For People Who Think There Was No Historical Jesus

[Confused Ape]

But as you can see here

http://www.earlychurch.org.uk/clemrome.php

I've now been through the article you linked to about Clement to see if it says that Clement never existed so couldn't have written the First Epistle. (I thought that the list of sources referred to the article but they're just for further information - it was getting late for me when I did that last post.) The article goes along with the generally accepted view that he did exist and doesn't deny that he wrote the letter. At the bottom of the article is -

G. Uhlhorn, "CLEMENS ROMANUS," Philip Schaff, ed., A Religious Encyclopaedia or Dictionary of Biblical, Historical, Doctrinal, and Practical Theology, 3rd edn., Vol. 1. Toronto, New York & London: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1894. pp.492-494.

There is no historical evidence of any such person as Clement of Rome Just like jesus, peter, paul, and the rest of the holy horseshit. It is far more likely to be fiction than any semblance of reality.

You're entitled to hold a personal opinion that Clement probably didn't exist but, if you want to provide conclusive proof that he didn't exist, it's likely that you'll need to look for something which was written later than the end of the 19th century. I doubt that you'll find anything on sites like Early Church Org UK though, which describes it's purpose as -

To make high quality theological material available throughout the world, thus providing Bible teachers and pastors with the resources they need to spread the Gospel in their countries.

So, if Clement really did exist, the myths and legends about him have no relevance to the authorship and dating of the First Epistle. If he didn't exist it doesn't alter the fact that somebody wrote the First Epistle at the end 1st century/early 2nd century. As for my own opinion, I take the attitude that he might have existed - I can't say for certain that he did or didn't because I wasn't there at the time.

PS: I'm persevering with Humphreys' site but his information does get very confusing.

Christianity Without Jesus.. He writes as if Paul really existed and this page appears to have been posted 10.10.11 if that's meant to be the date.

An early Jewish Gnostic was the Samaritan "Simon the Magus"

Probably the most successful student of Simon was the apostle Paul, who would concoct a new, Jewish-oriented version of the ancient mystery cult tradition of dying and rising gods.

However, quoted by Paul in his Epistle to the Philippians is a hymn, perhaps one which originated with the Essenes,

Paul himself passed on to heaven – or maybe just died .

St Paul the Apostle – Could it all be a fabrication? Here is a series of articles which give very good arguments that Paul didn't exist. Christian Mystics Of Knowledge is 14.11.11

The Samaritan "Simon the Magus" was an early Jewish Gnostic who inspired both the mystical "Kabala" (a refinement of Pythagorean "magic" numbers) and later Christian Gnostics – Basilides, Saturninus, Carpocrates among them. Later Catholic writers demonized the poor guy. He may actually be the figure on whom the apostle Paul is based!

I'm still trying to puzzle out how Paul can be based on Simon the Magus at the same time as being Simon The Magus's most successful student.