The "Second Epistle" of St. Clement

St. Cyril of Alexandria

  1. 1. We Ought to Think Highly of Christ
  2. 2. The Church, Formerly Barren, is Now Fruitful
  3. 3. The Duty of Confessing Christ
  4. 4. True Confession of Christ
  5. 5. This World Should Be Despised
  6. 6. The Present and Future Worlds are Enemies to Each Other
  7. 7. We Must Strive in Order to Be Crowned
  8. 8. The Necessity of Repentance While We are on Earth
  9. 9. We Shall Be Judged in the Flesh
  10. 10. Vice is to Be Forsaken, and Virtue Followed
  11. 11. We Ought to Serve God, Trusting in His Promises
  12. 12. We are Constantly to Look for the Kingdom of God
  13. 13. God's Name Not to Be Blasphemed
  14. 14. The Church Spiritual
  15. 15. He Who Saves and He Who is Saved
  16. 16. Preparation for the Day of Judgment
  17. 17. Same Subject Continued
  18. 18. The Author Sinful, Yet Pursuing
  19. 19. Reward of the Righteous, Although They May Suffer
  20. 20. Godliness, Not Gain, the True Riches

Brethren, it is fitting that you should think of Jesus Christ as of God — as the Judge of the living and the dead. And it does not become us to think lightly of our salvation; for if we think little of Him, we shall also hope but to obtain little [from Him]. And those of us who hear carelessly of these things, as if they were of small importance, commit sin, not knowing whence we have been called, and by whom, and to what place, and how much Jesus Christ submitted to suffer for our sakes. What return, then, shall we make to Him, or what fruit that shall be worthy of that which He has given to us? For, indeed, how great are the benefits which we owe to Him! He has graciously given us light; as a Father, He has called us sons; He has saved us when we were ready to perish. What praise, then, shall we give to Him, or what return shall we make for the things which we have received? We were deficient in understanding, worshipping stones and wood, and gold, and silver, and brass, the works of men's hands; and our whole life was nothing else than death. Involved in blindness, and with such darkness before our eyes, we have received sight, and through His will have laid aside that cloud by which we were enveloped. For He had compassion on us, and mercifully saved us, observing the many errors in which we were entangled, as well as the destruction to which we were exposed, and that we had no hope of salvation except it came to us from Him. For He called us when we were not, and willed that out of nothing we should attain a real existence.