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To: boatbums

In describing the liturgical and sacrifical institutions of the Church Clement uses, as we have seen, the terminology of the Greek Bible, which translated as best it could the Hebrew words for the various categories of sacrifice. He speaks of thusiai, leitourgiai, prosphorai, euchai, and sacrifices for sin that were offered on the altar (40-41). In 44.4, he grieves that men who had presented the gifts (ta dora) in a holy manner were deposed from their overseership. In 35, 12, and 52, 3, he speaks of the sacrifice of praise (thusia aineseos) with explicit reference to Psalm 49 (50): 19. We may be tempted to see in this last phrase a simple reference to the public prayer that had the psalms for its center. But the Septuagint uses the phrase to translate the Hebrew todah, which, according to 2 Chronicles 29:31; 33:16, and Leviticus 7:14; 22:29, meant an offering of victims, accompanied by a presentation of unleavened bread (cf. Leviticus 7:11; Amos 4:5).

In Clement’s view, then, the various types of Old Testament sacrifice are summed up in the unique sacrificial act that is the celebration of the eucharist. This celebration was established and regulated by Christ, while the apostles added further details. In it, the overseers and presbyters act as high priests (archihiereus) and present the prosphorai and dora to God. In point of fact, the action of the overseers and presbyters is ministerial, since it is Jesus Christ who is “the high priest of our offerings” (36, 1). Clement nowhere sets down a theory of the Christian sacrifice; he uses ideas well known in the Roman Church in whose name he speaks, and in the Church of Corinth, which he is addressing. His readers were familiar with the teaching on sacrifice of the author of the Letter to the Hebrews and by St. Paul in the First Letter to the Corinthians (11:23-29).

this posting is from a book “The Eucharist in the early Church” by William Rordorf.

Clement was the Bishop of Rome, a disciple of St Peter, and he wrote the Corinthians to deal with schismatics in the Church around the year 95ad. The Corinthians read the letter at Mass as Scripture for 100 years afterward.

I want you to notice the Sacrifice of the Mass is well established, even before the end of the first century. You should read the whole letter, it will be an eye opening experience for you. Remember, this was a man taught personally by St Peter, just as St Ignatius was taught by St John. Is it coincidence that leaders of the early Church, who personally spoke to the Apostles, teach the Catholic understanding of the Mass? I think not.


1,358 posted on 01/29/2011 6:39:16 PM PST by one Lord one faith one baptism
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To: one Lord one faith one baptism
In Clement’s view

Why not use scripture and your own assessment rather than leaning hard on what other's have written in by gone days?

1,400 posted on 01/30/2011 5:27:34 AM PST by caww
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