The Shepherd of Hermas - Parables 1-5

The Shepherd of Hermas

The Parables (or Similitudes)

 Similitude First. As in This World We Have No Abiding City, We Ought to Seek One to Come.
 

“If, then . . . you know your city in which you are to dwell, why do ye here provide lands, and make expensive preparations, and accumulate dwellings and useless buildings? He who makes such preparations for this city cannot return again to his own.”[1]  If we are strangers in this life, why gather riches beyond what we need?  To spend one’s time preparing for this “city” cannot return to his own, nor is he welcome in this city. Hermas is to take care to obey God and do the work he is called to do, that being care for the afflicted.  He is not to covet.  To do the work of God “and thou wilt be saved.”[2]

Similitude Second. As the Vine is Supported by the Elm, So is the Rich Man Helped by the Prayer of the Poor.
 

Here he shows how the rich and the poor both contribute to the Lord’s work by partnering with each other. ““The rich man has much wealth, but is poor in matters relating to the Lord, because he is distracted about his riches; and he offers very few confessions and intercessions to the Lord, and those which he does offer are small and weak, and have no power above.”[3]  The assumption is that the elm is too busy making money, but if his money helps the poor they have time to pray and bear fruit.
 

Similitude Third. As in Winter Green Trees Cannot Be Distinguished from Withered, So in This World Neither Can the Just from the Unjust.
 

In winter you can’t tell if a tree is alive or dead. The life we presently live in is winter.  When summer comes one can tell by the production of fruit which trees are alive and which are not.  Heaven is the summer for the righteous.
 

Similitude Fourth. As in Summer Living Trees are Distinguished from Withered by Fruit and Living Leaves, So in the World to Come the Just Differ from the Unjust in Happiness.
 

““Those,” he said, “which are budding are the righteous who are to live in the world to come; for the coming world is the summer of the righteous, but the winter of sinners.”[4] “Therefore bear fruit, that in that summer your fruit may be known.”[5]
 

Similitude Fifth. Of True Fasting and Its Reward: Also of Purity of Body.
 

Hermas is challenged by his Pastor as to the nature of his fast. The Pastor tells a parable. A slave (we find out later is the Son of God) was put in charge of a field (which is the world) with a vineyard (people) and was told by his master (the creator, God the Father) to stake it (place Holy Angels in it to keep the people together) while he was away (until the end of the age). He also weeded (removed sins from) the vineyard to please the master with its beauty. His obedience gained the slave his freedom, but the good he performed prompted the master to make him a co-heir with his own son (the Holy Spirit) as well. The master sent to the slave many dishes (the commandments of Christ) from his table, and the slave shared the leftovers with his fellow slaves, which also pleased the master. What is fasting? “For fasting to God in this way you will do nothing for a righteous life; but offer to God a fasting of the following kind: Do no evil in your life, and serve the Lord with a pure heart: keep His commandments, walking in His precepts, and let no evil desire arise in your heart; and believe in God. If you do these things, and fear Him, and abstain from every evil thing, you will live unto God; and if you do these things, you will keep a great fast, and one acceptable before God.”[6]
 

Within this parable we read these words:
 

“Keep this flesh pure and stainless, that the Spirit which inhabits it may bear witness to it, and your flesh may be justified.”[7]
 

The Editor adds this notation: “[To read into this passage the idea of “supererogatory merit” is an unpardonable anachronism. (Compare Command. iv. 4.) The writer everywhere denies human merit, extols mercy, and imputes good works to grace. He has in view St. Paul’s advice (1 Cor. vii. 25–28), or our blessed Lord’s saying (Matt. xix. 12). The abuse of such Scriptures propped up a false system (2 Pet. iii. 16) after it had been invented by Pelagians and monastic enthusiasts. But it has no place in the mind of Hermas, nor in the mind of Christ.]”
 

Without this hope of future correction one might be concerned about the direction this parable is taking. 
 

Again the author draws indirectly from the Gospels and Epistles.  There is no direct reference to Scripture and none to any apocryphal writings.

 

---

[1] Schaff, Philip (2009-06-08). Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 2 - Enhanced Version (Early Church Fathers) (Kindle Locations 1590-1591). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

[2] Ibid, (Kindle Location 1611).

[3] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1646-1648).

[4] (Kindle Locations 1700-1701).

[5] (Kindle Locations 1707-1708).

[6] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1729-1733).

[7] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1819-1820).

