Chapter 54
Admit your own blame
| 1 Τίς οὖν ἐν ὑμῖν γενναῖος, τίς εὔσπλαγχνος, τίς πεπληροφορημένος ἀγάπης; |
Therefore, who among you is noble? Who is compassionate? Who is filled with love? |
| 2 εἰπάτω· Εἰ δι' ἐμὲ στάσις καὶ ἔρις καὶ σχίσματα, ἐκχωρῶ, ἄπειμι, οὗ ἐὰν βούλησθε, καὶ ποιῶ τὰ προστασσόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους· μόνον τὸ ποίμνιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰρηνευέτω μετὰ τῶν καθεσταμένων πρεσβυτέρων. |
Let him say, "If it my fault that there are rebellion, and strife, and divisions, I retire, I will depart, I'll go wherever you want, and I'll do whatever is ordered by the people. Only let the flock of Christ be at peace with its duly appointed elders." |
| 3 τοῦτο ὁ ποιήσας ἑαυτῷ μέγα κλέος ἐν Χριστῷ περιποιήσεται, καὶ πᾶς τόπος δέξεται αὐτόν, τοῦ γὰρ κυρίου ἡ γῆ καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς. | The person who does this will win great fame in Christ for himself, and every place will welcome him, for "the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness of it" {Ps. 24:1}. |
| 4 ταῦτα οἱ πολιτευόμενοι τὴν ἀμεταμέλητον πολιτείαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐποίησαν καὶ ποιήσουσιν. | These are things that those who are citizens of the citizenship of God (something not to be regretted) have done and will continue to do. |
Summary
In Chapter 54, Clement builds directly on the paradigm of Moses’ intercessory self-sacrifice (Chapter 53) to issue a dramatic challenge to the Corinthian agitators. He calls upon anyone among them who possesses true nobility, tenderheartedness, and the fullness of love (πεπληροφορημένος ἀγάπης) to step forward and voluntarily withdraw for the sake of the church’s peace.
Clement constructs a heroic, ideal speech for the noble Christian leader:
Voluntary Exile: If I am the cause of faction, strife, and schism (στάσις καὶ ἔρις καὶ σχίσματα), I will gladly depart to wherever you wish and perform whatever the majority demands.
Preservation of the Flock: The sole condition for this voluntary departure is that the flock of Christ (τὸ ποίμνιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ) maintain peace in harmony with its established presbyters (μετὰ τῶν καθεσταμένων πρεσβυτέρων).
Clement assures whoever takes this self-sacrificing step that they will win great glory in Christ (μέγα κλέος ἐν Χριστῷ) and find a welcome in every place, citing Psalm 23:1 LXX (Psalm 24:1 MT) to affirm that the entire earth belongs to the Lord. He concludes by noting that such selfless conduct is not merely theoretical, but has always been—and will continue to be—the practice of those who live as true citizens in the unregretted citizenship of God (ἡ ἀμεταμέλητος πολιτεία τοῦ θεοῦ).
Significant Greek Expressions
γενναῖος... εὔσπλαγχνος... πεπληροφορημένος ἀγάπης (Noble... tenderhearted... fully assured / filled with love):
Gennaios: noble-minded, high-born in character, courageous.
Eusplanchnos: compassionate, tenderhearted (literally "of good bowels/viscera").
Peplērophorēmenos: perfect passive participle of plērophoreō (fully convinced, completely filled, brimming).
Clement sets high moral qualifications for leadership: true nobility is demonstrated by self-effacing sacrifice for the common good, not by clinging to power.
ἐκχωρῶ, ἄπειμι (I withdraw, I go away): Present active indicatives used with dramatic force (present tense of resolve/immediate action). Expresses immediate willingness to enter voluntary exile if one’s presence causes division in the body of Christ.
ποιῶ τὰ προστασσόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους (I do what is commanded by the multitude / majority): Uses plēthos (the whole body of believers / congregation; cf. Acts 6:2, 15:12). Shows that while ecclesial authority comes through apostolic succession (kathestamenoi presbyteroi), a noble leader yields to the congregation’s consensus to secure peace.
μετὰ τῶν καθεσταμένων πρεσβυτέρων (With the established / appointed presbyters): Perfect passive participle of kathistēmi (to appoint, establish, institute; cf. 1 Clement 42.4, 44.2). The non-negotiable requirement for peace is the restoration of the legitimately appointed presbyters whom the faction had ousted.
μέγα κλέος... περιποιήσεται (Will acquire great glory / renown for himself):
Kleos: fame, glory, honorable renown (a classic heroic Greek term used here in a Christianized sense).
Peripoieō: to acquire, gain, preserve for oneself (cf. 1 Timothy 3:13). Self-renunciation for the sake of unity brings true eternal honor in Christ.
τοῦ γὰρ κυρίου ἡ γῆ καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς (For the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof): Direct quotation of Psalm 23:1 LXX (Psalm 24:1 MT / 1 Corinthians 10:26). Assures the voluntary exile that wherever they go in God’s world, they remain under His sovereign care and protection.
τὴν ἀμεταμέλητον πολιτείαν τοῦ θεοῦ (The unregretted / unrepentant citizenship of God):
Ametamelētos: unregretted, producing no regret (cf. Romans 11:29, 2 Corinthians 7:10).
Politeia: citizenship, manner of life, commonwealth (cf. 1 Clement 2.8, 44.6, Philippians 3:20). Refers to the heavenly way of life governed by divine law; those who live by God’s standards will never regret putting the peace of the Church above their personal ambitions.