Clement Admonishes the Jews to Repent

Paul lays that out clearly to the church at Rome in chapter 11.

All Becomes New said:

Some people prefer ECF to the Bible. Sad, I know.

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Name one person that prefers the fathers over Holy Scripture.

-CryptoLutheran

I think this is Clement of Alexandria and not Clement bishop of Rome around the 70's to 80's AD. Which was just after the destruction of the Temple in 70AD.

Which makes sense as Clement of Alexandria was around between 150 to 215AD which happens to fall in the period after the Bar Kokhba revolt between 132 and 136AD. It is said that the great 'Parting of the Ways" between the Jews and Gentiles came around 150AD.

After the revolt Christians were renounced for not supporting the Jews. This was the 2nd time the early Christians had not supported Jewish uprisings against the Romans.

So the period between 150 and into the 3rd century was when both the Jews moreso but also the Christian church was denouncing each other. The Jews even making a Declaration to exclude the Gentile Chrstians. Though there were many Jews who followed Jesus as this was the fullfillment of Judaism and not the Gentiles.

I think in fact the Jewish influences was still strong up to the 4th century as some worship was in Jewish synagogues still. With some church fathers more or less saying "why are there still some churches practicing Jewish customs and rituals". It seems this was not easy to move on from and I think throughout the history of the church the Jewish influence was and is still there.

The idea of the alter and the priest or elder standing before the people representing God and the lesser priests being the deacons standing either side is based on Jewish worship. The animal sacrifice being replaced by the pure sacrifice of the Gentiles in Christ through the breaking of bread which is the Eucharist.

Its sort of like evolution. Christianity evolved out of Judaism but still has the spiritual DNA of its ancestors which it can never be rid of. While at the same time Christianity and Judaism becoming different species altogether in many ways.

Ultimately this is the fullfillment of the Jews and it is Jerusalem where Christ will return. Its just that many Jews did not recognise the fullfillment of their own religion because they wanted to keep it for themselves. Which was the exact opposite what their Messiah was telling them.

But then all the clues were in the bible, the prophesies. The scribes and Pharisees even debated whether Jesus was the Messiah as He actually did fullfill some in their time like riding the Donkey into the city on Passover. But they wanted an earthly King and not a Heavenly one. And certainly not a carpenters son from Nazereth.

All Becomes New said:

"The ministers of the grace of God have, by the Holy Spirit, spoken of repentance; and the Lord of all things has himself declared with an oath regarding it, “As I live, saith the Lord, I desire not the death of the sinner, but rather his repentance;” adding, moreover, this gracious declaration Repent O house of Israel, of your iniquity. Say to the children of My people, Though your sins reach from earth to heaven, and though they be redder than scarlet, and blacker than sackcloth, yet if ye turn to Me with your whole heart, and say, Father! I will listen to you, as to a holy people.” And in another place He speaks thus: “Wash you, and become clean; put away the wickedness of your souls from before mine eyes; cease from your evil ways, and learn to do well; seek out judgment, deliver the oppressed, judge the fatherless, and see that justice is done to the widow; and come, and let us reason together. He declares, Though your sins be like crimson, I will make them white as snow; though they be like scarlet, I will whiten them like wool. And if ye be willing and obey Me, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye refuse, and will not hearken unto Me, the sword shall devour you, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken these things.” Desiring, therefore, that all His beloved should be partakers of repentance, He has, by His almighty will, established [these declarations]."
~Clement of Rome

The point is that this is clearly written to Israel since it is ripe with connotations about the people of Israel. Therefore, does Clement believe God is "done with the Jews"?
I see no reason to believe that, given this is not the first, but the second admonition from him on repentance. The logical conclusion is that one is for Gentiles and one is for the Israelites. It should also be understood that at the destruction of the Temple, it was THOUGHT that at that moment that God was "done with the Jews" but if it is a judgment of God on the Jews, then He is still involved with them. As such, given texts like Jeremiah 31:10 and following, it is clear that there would be a regathering of Israel.

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I think this makes sense as Clements writings are in the 70s AD just after the Temples destruction. So there was a schism building. The Gentiles were increasing and the church was moving away from Judaism.

Though this was still part of Christianity the later was being fullfilled while the other was holding on to the old ways as far as the sacrifice of animals and upholding the laws and Torah.

I think Hebrews is similar and Paul also tried to explain to the Jews how Christ was the fullfillment and in Him Judaism can be fullfilled. He mentions Christ is the pascal lamb that takes away the sins of the world and overcame death.

Clement is doing similar in referring back to the prophesies of the old testament that the penalty of death has been fullfilled in repentence to God in Christ.

All the clues were there and it seems strange that if the Torah was prophesising about a Messiah and it was a time of Messianic fullfillment that the Jews did not see this.

But I think that was the point that Paul and Clement and even later church fathers even up to the end of the 2nd century. I think Tertillian is still telling some churches to stop practicing the Jewish rituals. Some still did not accept the full grace and wanted to hold onto the old ways.

The point being for the Jews finally the prophesies have been fullfilled. Wakeup and repent once again in resisting Gods Will. Of all people that should wakeup it is Gods people. Like in the past God is patiently waiting for them to come home.

My understanding is that the church at Corinth at the time had once been one of love and acceptance in the goodness of the Lord. But then sedition and envy found its way into the church, and was destroying the congregation from within. Clement was showing that this envy and hatred was cascading into every part of the people's lives, and how deeply it is embedded in the life of sin. Here is where he exhorts the church to repent from this evil, displaying in these quotes the all sufficiently of Christ to forgive and restore the people to the life and love in Christ.