Chapter 47
Your division is worse than in Paul’s day
| 1 Ἀναλάβετε τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου τοῦ ἀποστόλου. | Take up the epistle of the blessed Apostle Paul. |
| 2 τί πρῶτον ὑμῖν ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἔγραψεν; | What did he initially write to you in the beginning of his gospel? |
| 3 ἐπ' ἀληθείας πνευματικῶς ἐπέστειλεν ὑμῖν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ τε καὶ Κηφᾶ τε καὶ Ἀπολλώ, διὰ τὸ καὶ τότε προσκλίσεις ὑμᾶς πεποιῆσθαι. | Truly he wrote to you in the Spirit about himself and Cephas and Apollos because even then you had split into divisions. |
| 4 ἀλλ' ἡ πρόσκλισις ἐκείνη ἥττονα ἁμαρτίαν ὑμῖν προσήνεγκεν· προσεκλίθητε γὰρ ἀποστόλοις μεμαρτυρημένοις καὶ ἀνδρὶ δεδοκιμασμένῳ παρ' αὐτοῖς. | Yet their making divisions brought less sin upon you for you were supporters of the highly respected apostles and of a man approved by them. |
| 5 νυνὶ δὲ κατανοήσατε, τίνες ὑμᾶς διέστρεψαν καὶ τὸ σεμνὸν τῆς περιβοήτου φιλαδελφίας ὑμῶν ἐμείωσαν. | But now consider those who have perverted you and diminished the respect due to your famous brotherly love. |
| 6 αἰσχρά, ἀγαπητοί, καὶ λίαν αἰσχρά, καὶ ἀνάξια τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ ἀγωγῆς ἀκούεσθαι, τὴν βεβαιοτάτην καὶ ἀρχαίαν Κορινθίων ἐκκλησίαν δι' ἓν ἢ δύο πρόσωπα στασιάζειν πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους· | It is disgraceful, dear friends, utterly disgraceful and unworthy of your conduct in Christ that it should be reported that the well-established and ancient Corinthian church is rebelling against its elders because of one or two people. |
| 7 καὶ αὕτη ἡ ἀκοὴ οὐ μόνον εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐχώρησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἑτεροκλινεῖς ὑπάρχοντας ἀφ' ἡμῶν, ὥστε καὶ βλασφημίας ἐπιφέρεσθαι τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου διὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀφροσύνην, ἑαυτοῖς δὲ κίνδυνον ἐπεξεργάζεσθαι. |
And this report has reached not only us, but also those who differ from us. Thus you heap blasphemies upon the name of the Lord because of your foolishness, and furthermore you cause danger to yourselves. |
Summary
In Chapter 47, Clement appeals directly to Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians as an authoritative apostolic precedent to address the community’s persistent factionalism. He urges the assembly to re-examine what Paul wrote to them "in the beginning of the gospel" regarding the original factions formed around himself, Cephas, and Apollos (1 Corinthians 1:10–13).
Clement constructs a sharp contrast between that earlier apostolic division and the current crisis:
The Past Factions: Their original partisanship, though problematic, brought less sin (ἥττονα ἁμαρτίαν) because the Corinthians were aligning themselves with renowned apostles and a proven man approved by them (Apollos).
The Present Rebellion: Their current rebellion is far worse and deeply shameful (αἰσχρά, καὶ λίαν αἰσχρά). A historic, firmly established church (βεβαιοτάτην καὶ ἀρχαίαν ἐκκλησίαν) has allowed just one or two instigators (δἰ ἓν ἢ δύο πρόσωπα) to lead a revolt against the appointed presbyters (στασιάζειν πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους).
Clement stresses the grave outward consequences of their folly (ἀφροσύνη): news of this revolt has not only reached Rome (εἰς ἡμᾶς), but has spread to outsiders and unbelievers (τοὺς ἑτεροκλινεῖς). As a result, the name of the Lord is blasphemed, and the Corinthians bring severe divine danger upon themselves.
Significant Greek Expressions
τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου (The letter of the blessed Paul): An explicit, early non-canonical reference to 1 Corinthians. Clement treats Paul’s epistle as inspired (πνευματικῶς ἐπέστειλεν, "he sent instruction spiritually / by the Spirit") and enduringly authoritative for resolving Corinthian conflicts.
προσκλίσεις (Partisan inclinations / factions): Noun prosklisis means partiality, bias, or partisan adherence (from prosklinō, to incline toward a faction). Describes the unhealthy tendency to divide into competing loyalty groups centered on charismatic individuals.
ἀνδρὶ δεδοκιμασμένῳ παῤ αὐτοῖς (A man tested and approved by them): Refers to Apollos (cf. Acts 18:24–28, 1 Corinthians 3:4–6). Uses dedokimasmenos (perfect passive participle of dokimazō, to test and approve), highlighting that even their past hero-worship was directed toward genuinely validated spiritual figures.
τὸ σεμνὸν τῆς περιβοήτου φιλαδελφίας (The dignity of your far-famed brotherly love):
To semnon: dignity, seriousness, sacred honor.
Periboētos: widely praised, famous, spoken of everywhere.
Philadelphia: brotherly affection/love.
Clement laments that their widespread reputation for Christian virtue has been compromised and diminished (ἐμείωσαν) by internal strife.
δἰ ἓν ἢ δύο πρόσωπα στασιάζειν (Revolting on account of one or two persons): Uses prosōpon (face, person, individual). Reveals that the entire upheaval deposing the presbytery was engineered not by a broad popular movement, but by a small, influential ring of agitators.
τοὺς ἑτεροκλινεῖς ὑπάρχοντας (Those who incline away / outsiders / unbelievers): From heteroklinēs (leaning to another side, turning away, non-Christian outsiders). Clement warns that internal church scandals undermine evangelism by exposing the faith to ridicule among pagan onlookers.
βλασφημίας ἐπιφέρεσθαι τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου (Blasphemies are brought upon the name of the Lord): Echoes Isaiah 52:5 LXX and Romans 2:24. Factional rebellions do not remain private; they dishonor God’s holy name in the eyes of the surrounding culture.