1 Clement 47 (Roberts-Donaldson Translation)
Take up the epistle of the blessed Apostle Paul. What did he write to you at the time when the Gospel first began to be preached? Truly, under the inspiration of the Spirit, he wrote to you concerning himself, and Cephas, and Apollos, because even then parties had been formed among you. But that inclination for one above another entailed less guilt upon you, inasmuch as your partialities were then shown towards apostles, already of high reputation, and towards a man whom they had approved. But now reflect who those are that have perverted you, and lessened the renown of your far-famed brotherly love. It is disgraceful, beloved, yea, highly disgraceful, and unworthy of your Christian profession, that such a thing should be heard of as that the most steadfast and ancient Church of the Corinthians should, on account of one or two persons, engage in sedition against its presbyters. And this rumour has reached not only us, but those also who are unconnected with us; so that, through your infatuation, the name of the Lord is blasphemed, while danger is also brought upon yourselves.
1 Clement is a letter from the church in Rome to the church in Corinth, written near the end of the first century. It is not part of the canon of scripture, as it was not written by a first-generation Christian, but it ranks at the top of non-canonical early Christian writings. So much so that it is included alongside scripture in such key ancient manuscripts as Codex Alexandrinus and the Syriac Version.
This passage in 1 Clement is why even the most skeptical skeptics concede that 1 Corinthians is authentic. This paragraph references Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth and specifically mentions many of its details. That connection, combined with undeniable facts about the origin and date of 1 Clement, clearly establishes the authenticity of 1 Corinthians.
Even just conceding that 1 Corinthians is a real letter written by a real person in the first century is conceding a lot, as 1 Corinthians makes some definitive statements about who saw the resurrected Christ. Thus 1 Corinthians, even just as a letter, lays a cornerstone for the evidence that Jesus rose from the dead.
But 1 Corinthians isn’t just a letter from a guy named Paul. It’s inspired scripture with deep and timeless lessons to teach us. It is widely understood to have been written by Paul during his three-year stay in Ephesus—around 55AD.
In 55AD, Corinth was a wildly successful cosmopolitan city, maybe too successful. Its problems seem to descend from its pagan, idolatrous lifestyle. Sexual immorality was widespread in Corinth, and that infected the church there. Paul wrote to them in order to correct this shameful behavior.
This is a classic problem with any church. Its members cannot help but be influenced by the culture they are marinated in. The church must strive to uphold God’s standards, or else the salt loses its saltiness.
Curiously, 1 Corinthians is not Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 5:9 mentions a prior letter, which is lost to time. It seems that the earlier letter was anything but inspired, as it was apparently misunderstood. That misunderstanding led to no end of problems, including division.
This letter appears to be an effort to rectify the mistakes of the earlier letter—at least in part.
