ology. This means that
Christians at that moment had not formulated the problem. But _The
Shepherd_ of Hermas shows that in Rome an important body of Christians
did become wholly Adoptionist, and if they used Romans and Hebrews,
they probably interpreted the passages indicated above in agreement
with their own opinions and passed over the rest--in accordance with
the best tradition of Biblical commentators.

A third document is the first Epistle of Peter. If this were really
written by Peter it cannot be much later in date than Romans, and would
probably be earlier than Hebrews, but it seems increasingly clear that
the Epistle refers to a later period, and cannot be the work of the
Apostle. It is concerned in the main with the problem of persecution,
and though the matter is extremely obscure, on the whole a date early
in the second century in the time of Trajan and Pliny seems the most
likely. Whether the indications that it comes from Rome are not part
of the fiction of its authorship is at least open to question, but the
point is not very important. If it be really Roman it shows traces of
a further development of sacramental {108} Christianity, but does not
throw much light on its details. It has some similarity in language to
Romans, but very little in the picture presented of Christianity. The
central point in it is the emphasis on baptismal regeneration, which
gives Christians the certainty of immortality. The eschatological
expectation of the "revelation of Jesus Christ" is strongly marked, but
there is no emphasis on the hope of resurrection. On one point,
however, there is a close resemblance to Paul. Spirit and flesh are
contrasted, and it is clearly implied that after death the Christian,
like the Christ, is spirit and not flesh. It throws little light on
the question of Adoptionism, for though there is nothing in it which
contradicts Pre-existent Christology, there is also nothing in it which
would have startled an Adoptionist.

After this[9] comes the first Epistle of Clement, a letter sent by the
Church of Rome to the Church at Corinth. It is generally dated at the
end of the first century, but there is really very little evidence, and
it is curious that this date should be accepted with so little
hesitation by almost all critics. It is in the main an ethical
treatise, more especially on the importance of good order in the
community. This {109} teaching is based almost exclusively on the O