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Chapter 1
Greeting
Ἡ ἐκκλησία τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ παροικοῦσα Ῥώμην τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ παροικούσῃ Κόρινθον, κλητοῖς ἡγιασμένοις ἐν θελήματι θεοῦ διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
Χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ παντοκράτορος θεοῦ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πληθυνθείη. 		From the church of God that is residing by Rome to the church of God that is residing by Corinth, to those who are called and sanctified by the will of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
May grace and peace from Almighty God be increased to you through Jesus Christ.
Corinthian church commended
1 διὰ τὰς αἰφνιδίους καὶ ἐπαλλήλους γενομένας ἡμῖν συμφορὰς καὶ περιπτώσεις, ἀδελφοί, βράδιον νομίζομεν ἐπιστροφὴν πεποιῆσθαι περὶ τῶν ἐπιζητουμένων παρ' ὑμῖν πραγμάτων, ἀγαπητοί, τῆς τε ἀλλοτρίας καὶ ξένης τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς τοῦ θεοῦ μιαρᾶς καὶ ἀνοσίου στάσεως ἣν ὀλίγα πρόσωπα προπετῆ καὶ αὐθάδη ὑπάρχοντα εἰς τοσοῦτον ἀπονοίας ἐξέκαυσαν, ὥστε τὸ σεμνὸν καὶ περιβόητον καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἀξιαγάπητον ὄνομα ὑμῶν μεγάλως βλασφημηθῆναι. Because of the sudden and repeated calamities and reverses which are befalling us, brothers, we consider that we have been somewhat slow in giving heed to the matters of dispute that have arisen among you, dearly beloved, and to the detestable and impure schism, so alien and strange to the elect of God, which a few headstrong and self-willed persons have kindled to such a pitch of madness that your name, once revered and renowned and lovely in the sight of all men, has been greatly reviled.
2 τίς γὰρ παρεπιδημήσας πρὸς ὑμᾶς τὴν πανάρετον καὶ βεβαίαν ὑμῶν πίστιν οὐκ ἐδοκίμασεν;
τήν τε σώφρονα καὶ ἐπιεικῆ ἐν Χριστῷ εὐσέβειαν οὐκ ἐθαύμασεν;
καὶ τὸ μεγαλοπρεπὲς τῆς φιλοξενίας ὑμῶν ἦθος οὐκ ἐκήρυξεν;
καὶ τὴν τελείαν καὶ ἀσφαλῆ γνῶσιν οὐκ ἐμακάρισεν; 		For has anyone who stayed with you ever disapproved of your most virtuous and steadfast faith?
Who did not admire your sober and equitable piety in Christ?
Who did not proclaim the magnificent character of your hospitality?
Who did not congratulate you on your mature and sound knowledge?
3 ἀπροσωπολήμπτως γὰρ πάντα ἐποιεῖτε καὶ [ἐν] τοῖς νομίμοις τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπορεύεσθε, ὑποτασσόμενοι τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν, καὶ τιμὴν τὴν καθήκουσαν ἀπονέμοντες τοῖς παρ' ὑμῖν πρεσβυτέροις· νέοις τε μέτρια καὶ σεμνὰ νοεῖν ἐπετρέπετε· γυναιξίν τε ἐν ἀμώμῳ καὶ σεμνῇ καὶ ἁγνῇ συνειδήσει πάντα ἐπιτελεῖν παρηγγέλλετε, στεργούσας καθηκόντως τοὺς ἄνδρας ἑαυτῶν·

ἔν τε τῷ κανόνι τῆς ὑποταγῆς ὑπαρχούσας τὰ κατὰ τὸν οἶκον σεμνῶς οἰκουργεῖν ἐδιδάσκετε, πάνυ σωφρονούσας.

For you did all things without partiality, and you walked according to the ordinances of God, submitting yourselves to your rulers and ascribing honour to the older men among you which is due to them.

Also you instructed the youths to think modest and honourable things.

And you charged the women to complete all their things with a blameless, honourable, and pure conscience, while cherishing their own husbands, as is proper.

Also you taught them to keep the rule of obedience, and to manage the affairs of their household with dignity and all discretion.

Summary
In this opening salutation and preamble, Clement writes on behalf of the Roman church to the troubled church in Corinth. Rather than writing with harsh, authoritarian demands, Rome approaches Corinth with pastoral concern, opening with a traditional blessing of grace and peace.

Clement explains that local persecutions and hardships in Rome (αἱ αἰφνιδίοι καὶ ἐπάλληλοι συμφοραὶ—likely referring to the final years of Emperor Domitian’s reign) delayed their intervention.

He addresses the root crisis in Corinth: an unholy, factional revolt (στάσις) instigated by a few rash and arrogant individuals against the church’s established elders (πρεσβύτεροι).

To contrast their present shameful behavior, Clement fondly recalls Corinth’s glorious past under Paul’s legacy—highlighting their exemplary faith, hospitality, respect for hierarchy, and harmonious household ethics (Haustafeln).
Significant Greek Expressions
Ἡ ἐκκλησία... ἡ παροικοῦσα Ῥώμην (The church... sojourning at Rome): Uses paroikoō (to dwell as a resident alien or sojourner), reflecting the early Christian self-understanding that the earthly community is temporary while its true citizenship belongs to heaven. Interestingly, the sender (Rome) is anonymous; Clement does not name himself, framing the letter as a corporate act of Christian solidarity.

ξένης... στάσεως (An alien / foreign schism): Stasis denotes factionalism, sedition, or civil discord. Clement describes it as allotria kai xenē ("foreign and alien" to the character of the church), emphasizing that division is unnatural to the body of Christ.

ἀπονοίας ἐξέκαυσαν (Ignited to a pitch of madness): Uses aponoia (literally "mindlessness" or "insanity"), characterizing the rebellion of the younger faction against the elders as an irrational frenzy.

ἀπροσωπολήμπτως (Without respect of persons): An early Christian adverb meaning impartially, without favoritism or social bias (cf. James 2:1–9; 1 Peter 1:17).

τῷ κανόνι τῆς ὑποταγῆς (The rule / standard of submission): Introduces kanōn (measuring rod or rule), using it here to establish orderly submission and cooperative alignment within the Christian household and community.