Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (72 page)

and everything he found accomplished.

Lord commands and you will be accept

And they congratulated the slave for the

able to him and enrolled among those

good testimony that the master had given

who keep his commandments.

him.

3
But if you do anything good beyond

274

NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

what God commands, you will be glori

(V,
4)

fied even more and even more highly

57

honored before God than you were bound

I begged him fervently to explain to me the parable of the to be. If, then, you do what God comfield, the master, the vineyard, the slave mands and perform any of these serwho built a fence around the vineyard, the vices in addition, you will be filled with

fence posts, the weeds that were removed

joy—if you keep them according to my

from the vineyard, the son, and the friends

commandment.”

who were advisors. For I understood that

4
I said to him, “Lord, I will guard

all these things were a parable.

whatever you command me. For I know

2
He answered me, “You are extremely

you are with me.” “I will be with you,”

brazen in your requests. You should ask

he said, “because you are so eager to do

nothing at all, for if anything needs to be

good; and I will be with everyone who is

explained to you, it will be.” I said to

just as eager.

him, “Lord, there is no point in showing

5
This fast that consists of keeping the

me something that you do not explain,

Lord’s commandments,” he said, “is very

when I do not know what it is. And if

good. And so guard the fast.

you tell me parables without explaining

6
First of all, be on your guard against

them to me, there is no point in my hearevery evil word and desire, and cleanse ing them from you.”

your heart from all the vain affairs of this

3
Again he said to me, “Whoever is a

age. If you guard these things, this fast

slave of God and has the Lord in his heart

will be complete.

asks him for understanding and receives

7
And act as follows: when you have

it. And he interprets every parable; and

completed the things that have already

the words of the Lord spoken in parables

been written, taste nothing but bread and

are made known to him. But all those

water on the day you fast. Then estimate

who are weak and lazy in prayer hesitate

the cost of the food you would have eaten

to ask anything from the Lord.

on that day and give that amount to a

4
The Lord has great compassion and

widow or orphan or someone in need. Be

gives without hesitation to everyone who

humble in this way, that the one who

asks of him. But you have been empowreceives something because of your huered by the glorious angel and have remility may fill his own soul and pray to ceived from him this petition; since you

the Lord for you.

are not lazy, why do you not ask for

8
If then you complete your fast like

understanding from the Lord and receive

this, as I have commanded you, your

it directly from him?”

sacrifice will be acceptable before God

5
I said to him, “Lord, since I have you

and the fast will be recorded. The service

with me I need to ask and inquire of you.

done in this way will be good and cheer

For you are the one showing everything

ful and pleasing to the Lord.

to me and speaking with me. If I had seen

9
Thus you should keep these things,

or heard these things without you, I

as should your children and your entire

would ask the Lord to clarify them for

household. When you do so, you will be

me.”

blessed. Everyone who hears these things

and keeps them will be blessed, and they

(V,
5)

will receive whatever they ask from the

58

Lord.”

“I told you just now,” he said,

“that you are crafty and brazen,

THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS

275

asking for the interpretations of the parsins through great labor, bearing up under ables. But since you are so persistent, I

his many labors. For a vine cannot be

will interpret for you the parable of the

dug around without labor or toil.

field and everything that follows it, that

3
And so, when he had cleansed the

you may make these things known to all.

sins of the people he showed them the

Listen, now,” he said, “and understand

paths of life, giving them the law, which

these things.

he received from his Father.

2
The field is this world. And the lord

4
You see, then,” he said, “that he is

of the field is the one who created all

the Lord of the people, having received

things and completed them and empowall authority from his Father. But listen ered them. The son is the Holy Spirit and

to what it means that the Lord took his

the slave is the Son of God. The vines

Son, along with the glorious angels, as a

are this people, which he has planted.

counselor about the slave’s inheritance.

3
The fence-posts are the Lord’s holy

5
God made the Holy Spirit dwell in

angels who surround his people. The

the flesh that he desired,m even though it

weeds that were removed from the vinepre-existed and created all things. This yard are the lawless deeds of the slaves

flesh, then, in which the Holy Spirit

of God. The foods that he sent to him

dwelled, served well as the Spirit’s slave,

from his dinner are the commandments

for it conducted itself in reverence and

he has given his people through his Son.

purity, not defiling the Spirit at all.

