( PART 10 ) DID THE EARLIEST POST-BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN WRITERS TEACH CHRISTENDOM'S OFFICIAL DOCTRINE OF THE TRI{3}NITY? = CLEMENT OF ROME – LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS – CHAPTER 2(C)



ΚΛΗΜΕΝΤΟΣ ΠΡΟΣ ΚΟΡΙΝΘΙΟΥΣ Α
1ST CLEMENT TOWARD [THE] CORINTHIANS

LATIN TEXT: “...Parati [8.] in omni opere bono, omni decore cultus ornati, omnia in timore Dei consummastis : praecepta et iusticiae Dei in latitudine cordis uestri inscribebantur...” - (Chapter 2:8, Latin translation circa 2nd-3rd Century C.E., preserved in 11th Century C.E., MSS G. Morin Sancti Clementis Romani ad Corinthios Epistulae version latina antiquissima, Anecdota Maredsolana 2 ; Maredsosus, Belgium, 1894.)
[FOOTNOTE 13]: Ltn., ( plenitudo … largior )] Gr. “pleno...effusio.”
http://archive.org/stream/sancticlementis00morigoog#page/n32/mode/1up

LATIN TEXT: “...Sed [8.] parati eratis ad omne opus bonum. Veneranda et virtutum omnium referta conversatione ornati, cuncta in timore ejus peragebatis. Mandata Domini scripta erant in cordis vestri tabulis...” - (Chapter 2:8, AD CORINTHIOS EPISTOLA PRIMA. SANCTI CLEMENTIS EPISCOPI ROMANI, ( EX VERSIONE RUFINI ) Tomus Primus [Book I], Patres Apostolici, COLLECTIO SELECTA SS. ECCLESIAE PATRUM, Complectens Exquisitissima Opera. By D. M. N. S. Guuillon. M. DCCC. XXIX.)

GREEK TEXT: “...τῇ [8.] παναρέτῳ καὶ σεβασμίῳ πολιτείᾳ κεκοσμημένοι πάντα ἐν τῷ φόβῳ αὐτοῦ ἐπετελεῖτε· τὰ προστάγματα καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ Κυρίου ἐπὶ τὰ πλάτη τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν ἐγέγραπτο...” - (Chapter 2:8, Epistula i ad Corinthios, ed. A. Jaubert, Clément de Rome. Épìtre aux Corinthiens//Sources chrétiennes 167. Paris: Cerf, 1971, 98–204.)

GREEK TEXT: “...τῇ [8.] παναρέτῳ καὶ σεβασμίῳ πολιτείᾳ κεκοσμημένοι πάντα ἐν τῷ φόβῳ αὐτοῦ ἐπετελεῖτε· τὰ προστάγματα καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ Κυρίου ἐπὶ τὰ πλάτη τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν ἐγέγραπτο...” - (Chapter 2:8, “1st Epistle to the Corinthians, by Clement of Rome,” THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS, I CLEMENT, II CLEMENT Based on the Krissop Lake text of the Loeb Classical Library First published 1913.)
http://www.ccel.org/l/lake/fathers/clement-i_clement_a.htm


ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS:


CLEMENT OF ROME (circa. 30-100 C.E.): “... Being [8.] adorned with a most virtuous and honorable life, ye performed all your duties in the fear of Him. The commandments and the ordinances of the Lord were written on the tablets of your hearts...” - (Chapter 2:8, “1st Epistle to the Corinthians, by Clement of Rome,” translated by J. B. Lightfoot.)
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-lightfoot.html

CLEMENT OF ROME (circa. 30-100 C.E.): “...Adorned [8.] by a thoroughly virtuous and religious life, you did all things in the fear of God. The commandments and ordinances of the Lord were written upon the tablets of your hearts...” - (Chapter 2:8, “1st Epistle to the Corinthians, by Clement of Rome,” The Anti-Nicene Fathers Volume One; Edited by A. Roberts and J. Donaldson.) http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-roberts.html


DOCTRINAL EXAMINATION


Very little can be gained from this passage about the relationship between the Father and Son etc.

There is a variant in the Latin and Greek texts in this verse.

The Greek versions read:

Chapter 2:8(A) Gk., ( ἐν τῷ φόβῳ αὐτοῦ ) “...in the fear of Him...”

Chapter 2:8(B) Gk., ( τὰ προστάγματα καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ Κυρίου ) “...the comandments and the righteous-decrees of the Lord...”

The Morin Latin reads:

Chapter 2:8(A) Ltn., ( in timore Dei ) “...in the fear of God...”

Chapter 2:8(B) Ltn., ( praecepta et iusticiae Dei ) “...You have been instructed also of the justice of God...”

Rufinus' Latin text follows the Greek:

Chapter 2:8(A) Ltn., ( in timore ejus ) “...in the fear of Him...”

Chapter 2:8(B) Ltn., ( Mandata Domini ) “...the commandments of the Lord...”

This just indicates that when Clement speaks of Gk., ( τοῦ Κυρίου ) or Ltn., ( Domini ) “...of the Lord...” he may be refering to either:

  1. “...Our Lord Jesus Christ...” – Ephesians 1:17, - or -
  2. “...THE GOD - ( OF ) - OUR - Lord Jesus Christ, THE FATHER...” – Ephesians 1:17.

Which can sometimes make it difficult to determine who exactly is meant in each case. But judging by the Morin Latin text, (which is reputed to be based on the oldest prototype text), at least in this particular case, it appears that “...God...” who is always the “...Father...” to Clement, is actually in veiw.

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