I recently found myself a copy of The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, and so I’ve had a chance to finally read through the writings of the Apostolic Fathers for the first time. Reading through the first letter of Clement, I came across two mentions of Justification. In this post, I’ll talk about the second (I wrote about the first yesterday):

And so we, having been called through his will in Christ Jesus, are not justified through ourselves or through our own wisdom or piety, or works that have been done in holiness of heart, but through faith, by which the Almighty God has justified all who have existed from the beginning; to whom be the glory for ever and ever. (32 v.2)

Now, I freely admit I’m not up on the ongoing debate on Justification. I haven’t read the most recent books by John Piper or Tom Wright. So I’m not talking about justification in the technical senses argued in those books (although, if you wish, you can bring it up for discussion – just be prepared to do a lot of explaining).

This passage – to me – seems to suggest something that I’ve argued in the past by virtue of efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice (in five parts: One, Two, Three, Four and Five). That is everyone who has existed, exists and will exists, have to be saved, simply because the sacrifice of a divinity is worth that much and so much more. To paraphrase what Clement says here: We Christians are not justified on our own, or through our wisdom, or by being devoted to God, or by manifesting our faith in actions, but through faith, and through faith God has justified everyone who has ever been, and everyone who ever will be.

There are two sides to this verse. The first ties into what we discussed yesterday. I said: Only God knows if we truly have faith. But the only true evidence of a life of faith are the actions a man takes regarding his faith. However, here Clement speaks (in my understanding, at least) as if not even our actions justify us. Contrary to what he said in 31 v.4, he says that none of these things, including our actions, can justify us.

But he says something furthermore that I found fascinating: We are justified through faith, by which God has justified all who have existed from the beginning. I must ask the question: How can faith justify those who have not the chance to have faith, that is, the dead? I suggest three possible answers:

• Clement is speaking of Christ descending to the dead: Hell is empty, and that all the dead have faith and are justified.
• Clement is speaking of a common faith: All who have ever existed have possessed faith, but only through Christ has that faith come to justify them.
• Clement is speaking of an abstract faith: Because faith can now be placed in Jesus, all are justified.

One way I find it hard to interpret Clement, is in the way that most view faith: Faith in Jesus justifies individuals. This is because Clement claims that all who have ever been born have been justified. To me, this passage of Clement, whatever his meaning, certainly lends credence to my belief that that for Christ’s sacrifice to regarded as effective, its effect must be universal. Is anyone aware of any interpretations of this passage in the literature or in commentaries?