Chapter 62
A summary of this letter
| 1 Περὶ μὲν τῶν ἀνηκόντων τῇ θρησκείᾳ ἡμῶν καὶ τῶν ὠφελιμωτάτων εἰς ἐνάρετον βίον τοῖς θέλουσιν εὐσεβῶς καὶ δικαίως διευθύνειν, ἱκανῶς ἐπεστείλαμεν ὑμῖν, ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί. | We have written enough to you, brothers, about our religion and about living a virtuous life, especially for those who want to guide their steps devoutly and righteously. |
| 2 περὶ γὰρ πίστεως καὶ μετανοίας καὶ γνησίας ἀγάπης καὶ ἐγκρατείας καὶ σωφροσύνης καὶ ὑπομονῆς πάντα τόπον ἐψηλαφήσαμεν, ὑπομιμνήσκοντες δεῖν ὑμᾶς ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ καὶ μακροθυμίᾳ τῷ παντοκράτορι θεῷ ὁσίως εὐαρεστεῖν, ὁμονοοῦντας ἀμνησικάκως ἐν ἀγάπῃ καὶ εἰρήνῃ μετὰ ἐκτενοῦς ἐπιεικείας, καθὼς καὶ οἱ προδεδηλωμένοι πατέρες ἡμῶν εὐηρέστησαν ταπεινοφρονοῦντες τὰ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ κτίστην θεὸν καὶ πάντας ἀνθρώπους. |
We have touched on everything: faith, repentance, genuine love, self-control, sobriety, and patience;
while reminding you that you must reverently please Almighty God with righteousness, truth, patience by living in harmony, bearing no malice, in love and peace with persistent gentleness; just as also our fathers, of whom we spoke previously, pleased Him, being humble toward the Father and God and Creator as toward all people. |
| 3 καὶ ταῦτα τοσούτῳ ἥδιον ὑπεμνήσαμεν, ἐπειδὴ σαφῶς ᾔδειμεν γράφειν ἡμᾶς ἀνδράσιν πιστοῖς καὶ ἐλλογιμωτάτοις καὶ ἐγκεκυφόσιν εἰς τὰ λόγια τῆς παιδείας τοῦ θεοῦ. | With more pleasure, we have reminded you of these things since we knew quite well that we were writing to faithful and distinguished men who have diligently searched the oracles of the teaching of God. |
Summary
In Chapter 62, Clement begins the formal epistolary recap (recapitulatio) and conclusion of his letter. Having concluded the Great Liturgical Prayer (Chs. 59–61), he looks back over the entire treatise, asserting that the Roman church has written sufficiently (ἱκανῶς ἐπεστείλαμεν) concerning all things that pertain to Christian religion and a virtuous life (ἐνάρετος βίος).
Clement systematically summarizes the core spiritual and ethical themes addressed throughout the epistle:
The Comprehensive Sweep of Christian Ethics: He notes that they have touched upon every relevant topic (πάντα τόπον ἐψηλαφήσαμεν)—faith, repentance, genuine love, self-control, sober-mindedness, endurance, justice, truth, and patience.
The Paradigm of the Ancestors: The overarching aim of these virtues is to please Almighty God in holiness, maintaining concord (ὁμόνοια) without bearing grudges (ἀμνησικάκως), in peace and earnest gentleness. In doing so, the Corinthians imitate their righteous forefathers (προδεδηλωμένοι πατέρες), who pleased God through radical humility toward both their Creator and all humanity.
Praise for the Readers' Literacy: Clement observes that writing these reminders was all the more joyful because he knew he was addressing faithful, highly esteemed men who have bent down to study deeply (ἐγκεκυφότες) the oracles of God’s instruction (τὰ λόγια τῆς παιδείας τοῦ θεοῦ).
Significant Greek Expressions
τῶν ἀνηκόντων τῇ θρησκείᾳ ἡμῶν (The things pertaining to our religion / worship):
Anēkō: to relate to, pertain to, be fitting.
Thrēskeia: religious practice, worship, religion (cf. James 1:26–27, Acts 26:5).
Refers to the objective content and ethical duties of the Christian faith as a distinct religious tradition.
ἱκανῶς ἐπεστείλαμεν (We have written sufficiently / adequately):
Hikanōs: sufficiently, adequately, at enough length.
Epistellō: to send a letter, write by epistle (from which epistolē derives; cf. Acts 15:20, 21:25).
Formal epistolary terminology signaling that the author has completed the main doctrinal and moral arguments of the letter.
πάντα τόπον ἐψηλαφήσαμεν (We have handled / touched upon / explored every topic):
Topos: place, topic, thematic subject (a standard rhetorical term for thematic points or commonplaces).
Psēlaphaō: to feel, touch, handle, examine closely (cf. Luke 24:39, 1 John 1:1, Acts 17:27).
Vivid rhetorical image indicating a thorough, painstaking examination of all dimensions of Christian morality.
ἀμνησικάκως (Without bearing grudges / without malice): Adverb amnēsikakōs (from a- "not" + mimnēskō "remember" + kakos "evil"). Describes a disposition that forgets injuries and harbors no resentment. A vital virtue for healing the interpersonal fractures caused by the Corinthian schism.
μετ̓ ἐκτενοῦς ἐπιεικείας (With earnest / fervent gentleness / forbearance):
Ektenēs: fervent, intense, eager, stretched out.
Epieikeia: gentleness, forbearance, equity.
A recurring Clementine phrase (cf. 1 Clement 58.2) emphasizing that true ecclesial peace requires active, wholehearted gentleness rather than mere passive compliance.
ἐγκεκυφόσιν εἰς τὰ λόγια τῆς παιδείας τοῦ θεοῦ (Having peered / stooped down into the oracles of God’s instruction):
Enkyptō: to stoop down, bend over to inspect closely (cf. 1 Clement 40.1, 45.2, 53.1).
Logia: oracles, divine utterances, sacred scriptures.
Paideia: discipline, instruction, divine training.
Clement flatters the readers' biblical competence while subtly holding them accountable: as those who study God’s disciplined instruction, they ought to put it into practice immediately.