The friends and advisors are the holy

6
Since it lived in a good and pure way,

angels who were created first. And the

cooperating with the Spirit and working

absence of the master is the time that

with it in everything it did, behaving in

remains until his coming.”

a strong and manly way, God chose it to

4
I said to him, “Lord, all these things

be a partner with the Holy Spirit. For the

are great, marvelous, and glorious. How

conduct of this flesh was pleasing, becould I have understood them? No one cause it was not defiled on earth while

else could have understood them either,

bearing the Holy Spirit.

even if he were extremely insightful. Yet,

7
Thus he took his Son and the glori

Lord,” I said, “explain to me what I am

ous angels as counselors, so that this

about to ask you.”

flesh, which served blamelessly as the

5
“Say what you wish,” he said. “Why,

Spirit’s slave, might have a place of res

Lord,” I asked, “is the Son of God repidence and not appear to have lost the resented as a slave in the parable?”

reward for serving as a slave. For all flesh

in which the Holy Spirit has dwelled—

(V,
6)

and which has been found undefiled and

59 “Listen,” he said; “the Son of spotless—will receive a reward.

God is not represented as a

8
Now you have the interpretation of

slave, but as one who has great authority

this parable.”

and lordship.” “I don’t see how, Lord,” I

replied.

(V,
7)

2
“Because,” he said, “God planted the

60

vineyard—that is, he created the people

“I am very glad to have heard

this interpretation, Lord,” I

and handed them over to his Son. And

the Son appointed the angels over them,

to protect each one. And he cleansed their

mMeaning obscure

276

NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

said. “And now listen,” he replied:

the faith of the Lord and proceed in them.

“Guard this flesh of yours to keep it clean

For I will empower you to do them.

and undefiled, so that the spirit dwelling

3
These commandments are profitable

in it may bear a good testimony to it, and

to those who are about to repent. For if

your flesh may be made upright.

they do not proceed in them, their repen

2
Take care that the thought never octance is in vain.

cur to you that this flesh of yours is

4
And so, you who repent should cast

corrupt, and never misuse it in a defiling

aside the evil affairs of this age, which

way. If you defile your flesh, you defile

wear you down. For when you are

the Holy Spirit as well. And if you defile

clothed with every righteous virtue, you

your flesh, you will not live.”

will be able to keep these commandments

3
“But Lord,” I said, “if anyone was

and no longer increase your sins. And so,

ignorant earlier—before having heard

by not increasing them, you will greatly

these words—and defiled his flesh, how

cut off your former sins. Proceed therewill he be saved?” “God alone,” he refore in my commandments, and you will plied, “can bring healing to those who

live to God. For I have spoken these

were ignorant earlier. For all authority is

things to all of you.”

his.

5
After he spoke these things to me,

4
But guard these things for now, and

he said, “Let us go into the country, and

the Lord who has great compassion will

I will show you the shepherds of the

provide healing for these things, if here

sheep.” “Yes, Lord,” I said, “let us go.”

at the end you defile neither your flesh

We came to a certain plain and he showed

nor your spirit. For these two go together,

me a young shepherd, wearing a bright

and one cannot be defiled without the

yellow suit of clothes.

other. Keep both of them pure, therefore,

6
He was tending a large flock of

and you will live to God.”

sheep. These sheep were luxuriously fed

and extremely frisky and cheerful, leaping about here and there; and the shepherd also was cheerful with his flock. The
Parable
Six

shepherd’s appearance was very cheerful,

and he was running about among the

(VI,
1)

sheep.

61 While I was sitting in my house

and giving glory to the Lord for

(VI,
2)

all the things I had seen, and reflecting

62

that his commandments are good, pow

He said to me, “Do you see this

shepherd?” “I see him, Lord,” I

erful, cheerful, glorious, and able to save

replied. “This,” he said, “is the angel of

a person’s soul, I was telling myself, “I

luxury and deceit. He, then, is the one

will be fortunate if I proceed in these

who wears down the souls of the vacuous

commandments; for whoever proceeds in

slaves of God and turns them away from

them is fortunate.”

the truth, deceiving them with evil desires

2
While I was telling myself these

that destroy them.

things, I suddenly saw him sitting next to

2
For they forget the commandments

me and saying, “Why are you of two

of the living God and proceed in vain

minds about the commandments I have

deceits and luxuries and are destroyed by

given you? They are good. Do not be at

this angel—some to death and others to

all of two minds, but clothe yourself with

ruin.”

THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS

277

3
I said to him, “Lord, I do not know

(VI,
3)

what you mean that some are destroyed

63

to death and others to ruin.” “Listen,” he

When I saw them flogged like

this and made so miserable, I

said. “All the sheep you saw that were

started to grieve for them, because they

extremely cheerful and leaping about are

were tormented in this way and had no

the ones who have finally fallen away

respite.

from God and have delivered themselves

2
I said to the shepherd who was

over to the desires of this age. Among

speaking with me, “Lord,” I said, “who

these there is no repentance that leads to