Texts in Conversation
The epistle of 1 Clement appeals to God’s mercy using the language of Sirach, highlighting how early Christian authors used Jewish wisdom texts such as Sirach when teaching and making theological arguments.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Sirach 2:11
Ben Sira, Ecclesiasticus
Deuterocanon
9 All you who fear the Lord, hope for good things, and for eternal gladness and mercy. 10 Look at the generations of old, and see: Who ever put his trust in the Lord, and was ashamed? Or who remained in his fear, and was forsaken? Or who called upon him, and he neglected him? 11 For the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. He forgives sins and saves in time of affliction. 12 Woe to fearful hearts, to faint hands, and to the sinner who goes two ways! 13 Woe to the faint heart! For it doesn’t believe. Therefore it won’t be defended.
Date: 195–180 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 60:1
First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians
Early Christian
1 “You made the everlasting structure of the world visible through Your works. You, Lord, created the earth. You who are faithful throughout all generations, righteous in Your judgments, marvelous in strength and excellence, You who are wise in creating and prudent in establishing what You have made, who are good in the things that are seen and faithful to those who trust in You, merciful and compassionate, forgive us our iniquities and our unrighteous acts and our transgressions and shortcomings.” 2 “Do not count against us every sin of Your servants and Your maidservants, but cleanse us with the cleansing of Your truth, and guide our steps to walk in holiness and righteousness and sincerity of heart, and to do what is good and pleasing in Your sight and in the sight of our rulers.”
Date: 90–100 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The earliest Apostolic Fathers (90-150 CE), those writings closest in chronology to the New Testament writings, have a number of even more striking parallels, quotations, and allusions to noncanonical literature. Notice, for example, that Clement of Rome (90-95 CE) cites Sirach 2:11 in 1 Clement 60:1, Wisdom of Solomon 12:10 in 1 Clement 7:5, and Wisdom of Solomon 12:12 in 1 Clement 27:5 (perhaps also alluded to in 3:4 and 7:5). In 1 Clement 55:4-6 both Judith (8) and Esther (7 and 4:16) are cited authoritatively or scripturally. The author of 2 Clement (150 CE) has a number of quotations, allusions, and references from unknown and non-biblical sources (see 11:2-7, and 13:2) as well as a quote from Tobit 16:4. Barnabas (90-130) employs quotations from Wisdom of Solomon (20:2), 1 Enoch (16:5), 4 Ezra (12:1), and from unknown 'scripture' as in 7:3, 8, and 10:7. The Didache (70-90 CE) makes use of Wisdom of Solomon in 5:2 and 10:3 as well as an unknown quote in 1:6. Polycarp cites Tobit 4:10 (see also 12:9) in Martyrdom 10.2 ..."
Lee Martin McDonald, Forgotten Scriptures: The Selection and Rejection of Early Religious Writings (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2009), 136.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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