The Shepherd of Hermas

Hermas

Hermas. The Apostolic Fathers with an English translation by Kirsopp Lake. In Two Volumes. Vol. II. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd. 1913

So when I came to the place, I knelt down and began to pray to the Lord and to glorify his name, because he had thought me worthy, and had made known to me my former sins.

But after I rose from prayer I saw before me the ancient lady,[*](The ancient lady returns) whom I had seen the year before, walking and reading out from a little book. And she said to

me: Can you take this message to God’s elect ones? I said to her: Lady, I cannot remember[*](The little book) so much; but give me the little book to copy. Take it, she said, and give it me back.

I took it and went away to a certain place in the country, and copied it all, letter by letter, for I could not distinguish the syllables.[*](Hermas no doubt means that it was written, like most early MSS., in a continuous script with no divisions between the words.) So when I had finished the letters of the little book it was suddenly taken out of my hand; but I did not see by whom.

But after fifteen days, when I had fasted and[*](The contents of the little book) prayed greatly to the Lord, the knowledge of the writing was revealed to me. And these things were written:

Your seed, Hermas, have set God at naught, and have blasphemed the Lord, and have betrayed their parents in great wickedness, and they are called the betrayers of parents, and their betrayal has not profited them, but they have added to their sins wanton deeds and piled up wickedness, and so their crimes have been made complete.

But make these words known to all your children and to your wife, who shall in future be to you as a sister. For she also does not refrain her tongue, with which she sins; but when she has heard these words she will refrain it, and will obtain mercy.

After you have made known these words to them, which the

Master commanded me to reveal to you, all the sins which they have formerly committed shall be forgiven them, and they shall be forgiven to all the saints who have sinned up to this day,[*](This is the main point of the Shepherd. The primitive teaching was that for sin after baptism no repentance is possible (cf. Heb. vi.). Hermas now states that it has been revealed to him that up to this day, i.e. the time of his revelation, sin will be forgiven to the repentant. But this offer of forgiveness will not be made a second time.) if they repent with their whole heart, and put aside double-mindedness from their heart.

For the Master has sworn to his elect by his glory that if there be still sin after this day has been fixed, they shall find no salvation; for repentance for the just has an end; the days of repentance have been fulfilled for all the saints, but for the heathen repentance is open until the last day.

You shall say, then, to the leaders of the Church, that they reform their ways in righteousness, to receive in full the promises with great glory.