My LORD’s BibleShepherd of Hermas: Mandates 4
1“I charge you,” said he, “to guard your chastity, and let no thought enter your heart of another man’s wife, or of fornication, or of similar iniquities; for by doing this you commit a great sin. But if you always remember your own wife, you will never sin. For if this thought enter your heart, then you will sin; and if, in like manner, you think other wicked thoughts, you commit sin. For this thought is great sin in a servant of God. But if any one commit this wicked deed, he works death for himself. Attend, therefore, and refrain from this thought; for where purity dwells, there iniquity ought not to enter the heart of a righteous man.” I said to him, “Sir, permit me to ask you a few questions.” “Say on,” said he. And I said to him, “Sir, if any one has a wife who trusts in the Lord, and if he detect her in adultery, does the man sin if he continue to live with her?” And he said to me, “As long as he remains ignorant of her sin, the husband commits no transgression in living with her. But if the husband know that his wife has gone astray, and if the woman does not repent, but persists in her fornication, and yet the husband continues to live with her, he also is guilty of her crime, and a sharer in her adultery.” And I said to him, “What then, sir, is the husband to do, if his wife continue in her vicious practices?” And he said, “The husband should put her away, and remain by himself. But if he put his wife away and marry another, he also commits adultery.” And I said to him, “What if the woman put away should repent, and wish to return to her husband: shall she not be taken back by her husband?” And he said to me, “Assuredly. If the husband do not take her back, he sins, and brings a great sin upon himself; for he ought to take back the sinner who has repented. But not frequently. For there is but one repentance to the servants of God. In case, therefore, that the divorced wife may repent, the husband ought not to marry another, when his wife has been put away. In this matter man and woman are to be treated exactly in the same way. Moreover, adultery is committed not only by those who pollute their flesh, but by those who imitate the heathen in their actions. Wherefore if any one persists in such deeds, and repents not, withdraw from him, and cease to live with him, otherwise you are a sharer in his sin. Therefore has the injunction been laid on you, that you should remain by yourselves, both man and woman, for in such persons repentance can take place. But I do not,” said he, “give opportunity for the doing of these deeds, but that he who has sinned may sin no more. But with regard to his previous transgressions, there is One who is able to provide a cure; for it is He, indeed, who has power over all.”
’Evré opal σοι, φησίν, φυλάσσειν τὴν ayvelay καὶ μὴ ἀναβαινέτω σου ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν περὶ γυναικὸς ἀλλοτρίας ἢ περὶ πορνείας τινὸς ἢ περὶ τοιούτων τινῶν ὁμοιωμάτων πονηρῶν. τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν μεγάλην ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζῃ. τῆς δὲ σῆς μνημονεύων πάντοτε γυναικὸς οὐδέποτε διαμαρτήσεις. ἐὰν γὰρ αὕτη ἡ ἐνθύμησις ἐπὶ [τὴν] καρδίαν σου ἀναβῆ, διαμαρτήσεις, καὶ ἐὰν ἕτερα οὕτως πονηρά, ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζῃ" ἡ γὰρ ἐνθύμησις αὕτη Θεοῦ δούλῳ ἁμαρτία μεγάλη ἐστίν" ἐὰν δέ τις ἐργάσηται τὸ ἔργον τὸ πονηρὸν τοῦτο, θάνατον ἑαυτῷ κατεργάζεται. βλέπε οὖν σύ' ἀπέχου ἀπὸ τῆς ἐνθυμήσεως ταύτης" ὅπου γὰρ σεμνότης