The writings of the Apostolic FathersClement I, Pope
General
The writings of the Apostolic Fathers
Clement I, Pope
Apostolic Fathers; Christian literature, Early
“First of all, sir,” I said, “explain this to me: What is the meaning of
the rock and the gate?” “This rock,” he answered, “and this gate are the
Son of God.” “How, sir?” I said; “the rock is old, and the gate is new.”
“Listen,” he said, “and understand, O ignorant man. The Son of God is
older than all His creatures, so that He was a fellow-councillor with
the Father in His work of creation: for this reason is He old.” “And why
is the gate new, sir?” I said. “Because,” he answered, “He became
manifest in the last days of the dispensation: for this reason the gate
was made new, that they who are to be saved by it might enter into the
kingdom of God. You saw,” he said, “that those stones which came in
through the gate were used for the building of the tower, and that those
which did not come, were again thrown back to their own place?” “I saw,
sir,” I replied. “In like manner,” he continued, “no one shall enter
into the kingdom of God unless he receive His holy name. For if you
desire to enter into a city, and that city is surrounded by a wall, and
has but one gate, can you enter into that city save through the gate
which it has?” “Why, how can it be otherwise, sir?” I said. “If, then,
you cannot enter into the city except through its gate, so, in like
manner, a man cannot otherwise enter into the kingdom of God than by the
name of His beloved Son. You saw,” he added, “the multitude who were
building the tower?” “I saw them, sir,” I said. “Those,” he said, “are
all glorious angels, and by them accordingly is the Lord surrounded. And
the gate is the Son of God. This is the one entrance to the Lord. In no
other way, then, shall any one enter in to Him except through His Son.
You saw,” he continued, “the six men, and the tall and glorious man in
the midst of them, who walked round the tower, and rejected the stones
from the building?” “I saw him, sir,” I answered. “The glorious man,” he
said, “is the Son of God, and those six glorious angels are those who
support Him on the right hand and on the left. None of these glorious
angels,” he continued, “will enter in unto God apart from Him. Whosoever
does not receive His[1756] name, shall not enter into the kingdom of
God.”
CHAP. XIII.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account