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Clement of Rome
Clement of Rome (c. 35 - c. 99). Early Church Father, bishop of Rome, and martyr born in Rome, possibly to a freedman family. Traditionally identified as a companion of Paul and Peter, he is linked to Philippians 4:3’s “Clement.” Elected bishop around 88, he led the Roman church during Domitian’s persecution, fostering unity amid internal strife. His Epistle to the Corinthians (c. 96), one of the earliest Christian texts outside the New Testament, addressed schism in Corinth, urging humility and order; it was read widely, nearly canonical. Clement authored no other surviving works, but legends attribute homilies like Second Clement to him. Unmarried, he lived ascetically, focusing on pastoral care. Tradition holds he was exiled to Crimea, forced into hard labor, and martyred by drowning, tied to an anchor—though evidence is sparse. His leadership strengthened the episcopal role, influencing church governance. Clement’s words, “Let us cleave to those who cultivate peace, not to those who desire strife,” reflect his call for harmony. His letter, preserved in ancient codices, remains a cornerstone of patristic theology.
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Clement of Rome emphasizes the importance of living a life dedicated to God, detached from worldly desires, and focused on serving God through Jesus Christ for the kingdom of heaven. He highlights the purity and holiness required, akin to the holy angels, and the special place reserved in God's house for those who choose a life of celibacy and virginity. Clement encourages believers to prioritize the heavenly hope promised by God over earthly pursuits, acknowledging the superior reward awaiting those who faithfully serve God.
Remarks on Self-Denial
For he who covets for himself these things so great and excellent, withdraws and severs himself on this account from all the world, that he may go and live a life divine and heavenly, like the holy angels, in work pure and holy, and in the holiness of the Spirit of God, and that he may serve God Almighty through Jesus Christ for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. On this account he severs himself from all the appetites of the body. And not only does he excuse himself from this command, Be fruitful, and multiply, but he longs for the hope promised and prepared and laid up in heaven by God, who has declared with His mouth, and He does not lie, that it is better than sons and daughters, and that He will give to virgins a notable place in the house of God, which is something better than sons and daughters, and better than the place of those who have passed a wedded life in sanctity, and whose bed has not been defiled. For God will give to virgins the kingdom of heaven, as to the holy angels, by reason of this great and noble profession.
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Clement of Rome (c. 35 - c. 99). Early Church Father, bishop of Rome, and martyr born in Rome, possibly to a freedman family. Traditionally identified as a companion of Paul and Peter, he is linked to Philippians 4:3’s “Clement.” Elected bishop around 88, he led the Roman church during Domitian’s persecution, fostering unity amid internal strife. His Epistle to the Corinthians (c. 96), one of the earliest Christian texts outside the New Testament, addressed schism in Corinth, urging humility and order; it was read widely, nearly canonical. Clement authored no other surviving works, but legends attribute homilies like Second Clement to him. Unmarried, he lived ascetically, focusing on pastoral care. Tradition holds he was exiled to Crimea, forced into hard labor, and martyred by drowning, tied to an anchor—though evidence is sparse. His leadership strengthened the episcopal role, influencing church governance. Clement’s words, “Let us cleave to those who cultivate peace, not to those who desire strife,” reflect his call for harmony. His letter, preserved in ancient codices, remains a cornerstone of patristic theology.