Imperatives - Indicatives = Death

I just finished the 12 Commandments of the Shepherd (Pastor) of Hermas.  There were some irresolvable issues that I couldn't reasonably deal with because of my own lack of understanding of the prevalent doctrines at the time. However one thing that I did notice (This would be my vote why The Shepherd was not canonized.) was the departure from the Apostolic model of exhortation, that being establishing indicatives prior to imperatives.

The model of exhortation in The Shepherd was:

You are not ____________ .  You should be _______________.  

Therefore, do or else!

That is clearly an Old Covenant rather than a New Testament view of living a life pleasing to God.  A great example is Paul's letter to Corinth:

 

“for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:8–10, ESV)

 

You are now children of light, therefore walk as children of light.  He did not say, "Walk as children of light, so that you might become children of light."  Paul and the Apostles did give imperatives (= what you should do), but they do so only based on indicatives (= what God has done). To reverse the order is to bring hopelessness and despair.

 

As I said, this misappropriation of grace would be reason enough for me to exclude this material from the Canon!



The Shepherd of Hermas - The Commandments

The Pastor of Hermas Book Second.—Commandments

In obedience to Hermas’ Shepherd (Fifth Vision), Hermas hears these Commandments and writes them down.

First Commandment:  Have faith in God and fear God.  Exercise self-control and put on righteousness.

Second Commandment: Avoid evil speaking and give alms in simplicity. “Practice goodness; and from the rewards of your labors, which God gives you, give to all the needy in simplicity, not hesitating as to whom you are to give or not to give.” 1  Simplicity implies without deceit or with true sincerity.

Third Commandment: Avoid falsehood.  Hermas confesses to concealing the truth in the past and is told that since his has now heard the commandment, he must be truthful going forward.

Fourth Commandment: On divorcing one’s wife for adultery.  ““I charge you,” said he, “to guard your chastity, and let no thought enter your heart of another man’s wife, or of fornication, or of similar iniquities; for by doing this you commit a great sin.”2 It is acceptable to put away (i.e. divorce) an adulterous wife, but to then marry another is adultery. The repentant wife should be taken back, but not frequently. This applies in reverse too – men and women should be treated the same way. To marry again after the death of a spouse is not a sin, but it is better to remain unmarried. Repentance is wisdom. Some taught that baptism was the only time of repentance (“I heard, sir, some teachers maintain that there is no other repentance than that which takes place, when we descended3 into the water and received remission of our former sins.”4   But the Shepherd responds:

“And therefore I say to you, that if any one is tempted by the devil, and sins after that great and holy calling in which the Lord has called His people to everlasting life, he has opportunity to repent but once.”5 [Is this really what is being understood here?  Is there no on-going process of living a repentant life?]

 

Another issue is seen in the statement of Hermas that if he keeps the commandments he will be assured that he  “. . .  shall be saved, if in future[he]I sin no more.”6  Is Hermas suggesting that he is saved by obedience?

 

Fifth Commandment. Of sadness of heart and patience.  Anger pollutes patience.  ““If you do not guard yourself against it, you and your house lose all hope of salvation.”7

Anger does not turn away those full of faith.  Those that entertain anger and doubt cause the departure of the Holy Spirit.  There might be a hint of justification in Christ.  The Shepherd affirms, “Guard yourself, therefore, against it. For I am with you, and all will depart from it who repent with their whole heart. For I will be with them, and I will save them all. For all are justified by the most holy angel.”8  The editor notes:
 

“ Are received into the number of the just by the most holy angel (or messenger. . . but the superlative here used seems to identify this angel with that of the covenant (Mal. iii. 1); i.e., the meritorious cause, “the Lord.”]9

Sixth Commandment. How to recognize the two spirits in each man.  Two angels dwell with every man: one of righteousness and one of iniquity. Obviously, you need to listen to the former and ignore the latter.

Seventh Commandment. Fear God and not the Devil. The one who has power is feared and his work performed by those who fear him.
 

“For if you keep the commandments of God, you will be powerful in every action, and every one of your actions will be incomparable. For, fearing the Lord, you will do all things well. This is the fear which you ought to have, that you may be saved. But fear not the devil; for, fearing the Lord, you will have dominion over the devil, for there is no power in him. But he in whom there is no power ought on no account to be an object of fear; but He in whom there is glorious power is truly to be feared.”10 [Emphasis mine]

Again we have this language that equates obedience to salvation.

