CLEMENS ROMANUS: Interpreting a man, on LIMITED ATONEMENT, Special Grace, & REDEMPTION

Alan Gross · Jun 24, 2020

CLEMENS ROMANUS. A. D. 69.

from: CHAPTER 2.

REDEMPTION.

CLEMENT, as he believed there was a certain number of elect persons, which has been proved in the preceding chapter, (https://www.baptistboard.com/thread...ce-are-peculiar-to-the-elect-of-god.116488/so ) he plainly intimates, that these are the persons for whom Christ shed his blood;

for having observed, that all the elect of God are made perfect in love, he adds, f1023 “Without love nothing is well-pleasing to God;

in love the Lord assumed us to himself;

because of the love which Christ our Lord hath towards us, ...he hath given his blood for us, his flesh for our flesh, and his soul for our souls.”

The sense of which is manifestly this, that the persons for whose sake Christ assumed human nature, and shed his precious blood, are the elect of God, and such who have a special and peculiar share in the love of Christ.

And besides his saying, that the blood of Christ was given, ... for us, he restrains redemption to them that have faith and hope in God;

for speaking of the spies that came into Rahab’s house, ordering her to hang out a scarlet thread, thereby says he, “making it manifest, that through the blood of the Lord there should be redemption for all those that believe and hope in God.”

Monsieur Daille has cited a passage from this writer in favor of general redemption, which is this, “Let us,” says Clement, f1027 “look to the blood of Christ, and see how precious his blood is to God, which being shed for our salvation, ... ‘hath brought the grace of repentance to all the world.’”

But his meaning is evidently this, that the blood of Christ, shed for the salvation of sinners, has laid a foundation for the preaching of the doctrine of repentance in all ages of the world;

for he goes on to instance in the preaching of Noah to the old world;

of Jonah to the Ninevites;

and in God’s declarations of his regard to repenting sinners in the times of Isaiah and Ezekiel;

which he closes with this observation, ... “God, therefore, willing that his beloved ones should partake of repentance.”

In which he suggests, that God’s grand design in having the doctrine of repentance preached in all ages was, that those who were the objects of his love might be brought unto it;

which is so far from militating against, that it is a confirmation of the doctrine of special grace and redemption through the blood of Christ.

cheb · Dec 28, 2020

Alan Gross said: ↑

CLEMENS ROMANUS. A. D. 69.

from: CHAPTER 2.

REDEMPTION.

CLEMENT, as he believed there was a certain number of elect persons, which has been proved in the preceding chapter, (https://www.baptistboard.com/thread...ce-are-peculiar-to-the-elect-of-god.116488/so ) he plainly intimates, that these are the persons for whom Christ shed his blood;

for having observed, that all the elect of God are made perfect in love, he adds, f1023 “Without love nothing is well-pleasing to God;

in love the Lord assumed us to himself;

because of the love which Christ our Lord hath towards us, ...he hath given his blood for us, his flesh for our flesh, and his soul for our souls.”

The sense of which is manifestly this, that the persons for whose sake Christ assumed human nature, and shed his precious blood, are the elect of God, and such who have a special and peculiar share in the love of Christ.

And besides his saying, that the blood of Christ was given, ... for us, he restrains redemption to them that have faith and hope in God;

for speaking of the spies that came into Rahab’s house, ordering her to hang out a scarlet thread, thereby says he, “making it manifest, that through the blood of the Lord there should be redemption for all those that believe and hope in God.”

Monsieur Daille has cited a passage from this writer in favor of general redemption, which is this, “Let us,” says Clement, f1027 “look to the blood of Christ, and see how precious his blood is to God, which being shed for our salvation, ... ‘hath brought the grace of repentance to all the world.’”

But his meaning is evidently this, that the blood of Christ, shed for the salvation of sinners, has laid a foundation for the preaching of the doctrine of repentance in all ages of the world;

for he goes on to instance in the preaching of Noah to the old world;

of Jonah to the Ninevites;

and in God’s declarations of his regard to repenting sinners in the times of Isaiah and Ezekiel;

which he closes with this observation, ... “God, therefore, willing that his beloved ones should partake of repentance.”

In which he suggests, that God’s grand design in having the doctrine of repentance preached in all ages was, that those who were the objects of his love might be brought unto it;

which is so far from militating against, that it is a confirmation of the doctrine of special grace and redemption through the blood of Christ.
Click to expand...

