What Priests Should Be and Should Not Be
Clement of Rome emphasizes the importance of faithful priests who are skilled in the word of truth and conduct themselves with justice and righteousness.
Clement of Rome emphasizes the importance of building up fellow believers in faith, avoiding envy, and working for the Lord with reverence. He urges for more workers in the harvest who are skilled in sharing the truth, faithful, and focused on eternal life. Clement warns against false workers who deceive, serve their own interests, and do not truly represent the light of God. He encourages believers to imitate the faithful, serving God with justice, righteousness, and integrity to bring glory to His name.
Text
Beloved brethren! That a man should build up and establish the brethren on the faith in one God, this also is manifest and well-known. This too, again, is comely, that a man should not be envious of his neighbour. And moreover, again, it is suitable and comely that all those who work the works of the Lord should work the works of the Lord in the fear of God. Thus is it required of them to conduct themselves.
That the harvest is great, but the workmen are few, this also is well-known and manifest. Let us, therefore, ask of the Lord of the harvestthat He would send forth workmen into the harvest; such workmen as shall skilfully dispense the word of truth; workmenwho shall not be ashamed; faithful workmen; workmen who shall be the light of the world; workmen who work not for the food that perishes, but for that food which abides unto life eternal; workmen who shall be such as the apostles; workmen who imitate the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; who are concerned for the salvation of men; not hireling workmen; not workmen to whom the fear of God and righteousness appear to be gain; not workmen who serve their belly; not workmen who with fair speeches and pleasant words mislead the hearts of the innocent; not workmen who imitate the children of light, while they are not light but darkness-- men whose end is destruction; not workmen who practise iniquity and wickedness and fraud; not crafty workmen; not workmen drunken and faithless; nor workmen who traffic in Christ;not misleaders; not lovers of money; not malevolent.
Let us, therefore, contemplate and imitate the faithful who have conducted themselves well in the Lord, as is becoming and suitable to our calling and profession. Thus let us do service before God in justice and righteousness, and without blemish, occupying ourselves with things good and comely before God and also before men. For this is comely, that God be glorified in us in all things.
Sermon Outline
- What Priests Should Be
- What Priests Should Not Be
- Imitating the Faithful
- Conducting themselves with justice and righteousness
- Occupying themselves with good works
- Glorifying God in all things
Key Quotes
“Let us, therefore, ask of the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth workmen into the harvest; such workmen as shall skilfully dispense the word of truth;” — Clement of Rome
“Let us, therefore, contemplate and imitate the faithful who have conducted themselves well in the Lord, as is becoming and suitable to our calling and profession.” — Clement of Rome
“For this is comely, that God be glorified in us in all things.” — Clement of Rome
Application Points
- As priests, we should strive to be faithful to the Lord and skilled in the word of truth.
- We should avoid being hirelings, driven by personal gain, and misleading the innocent.
- We should conduct ourselves with justice and righteousness, glorifying God in all things.