κατοικεῖ, ἐκεῖ ἀνομία οὐκ ὀφείλει ἀναβαίνειν ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνδρὸς δικαίου λέγω αὐτῷ" ᾿Κύριε, ἐπίτρεψόν μοι ὀλίγα ἐπερωτῆσαί σε. Λέγε; φησίν. Κύριε, φημί, εἰ γυναῖκα ἔχων τις πιστὴν ἐν Κυρίῳ [καὶ] ταύτην εὕρῃ ἐν μοιχείᾳ τινί, ἄρα ἁμαρτάνει 6 ἀνὴρ συνζῶν mer αὐτῆς; Αχρι τῆς ἀγνοίας, φησίν, οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει" ἐὰν δὲ γνῷ ὁ ἀνὴρ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῆς, καὶ μὴ μετανοήσῃ ἡ γυνή, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιμένῃ τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς, καὶ συνξζῇ ὁ ἀνὴρ μετ᾽ αὐτῆς, ἔνοχος γίνεται τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῆς καὶ κοινωνὸς τῆς μοιχείας αὐτῆς. Τί οὗν, φημί, κύριε, ποιήσῃ ὁ ἀνήρ, ἐὰν ἐπιμείνη τῷ πάθει τούτῳ ἡ γυνή; ᾿Απολυσάτω, φησίν, αὐτήν, καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῷ μενέτω" ἐὰν δὲ. ἀπολύσας τὴν γυναῖκα ἑτέραν γαμήσῃ, καὶ αὐτὸς μοιχᾶται. ᾿Εὰν οὖν, φημί, κύριε, μετὰ τὸ ἀπολυθῆναι τὴν γυναῖκα μετανοήσῃ [ἡ γυνὴ] καὶ θελήσῃ ἐπὶ τὸν ἑαυτῆς ἄνδρα ὑποστρέψαι, ov παραδεχθήσεταε; Καὶ μήν, φησίν, ἐὰν μὴ παραδέξηται αὐτὴν ὁ ἀνήρ, ἁμαρτάνει καὶ μεγάλην ἁμαρτίαν ἑαυτῷ ἐπισπᾶται, ἀλλὰ δεῖ παρα- Μ.4 ἢ THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS. Sey Sivas τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα καὶ μετανοοῦντα' μὴ ὀπὶ πολὺ δέ" νοιαν οὖν οὐκ ὀφείλει γαμεῖν ὁ ἀνήρ. αὕτη ἡ πρᾶξις ἐπὶ γυναικὲ καὶ ὠνδρὶ κεῖται, οὐ μόνον, φησί, μοιχεία ἐστίν, weg τοῖς ὄθνοσιν, μουχᾶται. ὥστε καὶ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἄργοις dav ἐμρμένῃ τος καὶ μὴ μετανοῇ, ἀπέχου ax’ αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ συνζῆθι αὐτῷ" οἱ δὲ μή, καὶ σὺ μέτοχοι εἶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ. διὰ τοῦτο προσετάγη ὑμῖν ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτοῖς μένειν, εἴτε ἀνὴρ dre yuri δύναται γὰρ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις μετάνοια οἶναι. ἀγὼ οὖν, φησί, οὐ δίδωμε ἀφορμὴν ἵνα αὕτη ἡ ἔστιν ὁ δυνάμενος ἴασιν δοῦναι" αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἔχων πάντων τὴν ἐξουσίαν. IL Ἠρώτησα αὐτὸν πάλιν λόγων᾽ ᾿Επεὶ ὁ Κύριος ἄξιόν με ἡγήσατο Twa per ἐμοῦ πάντοτε κατοικῆς, ὀλίγα μον “- ῥήματα ἔτε ἀνασχοῦ, ἐπεὶ οὐ συνίω οὐδέν, καὶ ἦ καρδία pov wewdpwras awd τῶν προτέρων μου πράξεων᾽ συνέτισόν με, ὅτε λίαν ἄφρων εἰμὶ καὶ ὅλως οὐθὲν νοῶ. ἀποκριθείς μοι λόγει' “Eyed, φησίν, ὀπὶ τῆς μετανοίας εἰμὶ καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς μετανοοῦσιν σύνεσιν δίδωμι. ἣ οὐ δοκεῖ σοι, φησίν, αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ μετανοῆσαι σύνεσιν εἶναι; τὸ ματανοῆσαι, φησί,. σύνεσίς ἐστιν μεγάλη. συνίει γὰρ [ὁ ἀνὴρ] 6 ἁμαρτήσας ὅτι πεποίηκεν τὸ πονηρὸν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ avaBaives ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ἡ πρᾶξις ἣν ἔπραξεν, καὶ μετανοεῖ «αὶ οὐκέτε ἐργάζεται τὸ πονηρόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀγαθὸν πολυτελῶς ἐργάζεται, καὶ ταπεινοῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν καὶ βασανίζει, ὅτι ἥμαρτεν. βλέπεις οὖν ὅτι ἡ μετάνοια σύνεσίς ἐστιν μεγάλη. Διὰ τοῦτο οὖν, φημί, κύριε, ἐξακριβάζομαι παρὰ σοῦ πάντα' πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι, εἶτα ἀγνοῶ ποῖα ἔργα ἐργαζόμενος ζήσομαι, ὅτε πολλαί μου εἰσὶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι καὶ ποικίλαι. Ζήσῃ, φησίν, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολάς pov φυλάξῃς καὶ πορευθῆς ἐν αὐταῖς" καὶ ὃς ἄν ἀκούσας τὰς ἐντολὰς rabron φυλάξῃ, Hhorras τῷ Oop.
