Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (68 page)

8
Whoever serves as their slave and is

5
Consider the judgment that is comable to adhere to their deeds will have a ing. You who have an abundance should

place to reside in the tower, along with

therefore seek out the hungry before the

the saints of God.”

tower is completed. For after the tower is

9
I began to ask her about the times,

completed you will long to do good but

about whether the end had already come,

will have no opportunity.

and she cried out with a great voice, “You

6
And so, take heed, you who exult in

fool! Do you not see that the tower is still

your wealth, lest those in need complain

under construction? Only when its construction is finished will the end arrive.

But it will be built quickly. No longer ask

me anything. This reminder is enough for

fOr:
the
one
girded
and
courageous
THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS

261

and their complaint rises up to the Lord,

she was completely cheerful and seated

and you be shut out from the gate of the

on a couch.

tower, along with your goods.

6
I was very sad, wanting to know

7
And so now I say to you who lead

about this revelation. Then I saw the elthe church and sit in its chief seats. Do derly woman in a night vision, saying to

not be like the sorcerers. For the sorcerers

me, “Every request requires humility.

carry their potions in boxes, but you

And so fast, and you will receive from

carry your potion and poison in the heart.

the Lord what you ask.”

8
You have grown calloused and refuse

7
So I fasted one day, and in that night

to cleanse your hearts and to join your

a young man appeared to me and said,

minds together in clean hearts, so as to

“Why do you constantly ask for revelareceive mercy from the great king.

tions in your prayer? Take care, or you

9
And so take heed, children, lest these

will harm your flesh by asking so much.

dissensions deprive you of your life.

8
These revelations are enough for

10
How can you want to discipline the

you. How can you manage to see reve

Lord’s chosen ones, when you yourselves

lations even more powerful than the ones

have no discipline? And so, discipline

you have already seen?”

one another and be at peace among your

9
I replied to him, “Lord, I am asking

selves, that I also may stand before the

only about the three forms of the elderly

Father cheerfully and so render an acwoman, that the revelation may be comcount to our Lord for all of you.”

plete.” He answered me, “How long will

you people be ignorant? You have become ignorant from being of two minds,
(III,
10)

not having your hearts set on the Lord.”

18 Then, when she stopped speak

10
I said to him again, “But from you,

ing with me, the six young men

Lord, we will learn all these things more

who were building came and took her

accurately.”

away to the tower. And four others came

and took the couch and carried it off to

(III,
11)

the tower as well. I did not see their faces,

because they were turned away.

19 “Listen,” he said, “concerning

the forms you are inquiring

2
But as she was leaving I began askafter.

ing her to give me a revelation about the

2
In the first vision, why did she appear

three forms in which she appeared to me.

to you as an elderly woman, seated on a

And she answered me, “You must ask

chair? Because your spirit is elderly and

someone else to reveal these things to

already fading away, having no vigor beyou.”

cause you are feeble and of two minds.

3
For in the first vision, brothers, the

3
For just as elderly people who have

year before, she appeared to me as a very

no hope of being rejuvenated look forelderly woman, seated on a chair.

ward to nothing but their sleep,g so also

4
In the other vision she had a younger

you, grown feeble because of your

face, but her skin and hair were older,

worldly affairs, have handed yourselves

and she spoke to me while standing. But

over to apathy, and you do not cast your

she was more cheerful than before.

5
And in the third vision she was very

young and exceedingly beautiful in appearance; only her hair was older. But gOr:
death

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NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

anxieties upon the Lord. Your mind has

mediately he forgets his former griefs and

been wounded and you have grown old

thinks about nothing but the news he has

in your sorrows.”

heard. And he is strengthened from that

4
“I also want to know, Lord, why she

time on to do what is good, and his spirit

was seated in a chair.” “Because anyone

is rejuvenated because of the exciting

who is weak sits in a chair out of weaknews he has received. So also your spirits ness, to support the weakness of the body.

have been rejuvenated from seeing these

Now you have the meaning the first

good things.

vision.

3
And you saw her seated on a couch

because that is a strong position, since

(III,
12)

the couch has four legs and stands firmly.

20 “And in the second vision you For the world is also held firm through saw her standing, and she had

the four elements.

a younger face and was more cheerful

4
And so, those who fully repent will

than before, even though her skin and

become new and firmly established—

hair looked older. Listen,” he said, “to

those who have repented from their

this parable as well.

whole heart. Now you have the revelation

2
Someone who is older and has alcomplete. No longer ask anything about ready given up all hope because of his

it; if anything is still needed, it will be

bodily weakness and poverty looks forrevealed to you.”

ward to nothing except the last day of his

life. Then suddenly an inheritance is left

to him. And when he hears about it he

Vision
Four

rises up and in his excitement grows

strong. No longer does he recline, but he

(IV,
1)

stands and his spirit becomes rejuvenated

even though it has been wasting away

22 This is what I saw, brothers,

twenty days after the earlier vibecause of his daily life from before; and sion, as a foreshadowing of the coming

he no longer sits, but becomes manly.h

affliction.

