Greetings, dear mp, and peace to you! I think you are reading both accounts erroneously. As pointed out, the first account is speaking about another, who was named "Jesus", being named high priest (the temple has not yet been destroyed). We know it's not Christ... because he was NEVER named high priest of the temple at Jerusalem (surely, he would have been the LAST one so named during his day! And if he WAS, the JEWISH system would have record of such).
Your interpretation of the second account is even more curious:
[F]rom the fortieth and fiftieth year a man begins to decline towards old age, which our Lord possessed while He still fulfilled the office of a Teacher, even as the Gospel and all the elders testify; those who were conversant in Asia with John, the disciple of the Lord, [affirming] that John conveyed to them that information. And he remained among them up to the times of Trajan. Some of them, moreover, saw not only John, but the other apostles also, and heard the very same account from them, and bear testimony as to the [validity of] the statement.
Thats right Ireneaus says Jesus died of old age...how can anything this guy say be taken seriously.
How you get THAT from this account I don't know. Because the account is not saying my Lord died of old age... but that WHEN he died my Lord possessed the declination of a man 40-50 years old. And that in SPITE of this, in SPITE of the body of an older man... which men usually decline in THEIR services... HE he still fulfilled is office as Teacher... which another man of that age most likely would NOT be able to do (and for those who care to know, the "elder" men WEREN'T men who were 60, 70, 80 years old... but consider such when they were 40 or so). That he DID possess a body of that of a 40-50 year old man was remarkable... because he was only 33! He possessed such declination, however, because of the sins (sickness/death) of OTHERS that he took into HIS body when healing them. Even so, the account isn't speaking of my Lord and his fles, alone, but of John's and others' VALIDATION of his (Christ's) condition. Ireneaus is saying that the gospels and elder men attested to this about my Lord; however, those who had access to John while he was in Asia heard it directly from him (John), who remained among them up to the time when Trajan ruled as emporer (98 to 117AD). Ireneaus went farther, however, and wrote that some not only saw and heard from from John but saw and heard the same thing from some of the other Apostles as well, and bore testimony that the statement (as to my Lord's flesh, in light of his age) was valid. Finally, as to your comment that:
Clement then includes many writings as “scripture” that did not get final acceptance.
You must understand: it is not up to men to decide what is scripture and what is not. "Scripture" is that which one is given... while such one is IN SPIRIT (in spiritu... in spire... inspired). Such is GIVEN... by Christ, the HOLY Spirit (sometimes directly, sometimes through an angel). AND the one so given... is TOLD TO WRITE IT DOWN. Hence, Moses, the Psalms, the Prophets... and the Revelation. Hence, not ALL scripture is contained in the canon of the modern "Bible"... regardless of the version... for the very reason you mention: certain men did not "accept" it. In the same vein, however, not all that is in the Bible is "scripture" - just because some men DID accept it and decided to include it in the canon does NOT make it scripture. Indeed, MUCH of the Bible writings are histories, records, chronologies... and, in many, instances, uninspired letters (although containing [some] wisdom and truth - even so, doesn't make it scripture). Which is why my Lord said to me THIS truth: "ALL that I tell you IS written... but not all that is WRITTEN is what I will tell you." What did he mean? He meant that everything he says IS written... somewhere (perhaps including the writings of Clement - even so, that doesn't make it scripture, either... unless Clement was IN SPIRIT when he received it, was GIVEN it to write... and then TOLD to write it)... but not necessarily in the Bible... and all that is written... including that which is in the Bible... is NOT necessarily what he would tell me, and so NOT necessarily the TRUTH. How can one know what is... and what isn't... "scripture"? The same way as the disciples did - by listening to HIM (Luke 24:27, 32, 44, 45): " And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself."
" They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
" Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures..."
May those with ears hear and get the sense of this truth: one can look but will do so in vain... and hear but will hear in vain... without the leading of the Holy Spirit, the Holy One of Israel, JAHESHUA, the Chosen One of JAH. One can read, read, read... and search, search, search... but it will not be "opened" to them by doing so. It is only opened ONE Way: by the One who IS the Way (John 14:6).
May you hear, then, if you so wish... the SPIRIT, that IS the Holy One of Israel... and his Bride... when they say to YOU:
"Come... ALL you who are thirsting... and wishing... TAKE 'life's water'... the holy spirit of God, by means of which these things CAN be opened to you and which is poured out from the innermost parts of HIS Christ...FREE!"
Peace to you all!
Servant to the Household of God, Israel, and ALL those who go with, and a slave of Christ,
SA, who thinks perhaps dear One (peace to you!) should consider a diet change... or regularly sporting Depends... if his current diet causes him to risk "malfunctioning" in his wardrobe. I mean, dude, you might not be able to control the "outcome" (pun intended), but surely you can control the outcome... as to your wardrobe...
