Shepherd of Hermas: Mandates

Contents

1. 1.1Believe that God is one, the Creator who contains all and is contained by nothing.
2. 1.2Faith, fear of God, and self-control lead to life.
3. 2.1Be simple and innocent like little children.
4. 2.2Do not slander or listen to slander.
5. 2.3Slander is a restless demon that breeds division.
6. 2.4Give to everyone in need without hesitation.
7. 2.5Receivers answer to God for why they took.
8. 2.6The giver who gives simply is innocent and will live.
9. 2.7Keep this command so that repentance may be sincere.
10. 3.1Love truth, for the Lord who dwells in you is true.
11. 3.2Liars rob God of the truthful spirit he entrusted to them.
12. 3.3Hermas weeps, confessing that he has always lied.
13. 3.4A servant of God must walk in truth and not grieve the spirit.
14. 3.5From now on speak only truth, and you will live.
15. 4.1.1Keep purity; let no thought of another's wife enter your heart.
16. 4.1.2Even the thought is sin; the deed brings death.
17. 4.1.3Keep away from such thoughts.
18. 4.1.4Hermas asks: does a husband sin by living with an adulterous wife?
19. 4.1.5A husband who knowingly stays with an unrepentant adulterous wife shares her sin.
20. 4.1.6The husband should separate but not remarry; remarriage is adultery.
21. 4.1.7Hermas asks whether a repentant wife may return.
22. 4.1.8The husband must take back a repentant wife; this is why he must not remarry. The rule applies equally to both.
23. 4.1.9Idolatry is also adultery; do not live with one who persists in it.
24. 4.1.10Separated spouses must stay unmarried because repentance is possible.
25. 4.1.11This is not permission to sin, but a way back for the sinner; God can heal past sin.
26. 4.2.1Hermas asks for understanding.
27. 4.2.2Repentance itself is great understanding.
28. 4.2.3Hermas asks what he must do to live.
29. 4.2.4Keep the commandments and live.
30. 4.3.1Some teachers say there is no repentance after baptism.
31. 4.3.2The baptized ought not to sin again.
32. 4.3.3New believers receive forgiveness at baptism, not a later repentance.
33. 4.3.4God, knowing human weakness, appointed repentance for those already called.
34. 4.3.5In mercy God appointed this repentance, entrusted to the Shepherd.
35. 4.3.6After baptism there is one repentance; repeated sin and repentance is of no use.
36. 4.3.7Hermas is revived by the hope of salvation.
37. 4.4.1Hermas asks whether a widow or widower sins by remarrying.
38. 4.4.2Remarriage after a spouse's death is no sin, though remaining single brings more honor.
39. 4.4.3Keep purity, and the Shepherd will dwell in your house.
40. 4.4.4Forgiveness for all who keep the commandments.
41. 5.1.1Be patient, and you will master evil.
42. 5.1.2Patience keeps the Holy Spirit within joyful and unhindered.
43. 5.1.3Bad temper crowds out the delicate Holy Spirit.
44. 5.1.4The two spirits cannot share one person.
45. 5.1.5A little wormwood spoils a whole jar of honey.
46. 5.1.6Anger mixed with patience spoils it and its prayer.
47. 5.1.7Guard against anger; the Shepherd will help those who repent.
48. 5.2.1Anger overthrows the empty and doubting, not the faithful.
49. 5.2.2Anger arises from trifles.
50. 5.2.3Patience is strong, cheerful, and gentle.
51. 5.2.4Anger grows by steps into an incurable sin.
52. 5.2.5One vessel cannot hold both the Holy Spirit and these spirits.
53. 5.2.6The Holy Spirit leaves the angry person.
54. 5.2.7Without the Spirit, the angry are driven by evil spirits.
55. 5.2.8Put on patience; mastering anger helps keep all the commandments.
56. 6.1.1The virtues work in two ways, toward the righteous and the unrighteous.
57. 6.1.2Walk the straight way, not the crooked.
58. 6.1.3The crooked way is rough and harmful.
59. 6.1.4The straight way is smooth.
60. 6.1.5Whoever turns to the Lord will walk the straight way.
61. 6.2.1Two angels accompany each person, one good and one evil.
62. 6.2.2How can one tell them apart?
63. 6.2.3The angel of righteousness speaks of purity and virtue.
64. 6.2.4The angel of wickedness is known by anger and bitterness.
65. 6.2.5Anger, excess, lust, greed, and pride are signs of the evil angel.
66. 6.2.6Depart from the evil angel and trust the righteous one.
67. 6.2.7Even a faithful person who listens to the evil angel will sin.
68. 6.2.8Even the wicked do good when the good angel moves them.
69. 6.2.9Follow the good angel; renounce the evil one.
70. 6.2.10Faith means trusting the good angel's works and refusing the evil angel's.
71. 7.1Fear the Lord and keep his commandments.
72. 7.2Do not fear the devil, who has no power over those who fear God.
73. 7.3Fear the devil's works, not the devil.
74. 7.4Fear of the Lord keeps from evil and moves to good.
75. 7.5Life belongs to those who both fear God and keep his commandments.
76. 8.1Self-control is twofold: some things to refrain from, some not.
77. 8.2Refrain from evil, never from good.
78. 8.3A list of vices to refrain from.
79. 8.4These vices must be avoided to live to God.
80. 8.5More vices: theft, lying, greed, deceit, vanity.
81. 8.6Refrain from these to be enrolled among the living.