You are like this as well, when you hear

2
I was going into the country on the

what the Lord has revealed to you.

Via Campania. This is just over a mile

3
For he showed you compassion and

off the public road; the place is easily

rejuvenated your spirits; and you laid

reached.

your feebleness to the side and strength

3
While walking alone, I was asking

seized you and you were empowered

the Lord to complete the revelations and

with faith. And when the Lord saw your

visions he had shown me through his

renewed strength he was glad. For this

holy church, that he might strengthen me

reason he showed you the building of the

and give repentance to his slaves who

tower, just as he will show you other

had stumbled, so that his great and glothings as well, if you are at peace with rious name might be glorified, since he

one another from your whole heart.

had considered me worthy to see his marvelous acts.

(III,
13)

4

21

And while I was giving him glory

“But in the third vision you saw and thanks, something like the sound of her younger and beautiful and

cheerful, and her form was beautiful.

2
For it is as when some good news

comes to a person who is grieving: imhOr:
courageous
THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS

263

a voice answered me, “Do not be of two

2
From my earlier visions I knew that

minds, Hermas.” I began to debate with

she was the church, and I became cheermyself, “How can I be of two minds, ful. She welcomed me, “Greetings, my

when I have been firmly established by

man.” And I welcomed her in return,

the Lord and seen his glorious deeds?”

“Greetings, Lady.”

5
I passed on a bit, brothers, and sud

3
She said to me, “Did anything meet

denly saw a cloud of dust, reaching up to

you?” I responded, “An enormous wild

the sky. And I began saying to myself,

beast, Lady, able to destroy entire peo

“Is that a herd of cattle coming, raising

ples. But by the power of the Lord and

the dust? But it was still about two hunhis great compassion, I escaped it.”

dred yards away from me.

4
“You escaped well,” she said, “be

6
And as the dust cloud grew larger

cause you cast your anxiety upon God

and larger, I realized that it was someand opened your heart to the Lord, bething supernatural. The sun began to lieving that you could not be saved except

shine a bit and suddenly I saw an enorthrough his great and glorious name. For mous wild beast, something like a sea

this reason the Lord sent his angel, named

monster, with fiery locusts spewing from

Thegri, who is in charge of the wild

its mouth. The beast was nearly a hunbeasts; and he shut the beast’s mouth, so dred feet long, and its head looked like a

that it could not harm you. You have

ceramic jar.

escaped a great affliction because of your

7
And I began to weep and ask the

faith, and because you were not of two

Lord to save me from it. Then I rememminds even though you saw such an enorbered the word I had heard: “Do not be mous wild beast.

of two minds, Hermas.”

5
And so, go and explain the great acts

8
And so, putting on the faith of the

of the Lord to his chosen ones, and tell

Lord, brothers, and remembering the

them that this wild beast is a foreshadgreat things he had taught me, I couraowing of the great affliction that is comgeously gave myself over to the beast.

ing. If then all of you prepare and repent

And so it came on with a roar, enough to

before the Lord from your whole heart,

lay waste a city.

you will be able to escape it—if your

9
But when I approached it, the enorheart becomes clean and blameless and mous sea monster stretched itself out on

you serve the Lord blamelessly the rest

the ground and did nothing but stick out

of your days. Cast your anxieties upon

its tongue; otherwise it did not move at

the Lord and he will take care of them.

all until I had passed it by.

6
Trust in the Lord, you who are of

10
And the beast had four colors on its

two minds, because he can do all things;

head: black, fire- and blood-red, gold,

he both diverts his anger from you and

and white.

sends punishments to you who are

double-minded. Woe to those who hear

(IV,
2)

these words and disobey. It would be

23 After I passed by the beast and better for them not to have been born.”

went about thirty feet ahead, a

young woman suddenly met me, clothed

as if coming from a bridal chamber,

(IV,
3)

dressed all in white and with white san24

dals, veiled down to her forehead. Her

I then asked her about the four

colors the beast had on its head.

veil was a headband and her hair was

And she answered me, “Once again you

white.

are being overly inquisitive about these

264

NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

matters.” “Yes Lady,” I said, “explain

said, “I have been sent from the most

these things to me.”

reverend angel to live with you for the

2
“Listen,” she said. “The black is this

rest of your life.”

world, in which all of you live.