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The Shepherd of Hermas
A shepherd angel, a tower of living believers, and an urgent question: can Christians be forgiven after baptism?4 sources4 sources1. Hermas2. Hermas3. Lake4. Lake
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Read F. Crombie’s translation ↗ · The Visions, Commandments and Similitudes in the Ante-Nicene Fathers.
At a glance
Summary
Can a Christian who sins after baptism repent again? The Shepherd of Hermas answers through visions, commandments and parables. A tower represents the Church, its stones different kinds of believers; an angel dressed as a shepherd gives much of the instruction. The invitation has limits. The Second Vision announces a deadline for believers. Mandate 4 offers one further repentance to those called before the announced period, distinguishing them from recent and future converts.6 sources6 sources3. Lake4. Lake1. Hermas2. Hermas8. Hermas12. Hermas
Contents
Visions of the Church and repentance
Visions 1–5The Visions announce a deadline for repentance and show a tower representing the Church. In the Fifth Vision an angel dressed as a shepherd comes to instruct Hermas.5 sources5 sources10. Chapman11. Hermas8. Hermas2. Hermas1. Hermas
Commands for believers
Mandates 1–12The shepherd gives commandments. Mandate 4 addresses forgiveness after baptism, allowing one subsequent repentance for an identified group of earlier believers.4 sources4 sources10. Chapman11. Hermas1. Hermas12. Hermas
Parables and the tower again
Similitudes 1–10The shepherd delivers parables, called Similitudes. The Ninth returns at length to the tower and its stones as a picture of the Church and its believers.4 sources4 sources10. Chapman11. Hermas1. Hermas2. Hermas
Stories
Stones for the tower
Vision 3A woman shows Hermas a square tower rising over water. Countless men bring stones to six young builders; the stones’ different fates represent different kinds of believers.2
The shepherd arrives
Vision 5A man wearing a white goatskin and carrying a bag and staff tells Hermas that an angel sent him to remain with Hermas for the rest of his life. He is the angel of repentance.1
Connections to the Bible
Shared figures
- Romans 16:14 · Traditional author identificationlow confidence
Eusebius reports the attribution to the Hermas Paul greets here; Origen accepted that identity, according to Catholic scholar John Chapman. The Muratorian fragment instead places the writer in Pius’s time.4 sources4 sources15. Romans 16:1416. Caesarea10. Chapman9. (anonymous)
- Numbers 11:26–29 · Vision 2
Vision 2 cites a book of Eldad and Modat, named for the men who prophesy in Numbers. Chapman identifies this lost book as the Shepherd’s only direct quotation; this is not a quotation of Numbers itself.17 18 8
Contrasts
- Hebrews 6:4–6 · Mandate 4
Tertullian answers the Shepherd’s second repentance with Hebrews’ warning against renewing those who fall away to repentance.13 14
Why was its call to repentance disputed?
The Muratorian fragment recommends reading the Shepherd but excludes public reading among prophets and apostles. Greek church writer Athanasius assigns it to instruction for newcomers outside the canon. His list distinguishes canonical books, books for instruction and heretical apocrypha.9 19 20
Scripture and instruction
Early church: Greek
Irenaeus introduces the First Mandate’s teaching about one God as Scripture, though he does not name the book.21 22
Early church: Greek
Athanasius recommends it for newcomers seeking instruction, preserving its usefulness without making it canonical.19
Date and second repentance
Early church: Latin
The Muratorian fragment dates it to recent times under Pius and distinguishes reading it from publicly reading the prophets and apostles.9
Early church: Latin
Tertullian attacked its allowance of further repentance and appealed to Hebrews against it. His objection is a particular theological judgment.4 sources4 sources23. Tertullian14. Tertullian10. Chapman13. Hebrews 6:4–6
Further reading
Sources
23 sources from 15 works
Hermas, The Pastor of Hermas, Book 1 (Visions), tr. F. Crombie (ANF vol. 2, 1885), New Advent
- 1
- 2
- 8
- 3
- 4
- 5
John Chapman, Hermas (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913, vol. 7), Wikisource transcription
- 7
- 9
- 11
Hermas, The Pastor of Hermas, Book 2 (Commandments), tr. F. Crombie (ANF vol. 2, 1885), New Advent
- 12
- 22Mandate 1↩
- 13
Tertullian, On Modesty, tr. S. Thelwall (ANF vol. 4, 1885), New Advent
- 14
- 23ch. 10↩
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 19
- 20
- 21
Hermas, The Pastor of Hermas, Book 1 (Visions), tr. F. Crombie (ANF vol. 2, 1885), New Advent, Vision 5
Hermas, The Pastor of Hermas, Book 1 (Visions), tr. F. Crombie (ANF vol. 2, 1885), New Advent, Vision 3
Kirsopp Lake, The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 2 (Loeb Classical Library, 1913), introduction to the Shepherd, pp. 1-2
Kirsopp Lake, The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 2 (Loeb Classical Library, 1913), introduction to the Shepherd, p. 1
Kirsopp Lake, The Apostolic Fathers, vol. 2 (Loeb Classical Library, 1913), introduction to the Shepherd, p. 2
John Chapman, Hermas (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913, vol. 7), Wikisource transcription, Authorship and Date
H. P. V. Nunn, “The 'Shepherd' of Hermas, The Evangelical Quarterly 18.2 (1946): 109-122”, p. 111
Hermas, The Pastor of Hermas, Book 1 (Visions), tr. F. Crombie (ANF vol. 2, 1885), New Advent, Vision 2
Muratorian fragment (anonymous), Canon Muratorianus, tr. S. D. F. Salmond (Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 5, 1885), Wikisource, lines on the Pastor
John Chapman, Hermas (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913, vol. 7), Wikisource transcription, opening section
Hermas, The Pastor of Hermas, tr. F. Crombie (Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 2, 1885), New Advent table of contents, contents
Hermas, The Pastor of Hermas, Book 2 (Commandments), tr. F. Crombie (ANF vol. 2, 1885), New Advent, Mandate 4
Hebrews 6:4–6
6:4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age— 6and then have fallen away—to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.
Tertullian, On Modesty, tr. S. Thelwall (ANF vol. 4, 1885), New Advent, ch. 20
Romans 16:14
14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers with them.
Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History, book 3, tr. A. C. McGiffert (NPNF series 2 vol. 1, 1890), New Advent, 3.3.6
Numbers 11:26–29
11:26Two men, however, had remained in the camp—one named Eldad and the other Medad—and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those listed, but they had not gone out to the tent, and they prophesied in the camp. 27A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28Joshua son of Nun, the attendant to Moses since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” 29But Moses replied, “Are you jealous on my account? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would place His Spirit on them!”
John Chapman, Hermas (Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913, vol. 7), Wikisource transcription, section on sources
Athanasius of Alexandria, Letter 39 (Festal Letter for 367), NPNF series 2 vol. 4 (1892), New Advent, section 7
Athanasius of Alexandria (tr. R. Payne-Smith), Festal Letter 39 (NPNF2 vol. 4), via New Advent (1892), 39.7
Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, book 4, ch. 20, tr. Roberts and Rambaut (ANF vol. 1, 1885), New Advent, 4.20.2
Hermas, The Pastor of Hermas, Book 2 (Commandments), tr. F. Crombie (ANF vol. 2, 1885), New Advent, Mandate 1
Tertullian, On Modesty, tr. S. Thelwall (ANF vol. 4, 1885), New Advent, ch. 10