82. 8.7Do not refrain from doing good.
83. 8.8Hermas asks about the good works.
84. 8.9The chief goods: faith, fear of God, love, concord, truth, endurance.
85. 8.10Works of mercy: care for widows and orphans, hospitality, patience, restoring the fallen.
86. 8.11Walk in these good works and live.
87. 8.12Doing good and refraining from evil lead to life.
88. 9.1Do not doubt when asking God, even as a sinner.
89. 9.2Turn to God wholeheartedly and ask without hesitation.
90. 9.3God holds no grudges.
91. 9.4Ask without doubting and you will lack nothing.
92. 9.5The doubter receives nothing.
93. 9.6The wholehearted receive; the doubter is saved with difficulty.
94. 9.7If an answer is slow, do not doubt; there is a reason.
95. 9.8Keep asking; blame yourself, not God, if you give up.
96. 9.9Doubt is the devil's daughter and uproots many.
97. 9.10Faith accomplishes all; doubt fails at everything.
98. 9.11Faith is from above; doubt is earthly and powerless.
99. 9.12Serve faith and live.
100. 10.1.1Put away sorrow, sister of doubt and anger.
101. 10.1.2Sorrow is the worst spirit: it crushes the Holy Spirit, yet can also save.
102. 10.1.3Hermas does not understand.
103. 10.1.4Those absorbed in worldly business cannot understand divine things.
104. 10.1.5Like neglected vineyards, the worldly become overgrown.
105. 10.1.6Those who fear God understand quickly.
106. 10.2.1How sorrow harms and saves.
107. 10.2.2Sorrow after failure grieves the Holy Spirit.
108. 10.2.3Sorrow after anger can lead to repentance.
109. 10.2.4Both doubt and anger grieve the Spirit.
110. 10.2.5Do not afflict the Holy Spirit within you.
111. 10.2.6God's Spirit cannot bear sorrow.
112. 10.3.1Put on cheerfulness, which pleases God.
113. 10.3.2A sorrowful man's prayer cannot rise to God's altar.
114. 10.3.3Sorrow mixed with prayer is like vinegar in wine.
115. 10.3.4Cast off sorrow and live.
116. 11.1A false prophet sits before the believers.
117. 11.2The false prophet tells the doubters what they want to hear.
118. 11.3Empty himself, he gives empty answers, mixed with some truth.
119. 11.4Consulting a false prophet is idolatry.
120. 11.5A true spirit is not consulted like an oracle; it speaks of itself.
121. 11.6A false spirit speaks only when asked.
122. 11.7Test prophets by their life.
123. 11.8The true prophet is humble, answers no private questions, and speaks when God wills.
124. 11.9The true prophet speaks in the assembly when filled with the Spirit.
125. 11.10So the divine Spirit is made known.
126. 11.11Now the false spirit.
127. 11.12The false prophet seeks honor, lives in luxury, and prophesies for pay.
128. 11.13The false prophet avoids the assembly and prophesies privately to doubters.
129. 11.14In the praying assembly the false prophet is struck dumb.
130. 11.15An empty jar stays empty among full ones.
131. 11.16Test by works and life.
132. 11.17Trust the Spirit from God, not the earthly spirit.
133. 11.18A parable: you cannot hit heaven with a stone.
134. 11.19Earthly spirits are powerless.
135. 11.20Small things from above have great power.
136. 11.21The Spirit from above is powerful; trust it.
137. 12.1.1Put on good desire to master evil desire.
138. 12.1.2Evil desire is wild and consumes the worldly.
139. 12.1.3Hermas asks about the works of evil desire.
140. 12.2.1Chief evil desires: another's spouse, wealth, food, drink, luxury.
141. 12.2.2Evil desire is the devil's daughter.
142. 12.2.3Those mastered by them die.
143. 12.2.4Armed with the fear of God, resist, and evil desire will flee.
144. 12.2.5Serve good desire, and you will master evil desire.
145. 12.3.1Serve good desire by righteousness, truth, faith, and gentleness.
146. 12.3.2The twelve commandments are complete.
147. 12.3.3Hermas is given the ministry of calling to repentance.
148. 12.3.4Hermas fears the commandments are too hard to keep.
149. 12.3.5Believe they can be kept, and they will be easy.
150. 12.3.6Whoever decides they cannot be kept will not be saved.
151. 12.4.1The Shepherd speaks angrily and Hermas is afraid.
152. 12.4.2God made the world for humankind and gave him rule over it.
153. 12.4.3One who has the Lord in his heart can keep all the commandments.
154. 12.4.4For those who honor God only with their lips, the commandments are hard.
155. 12.4.5With the Lord in the heart, nothing is easier than these commands.
156. 12.4.6Turn from the devil's hard commands; he has no power over you.
157. 12.4.7The angel of repentance will be with you; the devil will flee.
158. 12.5.1Hermas says the devil overpowers those who want to obey.
159. 12.5.2The devil can wrestle but cannot win against those who hope in God.
160. 12.5.3The owner checks the half-empty jars, which turn sour.
161. 12.5.4The devil enters those who are half-empty in faith.
162. 12.6.1Do not fear the devil; the angel of repentance strengthens the repentant.
163. 12.6.2God will heal past sins if you turn to him; the devil is powerless.
164. 12.6.3Fear God who can save and destroy.
165. 12.6.4Strengthened, Hermas hopes to keep the commandments.
166. 12.6.5A pure heart keeps the commandments.