Teaching Team
Insights from the "Lost" Epistles
On late Sabbath afternoons during the summer at Beth Immanuel Sabbath Fellowship, those still hanging around the congregation building have been studying through some favorite books together. The women have been reading the works of Esther Jungreis together. Since June, a group of us Shabbatnicks have been studying Paul Philip Levertoff’s mystical and inspiring Love and the Messianic Age. Last week we finished it. (Rumor has it that FFOZ is considering a reprint of that Messianic classic.)
Tomorrow at Beth Immanuel, we will begin the First Epistle of Clement.
The First Epistle of Clement is one of the sources I am drawing on in writing Torah Club Volume One: Unrolling the Scroll. (The new Torah Club Volume One will be available this fall.) Just as I use rabbinic sources like the Midrash, the Talmud, Rashi and Rambam, I have chosen to use appropriate material from the early Church sources to enhance the new Torah Club commentary. The Epistle of First Clement is the most useful of these.
Clement of Rome was supposedly a disciple of the Apostle Peter. His first epistle to the Corinthians is generally regarded as genuine. It was not canonized. One reason for its exclusion from the NT is that it refers to the mythological bird the phoenix, In my opinion, it would not have been harmful to include this particular book in the Apostolic Scriptures. On the other hand, the Second Epistle of Clement is pretty much unanimously agreed to be a much later forgery.
In the introduction to the Pseudo-Clementine Homilies (a collection of philosophical, Ebionite-styled discourse allegedly written by Clement but definitely the product of a much later hand) there is an interesting forged letter allegedly from the Apostle Peter to the Apostle James (the Righteous). It is certainly not authentic. But it does provide us an interesting glimpse into the tension that existed between Torah observant believers and non-Torah observant believers at the time of the writing. In this letter, Peter refers to someone he calls “the man who is my enemy.” Many scholars believe this to be a nasty reference to the Apostle Paul. However, the reference to the man who is Peter’s enemy should better be understood in context of Pseudo-Clementine literature to be Simon Magus. Here is that passage:
For some from among the Gentiles have rejected my legal preaching, attaching themselves to certain lawless and trifling preaching of the man who is my enemy. And these things some have attempted while I am still alive, to transform my words by certain various interpretations, in order to the dissolution of the Law; as though I also myself were of such a mind, but did not freely proclaim it, God forbid! For such a thing were to act in opposition to the Law of God which was spoken by Moses, and was borne witness to by our Lord in respect of its eternal continuance; for thus he spoke: “The heavens and the earth shall pass away, but one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law.” And this He has said, that all things might come to pass. But these men, professing, I know not how, to know my mind, undertake to explain my words, which they heard of me, more intelligently than I who spoke them, telling their catechumens that this my meaning, which indeed I never thought of. But if, while I am still alive, they dare thus to misrepresent me, how much more will those who shall come after me dare to do so! (Epistle of Peter to James, Chapter 2)
Again, this letter from Peter to James is not authentic, but it clearly reflects the frustration of those later believers (2nd or 3rd century) who remained Torah Observant as they saw the ever increasing tide of anti-Torah Christianity.
The only possibly genuine, Apostolic era piece of literature from all the Clementine documents, so far as we know, is the Epistle of First Clement. The epistle of First Clement is unique in its heavy citation of the Hebrew Scriptures. It contains a few very pro-Torah passages, such as the line on the festivals and calendar: “It behooves us to do all things in order, which the Lord has commanded us to perform at stated times” (1 Clement 11). There are several other passages which enjoin believers to keep the commandments.
All of this goes to show that in the early centuries of Christianity, the opinion that the Torah is done away with and even the opinion that Torah does not apply to Gentile believers was not nearly as unanimous an opinion as later church theologians would have us believe.
D. Thomas Lancaster
Av 26, 5767
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I have recently begun reading the blogs on this website. You all have such a wealth of great information to share, I look forward to reading your blogs.
D. Thomas Lancaster: do you blog often on this site? is the only location you blog? I am currently reading Restoration - and am finding it very insightful. So far, I'm on Chapter 3 (just started reading last night.) It seems to have a nice mix of deep information and study - yet presented in an a way non-theology students can understand. Thank you for your contributions to FFOZ - the books, Torah Club (which my church is starting Torah Portions in October) and Messiah magazine.
Rob
Rob | August 15, 2007 11:35 AM