Living in Doubt
Clement of Rome explores the challenges of living in doubt and uncertainty, emphasizing the importance of living piously and seeking established doctrine.
Clement of Rome grapples with doubts about the afterlife, questioning the purpose of laboring in this life if there is no existence after death. He ponders the possibility of facing eternal punishment in Hades for not living piously, yet struggles with uncertainty about the soul's immortality and what pleases God. Despite the lack of clear answers, Clement acknowledges the importance of living righteously and subduing earthly pleasures in the face of an uncertain hope.
Text
And again, living in doubt, I said to myself, Why do I labour in vain, when the matter is clear, that if I lose existence when I die, it is not fitting that I should distress myself now while I do exist? Wherefore I shall reserve my grief till that day, when, ceasing to exist, I shall not be affected with grief. But if I am to exist, what does it profit me now to distress myself gratuitously?
And immediately after this another reasoning assailed me; for I said, Shall I not have something worse to suffer then than that which distresses me now, if I have not lived piously; and shall I not be delivered over, according to the doctrines of some philosophers, to Pyriphlegethon and Tartarus, like Sisyphus, or Tityus, or Ixion, or Tantalus, and be punished for ever in Hades?
But again I replied, saying: But there are no such things as these. Yet again I said: But if there be? Therefore, said I, since the matter is uncertain, the safer plan is for me rather to live piously. But how shall I be able, for the sake of righteousness, to subdue bodily pleasures, looking, as I do, to an uncertain hope? But I am neither fully persuaded what is that righteous thing that is pleasing to God, nor do I know whether the soul is immortal or mortal. Neither can I find any well-established doctrine, nor can I abstain from such debatings.
Sermon Outline
- Living in Doubt
- The Dangers of Impiety
- The Challenge of Subduing Pleasures
- The Futility of Grief
- The Uncertainty of Existence
- Punishment in Hades
- The Importance of Righteousness
- The Difficulty of Knowing God's Will
- The Need for Established Doctrine
Key Quotes
“But there are no such things as these.” — Clement of Rome
“But again I replied, saying: But there are no such things as these.” — Clement of Rome
“Therefore, said I, since the matter is uncertain, the safer plan is for me rather to live piously.” — Clement of Rome
Application Points
- We should strive to live piously, even in the face of uncertainty.
- Subduing bodily pleasures is a difficult task, but it is essential for living righteously.
- We need established doctrine and a clear understanding of what is pleasing to God in order to live righteously.