Whenever I read the Apostolic Fathers, I try to read a different translation each time and make some notes about interesting passages. The following comes from:
Michael W. Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers: Greek and English
Translations (3d ed.; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2007)
1 Clement 7:4-8:
Let us fix our eyes
on the blood of Christ and understand how precious it is to his Father,
because, being poured out for our salvation, it won for the whole world the
grace of repentance. Let us review all the generations in turn, and learn that from
generation to generation the Master has given an opportunity for repentance to
those who desire to turn to him. Noah preached repentance, and those who obeyed
were saved. Jonah preached destruction to the people of Nineveh; but those who
repented of their sins made atonement to God by their prayers and received
salvation, even though they had been alienated from God. (p. 55)
1 Clement 9:3-10:2:
Let us consider
Enoch, for example, who was found righteous in obedience and so was taken up
and did not experience death. Noah, being found faithful, proclaimed a second
birth to the world by his ministry, and through him the Master saved the living
creatures that entered into the ark in harmony.
Abraham, who was
called “the friend,” was found faithful when he became obedient to the words of
God. He obediently went forth from his country, from his people, and from his
father’s house, leaving a small country, a weak people, and an insignificant house
in order that he might inherit the promises of God. . .. (p.57)
1 Clement 12:1:
Because of her faith
and hospitality Rahab the harlot was saved. (p. 59)
1 Clement 34:4-5:
For he exhorts us,
therefore, who believe in him with our hold heart, not to be idle or careless
about any good works. Let our boasting and our confidence be in him; let us
submit ourselves to his will; let us consider the whole host of his angels, how
they stand by and serve his will. (p. 89)
1 Clement 50:3-7:
All the generations
from Adam to his day have passed away, but those who by God’s grace were
perfected in love have a place among the godly, who will be revealed when the
kingdom of Christ visits us. For it is written: “Enter into the innermost rooms
for a very little while, until my anger and wrath shall pass away, and I will
remember a good day and will raise you from your graves.” Blessed are we, dear
friends, if we continue to keep God’s commandments in the harmony of love, so
that our sins may be forgiven us through love. For it is written: “Blessed are
those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the
one to whom the Lord will reckon no sin, and in whose mouth there is no
deceit.” This declaration of blessedness was pronounced upon those who have
been chosen by God through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be the glory for ever
and ever. Amen. (p. 113)
1 Clement 52:1-4 (incongruous if Eucharist understood as propitiatory
sacrifice)
The Master, brothers,
has no need of anything at all. He requires nothing of anyone except to make a
confession to him. For David, the chosen one, says: “I will confess to the
Lord, and it will please him more than a young calf with horns and hoofs. Let
he poor see this and rejoice.” And again he says: “Sacrifice to God a sacrifice
of praise, and pay your vows to the Most High; call upon me in the day of your
affliction, and I will deliver you, and you will glorify me. For the sacrifice
of God is a broken heart. (P. 115)
1 Clement 59:4:
. . . Let all the
nations know that you are the only God, that Jesus Christ is your servant, and
that we are your people and the sheep of your pasture. (p. 125)
1 Clement 61:3:
You, who alone are
able to do these and even greater good things for us, we praise through the
high priest and benefactor of our souls, Jesus Christ, through whom be the
glory and the majesty to you both now and for all generations and for ever and
ever. Amen. (pp. 127, 129)
2 Clement 14:2-3:
Now I do not suppose
that you are ignorant of the fact that the living church is the body of Christ,
for the scripture says, “God created humankind male and female.” The male is
Christ; the female is the church. Moreover, the books and the apostles declare
that the church not only exists now but has been in existence from the
beginning. For she was spiritual, as was also our Jesus, but was revealed in
the last days in order that she might save us. Now the church, being spiritual,
was revealed in the flesh of Christ, thereby showing us that any of us who
guard her in the flesh and do not corrupt her will receive her back again in
the Holy Spirit. For this flesh is a copy of the Spirit, No one, therefore, who
corrupts the copy will share in the original. This, therefore, is what he
means, brothers and sisters; guard the flesh, in order that you may receive the
Spirit. (p. 157)
2 Clement 19:3:
Let us, therefore
practice righteousness, so that we may be saved in the end. . . . (p. 163)
2 Clement 20:5:
To the only God,
invisible, the Father of truth, who sent to us the Savior and Founder of
immortality, through whom he also revealed to us the truth and the heavenly
life, to him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (p. 165)
Ignatius, Epistle to the Smyrnaeans 3:3:
And after his
resurrection, he ate and drank with them like one who is composed of flesh,
although spiritually (πνευματικῶς) he was united with the Father. (p. 251)
The Letter of Polycarp to the Philippians, 4:3:
The widows must think
soberly about the faith of the Lord and pray unceasingly for everyone and stay
far away from all malicious talk, slander, false testimony, love of money, and
any kind of evil, knowing that they are God’s altar (γινωσκουσας οτι εισι θυσιαστηριον θεου),
and that all sacrifices are carefully inspected and nothing escapes him,
whether thoughts or intentions or secrets of the heart. (p. 285)
Epistle of Barnabas 2:4-10 (incongruous again if
Eucharist = propitiatory sacrifice):
For he has made it
clear to us through all the prophets that he needs neither sacrifices nor whole
burnt offerings nor general offerings, saying on one occasion: “’What is the
multitude of your sacrifices to me?’ says the Lord. I am full of whole burnt offerings,
and I do not want the fat of lambs and the blood of bulls and goats, not even
if you come to appear before me. For who demanded these things from your hands?
Do not continue to trample my court. If you bring fine flour, it is in vain;
increase it detestable to me; your new moons and sabbaths I cannot stand.”
Therefore he has abolished these things, in order that the new law of our Lord
Jesus Christ, which is free from the yoke of compulsion, might have its
offering, one not made by humans. And again he says to them: “I did not command
your fathers, when they were coming out of the land of Egypt, to bring whole
burnt offerings and sacrifices, did I? On the contrary, this is what I
commanded them: ‘Let none of you bear a grudge in his heart against his
neighbor, and do not love a false oath.’” We ought to perceive therefore (since
we are not without understanding), the gracious intention of our Father,
because he is speaking to us; he wants us to seek how we may approach him,
rather than go astray as they did. To us, therefore, he says this: “A sacrifice
to God is a broken heart; an aroma pleasing to the Lord is a heart that
glorifies its Maker.” So, brothers and sisters, we ought to give very careful
attention to our salvation, lest the evil one should cause some error to slip
into our midst and thereby hurl us away from our life. (pp. 383, 385)
The Epistle to Diogentus 6:3, 8:
The soul dwells in
the body, but is not of the body; likewise Christians dwell in the world, but
are not of the world. . . . The soul, which is immortal (αθανατος η ψυχη), lives in a mortal
dwelling; similarly Christians live as strangers amid perishable things, while
waiting for the imperishable in heaven. (p. 705)
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