Chapter 65
Benediction
| 1 Τοὺς δὲ ἀπεσταλμένους ἀφ' ἡμῶν Κλαύδιον Ἔφηβον καὶ Οὐαλέριον Βίτωνα σὺν καὶ Φορτουνάτῳ ἐν εἰρήνῃ μετὰ χαρᾶς ἐν τάχει ἀναπέμψατε πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὅπως θᾶττον τὴν εὐκταίαν καὶ ἐπιποθήτην ἡμῖν εἰρήνην καὶ ὁμόνοιαν ἀπαγγέλλωσιν, εἰς τὸ τάχιον καὶ ἡμᾶς χαρῆναι περὶ τῆς εὐσταθείας ὑμῶν. | Now without delay send back our messengers (Claudius, Ephebus, Valerius Bito, together with Fortunatus) in peace and joy, so that they may quickly report the peace and harmony that we have prayed for and desired, so that we too may more quickly rejoice about your good order. |
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2 Ἡ
χάρις
τοῦ
κυρίου
ἡμῶν
Ἰησοῦ
Χριστοῦ
μεθ'
ὑμῶν
καὶ
μετὰ
πάντων
πανταχῆ
τῶν
κεκλημένων
ὑπὸ
τοῦ
θεοῦ
δι'
αὐτοῦ,
δι'
οὗ
αὐτῷ
δόξα,
τιμή,
κράτος
καὶ
μεγαλωσύνη,
θρόνος
αἰώνιος,
ἀπὸ
τῶν
αἰώνων
εἰς
τοὺς
αἰῶνας
τῶν
αἰώνων.
ἀμήν.
Ἐπιστολὴ τῶν Ῥωμαίων πρὸς τοὺς Κορινθίους. |
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and will all people everywhere who have been called by God through Him, through whom be glory, honour, power, majesty, and eternal dominion to God, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen. The letter of the Romans to the Corinthians. |
Summary
In Chapter 65, Clement brings the entire letter to its final, practical conclusion. Having completed his theological arguments, biblical catenas, liturgical prayers, and pastoral exhortations, he addresses the practical logistics of the delegation dispatched from Rome to Corinth and closes with a solemn apostolic benediction:
The Roman Delegation: Clement formally names the three delegates sent by the Roman church—Claudius Ephebus, Valerius Bito, and Fortunatus. He asks the Corinthians to send them back to Rome quickly (ἐν τάχει), in peace and with joy, so that they may bring back immediate news that the longed-for peace and concord (ἡ εὐκταία καὶ ἐπιποθήτη εἰρήνη καὶ ὁμόνοια) have been fully restored, allowing the Roman assembly to rejoice in Corinth’s stability (εὐστάθεια).
Closing Grace and Trinitarian Doxology: Clement pronounces a universal benediction of grace from the Lord Jesus Christ over the Corinthians and over all who are called by God throughout the world. He seals the letter with an expansive doxology attributing eternal glory, honor, power, majesty, and an everlasting throne to God through Jesus Christ.
Epistolary Subscription: The text ends with the ancient manuscript title: Letter of the Romans to the Corinthians (Ἐπιστολὴ τῶν Ῥωμαίων πρὸς τοὺς Κορινθίους), maintaining the anonymous, corporate voice of the Roman church that has characterized the document from its opening greeting.
Significant Greek Expressions
Κλαύδιον Ἔφηβον καὶ Οὐαλέριον Βίτωνα σὺν καὶ Φορτουνάτῳ (Claudius Ephebus and Valerius Bito, together with Fortunatus):
Claudius Ephebus and Valerius Bito bear gentilic names pointing to freedmen (liberti) belonging to the imperial household of Claudius or the Gens Valeria, likely senior, highly trusted members of the Roman church ("men who have lived blamelessly among us from youth to old age", 63.3).
Fortunatus may be the same individual mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:17, providing a living link between the Pauline era and Clement’s generation.
τὴν εὐκταίαν καὶ ἐπιποθήτην... εἰρήνην καὶ ὁμόνοιαν (The prayed-for / wished-for and longed-for peace and concord):
Euktaios: prayed-for, earnestly desired, wished-for (from euchomai, to pray/desire).
Epipothētos: greatly desired, yearned for, longed-for (cf. Philippians 4:1).
Eirēnē kai homonoia: "peace and concord"—the twin Clementine ideals that stand as the antidote to stasis (schism/rebellion).
εἰς τὸ τάχιον καὶ ἡμᾶς χαρῆναι (So that we too may rejoice all the sooner):
Tachion: comparative adverb ("more quickly", "sooner").
Chairō: to rejoice, be glad.
Demonstrates Rome’s intense emotional and pastoral investment in the outcome of the dispute; the restoration of order in Corinth brings genuine communal joy to the Roman church.
περὶ τῆς εὐσταθείας ὑμῶν (Concerning your stability / tranquility): Noun eustatheia (from eu "well" + histēmi "to stand"). Reappears from 61.1; refers to a stable, well-ordered state of affairs, immune to the rocking waves of factionalism and sedition.
τῶν κεκλημένων ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ (Those who have been called by God): Perfect passive participle of kaleō ("to call"). Emphasizes the divine initiative in election; believers across the globe (pantachē) constitute a single, divinely called body unified in Christ.
θρόνος αἰώνιος (An eternal throne): Absolute divine sovereignty expressed through the image of an unending heavenly throne (thronos aionios), underscoring that while earthly factions and human authorities rise and fall, God’s kingdom and order endure perpetually.
Ἐπιστολὴ τῶν Ῥωμαίων πρὸς τοὺς Κορινθίους (Letter of the Romans to the Corinthians): The ancient manuscript subscriptio. Confirms that the letter was originally sent not as a personal decree by a monarchical bishop named Clement, but as a corporate, fraternal communication from the church residing in Rome to the church residing in Corinth.