1st Clement 1 Study Guide

Day 1 - Familiarization

1. Read 1^st Clement 1.

2. Read or watch Devotions with Pastor Steve – 1^st Clement 1 – Christian Fights.

Notes:

Day 2 – Delving Deeper

1. Read 1^st Clement 1.

2. Write down at least 3 questions you have about the passage. These questions should include anything that makes you curious or that you’d like more information about.

3. Read or watch Devotions with Pastor Steve – 1^st Clement 1 – Selfless Attention.

Notes:

Day 3 – Putting Yourself in the Story

1. Read 1^st Clement 1.

2. What do you imagine Clement is feeling as he writes this passage?

3. What do you imagine the members of the Corinthian church were feeling as they went through their church fight?

4. From what you know so far, what do you think would have motivated the people who started the fight?

5. Read or watch Devotions with Pastor Steve – 1^st Clement 1 – Corinthian Qualities.

Notes:

Day 4 – What is God Saying to Me?

1. Read 1^st Clement 1.

2. Spend some time in silent prayer, listening for God’s Spirit to speak to your spirit.

3. In one sentence, what do you feel God wants you to learn and carry with you from reading this passage this week?

4. Memorize a verse or two from this passage that highlights that message. Write down the verse(s) you’re choosing to memorize.

5. Read or watch Devotions with Pastor Steve – 1^st Clement 1 – No Respect of Persons.

Notes:

Day 5 – What Does God Want Me to Do?

1. Read 1^st Clement 1.

2. Spend some time in silent prayer, listening for God’s Spirit to speak to your spirit.

3. From what you’ve learned about this passage this week, what is one thing you feel God wants you to do?

4. Read or watch Devotions with Pastor Steve – 1^st Clement 1 – Blameless, Becoming, and Pure Consciences.

Notes:

Video and Text Devotional - 1 Clement 1 - Blameless, Becoming, and Pure Consciences

Watch the video or read the devotion below.

The last thing that Clement compliments the Corinthians on in 1st Clement 1 is how well they've instructed their young men to be men, and how well they've instructed their women to be good wives.

He says that the Corinthians have done well in teaching young men to be responsible in life, not guys that are always just messing around wasting time, but men that get things done.

Clement then turns his attention to how the Corinthians have taught their wives "to do all things with a blameless, becoming, and pure conscience, loving their husbands as in duty bound; and ye taught them that, living in the rule of obedience, they should manage their household affairs becomingly, and be in every respect marked by discretion."

Let's look at some of those qualities that Clement finds praiseworthy in the Corinthian Christian women.  They had blameless, becoming, and pure consciences. These women knew that they were living the right way and they had clean hearts and minds while they did it. They had no regrets, no impure thoughts or desires. They were pure, just as they should be in every way - becoming.

Secondly, they loved their husbands "as in duty bound" and lived under the "rule of obedience". Now, Clement's really showing his old-fashioned, male chauvinism here, isn't he? "Duty bound"? "Rule of obedience"?

And yet the women had "blameless, becoming, and pure" consciences. The women were happy living like this. They had no desire to change it. Would they have been as happy fighting their husbands, nitpicking their husbands, talking against them, resenting them, not living under the rule of obedience? That doesn't make anyone happy.

Simple order is what makes people happy. Young men learning to be serious and responsible. Women learning to be calm and love their husbands "as in duty bound".

Finally, Clement admires how the Corinthian women "manage their household affairs becomingly" and with "discretion". These women are in charge of the house, and they're careful and wise in how they handle things.

I imagine God saying the same thing to Adam and Eve when He gave them the planet. "Here is your household, the world. Manage it becomingly and with discretion". The same responsibility that God gave them, is the responsibility that women have over the home. It's not to be taken lightly, and to do it well shows the quality of a Christian woman.

As Clement has said, let us all find our peaceful places in life and live with "blameless, becoming, and pure" consciences.

Video and Text Devotional - 1 Clement 1 - No Respect of Persons

Watch the video or read the devotion below.

 
In 1st Clement 1, Clement continues enumerating the good qualities of the Corinthians' Christian lifestyle. One thing he notes can be a bit confusing. I mean listen to what he says here:

"For ye did all things without respect of persons, and walked in the commandments of God, being obedient to those who had the rule over you, and giving all fitting honour to the presbyters among you."

He says 1) the Corinthians did everything with no respect of persons. That means they didn't hold any one person or type of person to be more important than another. But then he says 2) the Corinthians were obedient to the rulers of the church and gave honor to the presbyters, or the church officials.

How can the Corinthians have done everything without respect of persons but then given respect to the people in charge of the church? And why are there people in charge of the church anyway? Have you ever thought about that? Why do we need pastors and priests and church leaders? Why can't everyone just be on the same level in the church "without respect of persons"?

Clement, as a church leader himself, would have known two things that help to explain his statement here. First, he would have understood that no person is better than another in God's eyes and that as Christians, we are all equally important and equally valued both by God and by the Body of Christ in general. But he also would have understood that God gives us different talents, different spiritual gifts, and different responsibilities.

Some people, God has given the talent to be doctors. I don't have that talent or training. So when I go to a doctor, I don't view the doctor as being a better person than I am, but I do respect the doctor's authority in his or her field of expertise. I view that doctor with no respect of persons, but with respect for their talent and position.

It's the same thing in the church. God has called some people to be church leaders. And so we view them without respect of persons, but with respect in accordance to the duties they've been chosen to perform.

In society, and especially in the church, we need to understand that we're all the same - we're all equally valuable - but we need to respect each others' unique fields of expertise.

Video and Text Devotional - 1 Clement 1 - Corinthian Qualities

Watch the video or read the devotion below.

