Ancient Christian Sermon: Commonly Known As Second Clement (Part 2)

2. “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and shout, you who have no labor pains; for the deserted woman has more children than she who has a husband.” Now when he said, “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children,” he spoke of us, for our church was barren before children were given to it. (2) And when he said, “shout, you who have no labor pains,” he means this: we should offer up our prayers to God sincerely, and not grow weary like women in labor. (3) And he said, “for the deserted woman has more children than she who has a husband,” because our people seemed to be abandoned by God, but now that we have believed, we have become more numerous than those who seemed to have God. (4) And another Scripture says, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (5) He means this: that it is necessary to save those who are perishing. (6) For this is a great and marvelous thing, to support not those things that are standing but those that are falling. (7) So also Christ willed to save what was perishing, and he saved many when he came and called us who were already perishing.

Holmes, M. W. (1999). The Apostolic Fathers : Greek texts and English translations (Updated ed.) (107–109). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

Ancient Christian Sermon: Commonly Known As Second Clement (Part 1)

The date of this ancient sermon is still unknown, though it’s believed to be late first century – early second century.

1. Brothers, we ought to think of Jesus Christ, as we do of God, as “Judge of the living and the dead.” And we ought not to belittle our salvation, (2) for when we belittle him, we also hope to receive but little. And those who listen as though these are small matters do wrong, and we also do wrong, when we fail to acknowledge from where and by whom and to what place we were called, and how much suffering Jesus Christ endured for our sake. (3) What repayment, then, shall we give to him, or what fruit worthy of what he has given to us? And how many blessings do we owe him? (4) For he has given us the light; as a father he has called us sons; he saved us when we were perishing. (5) What praise, then, shall we give him, or what repayment in return for what we received? (6) Our minds were blinded, and we worshiped stones and wood and gold and silver and brass, the works of men; indeed, our whole life was nothing else but death. So while we were thus wrapped in darkness and our vision was filled with this thick mist, we recovered our sight, by his will laying aside the cloud wrapped around us. (7) For he had mercy upon us and in his compassion he saved us when we had no hope of salvation except that which comes from him, and even though he had seen in us much deception and destruction. (8) For he called us when we did not exist, and out of nothing he willed us into being.

Holmes, M. W. (1999). The Apostolic Fathers : Greek texts and English translations (Updated ed.) (107). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.