Christian Exhortation in the Church: An Early Example

The author(s) of 1 Clement write(s) from Rome, likely near the end of the first century AD, exhorting the congregation in Corinth toward unity, to repent of those sins which have lead to various factions within their church. At 7:1, a series of exhortations begins with a spirit of humility on the part of the author(s):

We write these things, dear friends, not only to admonish you but also to remind ourselves. For we are in the same arena, and the same contest awaits us.