Clement of Rome’s First Epistle to the Corinthians is a supremely valuable historical document. One of very few noncanonical Christian texts to reach us from the first century, it’s an early example of the exercise of hierarchical—and Roman—authority in the Church. Disciplinary in nature, Clement’s epistle speaks volumes about the life of the early church. The early Christians guarded the letter fiercely, risking their own lives to preserve it for generations to come.
In Clement and the Early Church of Rome: On the Dating of Clement’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, Thomas Herron presents painstaking research in favor of an earlier dating for the epistle. Carefully examining both external and internal evidence surrounding the letter, he sketches out the historical, theological, and apologetic significance an earlier dating would have. His scholarship sheds new light on the dating questions that plague this early document and offers insight into the structural history of the post apostolic church.
Yes, I’m copying from Jim here, but he did have a good idea.
This just hit the shelves, so to speak, at Logos. Herron is arguing for a real early date – before the destruction of the Temple. I’m not completely convinced… but I am reading it.
So, go get it.
Joel L. Watts holds a Masters of Arts from United Theological Seminary with a focus in literary and rhetorical criticism of the New Testament. His interests include exploring the role of mimesis in human civilization, specifically in the study of religion and media, as well as science fiction and the way in which it has allowed mythology to be explored in light of scientific discoveries of the past century. He is the author of Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark: Introduction and Commentary (Wipf and Stock, 2013) and a co-editor and contributor to From Fear to Faith: Stories of Hitting Spiritual Walls (Energion, 2013).
Website: → Unsettled Christianity
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“it’s an early example of the exercise of hierarchical—and Roman—authority”
No it’s not. It reads like a concerned brother reaching out to help his sibling who is headed in the wrong direction. All that nonsense about Roman authority being portrayed in 1 Clement is bias from the Catholic tradition.
I’m not completely convinced of that, Ben. Clement writes with a certain amount of authority – as Paul did before him and Ignatius will do after him. This may not be the entrenched power system of a later system, but it is not a mere concern either.
It’s the authority of one who is closer to God’s ways and the teachings of Scripture, a Pastoral authority. It’s humble in nature, and not a power bid from within Christendom.
Ben, Scripture really doesn’t teach us much in this regard. Ephesians comes closest to giving us a hierarchy, or we can go by what Paul did and his commanding of this or that, something Clement clearly follows.