 
In 1st Clement 1,  Clement compliments the Corinthian Christians on the virtues of their Christian lifestyle. He says that their reputation is "venerable" and "illustrious", "worthy to be loved" by everyone. He has a lot of respect for the Corinthians.

He says that anyone who spent any time with them at all could see how strong their faith was and how their faith was bearing fruit in their lives. And, of course, we can't read a compliment like that without using it as a check on our own lives. Can the people around you tell that you're a Christian? Can they tell how strong your faith is and can they see how your faith is affecting the way you live your life? Is it obvious that your faith is producing good qualities in your character?

He says that people admire how serious and moderate the Corinthians are in their quest to live godly lives. The Corinthians weren't flighty. They got down to business and did God's work, Kingdom work. They didn't get distracted by other, wordly things. They kept themselves self-controlled and focused. What about you? Are you focused on doing the things of God? Are you getting down to the business of doing what God has asked you to do? Or are there things that invade your time or your interests and that you maybe you need to exercise more self-control over?

He then talks about the "magnificence" of the Corinthians' "habitual hospitality". "Habitual hospitality". That's another way of saying that they welcomed other people. They made people feel comfortable and welcomed and like they were part of the group. They met other people's needs when they came to them. Are you a welcoming person? Do you help your church to be inviting and welcoming to others? Do you meet the needs of people who come to you, put them at ease, and make them feel like they belong?

Finally, Clement acknowledges the Corinthians' "perfect and well-grounded knowledge". The Corinthians weren't uninformed Christians. They didn't believe things just because the preacher said so. These Christians knew what they knew and they knew why they knew it. They did the research. They took their faith seriously enough that they did their own thinking and reasoning and studying. They wrestled with and figured out the stuff they didn't understand. They actively learned the faith. That's what you're doing by delving deeper into Scripture and Christian history with your devotions and Bible study. Take it a step further if you need to. Pursue the knowledge of God and the Holy Spirit will guide you to understanding.

Be like the Corinthians. Let others see your faith and how it's bearing fruit in your life. Don't spend too much time on stuff that doesn't matter. Get down to the Kingdom work. Welcome people in and make them part of the Kingdom. And know what you know, and know why you know it.

Video and Text Devotional - 1 Clement 1 - Selfless Attention

Watch the video or read the devotion below.

I have kind of a one-track mind, especially when it comes to problems. Maybe you're like that too. If you're worried about something, or if a problem comes that's all you can think about until you find a way to solve it. It consumes your thought life and it's hard to turn your attention away from it to focus on something else.

Clement has established that he's writing to the Corinthians in regard to a problem they're having - a church schism, a fight between church members in Corinth - but what is surprising is what is happening in Rome and the problem Clement is dealing with there. Clement apologizes for not getting back to the Corinthians earlier, saying he's been "somewhat tardy" in his reply because of the "sudden and successive calamitous events" taking place in Rome.

The "sudden and successive calamitous events" he's talking about was Emperor Nero launching a full-scale persecution against Roman Christians. This is the persecution in which Peter and Paul were both executed. Many of Clement's fellow church leaders and members were most likely arrested and killed. Clement's own life would have been in danger.

And yet he apologizes to the Corinthians for not getting back to them sooner about their church squabble.

What I love about this is that even though Clement was dealing with a very serious issue, he is able to take the time to set aside his own concerns and the worries of what was happening around him to turn his attention to the needs of the Corinthians.

That is the attitude of Christ.

When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He could have, in all rights, been thinking only of His own pain and His own trouble and only of what He was going through. But He wasn't. He set that aside and was thinking of us and our salvation.

Clement does the same here. He selflessly turns His attention to the Corinthians to help them.

What would this look like in your life? How can you turn your attention from your own worries and ambitions and things you feel need to do in order to selflessly turn your attention to someone else's needs? To your family's needs? Your friend's needs? Your church's needs? The needs of someone you don't even know?

I know you have a lot going on in your life. There are things you want to accomplish and problems you need to take care of. But I encourage you to live like Christ and like Clement and try to turn your attention to others' needs as much as possible. I promise you that God will honor and bless you for it.

Video and Text Devotion - 1 Clement 1 - Christian Fights

Watch the video or read the devotion below.  

 

Clement was a companion of the Apostle Paul (Philippians 4:3) and later became the leader of the church in Rome. Though his writings are not Biblical, they are very instructional both historically and spiritually.

In 1 Clement 1:1-4, Clement is writing to the church in Corinth and he says that an issue, a fight, possibly even a split, has occurred in the church in Corinth because of a "few rash and self-confident persons". He says that the fact that there was even a fight among church members in the first place is "shameful", "detestable", and "utterly abhorrent".

This causes me to stop and consider the nature of not only church fights, but fights among Christians in general - fights between Christian spouses, fights between Christian friends, fights between a Christian parent and their Christian child. What causes these fights?

What caused your last fight with a fellow Christian?

Isn't it our rashness and self-confidence that causes fights? We're so convinced that we're right, and we act too quickly on that belief rather than hearing what the other person is saying or considering what their point of view may be.

Fights come from a lack of patience and humility. If we were more patient, if we controlled our emotions rather than reacting right away, the fight might not happen. If we humbled ourselves and questioned our own point of view before automatically assuming that we're right, the fight might not happen.

The church is the Body of Christ. We are fellow members of Christ's Body with our Christian family members, our Christian friends, and our Christian congregants. Let us not cause "shameful", "detestable", and "utterly abhorrent" fights within Christ's Body by acting rashly and out of self-confidence. Instead, let us practice patience and humility, even to the point of preserving peace rather than making a point.

After all, what is more important? Having our own way, or preserving the peace and unity of Christ's Body?

I think Clement's answer is pretty clear.