Chapter 56
God brings discipline and mercy
| 1 Καὶ ἡμεῖς οὖν ἐντύχωμεν περὶ τῶν ἔν τινι παραπτώματι ὑπαρχόντων, ὅπως δοθῇ αὐτοῖς ἐπιείκεια καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνη εἰς τὸ εἶξαι αὐτοὺς μὴ ἡμῖν ἀλλὰ τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ· οὕτως γὰρ ἔσται αὐτοῖς ἔγκαρπος καὶ τελεία ἡ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ τοὺς ἁγίους μετ' οἰκτιρμῶν μνεία. |
Therefore, let’s also intercede for those who are in some transgression so that leniency and humility may be given to them so that they might yield not to us, but to the will of God. For thus their compassionate remembrance will be fruitful and perfect before God and the saints. |
| 2 ἀναλάβωμεν παιδείαν, ἐφ' ᾗ οὐδεὶς ἀγανακτεῖν, ἀγαπητοί. ἡ νουθέτησις, ἣν ποιούμεθα εἰς ἀλλήλους, καλή ἐστιν καὶ ὑπεράγαν ὠφέλιμος· κολλᾷ γὰρ ἡμᾶς τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ. |
Let’s accept correction, which no one should resent, dear friends. The reproof which we give to each other is good and very useful, for it unites us to the will of God. |
| 3 οὕτως γάρ φησιν ὁ ἅγιος λόγος· Παιδεύων ἐπαίδευσέν με ὁ κύριος, καὶ τῷ θανάτῳ οὐ παρέδωκέν με· | For thus says the holy word: "With disciplines, the Lord disciplined me, and He didn’t deliver me to death. |
| 4 ὃν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ κύριος παιδεύει, μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται. | For whom the Lord loves, He disciplines, and punishes every son whom He receives" {Prov. 3:12; Heb. 12:6}. |
| 5 Παιδεύσει με γάρ, φησίν, δίκαιος ἐν ἐλέει καὶ ἐλέγξει με, ἔλαιον δὲ ἁμαρτωλῶν μὴ λιπανάτω τὴν κεφαλήν μου. | "For the righteous," it says, "will discipline me in mercy and correct me, but let not the oil of sinners anoint my head" {Ps. 141:5}. |
| 6 καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Μακάριος ἄνθρωπος, ὃν ἤλεγξεν ὁ κύριος· νουθέτημα δὲ παντοκράτορος μὴ ἀπαναίνου· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἀλγεῖν ποιεῖ, καὶ πάλιν ἀποκαθίστησιν· |
And again it says, "Blessed is the man whom the Lord reproved. don’t reject the admonition of the Almighty. For He causes pain, but He restores again. |
| 7 ἔπαισεν, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ἰάσαντο. | He has wounded, but His hands have healed. |
| 8 ἑξάκις ἐξ ἀναγκῶν ἐξελεῖταί σε, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ οὐχ ἅψεταί σου κακόν. | Six times will He rescue you from troubles and at the seventh time, no evil will touch you. |
| 9 ἐν λιμῷ ῥύσεταί σε ἐκ θανάτου, ἐν πολέμῳ δὲ ἐκ χειρὸς σιδήρου λύσει σε· | In famine, He will deliver you from death; in war, He will release you from the hand of iron. |
| 10 καὶ ἀπὸ μάστιγος γλώσσης σε κρύψει, καὶ οὐ μὴ φοβηθήσῃ κακῶν ἐπερχομένων. | From the lash of the tongue, He will hide you and you won’t be afraid when evils approach. |
| 11 ἀδίκων καὶ ἀνόμων καταγελάσῃ, ἀπὸ δὲ θηρίων ἀγρίων οὐ μὴ φοβηθῇς· |
You will laugh at the unrighteous and lawless. You won’t be afraid of the wild beasts, |
| 12 θῆρες γὰρ ἄγριοι εἰρηνεύσουσίν σοι. | for wild beasts will be at peace with you. |
| 13 εἶτα γνώσῃ, ὅτι είρηνεύσει σου ὁ οἶκος, ἡ δὲ δίαιτα τῆς σκηνῆς σου οὐ μὴ ἁμάρτῃ. | Then you will know that your house will be at peace, and your dwelling tent won’t fail. |
| 14 γνώσῃ δέ, ὅτι πολὺ τὸ σπέρμα σου, τὰ δὲ τέκνα σου ὥσπερ τὸ παμβότανον τοῦ ἀγροῦ. | And you will know that your descendants will be many, your children will be as plenteous as the vegetation of the field. |
| 15 ἐλεύσῃ δὲ ἐν τάφῳ ὥσπερ σῖτος ὥριμος κατὰ καιρὸν θεριζόμενος, ἢ ὥσπερ θημωνιὰ ἅλωνος καθ' ὥραν συγκομισθεῖσα. | And you will come to your grave as ripe grain is reaped in due season, or as the heap of the threshing floor gathered together at the right time" {Job 5:17-26}. |
| 16 βλέπετε, ἀγαπητοί, πόσος ὑπερασπισμός ἐστιν τοῖς παιδευομένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ δεσπότου· πατὴρ γὰρ ἀγαθὸς ὢν παιδεύει εἰς τὸ ἐλεηθῆναι ἡμᾶς διὰ τῆς ὁσίας παιδείας αὐτοῦ. |
You see, dear friends, there is great protection for those who are disciplined by the Master. For being a kind father He disciplines us so that we might obtain mercy through his pious discipline. |
Summary
In Chapter 56, Clement outlines the communal response required toward the fallen Corinthian instigators: intercession, mutual correction, and acceptance of divine discipline (παιδεία). Rather than responding with vindictiveness, the church is called to pray for those trapped in transgression so that they may receive gentleness/forbearance (ἐπιείκεια) and humility (ταπεινοφροσύνη), yielding ultimately to the will of God rather than human pride.
