Texts in Conversation
1 Clement calls Abraham the friend, the same title James gives him, and bases it on the same evidence, that Abraham believed God and was counted righteous. 1 Clement follows the reading of James, connecting this more to his obedience than just faith.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
James 2:23
New Testament
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
1 Clement 10:1
First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians
Early Christian
1 Abraham, who was called the ‘friend,’ was found faithful because he obeyed the words of God. 2 Through obedience, he left his land, his kindred, and his father’s house, so that by leaving a small land, a weak kindred, and a humble home, he might inherit the promises of God. 3 For He said to him, ‘Go forth from your land, from your kindred, and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you and magnify your name, and you shall be blessed. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you, and through you, all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed.’ 4 And again, when he was separated from Lot, God said to him, ‘Look up with your eyes and behold—from where you are—to the north, the south, the east, and the west; for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your descendants forever.’
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Notes and References
"... The second instance is Clement’s treatment of Abraham. The more obvious point of comparison here would seem to be Hebrews, for Clement lists Abraham among heroes of faithful obedience, beginning with Enoch and ending with Rahab (1 Clement 9:2-12:8 = Hebrews 11:5-31). He introduces the list, moreover, with language strongly reminiscent of Hebrews 11. But analysis shows that Clement does not follow Hebrews slavishly. In his presentation of Abraham, Lot, and Rahab, Clement goes into considerably more detail than does Hebrews, and uses the biblical text concerning these characters directly, with multiple citations from Genesis and Joshua. Why should we think to detect the influence of James? We notice that Clement deviates from Hebrews in the designation of Abraham as “friend of God” (1 Clement 10:1 = James 2:23), which is repeated in 17:2. James and Clement, moreover, both cite Genesis 15:6 verbatim, whereas Hebrews cites Genesis 15:5 but not 15:6. Finally, Abraham is praised by Clement for his “faith and hospitality” (10:7), which is carried also through the examples of Lot (11) and Rahab (12). The emphasis on hospitality draws Clement’s version closer to James than to Hebrews. ..."
Johnson, Luke Timothy
The Letter of James: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary
(p. 74) Doubleday, 1995
* 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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