Read Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament Online
Authors: [edited by] Bart D. Ehrman
Tags: #Biblical Reference, #Bible Study Guides, #Bibles, #Other Translations, #Apocryphal books (New Testament), #New Testament, #Christianity, #Religion, #Biblical Commentary, #Biblical Studies, #General, #History
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.