One of the most striking features about the text known as 2 Clement is the extensive use of citations. The text probably dates from the mid-second century; as such, it can throw light on an otherwise murky period of early Christian history, not least for the developing ‘canon’ of Christian ‘scripture’ at this time. This paper focuses on the citations of traditions that later formed the New Testament, as well as other related traditions. Apart from citations from Jewish scripture, almost all the citations in 2 Clement are from Jesus traditions. The introductory formulae used here are discussed; all use a verb of speaking (rather than of writing), and almost all refer to speaking in the present: the words of ‘sacred’ tradition are thus regarded as speaking to the present with little awareness of their pastness. The Jesus traditions used in 2 Clement are compared with parallel versions found in the present canonical gospels. Some of the latter are found to be in material which is almost certainly redactional in those gospels; hence 2 Clement witnesses to a form of the tradition that post-dates the canonical gospels (at least of Matthew and Luke): it is not a witness to a form of the canonical gospel tradition which pre-dates those gospels. Further, some evidence suggests that the NT gospels are regarded as having the same status as that of Jewish scripture. Other citations appear to come from traditions which are independent of the canonical gospels; some have parallels in traditions known from non-canonical gospels, e.g. the Gospel of Thomas or the Gospel of the Egyptians. Clear evidence of knowledge and/or use of Pauline letters is lacking. 2 Clement thus attests a time of considerable fluidity and freedom in relation to issues about scripture and canonicity.