Eusebius Book 3, Section 38

3.38.1

ΧΧΧVIII. Ἕσπερ οὗν ἀμέλει τοῦ Ἰγνατίου ἐν αἷς κατελέξαμεν ἐπι- στολαῖς, καὶ τοῦ Κλήμεντος ἐν τῆ ἀνωμολογημένῃ παρὰ παρὰ πᾶσιν, ἢν ἐκ προσώπου τῆς Ρωμαίων ἐκκλησίας τῆ Κορινθίων διετυπώσατο· ἐν ἧ τῆς πρὸς Ἑβραίους πολλὰ νοήματα παραθείς, ἤδη δὲ καὶ αὐτολεξεὶ ῥητοῖς τισιν ἐξ ἀύτης χρησάμενος, σαφέστατα παρίστησιν ὅτι μὴ νέον ὑπάρχει τὸ σύγγραμμα, ὅθεν δὴ καὶ εἰκότως ἔδοξεν αὐτὸ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἐγκαταλεχθῆναι γράμμασι τοῦ ἀποστόλου. Ἑβραίοις γὰρ διὰ τῆς πατρίου γλώττης ἐγγράφως ὡμιληκότος τοῦ Παύλου, οἳ μὲν τὸν εὐαγγελιστὴν Δουκᾶν, οἳ δὲ τὸν Κλήμεντα τοῦτον αὐτὸν ἑρμηνεῦσαι λέγουσι τὴν γραφήν· ὃ καὶ μᾶλλον ἂν εἴη ἀληθὲς τῷ τὸν ὅμοιον τῆς φράσεως χαρακτῆρα τήν τε τοῦ Κλήμεντος ἐπιστολὴν καὶ τὴν πρὸς Ἑβραίους ἀποσῲζειν καὶ τῷ μὴ πόρρω τὰ ἐν ἑκατέροις τοῖς συγγράμμασι νοήματα καθεστάναι.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-24

XXXVIII. Such writings, of course, were the letters of Ignatius, of which we gave the list, and the Epistle of Clement, which is recognized by all, which he wrote in the name of the church of the Romans to that of the Corinthians. In this he has many thoughts parallel to the Epistle to the Hebrews, and actually makes some verbal quotations from it, showing clearly that it was not a recent production, and for this reason, too, it has seemed natural to include it among the other writings of the Apostle. For Paul had spoken in writing to the Hebrews in their native language, and some say that the evangelist Luke, others that this same Clement translated the writing. And the truth of this would be supported by the similarity of style preserved by the Epistle of Clement and that to the Hebrews, and by the little difference between the thoughts in both writings.

3.38.2

Ἰστέον δ’ ὡς καὶ δευτέρα τις εἶναι λέγεται τοῦ Κλήμεντος ἐπιατολή, οὐ μὴν ἔθ’ ὁμοίως τῆ προτέρᾳ καὶ ταύτην γνώριμον ἐπιστάμεθα, ὅτι μηδὲ τοὺς ἀρχαίους αὐτῇ κεχρημένους ἴσαμεν. ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἕτερα πολυεπῆ καὶ μακρὰ συγγράμματα ὡς τοῦ αὐτοῦ χθὲς καὶ πρῴην τινὲς προήγαγον, Πέτρου δὴ καὶ Ἀπίωνος διαλόγους περιέχοντα· ὧν οὐδ’ ὅλως μνήμη τις παρὰ τοῖς παλαιοῖς φέρεται, οὐδὲ γὰρ καθαρὸν τῆς ἀποστολικῆς ὀρθοδοξίας ἀποσῴζει τὸν χαρακτῆρα.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-24

It must be known that there is also said to be a second letter of Clement, but we do not yet know this to be familiar in the same way as the former, for we do not even know that the ancient writers made use of it. And already some have recently brought forward other verbose and lengthy writings, purporting to be by the same man, containing dialogues of Peter and Apion; of these there is absolutely no mention among the ancients, nor does it preserve the clear character of apostolic orthodoxy.