Eighth Commandment.  Shun evil; and do what is good. “All who act thus will live to God. And, again, if you refuse to do evil, and restrain yourself from it, you will live to God.”11

Examples of good works are listed in this Commandment.  They tend to helping widows, to hospitality, encouraging the sick, and so on.

Ninth Commandment. Pray over all things and with confidence. Doubt, which is from the devil, is a lack of faith, which is from God.  “But those who are perfect in faith ask everything, trusting in the Lord; and they obtain, because they ask nothing doubting, and not being double-souled.”12

Tenth Commandment.  Do not grieve the Spirit. Grief from doubt “crushes out” the Holy Spirit, but grief that results from the actions arising from anger leads to repentance and salvation.

Eleventh Commandment. Test the Spirit and the prophets by their works. True prophets are meek and humble, speaking only when and what God wishes them to speak. False prophets are proud and talkative, speaking only when they have something to gain.

Twelfth Commandment.   ““Put away from you all wicked desire, and clothe yourself with good and chaste desire; for clothed with this desire you will hate wicked desire . . ..”13

“Now I say to you, If you do not keep them, but neglect them, you will not be saved, nor your children, nor your house, since you have already determined for yourself that these commandments cannot be kept by man.”14

The commandments from the Shepherd are derived from much Wisdom literature of the Old Testament and practical Christianity such as taught by James. He relies on the Gospels, the Letters of John and Paul’s letter to Ephesus.  I wasn’t aware of any Apocryphal literature. Some of the questions I have and concerns (which may in part be my misinterpretation) include the emphasize on obedience for salvation.  It seems to be a “legalistic” book, if I have understood it correctly.  There is also the issue of repentance.  I’m not sure that I understand it but there seems to be a sense of perfectionism that avoids any consideration that the life of the Christian is a life of continual confession of sin. 

 

__________________________________________

1 Schaff, Philip (2009-06-08). Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 2 - Enhanced Version (Early Church Fathers) (Kindle Locations 977-978). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.
2 Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1033-1034).
3 Note the implication of baptism by immersion
4 Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1068-1070).
5 Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1077-1079).
6 Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1081-1082).
7 Ibid, (Kindle Location 1147
8 Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1147-1150).
9 Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1184-1187).
10 Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1247-1250).
11 Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1298-1299).
12 Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1324-1325).
13 Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1464-1466).
14 Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1494-1496).

 

The Events of Holy Thursday

Maundy Thursday, also known as “Holy Thursday” is the Thursday of Passion Week, one day before Good Friday (the Thursday before Easter). Maundy Thursday is the name given to the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, known as the Last Supper. Two important events are the focus of Maundy Thursday.

First, Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples and thereby instituted the Lord’s Supper, also called Communion ..................


To read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/Maundy-Thursday.html#ixzz2OCuslDXw

The Shepherd of Hermas - Visions 4 and 5

Vision Fourth.

Concerning the Trial and Tribulation

that are to Come Upon Men.

This fourth vision is summarized by Hermas: "Twenty days after the former vision I saw another vision, brethren—a representation of the tribulation that is to come."[1]  I note that this is addressed to "brethren" therefore implying a prophetic communication to the Church.  In this vision, Hermas is confronted by a whale-like beast with fiery locusts in its mouth and four colors upon its head. Hermas places his trust in the Lord and is not harmed. Beyond the beast, he meets the woman, this time young and dressed in white, as a virgin. She tells him "this beast is a type of the great tribulation that is coming. If then ye prepare yourselves, and repent with all your heart, and turn to the Lord, it will be possible for you to escape it, if your heart be pure and spotless, and ye spend the rest of the days of your life in serving the Lord blamelessly."[2]

She explains the colors to be four ages of the world: black is the current darkness, red the perishing of the world by blood and fire, gold is what remains after the test, and white the purity of eternal life. . While the beast represented calamities that awaited the world, it would be powerless against faithfulness and repentance.

Vision Fifth.

Concerning the Commandments.

In the last vision, Hermas is visited by an angelic figure dressed like a shepherd who was sent to dwell with him for the remainder of his life and deliver to him the commandments of the Lord. “The Shepherd,” then, is the “angel of repentance,” here represented as a guardian angel. [Notation #151] The shepherd's task was to give him the twelve commandments that he was not only to write down but also to obey.  The Shepherd says to him:

"First of all, then, write down my commandments and similitudes, and you will write the other things as I shall show you. For this purpose,” said he, “I command you to write down the commandments and similitudes first, that you may read them easily, and be able to keep them.”[3]

This is the shepherd for which the book is named.

