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Chapter 45
The responses to God’s order
1 Φιλόνεικοί ἐστε, ἀδελφοί, καὶ ζηλωταὶ περὶ τῶν ἀνηκόντων εἰς σωτηρίαν. Be competitive and zealous, brothers, about the things related to salvation.
2 ἐγκεκύφατε εἰς τὰς ἱερὰς γραφάς, τὰς ἀληθεῖς, τὰς διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου. You have studied the sacred scriptures which are true and by the Holy Spirit,
3 ἐπίστασθε, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄδικον οὐδὲ παραπεποιημένον γέγραπται ἐν αὐταῖς. οὐχ εὑρήσετε δικαίους ἀποβεβλημένους ἀπὸ ὁσίων ἀνδρῶν. and you know that nothing unrighteous or counterfeit is written in them.
You won’t find that righteous people were thrown out by pious men.
4 ἐδιώχθησαν δίκαιοι, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ ἀνόμων· ἐφυλακίσθησαν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ ἀνοσίων· ἐλιθάσθησαν ὑπὸ παρανόμων· ἀπεκτάνθησαν ὑπὸ τῶν μιαρὸν καὶ ἄδικον ζῆλον ἀνειληφότων. Righteous men were persecuted, but it was by the lawless.
They were imprisoned, but it was by the impious.
They were stoned by transgressors.
They were killed by those who had conceived a foul and unrighteous jealousy.
5 ταῦτα πάσχοντες εὐκλεῶς ἤνεγκαν. While suffering these things, they endured nobly.
6 τί γὰρ εἴπωμεν, ἀδελφοί; Δανιὴλ ὑπὸ τῶν φοβουμένων τὸν θεὸν ἐβλήθη εἰς λάκκον λεόντων; For what can we say, brothers?
Was Daniel thrown into the den of lions by those who feared God?
7 ἢ Ἀνανίας καὶ Ἀζαρίας καὶ Μισαὴλ ὑπὸ τῶν θρησκευόντων τὴν μεγαλοπρεπῆ καὶ ἔνδοξον θρησκείαν τοῦ ὑψίστου κατείρχθησαν εἰς κάμινον πυρός; μηθαμῶς τοῦτο γένοιτο.
τίνες οὖν οἱ ταῦτα δράσαντες;
οἱ στυγητοὶ καὶ πάσης κακίας πλήρεις εἰς τοσοῦτο ἐξήρισαν θυμοῦ, ὥστε τοὺς ἐν ὁσίᾳ καὶ ἀμώμῳ προθέσει δουλεύοντας τῷ θεῷ εἰς αἰκίαν περιβαλεῖν, μὴ εἰδότες ὅτι ὁ ὕψιστος ὑπέρμαχος καὶ ὑπερασπιστής ἐστιν τῶν ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει λατρευόντων τῷ παναρέτῳ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ· ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν. 		Or were Ananias, Azarias, and Mishael shut up in the fiery furnace by those who worshipped the majestic and glorious religion of the Most High?
May that not come to be.
Who were they who did these things?
Abhorent men full of all wickedness who were stirred up to such a pitch of wrath that they inflicted torture upon those who served God in a pious and blameless purpose,
They did not know that the Most High is the champion and protector of those who with a pure conscience worship His excellent Name.
To Him be the glory for ever and ever.
Amen.
8 οἱ δὲ ὑπομένοντες ἐν πεποιθήσει δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν ἐκληρονόμησαν, ἐπήρθησάν τε καὶ ἔγγραφοι ἐγένοντο ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ μνημοσύνῳ αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν. But those who endured patiently with confidence inherited glory and honour; they were exalted, and had their names recorded by God in their memorial for ever and ever.
Amen.
Summary
In Chapter 45, Clement confronts the Corinthian faction’s destructive zeal by offering a sacred redirection: if they insist on being contentious and zealous (Φιλόνεικοι ἔστε... καὶ ζηλωταί), they should direct that zeal toward matters pertaining to salvation rather than internal division. He urges them to examine the Holy Scriptures thoroughly (ἐγκεκύφατε εἰς τὰς ἱερὰς γραφάς), pointing out that Scripture contains nothing unrighteous or falsified (παραπεποιημένον).

Clement then uses a historical-scriptural survey to expose the unprecedented nature of the Corinthian revolt:

 The Righteous Were Never Deposed by the Holy: Throughout salvation history, righteous people were indeed persecuted, imprisoned, stoned, and slain—but always by the lawless (ἀνόμων), the unholy (ἀνοσίων), and those consumed by defiled zeal (μιαρὸν καὶ ἄδικον ζῆλον).

 Old Testament Examples: Daniel was not cast into the lions' den by God-fearing men, nor were Ananias, Azarias, and Misael (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) thrown into the fiery furnace by devout worshippers of the Most High.

Clement labels perpetrators of such acts as detestable (στυγητοί) and full of all malice, driven by uncontrolled rage (θυμός) to torment those serving God with a pure conscience. He reassures the congregation that God acts as a champion (ὑπέρμαχος) and defender (ὑπερασπιστής) for the innocent. While the persecutors bring judgment upon themselves, those who endure with patient confidence (ὑπομένοντες ἐν πεποιθήσει) inherit glory and honor, enrolled forever in God’s eternal memorial (ἐν τῷ μνημοσύνῳ αὐτοῦ).
Significant Greek Expressions
Φιλόνεικοι... καὶ ζηλωταί (Contentious / fond of strife... and zealous):

 Philoneikos: contentious, eager for victory/strife (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:16).

 Zēlōtēs: enthusiast, zealot. Clement uses mild holy irony (imperativus pro concessivo): "Be contentious if you must—but be contentious for things that concern salvation (τὰ ἀνήκοντα εἰς σωτηρίαν), not for power!"

ἐγκεκύφατε (You have peered / stooped down into): Perfect active indicative of enkuptō (cf. 1 Clement 40.1). Clement appeals to their deep familiarity with Scripture to show that their current actions find no justification in sacred history.

παραπεποιημένον (Falsified / forged / tampered with): Perfect passive participle of parapoieō (to counterfeit, falsify, or fabricate). Affirms the total integrity, authenticity, and truthfulness of the inspired Scriptures (διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου).

οὐχ εὑρήσετε δικαίους ἀποβεβλημένους ἀπὸ ὁσίων ἀνδρῶν (You will not find righteous men cast out by holy men): The core thesis of the chapter. Deposing righteous leaders (αποβάλλειν) is never an act of holy men, but the characteristic mark of the lawless and ungodly.

μιαρὸν καὶ ἄδικον ζῆλον (Defiled and unrighteous zeal): Miaros means stained, polluted, or defiled (from murder or sacrilege). Contrasts the corrupt, destructive envy (zēlos) driving the Corinthian revolt with noble, godly zeal.

ὑπέρμαχος καὶ ὑπερασπιστής (Champion and defender / shield-bearer):

 Hypermachos: champion, defender, one who fights in front of or on behalf of another.

 Hyperaspistēs: shield-bearer, protector, defender (a frequent Septuagint translation for God as a "shield"; cf. Psalm 17:3 LXX / Psalm 18:2 MT). God personally guarantees the defense of faithful ministers.

ἔγγραφοι ἐγένοντο... ἐν τῷ μνημοσύνῳ αὐτοῦ (They became enrolled / written down in His memorial): Engraphos (enrolled, registered in a public record). Alludes to the heavenly Book of Life / Book of Remembrance (mnēmosynon; cf. Malachi 3:16, Exodus 32:32). Those unjustifiably deposed by human factions are permanently honored in the divine record.