Clement then develops a robust theology of divine correction (παιδεία / νουθέτησις), reframing church discipline not as punitive destruction, but as a beneficial mechanism that glues believers to God’s will (κολλᾷ ἡμᾶς τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ). To substantiate this, he weaves together a rich catena of Old Testament scriptures:
Psalm 117:18 LXX (Psalm 118:18 MT): God disciplines severely, yet preserves from death.
Proverbs 3:12 LXX (cf. Hebrews 12:6): The Lord disciplines those He loves and scourges every son He receives.
Psalm 140:5 LXX (Psalm 141:5 MT): The righteous person’s rebuke is an act of mercy, preferred over the superficial flattery ("oil") of sinners.
Job 5:17–26 LXX: A lengthy citation celebrating the blessedness of the person corrected by the Almighty (παντοκράτωρ). Though God inflicts pain, He restores, heals, and delivers the disciplined soul through six trials and a seventh—protecting them from famine, war, slander, wild beasts, and early destruction, ultimately granting them a peaceful home, abundant offspring, and a full lifespan harvested like ripe grain (σῖτος ὥριμος).
Clement concludes by reminding the Corinthians that God acts as a good Father (πατὴρ ἀγαθός), employing holy discipline precisely so that His children may receive mercy.
Significant Greek Expressions
ἐπιείκεια καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνη (Gentleness / forbearance and humility):
Epieikeia: gentleness, reasonableness, equity, forbearance (a key virtue in early Christian ethics; cf. 2 Corinthians 10:1, Philippians 4:5).
Tapeinophrosynē: humility, lowliness of mind (Clement’s master virtue throughout the epistle).
The goal of corporate prayer for the rebels is to foster a submissive spirit that yields (εἶξαι) to God’s order.
ἀναλάβωμεν παιδείαν (Let us receive / accept discipline):
Analambanō: to take up, receive, accept.
Paideia: upbringing, instruction, discipline, chastisement (cf. Hebrews 12:5–11). Clement frames the current ecclesial crisis as God’s loving educational discipline aimed at restoring the body.
νουθέτησις (Admonition / correction): Noun from noutheteō (to put in mind, warn, admonish; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:11, Ephesians 6:4). Mutual correction within the local church is described as good and exceedingly beneficial (καλὴ καὶ ὑπεράγαν ὠφέλιμος).
κολλᾷ ἡμᾶς τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ (It glues / binds us to the will of God): Present active indicative of kollaō (to join closely, glue; cf. 1 Clement 30.3, 46.1, 49.5). Accepting divine discipline aligns human desires directly with God’s sovereign purpose.
ἔλαιον δὲ ἁμαρτωλῶν μὴ λιπανάτω τὴν κεφαλήν μου (Let not the oil of sinners anoint my head): Quotation of Psalm 140:5 LXX. Uses lipainō (to make fat, anoint, enrich). Refers to avoiding the seductive, flattering compromises offered by schismatics or unrepentant leaders.
ὑπερασπισμός (Shielding / defense / protection): Noun hyperaspismos (derived from hyperaspizō, to cover with a shield; cf. 1 Clement 45.7). Emphasizes that God’s chastisement is accompanied by His divine protection for those who submit to Him.
σῖτος ὥριμος... θημωνιὰ ἅλωνος (Ripe grain... a heap of the threshing floor):
Sitos hōrimos: timely/ripe wheat ready for harvest.
Thēmōnia halōnos: a heap or stack of grain gathered from the threshing floor at its proper season (καθ̓ ὤραν).
A agrarian metaphor from Job 5:26 LXX illustrating the fruitful, tranquil, and complete life of one who yields to divine instruction.