Early Church Order and Doctrine: A Theological Exposition of Clement of Rome's First
Epistle to the Corinthians.
An Outline of Early Church Order and Doctrine: A Theological Exposition of Clement of
Rome's First Epistle to the Corinthians.
IV. Pneumatology (The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit)
Role in Inspiration and Repentance: The Holy Spirit is connected with the inspiration
of Scripture and the work of repentance.
o "The ministers of the grace of God have, by the Holy Spirit, spoken of
repentance..." (Chapter 8). Reference to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
(Chapter 2).
IV. Pneumatology (The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit)
This section explores Clement's understanding of the Holy Spirit, focusing on the roles attributed
to the Spirit in his First Epistle to the Corinthians. While Clement doesn't offer a fully developed
pneumatology as later theologians would, he makes important connections between the Spirit
and key aspects of Christian life.
Role in Inspiration and Repentance: The Holy Spirit is explicitly connected with the
inspiration of Scripture and the work of repentance. This suggests that Clement viewed
the Spirit as the divine agent who empowers both the communication and the reception of
God's truth.
o Supporting Chapter References and Quotes from 1 Clement:
Chapter 8 (Full Quote): "The ministers of the grace of God have, by the
Holy Spirit, spoken of repentance; and the Lord of all things has himself
declared with an oath regarding it, “As I live, saith the Lord, I desire not
the death of the sinner, but rather his repentance;” adding, moreover, this
gracious declaration, “Repent, O house of Israel, of your iniquity. Say to
the children of My people, Though your sins reach from earth to heaven,
and though they be redder than scarlet, and blacker than sackcloth, yet if
ye turn to Me with your whole heart, and say, Father! I will listen to you,
as to a holy people.” And in another place He speaks thus: “Wash you, and
become clean; put away the wickedness of your souls from before mine
eyes; cease from your evil ways, and learn to do well; seek out judgment,
deliver the oppressed, judge the fatherless, and see that justice is done to
the widow; and come, and let us reason together. He declares, Though
your sins be like crimson, I will make them white as snow; though they be
like scarlet, I will whiten them like wool. And if ye be willing and obey
Me, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye refuse, and will not hearken
unto Me, the sword shall devour you, for the mouth of the Lord hath
spoken these things.” Desiring, therefore, that all His beloved should be
partakers of repentance, He has, by His almighty will, established [these
declarations]." The phrase "The ministers of the grace of God have, by the
Holy Spirit, spoken of repentance" directly links the Spirit to the
proclamation of repentance. This suggests that the Spirit empowers those
who call others to repentance and that the message itself is divinely
inspired.
Chapter 2 (Partial Quote within larger context): "Moreover, ye were
all distinguished by humility, and were in no respect puffed up with pride,
but yielded obedience rather than extorted it, and were more willing to
give than to receive. Content with the provision which God had made for
you, and carefully attending to His words, ye were inwardly filled with
His doctrine, and His sufferings were before your eyes. Thus a profound
and abundant peace was given to you all, and ye had an insatiable desire
for doing good, while a full outpouring of the Holy Spirit was upon you
all." The mention of a "full outpouring of the Holy Spirit" on the
Corinthian church in its earlier, more unified state suggests the Spirit's role
in empowering and unifying the community.
o Supporting Bible Quotes and Commentary:
1. 2 Peter 1:20-21 (Full Quote): "Above all, you must understand that no
prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of
things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets,
though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy
Spirit."
Commentary: This passage directly addresses the role of the Holy
Spirit in the inspiration of Scripture. It emphasizes that prophecy
did not originate from human will or interpretation but from God,
with the prophets being "carried along by the Holy Spirit." This
highlights the divine origin and authority of the prophetic writings.
The Spirit's role is not merely to suggest ideas but to actively guide
and empower the prophets to speak God's words.
2. John 16:13 (Full Quote): "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will
guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak
only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
Commentary: This verse describes the ongoing work of the Holy
Spirit in guiding believers into truth. Jesus promises that the Spirit
"will guide you into all the truth," indicating his role as a teacher
and revealer of divine truth. The phrase "he will not speak on his
own; he will speak only what he hears" emphasizes the Spirit's
subordination to the Father and the Son, while also affirming his
role as the communicator of divine revelation.
3. Titus 3:5 (Full Quote): "he saved us, not because of righteous things we
had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of
rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,"
Commentary: This passage connects the Holy Spirit with
salvation and renewal. It states that God saved us "through the
washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit." This highlights
the Spirit's role in the process of regeneration, which is the
transforming work of God in the lives of believers. The Spirit's
work is essential for new birth and spiritual transformation.
While Clement doesn't elaborate extensively on the personhood or full nature of the Holy Spirit
as later theological developments would, his emphasis on the Spirit's role in inspiration and
repentance lays important groundwork for future discussions of pneumatology. His linking of the
Spirit to both the written word and the inner transformation of believers is a significant
contribution to early Christian thought.
