is at the end of the celebrated Alexandrine MS. of the Septuagint and New Testament, presented by Cyril, patriarch of Alexandria, to King Charles the First, now in the British Museum. The Archbishop, in prefacing his translation, esteems it a great blessing that this "Epistle" was at last so happily found out, for the increase and confirmation both of our faith and our charity.]
THE SECOND EPISTLE OF CLEMENT TO THE CORINTHIANS
CHAPTER I
That we ought to value our salvation; and to show that we do by a sincere obedience.
BRETHREN, we ought so to think of Jesus Christ as of God: as of the judge of the living, and the dead; nor should we think any less of our salvation.
2 For if we think meanly of him, we shall hope only to receive some small things from him.
3 And if we do so, we shall sin; not considering from whence we have been called, and by whom, and to what place; and how much Jesus Christ vouchsafed to suffer for our sakes.
4 What recompense then shall we render unto him? Or what fruit that may be worthy of what he has given to us?
5 For indeed how great are those advantages which we owe to him in relation to our holiness? He has illuminated us; as a father, he has called us his children; he has saved us who were lost and undone.
6 What praise shall we give to him? Or what reward that may be answerable to those things which we have received.
7 We were defective in our understandings; worshipping stones, and wood; gold, and silver, and brass, the work of men's hands; and our whole life was nothing else but death.
8 Wherefore being encompassed with darkness, and having such a mist before our eyes, we have looked up, and through his will have laid aside the cloud wherewith we were surrounded.
9 For he had compassion upon us, and being moved in his bowels towards us, he saved us; having beheld in us much error, and destruction; and seeing that we had no hope of salvation, but only through him.
10 For he called us, who were not; and was pleased from nothing to give us being.
CHAPTER II
1 That God had before prophesied by Isaiah, that the Gentiles should be saved; 8 And that this ought to engage, such especially to live well; without which they will still miscarry.
REJOICE, thou barren, that bearest not, break forth and cry thou that travailest not; for she that is desolate hath many more children than she that hath a husband.
2 In that saying, Rejoice thou barren that bearest not, he spake of us: for our church was barren before children were given unto it.
3 And again; when he said, Cry thou that travailest not: he implied thus much: That after the manner of a woman in travail, we should not cease to put up our prayers unto God abundantly.
4 And for what follows, because she that is desolate hath more children than she that hath a husband; it was therefore added, because our people which seemed to have been forsaken by God, now believing in him, are become more than they who seemed to have God.
5 And another Scripture saith, a I came not to call the righteous but sinners (to repentance). The meaning of which is this; that those who were lost must be saved:
6 For that is, indeed, truly great and wonderful, not to confirm those things that are yet standing, but those which are falling,
7 Even so did it seem good to Christ to save what was lost; and when he came into the world, he saved many, and called us who were already lost.
8 Seeing then he has showed so great mercy towards us; and chiefly for that we who are alive, do now no longer sacrifice to dead Gods, nor pay any worship to them, but have by him been brought to the knowledge of the Father of truth.
9 Whereby shall we show that we do indeed know him, and by not denying him by whom we have come to the knowledge of him.
10 For even he himself saith, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father. This therefore is our reward, if we shall confess him by whom we have been saved.
11 But, wherein must we confess him?—Namely, in doing those things which he saith, and not disobeying his commandments by worshipping him not with our lips only, but with all our heart, and with all our mind. For he saith in Isaiah; This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
12 Let us then not only call him Lord; for that will not save us. For he saith: Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall be saved, but he that doth righteousness.
13 Wherefore, brethren, let us confess him by our works; by loving one another; in not committing adultery, not speaking evil against each other, not envying one another; but by being temperate, merciful, good.
14 Let us also have a mutual sense of one another's sufferings; and not be covetous of money; but let us, by our good works, confess God, and not by those that are otherwise.
15 Also let us not fear men: but rather God. Wherefore, if we should do such wicked things, the Lord hath said; Though ye should be joined unto me, even in my very bosom, and not keep my commandments, I would cast you off, and say unto you; Depart from me; I know not whence you are, ye workers of iniquity.
