Clement’s Letter

So, of course, it is with Ignatius, in the letters we have listed, and with Clement, in the letter acknowledged by all, which he composed in the name of the church of the Romans to the church of the Corinthians. In it he sets down many thoughts from the Letter to the Hebrews, and even uses some of its expressions word for word, showing most clearly that that writing is not recent. [a] For this reason it has seemed fitting to count it among the other writings of the apostle. Paul had addressed the Hebrews in writing in their native tongue, and some say that Luke the evangelist, others that this very Clement, translated the writing. The latter would be the truer view, since the letter of Clement and the Letter to the Hebrews keep a similar character of style, and the thoughts in the two writings are not far apart.

It should be known, too, that a second letter of Clement is said to exist. We do not know it to be recognized as the first is, since we do not know of the ancients having used it. [b] And just recently certain people have brought forward other wordy and lengthy writings as his, containing dialogues of Peter and Apion. There is no mention of these at all among the ancients, for they do not even keep the pure character of apostolic orthodoxy. The acknowledged writing of Clement, then, is plain to see. We have also spoken of the writings of Ignatius and Polycarp. [c]