2I asked him again, and said, “Since the Lord has vouchsafed to dwell always with me, bear with me while I utter a few words; for I understand nothing, and my heart has been hardened by my previous mode of life. Give me understanding, for I am exceedingly dull, and I understand absolutely nothing.” And he answered and said unto me, “I am set over repentance, and I give understanding to all who repent. Do you not think,” he said, “that it is great wisdom to repent? for repentance is great wisdom. For he who has sinned understands that he acted wickedly in the sight of the Lord, and remembers the actions he has done, and he repents, and no longer acts wickedly, but does good munificently, and humbles and torments his soul because he has sinned. You see, therefore, that repentance is great wisdom.” And I said to him, “It is for this reason, sir, that I inquire carefully into all things, especially because I am a sinner; that I may know what works I should do, that I may live: for my sins are many and various.” And he said to me, “You shall live if you keep my commandments, and walk in them; and whosoever shall hear and keep these commandments, shall live to God.”
“Ere, φημί, κύριε, προσθήσω τοῦ ἐπερωτῆσαι. Λέγε, φησίν “Hrovea, φημί, κύριε, παρά τινων διδασκάλων, ὅτι ἑτέρα μετάνοια οὐκ ἔστιν εἰ μὴ ἐκείνη, ὅτε εἰς ὕδωρ κατέ- βημεν καὶ ἐλάβομεν ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν τῶν προτέρων. λέγει μοι' Καλῶς ἤκουσας" οὕτω γὰρ ἔχει. ses γὰρ τὸν εἰληφότα ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἁγνείᾳ κατοικεῖν. ἐπεὶ δὲ πάντα ἐξακριβάζῃ, καὶ τοῦτό σοι δη- λώσω, μὴ διδοὺς ἀφορμὴν τοῖς μέλλουσι πιστεύειν ἢ τοῖς νῦν πιστεύσασιν εἰς τὸν Κύριον. οἱ γὰρ νῦν πιστεύσαντες ἢ μέλ- λοντες πιστεύειν μετάνοιαν ἁμαρτιῶν οὐκ ἔχουσιν, ἄφεσιν δὲ ἔχουσι τῶν προτέρων ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν. τοῖς οὖν κληθεῖσε πρὸ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἔθηκεν ὁ Κύριος μετάνοιαν. καρδιο- γνώστης γὰρ ὧν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ πάντα προγινώσκων, ἔγνω τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τὴν πολυπλοκίαν τοῦ διαβόλου, ὅτι ποιήσει τι κακὸν τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πονηρεύσεται εἰς αὐτούς" ς. πολυεύσπλαγχνος οὖν ὧν ὁ Κύριος ἐσπλαγς- χνίσθη ἐπὶ τὴν ποίησιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔθηκεν τὴν μετάνοιαν ταύτην, καὶ ἐμοὶ ἡ ἐξουσία τῆς μετανοίας ταύτης ἐδόθη. ἀλλὰ ἐγώ σοι λέγω, φησί᾽ μετὰ τὴν κλῆσιν ἐκείνην τὴν μεγά- λην καὶ σεμνὴν ἐάν τις ἐκπειρασθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου ἅμαρ- τήσῃ, μίαν μετάνοιαν ἔχει. ἐὰν δὲ ὑπὸ χεῖρα ἁμαρτάνῃ καὶ μετανοήσῃ, ἀσύμφορόν ἐστι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ tw τοιούτῳ᾽ δυσκό- hos γὰρ ζήσεται. λέγω αὐτῷ" ᾿Εζωοποιήθην ταῦτα παρὰ σοῦ ἀκούσας οὕτως ἀκριβῶς" οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι, ἐὰν μηκέτι προσ- θήσω ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις μον, σωθήσομαι. Σωθήσῃ, φησί, καὶ πάντες ὅσοι ἐὰν ταῦτα ποιησωσιν. ΙΝ. Ἠρωώτησα αὐτὸν πάλιν λέγων: Κύριε, ἐπεὶ ἅπαξ 6 φησῆ & finally breaks off in the middle of this word. κλῆσυ) L,LLE; καὶ A. Μ.