Saturday, February 03, 2007

Clement of Rome: Epistle to the Church in Corinth: Final Comments

Read over my posts concerning Clement's epistle. It is not hard to tell why it never became one of the classic ancient texts, as in effect it offers nothing new in comparison to Paul's writings. Nonetheless certain features stand out:

(1) The author's considerable ability in weaving the Old Testament into the text of his epistle.
(2) The status of Paul's writings as Scripture.
(3) Some very insightful advice on leadership and church life.

However, I am uncertain as to how effective such a letter would have been in the context of the problems it seeks to deal with. The general tone is one of siding with the deposed leaders, without really taking into consideration the reasons Clement's opponents might have had for their actions.

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