CHAPTER III
1 That, whilst we secure the other world, we need not fear what can befall its in this. 5 That, if we follow the interests of this present world, we cannot escape the punishment of the other. 10 Which ought to bring us to repentance and holiness, 14 and that presently: because in this world is the only time for repentance.
THEREFORE brethren, leaving willingly for conscience sake our sojourning in this world, let us do the will of him who has called us, and not fear to depart out of this world.
2 For the Lord saith, Ye shall be as sheep in the midst of wolves. Peter answered and said, What if the wolves shall tear in pieces the sheep? Jesus said unto Peter, Let not the sheep fear the wolves after death: And ye also fear not those that kill you, and after that have no more than they can do unto you; but fear him who after you are dead, has power to cast both soul and body into hell-fire.
3 For consider, brethren, that the sojourning of this flesh in the present world, is but little, and of a short continuance, but the promise of Christ is great and wonderful, even the rest of the kingdom that is to come, and of eternal life.
4 What then must we do that we may attain unto it?—We must order our conversation, holy and righteously, and look upon all the things of this world as none of ours, and not desire them. For, if we desire to possess them we fall from the way of righteousness.
5 For thus saith the Lord, No servant can serve two masters. If therefore we shall desire to serve God and Mammon, it will be without profit to us. For what will it profit, if one gain the vole world, and lose his own soul?
6 Now this world and that to come are two enemies. This speaketh of adultery and corruption, of covetousness and deceit; but that renounces these things.
7 We cannot, therefore, be the friends of both; but we must resolve by forsaking the one, to enjoy the other. And we think it is better to hate the present things, as little, short-lived, and corruptible; and to love those which are to come, which are truly good and incorruptible.
8 For, if we do the will of Christ, we shall find rest: but if not, nothing shall deliver us from eternal punishment if we shall disobey his commands. For even thus saith the Scripture in the prophet Ezekiel, If Noah, Job, and Daniel should rise up, they shall not deliver their children in captivity.
9 Wherefore, if such righteous men are not able by their righteousness to deliver their children; how can we hope to enter into the kingdom of God, except we keep our baptism holy and undefiled? Or who shall be our advocate, unless we shall be found to have done what is holy and just?
10 Let us, therefore, my brethren, contend with all earnestness, knowing that our combat is at hand; and that many go long voyages to encounter for a corruptible reward.
11 And yet all are not crowned, but they only that labour much, and strive gloriously. Let us, therefore, so contend, that we may all be crowned. Let us run in the straight road, the race that is incorruptible: and let us in great numbers pass unto it, and strive that we may receive the crown. But if we cannot all be crowned, let us come as near to it as we are able.
12 Moreover, we must consider, that he who contends in a corruptible combat; if he be found doing anything that is not fair, is taken away and scourged, and cast out of the lists. What think ye then that he shall suffer, who does anything that is not fitting in the combat of immortality?
13 Thus speaks the prophet concerning those who keep not their seal; Their worm shall not die, and their, fire shall not be quenched; and they shall be for a spectacle unto all flesh.
14 Let us therefore repent, whilst we are yet upon the earth: for we are as clay in the hand of the artificer. For the potter if he make a vessel, and it be turned amiss in his hands, or broken, again forms it anew; but if he has gone so far as to throw it into the furnace of fire, he can no more bring any remedy to it.
15 So we, whilst we are in this world should repent with our whole heart for whatsoever evil we have done in the flesh; while we have yet the time of repentance, that we may be saved by the Lord.
16 For after we shall have departed out of this world, we shall no longer be able either to confess our sins or repent in the other.
17 Wherefore, brethren, let us, doing the will of the Father, and keeping our flesh pure, and observing the commandments of the Lord, lay hold on eternal life: for the Lord saith in the Gospel, If ye have not kept that which was little, who will give you that which is great?– For I say unto you, he that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much.
18 This, therefore, is what he saith; keep your bodies pure, and your seal without spot, that ye may receive eternal life.
