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The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

Chapter XLVIII.--Let us return to the practice of brotherly love.

Let us therefore, with all haste, put an end ¹ to this [state of things]; and let us fall down before the Lord, and beseech Him with tears, that He would mercifully ² be reconciled to us, and restore us to our former seemly and holy practice of brotherly love. For [such conduct] is the gate of righteousness, which is set open for the attainment of life, as it is written, "Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go in by them, and will praise the Lord: this is the gate of the Lord: the righteous shall enter in by it." ³

Although, therefore, many gates have been set open, yet this gate of righteousness is that gate in Christ by which blessed are all they that have entered in and have directed their way in holiness and righteousness, doing all things without disorder. Let a man be faithful: let him be powerful in the utterance of knowledge; let him be wise in judging of words; let him be pure in all his deeds; yet the more he seems to be superior to others [in these respects], the more humble-minded ought he to be, and to seek the common good of all, and not merely his own advantage.

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First Epistle to the Corinthians (Loeb)

XLVIII

1. Ἐξάρωμεν οὖν ἐν τάχει καὶ προσπέσωμεν τῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ κλαύσωμεν ἱκετευοντεσ αὐτόν, ὅπως ἵλεως γενόμενος ἐπικαταλλαγῇ ἡμῖν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν σεμνὴν τῆς φιλαδελφίας ἡμῶν ἁγνὴν ἀγωγὴν ἀποκαταστήσῃ ἡμᾶς. 2. πύλη γὰρ δικαιοσύνης ἀνεῳγγυῖα εἰς ζωὴν αὕτη, καθὼς γέγραπται· Ἀνοίξατέ μοι πύλας δικαιοσύνης, ἵνα εἰςελθὼν ἐν αὐταῖς ἐξομολογήσωμαι τῷ κυρίῳ. 3. αὕτη ἡ πύλη τοῦ κυρίου· δίκαιοι εισελεύσονται ἐν αὐτῇ. 4. πολλῶν οὖν πυλῶν ἀνεῳγιῶν ἡ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐν Χριστῷ, ἐν ᾗ μακάριοι πάντες οἱ εἰσελθόντες καὶ κατευθύνοντες τὴν πορείαν αὐτῶν ἐν ὁσιότητι καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ, ἀταράχως πάντα ἐπιτεοῦντες. 5. ἤτω σοφὸς ἐν διακρίσει λόγων, ἤτω ἁγνὸς ἐν ἔργοις. 6. τοσούτῳ γὰρ μᾶλλον ταπεινοφρονεῖν ὀφείλει, ὅσῳ δοκεῖ μᾶλλον μείζων εἶναι, καὶ ζητεῖν τὸ κοινωφελὲς πᾶσιν, καὶ μὴ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ.