You did well in silencing (ἐπιστομίσας) the unspeakable teachings of the Carpocratians. [to Theod. I.2]
Theodore knew that he was referencing this scripture:
For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced (ἐπιστομίζω), because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. [Titus 1.11 - 17]
And notice that Clement references the exact same section at the beginning of the Stromateis with an allusion to a salt and water mixture used to preserve fish:
Such are these wranglers, whether they follow the sects, or practice miserable dialectic arts. These are they that “stretch the warp and weave nothing,” says the Scripture; prosecuting a bootless task, which the apostle has called “cunning craftiness of men whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” (Eph. 4:14) “For there are,” he says, “many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception.” (Titus 1:10) Wherefore it was not said to all, “You are the salt of the earth.” (Matt 5:13) For, even among those who received the teaching of divine speech, there are those who like to fish from the sea, who need to be prepared with salt, although at birth they have lived in salt water. [Strom 1.1]
And again elsewhere in the Stromateis:
For he also lays down that the bishop who is to rule the Church must be a man who governs his own household well. A household pleasing to the Lord consists of a marriage with one wife.. "To the pure," he says, "all things are pure: but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but their mind and conscience are polluted." (Titus 1.15) With reference to illicit indulgence he says: "Make no mistake: neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate men nor homosexuals nor covetous men nor robbers nor drunkards nor revilers nor thieves shall inherit the kingdom of God. And we," who used to indulge in such practices, "have washed ourselves." 'But they have a purification, with a view to committing this immorality; their baptism means passing from se1f-control to fornication. They maintain that one should gratify the lusts and passions, teaching that one must turn from sobriety to be incontinent. They set their hope on their private parts. Thus they shut themselves out of God's kingdom and deprive themselves of enrolment as disciples, and under the name of knowledge, falsely so called, they have taken the road to outer darkness. "For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is holy, whatever is righteous, whatever is pure, whatever is attractive, whatever is well spoken of, whatever is virtuous, and whatever is praiseworthy, think on these things. And whatever you have learnt and received and heard and seen in me, this do. And the God of peace shall be with you." [Strom 3.18]
A passage from Titus which shows up again in the Letter to Theodore:
But we are "children of Light", having been illuminated by "the dayspring" of the spirit of the Lord "from on high", and "Where the Spirit of the Lord is", it says, "there is liberty", for "All things are pure to the pure". [to Theod. II.18,19]
I find the degree of complexity required to integrate scriptural references in a manner consistent with Clement's existing writings just one other dimension to the forgery argument which just doesn't seem plausible. As I have noted elsewhere, the Letter to Theodore is so 'Clementine' even Clement's brother couldn't have pulled it off successfully, let alone an American living 1800 years later ...
