Skip to Content
intertextual.bible
Go to Related Reading
About this book

Clement of Rome

1 Clement

First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

About this book

A Call to Be Humble

Chapter 13

1 Let us therefore be humble, brothers and sisters, laying aside all arrogance and conceit and foolishness and anger, and let us do what is written. For the Holy Spirit says, “Let the wise man not boast in his wisdom, nor the strong in his strength, nor the rich in his riches; but let the one who boasts boast in the Lord,⁠ so that he may seek Him out and do justice and righteousness most of all remembering the words of the Lord Jesus which He spoke, teaching forbearance and patience.” 2 for this is how He spoke: “Have mercy, so that you may receive mercy; forgive, so that you may be forgiven. As you do, so it will be done to you. As you give, so it will be given to you. As you judge, so you will be judged. As you show kindness, so kindness will be shown to you. With what measure you measure, it will be measured to you.”⁠ 3 Let us strengthen ourselves with this commandment and these precepts, so that we may walk in obedience to His holy words, in humility. 4 For the holy word says, “On whom shall I look, except on the one who is gentle and quiet and fears My oracles?”⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare LXX Jeremiah 9:22 and 1 Corinthians 1:31 and Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 13:1

Septuagint · New Testament · Early Christian

Share:

Summary

In 1 Clement, the author quotes the instruction not to boast from Jeremiah 9, but ends it with the shorter version Paul uses in 1 Corinthians, likely because Clement knew the passage from the letter Paul sent to the same church in Corinth.

Passages

LXX Jeremiah 9:22

Septuagint
21 And the carcasses of the men shall be for an example on the face of the field of your land, like grass after the mower, and there shall be none to gather them. 22 Thus says the Lord, Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the strong man boast in his strength, and let not the rich man boast in his wealth; 23 but let him that boasts boast in this, the understanding and knowing that I am the Lord that exercise mercy, and judgment, and righteousness, upon the earth; for in these things is my pleasure, says the Lord. 24 Look, the days come, says the Lord, when I will visit upon all the circumcised their uncircumcision;
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Jeremiah

1 Corinthians 1:31

New Testament
26 Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. 27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, 29 so that no one can boast in his presence. 30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
55–57 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Corinthians

Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 13:1

Early Christian · First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians
1 Let us therefore be humble, brothers and sisters, laying aside all arrogance and conceit and foolishness and anger, and let us do what is written. For the Holy Spirit says, “Let the wise man not boast in his wisdom, nor the strong in his strength, nor the rich in his riches; but let the one who boasts boast in the Lord, so that he may seek Him out and do justice and righteousness most of all remembering the words of the Lord Jesus which He spoke, teaching forbearance and patience.”
90–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Clement of Rome, 1 Clement

References

“... Of the apostolic fathers 1 Clement offers the fullest doctrine of Scripture. The sacred and authoritative character of the OT books is affirmed both by introductory formulas (“The Holy Spirit says,” 1 Clem. 13.1, quoting Jer 9:23–24; 1 Clem. 16.2, quoting Is 53:1–12) and by descriptions (“the holy word,” 1 Clem. 13.3, introducing Is 66:2, and 1 Clem. 56.3, introducing Ps 117:18 LXX; and “sacred Scriptures . . . and oracles of God,” 1 Clem. 53.1). ...”
Ralph P. Martin and Peter H. Davids, eds., Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1997), 1197.
“... Pauline-Clement parallels include the following: 1 Clem. 13.1 and 1 Cor 1:31; 2 Cor 10:17 1 Clem. 24.1 and 1 Cor 15:20 1 Clem. 24.5 and 1 Cor 15:36–41 1 Clem. 32.2 and Rom 9:3 1 Clem. 33.1 and Rom 6:1 1 Clem. 34.8 and 1 Cor 2:9 1 Clem. 35.5 and Rom 1:29–32 1 Clem. 35.7 and Rom 1:32 1 Clem. 37.5 and 1 Cor 12:21 1 Clem. 46.6–7 and Eph 4:4–6 1 Clem. 47.1–2 and 1 Cor 1:10–17 1 Clem. 48.5 and 1 Cor 12:8–9 1 Clem. 49.5 and 1 Cor 13:4–7 ...”
Lee Martin McDonald, The Biblical Canon: Its Origin, Transmission, and Authority (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2007), 850.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Your feedback

LXX Jeremiah 9:22 and 1 Corinthians 1:31 and Clement of Rome, 1 Clement 13:1

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library