In the fourth vision,. Then the old woman returned (now as a young bride) and praised him for his faith. He was told to share his vision with the elders

---

[1] Schaff, Philip (2009-06-08). Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 2 - Enhanced Version (Early Church Fathers) (Kindle Locations 825-827). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

[2] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 858-860).

[3] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 923-925).

The Shepherd of Hermas - Vision 3

Vision Third.

Concerning the Building of the Triumphant Church, and

the Various Classes of Reprobate Men.

While Hermas was fasting and praying the old woman came to him again. “Since you are so anxious and eager to know all things, go into the part of the country where you tarry; and about the fifth hour I shall appear unto you, and show you all that you ought to see.”[1] At the place, he found an ivory seat and the old woman did not appear until he began confessing his sins to God.  There were young men present which the old lady dispatched to go an build.  Then she asked Hermas to set on her left. "While I was thinking about this, and feeling vexed that she did not let me sit on the right, she said, 'Are you vexed, Hermas? The place to the right is for others who have already pleased God, and have suffered for His name’s sake; and you have yet much to accomplish before you can sit with them. But abide as you now do in your simplicity, and you will sit with them, and with all who do their deeds and bear what they have borne.'”[2]  What they had to bear and what Hermas may have to bear is persecution and trial.

Then, she showed him the vision that she had promised, a host of young men led by her six attendants who were building a mighty tower from square stones. It was built upon waters. It was built square. "myriads of men were carrying stones to it, some dragging them from the depths, others removing them from the land, and they handed them to these six young men."[3]  These were perfect and were placed just as they were. Others were from the earth and had defects, some being altered or even cast away unused.  The old lady is wanting to leave but Hermas presses her for more understanding.

She reveals that the tower is her, the Church. It is built on the water that saves mankind and is supported by the invisible power of the Lord. When asked why the tower (the Church) was built on water, the lady answers, "It is because your life has been, and will be, saved through water. For the tower was founder on the word of the almighty and glorious Name and it is kept together by the invisible power of the Lord.”[4]  Hermas learns that the six men building are angels.

The young men are the holy angels and the six attendants are the greatest amongst them. The different kinds of stones are the saints and the sinners, ranging from the polished and tight-fitting ones being the clergy who act in unity and the stones cast away being those not saved due to their sins. Some stones are found acceptable and others are set aside for a time for various reasons until they become useful for building.  The various types of stones are:

1. There are square stones which are the apostles, bishops, etc. who have been faithful, peaceful and cooperative.

2. The stones dragged from the depths and are in the building are those who have suffered for Christ's sake.

3. Other stones dragged from the land and fitted into the building without polishing are those who the Lord has found to be righteous.

4. There are some being brought and placed in the building. They are young in the faith but righteous.

5. Who are the ones that are rejected? These are the ones that have sinned and need to repent if they are to be used.

6. There are some thrown far away. "They are the sons of iniquity, and they believed in hypocrisy, and wickedness did not depart from them."[5]

7. There were other stones lying around not going into the building. "Those which are rough are those who have known the truth and not remained in it, nor have they been joined to the saints."[6]

8.  There are some who have rents and are shortened.  These stones include those who are not at peace with one another and some who have lots of sin in their lives but not entirely.

9. There are some that are white and round and do not fit into the building. "These are those who have faith indeed, but they have also the riches of this world. When, therefore, tribulation comes, on account of their riches and business they deny the Lord.”[7]  When they have been "circumscribed" they will be useful.

Hermas asks the lady if repentance is possible for those who have been discarded and cast away. “Repentance,” said she, “is yet possible, but in this tower they cannot find a suitable place. But in another and much inferior place they will be laid, and that, too, only when they have been tortured and completed the days of their sins."[8]

The woman points out that there are seven women around the tower, supporting it: Faith, Self-restraint, Simplicity, Guilelessness, Chastity, Intelligence, and Love. Each is the daughter of the prior.  Hermas is commanded to speak the words of this revelation to the saints. Hermas wanted to know why the woman appeared very old to him in the first vision and progressively younger in the others that followed. After praying for this to be revealed and fasting, a young man appeared to him and explained that the age of the woman, that is the Church, was a reflection of his spirituality and strength.

---

[1] Schaff, Philip (2009-06-08). Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 2 - Enhanced Version (Early Church Fathers) (Kindle Locations 510-511). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

[2] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 525-528).

[3] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 539-541).

[4] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 563-565).

[5] Ibid, (Kindle Location 595).

[6] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 598-599).

[7] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 605-607).

[8] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 622-624).