2 Clement 14

1Therefore, brothers and sisters, if we do the will of God our Father, we will belong to the first church, which is spiritual and was created before the sun and the moon. But if we do not do the will of the Lord, we will belong to the scripture that says, “My house was made a den of robbers.” So then, let us choose instead to belong to the church of life, so that we may be saved. I do not suppose that you are unaware that the living church is the body of Christ, for the scripture says, “God made the human being male and female.” The male is Christ, and the female is the church. And the Books and the Apostles plainly declare that the church does not exist now for the first time, but has existed from the beginning. For she was spiritual, just as our Jesus also was spiritual, but she was revealed in the last days so that he might save us. Now the church, being spiritual, was revealed in the flesh of Christ, thereby showing us that if any of us guards her in the flesh and does not defile her, that person will receive her again in the Holy Spirit. For this flesh is the counterpart and copy of the spirit. Therefore, no one who has defiled the copy will receive the original as their portion. This, then, is what he means, brothers and sisters: “Guard the flesh, so that you may partake of the spirit.” But if we say that the flesh is the church and the spirit is Christ, then whoever has treated the flesh wantonly has treated the church wantonly. Such a person, therefore, will not partake of the spirit, which is Christ>. So excellent are the life and immortality that this flesh can receive as its portion if the Holy Spirit is joined to it. No one can declare or tell the things that the Lord has prepared for his elect.