External and internal proofs in the First Letter of Clement to the Corinthians

Abstract

The aim of this article is to determine the persuasive force of the First Letter of Clement to the Corinthians by paying attention to three important phases in the rhetorical process, namely inventio, dispositio and elocutio. Part of the inventio phase is the discovery of the so-called external and internal proofs. The focus will he on the Way in which these proofs are used, thereby determining how the author succeeds in persuading his readers.