He in whomsoever the Spirit of God is, is in accord with the will of the Spirit of God; and, because he is in accord with the Spirit of God, therefore does he mortify the deeds of the body and live unto God, treading down and subjugating the body and keeping it under; so that, while preaching to others, he may be a beautiful example and pattern to believers, and may spend his life in works which are worthy of the Holy Spirit, so that he may not be cast away, but may be approved before God and before men.
For inthe man who is of God, with him I say there is nothing of the mind of the flesh; and especially in virgins of either sex; but the fruits of all of them are the fruits of the Spirit and of life, and they are truly the city of God, and the houses andtemples in which God abides and dwells, and among which He walks, as in the holy city of heaven. For in this do ye appear to the world as lights, in that you give heed to the Word of life, and thus you are in truth the praise, and the boast, and the crown of rejoicing, and the delight of good servants in our Lord Jesus Christ. For all who see you will acknowledge that you are the seed which the Lord has blessed; in very deed a seed honourable and holy, and a priestly kingdom, a holy people, the people of the inheritance, the heirs of the promises of God; of things which do not decay, nor wither; of that which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and which has not come up into the heart of man; of that which God has prepared for those who love Him and keep His commandments.
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St. Clement of Rome ( - )
St. Clement was the bishop of Rome and third in succession from St. Peter. Around the year 95 AD, a letter was written by the Church of Rome to the Church at Corinth that is attributed to Saint Clement. This document is the earliest Christian writing besides the New Testament documents. In fact, the Gospel of John is likely written around the same time as this document. This "first letter of Clement" (a second letter was falsely attributed to him) was copied by the Corinthian Church and circulated all over the empire, rendering the very first papal "encyclical." It was so highly regarded by the universal church that for several centuries the Church in Egypt and elsewhere regarded it as one of the New Testatment scriptures.The Church of St. Clement is one of the most fascinating places in Rome. Excavations revealed that the medieval Church, built in the 12th century, actually was built on top of a 4th century Church which was in turn built over a house church going back to the first century. It is very possible that this was the house of St. Clement himself.