δ. ἢ |THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS. 323 © ἀνέχμῃ μου, &rs pos καὶ τοῦτο δήλωσον. Λέγε, φησίν. Ἐὰν γυνή, φημί, κύριε, ἢ πάλιν ἀνήρ τις κοιμηθῇ, καὶ γαμήσῃ re ἐξ αὐτῶν, μήτι ἁμαρτάνει ὁ γαμῶν; Οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει, φῃσίν' daw δὲ ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῷ μείνῃ τις, περισσοτέραν ἑαυτῷ τιμὴν cf. 1 Cor. καὶ μογάλην δόξαν περιποιεῖται πρὸς τὸν ἸΚύριον" ἐὰν δὲ καὶ =e γαρείσῃ, οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει. τήρει οὖν τὴν ἁγνείαν καὶ τὴν μᾶλλω λαλεῖν, φύλασσε ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν, ἀφ᾽ ἧς μοι παρεδόθης ἡμέρας, καὶ οἷς τὸν οἶκόν σον κατοικήσω. τοῖς δὲ πτροτέ- pos σου παροπτώμασιν ἄφεσις ἔσται, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολάς pov φυλάξρε' καὶ πᾶσι δὲ ἄφεσις ὄσται, ἐὰν τὸς ἐντολάς μου ταύτας φυλάξωσι καὶ πορευθῶσιν ἐν τῇ ἀγνότητι ταύτῃ.
3And I said to him, “I should like to continue my questions.” “Speak on,” said he. And I said, “I heard, sir, some teachers maintain that there is no other repentance than that which takes place, when we descended into the water and received remission of our former sins.” He said to me, “That was sound doctrine which you heard; for that is really the case. For he who has received remission of his sins ought not to sin any more, but to live in purity. Since, however, you inquire diligently into all things, I will point this also out to you, not as giving occasion for error to those who are to believe, or have lately believed, in the Lord. For those who have now believed, and those who are to believe, have not repentance for their sins; but they have remission of their previous sins. For to those who have been called before these days, the Lord has set repentance. For the Lord, knowing the heart, and foreknowing all things, knew the weakness of men and the manifold wiles of the devil, that he would inflict some evil on the servants of God, and would act wickedly towards them. The Lord, therefore, being merciful, has had mercy on the work of His hand, and has set repentance for them; and He has entrusted to me power over this repentance. And therefore I say to you, that if any one is tempted by the devil, and sins after that great and holy calling in which the Lord has called His people to everlasting life, he has opportunity to repent but once. But if he should sin frequently after this, and then repent, to such a man his repentance will be of no avail; for with difficulty will he live.” And I said, “Sir, I feel that life has come back to me in listening attentively to these commandments; for I know that I shall be saved, if in future I sin no more.” And he said, “You will be saved, you and all who keep these commandments.”
4And again I asked him, saying, “Sir, since you have been so patient in listening to me, will you show me this also?” “Speak,” said he. And I said, “If a wife or husband die, and the widower or widow marry, does he or she commit sin?” “There is no sin in marrying again,” said he; “but if they remain unmarried, they gain greater honour and glory with the Lord; but if they marry, they do not sin. Guard, therefore, your chastity and purity, and you will live to God. What commandments I now give you, and what I am to give, keep from henceforth, yea, from the very day when you were entrusted to me, and I will dwell in your house. And your former sins will be forgiven, if you keep my commandments. And all shall be forgiven who keep these my commandments, and walk in this chastity.”