The writings of the Apostolic FathersClement I, Pope
General
The writings of the Apostolic Fathers
Clement I, Pope
Apostolic Fathers; Christian literature, Early
If, then, those who were conversant with the ancient Scriptures came to
newness of hope, expecting the coming of Christ, as the Lord teaches us
when He says, “If ye had believed Moses, ye would have believed me, for
he wrote of me;”[943] and again, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my
day, and he saw it, and was glad; for before Abraham was, I am;”[944]
how shall we be able to live without Him? The prophets were His
servants, and foresaw Him by the Spirit, and waited for Him as their
Teacher, and expected Him as their Lord and Saviour, saying, “He will
come and save us.”[945] Let us therefore no longer keep the Sabbath
after the Jewish manner, and rejoice in days of idleness; for “he that
does not work, let him not eat.”[946] For say the [holy] oracles, “In
the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread.”[947] But let every one
of you keep the Sabbath after a spiritual manner, rejoicing in
meditation on the law, not in relaxation of the body, admiring the
workmanship of God, and not eating things prepared the day before, nor
using lukewarm drinks, and walking within a prescribed space, nor
finding delight in dancing and plaudits which have no sense in
them.[948] And after the observance of the Sabbath, let every friend of
Christ keep the Lord’s day as a festival, the resurrection-day, the
queen and chief of all the days [of the week]. Looking forward to this,
the prophet declared, “To the end, for the eighth day,”[949] on which
our life both sprang up again, and the victory over death was obtained
in Christ, whom the children of perdition, the enemies of the Saviour,
deny, “whose god is their belly, who mind earthly things,”[950] who are
“lovers of pleasure, and not lovers of God, having a form of godliness,
but denying the power thereof.”[951] These make merchandise of Christ,
corrupting His word, and giving up Jesus to sale: they are corrupters of
women, and covetous of other men’s possessions, swallowing up
wealth[952] insatiably; from whom may ye be delivered by the mercy of
God through our Lord Jesus Christ!
CHAP. X.—_Beware of Judaizing._
SHORTER.
Let us not, therefore, be insensible to His kindness. For were He to
reward us according to our works, we should cease to be. Therefore,
having become His disciples, let us learn to live according to the
principles of Christianity.[953] For whosoever is called by any other
name besides this, is not of God. Lay aside, therefore, the evil, the
old, the sour leaven, and be ye changed into the new leaven, which is
Jesus Christ. Be ye salted in Him, lest any one among you should be
corrupted, since by your savour ye shall be convicted. It is absurd to
profess[954] Christ Jesus, and to Judaize. For Christianity did not
embrace[955] Judaism, but Judaism Christianity, that so every tongue
which believeth might be gathered together to God.
LONGER.
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