The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

For Christ is of those who are humble-minded,[*](The humility of Christ) not of those who exalt themselves over His flock.

The sceptre of the greatness of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, came not with the pomp of pride or of arrogance, for all his power, but was humble-minded, as the Holy Spirit spake concerning him. For it says,

Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom was the arm of the Lord revealed? We declared him before the Lord as a child, as a root in thirsty ground; there is no form in him, nor glory, and we saw him, and he had neither form nor beauty, but his form was without honour, less than the form of man, a man living among stripes and toil, and acquainted with the endurance of weakness; for his face was turned away, he was dishonoured, and not esteemed.

He it is who beareth our sins, and is pained for us, and we regarded him as subject to pain, and stripes and affliction,

but he was wounded for our sins and he has suffered for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him; with his bruises were we healed.

All we like sheep went astray, each man went astray in his path;

and the Lord delivered him up for our sins, and he openeth not his mouth because of his affliction. As a sheep he was brought to the slaughter, and as a lamb dumb before its shearer, so he openeth not his mouth. In humiliation his judgment was taken away.

Who shall declare

For the iniquities of my people is he come to death.

And I will give the wicked for his burial, and the rich for his death; for he wrought no iniquity, nor was guile found in his mouth. And the Lord’s will is to purify him from stripes.

If ye make an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed.

And the Lord’s will is to take of the toil of his soul, to show him light and to form him with understanding, to justify a righteous man who serveth many well. And he himself shall bear their sins.

For this reason shall he inherit many, and he shall share the spoils of the strong; because his soul was delivered to death, and he was reckoned among the transgressors.

And he bore the sins of many, and for their sins was he delivered up.

And again he says himself, But I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

All they who saw me mocked me, they spoke with their .lips, they shook their heads; He hoped on the Lord, let him deliver him, let him save him, for he hath pleasure in him.

You see. Beloved, what is the example which is given to us; for if the Lord was thus humble-minded, what shall we do, who through him have come under the yoke of his grace?