The first Bishop of Rome was Linus, 68AD, almost certainly appointed by Paul, who knew him well (2 Timothy 4 v 21). Paul was probably executed in the spring of 68AD, and is likely to have recommended to his companion who visited him in prison during his last days on earth, Luke (2 Timothy 4 v 11), that Linus should be appointed to lead the Roman church.

The second Bishop of Rome was Clemens, or Clement.

There is no evidence that the Apostle Peter was ever in Rome, let alone its first Bishop.

Corroboration of Linus' appointment as the first Bishop of Rome can be found in the writings of Peter himself. His words, preserved in the "Apostolic Constitutions" (Bk. I, Chap. 46) read:

"Concerning those Bishops who have been ordained in our lifetime, we make known to you that they are these; of Antioch Eudius, ordained by me, Peter; of the Church of Rome, Linus, brother of Claudia, was first ordained by Paul, and after Linus' death, Clemens, the second ordained by me, Peter".

In another statement Peter affirms that Linus was a Briton, son of a royal king. Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp (Born c.. 130AD) and later Bishop of Smyrna, also confirms Linus' appointment. He wrote: "The apostles, having founded and built up the Church at Rome, committed the ministry of its supervision to Linus. This is the Linus mentioned by Paul in his Epistle to Timothy." (Irenaei Opera Lib. III. C.I.).

canadyjd · Dec 28, 2020

Alan Gross said: ↑

CLEMENS ROMANUS. A. D. 69.

from: CHAPTER 2.

REDEMPTION.

CLEMENT, as he believed there was a certain number of elect persons, which has been proved in the preceding chapter, (https://www.baptistboard.com/thread...ce-are-peculiar-to-the-elect-of-god.116488/so ) he plainly intimates, that these are the persons for whom Christ shed his blood;

for having observed, that all the elect of God are made perfect in love, he adds, f1023 “Without love nothing is well-pleasing to God;

in love the Lord assumed us to himself;

because of the love which Christ our Lord hath towards us, ...he hath given his blood for us, his flesh for our flesh, and his soul for our souls.”

The sense of which is manifestly this, that the persons for whose sake Christ assumed human nature, and shed his precious blood, are the elect of God, and such who have a special and peculiar share in the love of Christ.

And besides his saying, that the blood of Christ was given, ... for us, he restrains redemption to them that have faith and hope in God;

for speaking of the spies that came into Rahab’s house, ordering her to hang out a scarlet thread, thereby says he, “making it manifest, that through the blood of the Lord there should be redemption for all those that believe and hope in God.”

Monsieur Daille has cited a passage from this writer in favor of general redemption, which is this, “Let us,” says Clement, f1027 “look to the blood of Christ, and see how precious his blood is to God, which being shed for our salvation, ... ‘hath brought the grace of repentance to all the world.’”

But his meaning is evidently this, that the blood of Christ, shed for the salvation of sinners, has laid a foundation for the preaching of the doctrine of repentance in all ages of the world;

for he goes on to instance in the preaching of Noah to the old world;

of Jonah to the Ninevites;

and in God’s declarations of his regard to repenting sinners in the times of Isaiah and Ezekiel;

which he closes with this observation, ... “God, therefore, willing that his beloved ones should partake of repentance.”

In which he suggests, that God’s grand design in having the doctrine of repentance preached in all ages was, that those who were the objects of his love might be brought unto it;

which is so far from militating against, that it is a confirmation of the doctrine of special grace and redemption through the blood of Christ.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the post. It looks like the doctrines of grace were well understood and accepted by the first century church.

peace to you

cheb · Jan 4, 2021

canadyjd said: ↑

Thank you for the post. It looks like the doctrines of grace were well understood and accepted by the first century church.

peace to you
Click to expand...

Thank you, and for what it is worth, Eusebius, Iraeneus and Origen all agree that the Clemens/Clement who undoubtedly became the bishop/presbyter of the church at Rome in or about 88D was also the 'Clemens' referred to in Philippians 4 v 3, Conybeare and Howson ('Lifer and Epistles of St. Paul) offering the opinion that "he had formerly laboured successfully at Philippi".

Paul may therefore have first met Clement when he was at Philippi, probably in 52AD, when Clement may have still been a teenager. Clement would surely therefore have derived his theology and understanding of the Scriptures directly from Paul?

CLEMENS ROMANUS: Interpreting a man, on LIMITED ATONEMENT, Special Grace, & REDEMPTION

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