Cold Case Clement of Rome follows the evidence back to one of the earliest Christian witnesses outside the New Testament.
Clement of Rome lived remarkably close to the apostolic generation. Early Christian testimony places him in direct contact with the apostles, and his surviving letter to the church at Corinth gives us a valuable glimpse into what first-century Christians believed, taught, practiced, and regarded as authoritative.
The book examines Clement’s use of Scripture, his familiarity with Paul and Hebrews, and the possibility that I Clement may have been written earlier than the traditional late-first-century date. It also asks a larger question: what does Clement tell us about Christianity before the great church councils ever took place?
A major part of the investigation looks at the popular claim that the Bible was assembled at the Council of Nicaea. By tracing that story through the historical record and comparing it with the evidence from Clement and other early sources, the book separates later tradition and legend from what can actually be supported.
At its heart, Cold Case Clement of Rome is a search for truth—asking difficult questions, following the sources, and allowing the evidence to lead where it leads.