2 Clement was traditionally believed to have been an epistle to the Christian Church in Corinth written by
Clement of Rome sometime in the late 1st century. However, 4th-century bishop
Eusebius, in his historical work, says that there was only one recognized epistle of Clement (namely the so-called
First Epistle of Clement). He expresses doubt about the authenticity of a second epistle. Similar doubts were also expressed by
Jerome in the 5th century. Modern scholars believe that Second Clement is actually a sermon written around AD 120–140 by an anonymous author, one who was not Clement of Rome. Nonetheless, scholars still generally refer to the work by its traditional name "Second Clement", although it is sometimes also referred to as "An Ancient Christian Homily". 2 Clement appears to be a transcript of a
homily or sermon that was originally delivered orally at a Christian worship service. For example, in chapter 19, the speaker announces that they will read aloud from scripture – something one would only expect to find in a transcript of an oral sermon. Similarly, whereas an epistle would typically begin by introducing the sender and recipient, 2 Clement starts with by addressing "Brethren", and then proceeding directly to the sermon. If it is a sermon, 2 Clement would be the earliest surviving Christian sermon (aside from those found in the New Testament). Like many early Christian texts, 2 Clement was written in
Greek, the common language of the
Hellenized Mediterranean area. The earliest external reference to 2 Clement is found in
Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History written in the early 4th century:
Christopher Tuckett has argued that the author of 2 Clement presupposes the existence of the
Gospel of Luke. == Content ==