One rubs ones eyes with amazement when reading these extracts, specially when one

remembers that this was given out as Christian teaching less than a hundred years after

the full revelation of grace had been given in the N.T.

Moreover, the Person of Christ is not central, and there is no appreciation of the

glorious fact that justification is the present possession of the believer. According to this

teaching, on becoming saved, a person must keep to the right way in order to attain

salvation; in other words, salvation becomes a reward for righteous living. The word

`grace' only occurs twice, and then it is used as a kind of Divine force, added to that of

the believer sets out to perfect himself in the righteousness of the law, and when he fails,

to make some kind of atonement by his own works, "through your hands you have earned

a ransom for your sins" (4:6,7).

Sometimes we see it argued, that the nearer one gets to N.T. times, the nearer one is to

the primitive Truth of the Scriptures. An examination of this early literature shows, alas,

such an idea to be false. It is significant that this document goes back to the Twelve

Apostles of the circumcision for the instruction of the church in Christian doctrine and

living, rather than to the minister appointed by the ascended Christ--Paul, the Apostle of

the Gentiles (Eph. 3: 1, 2; Col. 1: 24, 25).

This epistle, apart from the N.T., is probably the earliest Christian document that has

come down to us. The writer is not named, but from ancient times, it has been ascribed

to Clement, who was bishop of Rome from 88-97A.D.  He seems to have had

acquaintance with Paul's epistles and the letter to the Hebrews and I Peter. The date of

1 Clement could be around 90-95A.D. It is found in Greek near the close of the Codex

Alexandrinus of the fifth century and in the eleventh century manuscript found by

Bryennius in 1873, Syriac, Latin and Coptic versions have also come to light.

It was addressed to the Corinthian church, which at this time was showing hostility to

the office of elder or presbyter, and its purpose was an attempt to correct this. When we

study its theology what do we find? He speaks warm-heartedly about Christ, His death,

and once actually speaks of "faith in Christ". However, when we examine the contents of

these statements we find he expresses sentiments which clearly show that he never

properly gripped the truth of salvation by grace, apart from works. Such faith, as he

mentions, pertains not so much to the Person of Christ, but to His precepts, the Lord

Jesus to him was a preacher of the "grace of repentance". The Lord's death is said to

procure, not atonement, but an opportunity to repent, and is brought in as an example,

leading men to a strong desire to do good and to keep humble before God.

Let us look at the passage where he uses the expression "faith in Christ":