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First Pseudo-Clement

Pseudo-Clementine writer

Chapter 13

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Author: Pseudo-Clementine writer

Chapter XIII.—What Priests Should Be and Should Not Be.

Beloved brethren! that a man should build up and establish

‹ Chapter 12

the

brethren

on

the

faith

in

one

God

,

this

also

is

manifest

and

well

-

known

.

This

too

,

again

,

is

comely

,

that

a

man

should

not

be

envious

of

his

neighbour

.

And

moreover

,

again

,

it

is

suitable

and

comely

that

all

those

who

work

the

works

of

the

Lord

should

work

the

works

of

the

Lord

in

the

fear

of

God

.

Thus

is

it

required

of

them

to

conduct

themselves

.

That

“

the

harvest

is

great

,

but

the

workmen

are

few

,

”

this

also

is

well

-

known

and

manifest

.

Let

us

,

therefore

,

“

ask

of

the

Lord

of

the

harvest

”

that

He

would

send

forth

workmen

into

the

harvest

;

such

workmen

as

“

shall

skilfully

dispense

the

word

of

truth

;

”

workmen

“

who

shall

not

be

ashamed

;

”

faithful

workmen

;

workmen

who

shall

be

“

the

light

of

the

world

;

”

workmen

who

“

work

not

for

the

food

that

perisheth

,

but

for

that

food

which

abideth

unto

life

eternal

;

”

workmen

who

shall

be

such

as

the

apostles

;

workmen

who

imitate

the

Father

,

and

the

Son

,

and

the

Holy

Spirit

;

who

are

concerned

for

the

salvation

of

men

;

not

“

hireling

”

workmen

;

not

workmen

to

whom

the

fear

of

God

and

righteousness

appear

to

be

gain

;

not

workmen

who

“

serve

their

belly

;

”

not

workmen

who

“

with

fair

speeches

and

pleasant

words

mislead

the

hearts

of

the

innocent

;

”

not

workmen

who

imitate

the

children

of

light

,

while

they

are

not

light

but

darkness

—

“

men

whose

end

is

destruction

;

”

not

workmen

who

practise

iniquity

and

wickedness

and

fraud

;

not

“

crafty

workmen

;

”

not

workmen

“

drunken

”

and

“

faithless

;

”

nor

workmen

who

traffic

in

Christ

;

not

misleaders

;

not

“

lovers

of

money

;

not

malevolent

.

”

Let us, therefore, contemplate and imitate the faithful who have conducted themselves well in the Lord, as is becoming and suitable to our calling and profession. Thus let us do service before God in justice and righteousness, and without blemish, “occupying ourselves with things good and comely before God and also before men.” For this is comely, that God be glorified in us in all things.

Here endeth the first Epistle of Clement.

Notes

1
Matt. ix. 37, 38.
2
Lit. “without shame,” 2 Tim. ii. 15.
3
Matt. v. 14.
4
John vi. 27.
5
John x. 12, 13.
6
Rom. xvi. 18.
7
Phil. iii. 9.
8
2 Cor. xi. 13.
9
See Matt. xxiv. 45–51.
10
[Comp. the term χριστέμπορος “Christ-monger,” “Christ-trafficker,” in Teaching, chap. xii. 5, vol. vii. p. 381.—R.]
11
1 Tim. iii. 3; Tit. i. 7.
12
Rom. xii. 17.