Tuesday, April 21, 2015

A resume of the Mandates on the Book of Shepherd of Hermas (part 2)

A resume of the Mandates on the Book of Shepherd of Hermas (part 2)

The sixth mandate:


12 - Believe in what is righteous (in the agnel of righteousness), and put no faith in the unrighteous (in the angel of wickedness).

"Do thou believe in what is righteous, and put no faith in the unrighteous. For the way of righteousness is traight, and the way of unrighteousness crooked." (Shepherd of Hermas 6th Mand. 1.1)

The two angels. 


The angel of righteousness:

"Mand 6; 2.1: Hear now, quoth he, about faith.
There are two angels with a man, one of righteousness
and the other of wickedness.
2 How then, sir, quoth I, shall I know their operations, seeing that both angels dwell with me ?
3 Hearken, quoth he, and understand them,
The angelof righteousness is delicate and shamefast and meek and quiet.
When therefore he cometh into thy heart, immediately he talketh with thee of righteousness, of pureness, of modesty, of contentment, of every just work and every honourable virtue.
When all these things come into thy heart, know that the angel of righteousness is with thee.

... Have faith therefore in him and his works." (Shepherd of Hermas 6th Mand. 2.1-3)

The angel of wickedness:

"4 Now see also the works of the angel of wickedness.
First of all he is angry and bitter and foolish, and his works are evil and overturn the servants of God,
When this one therefore cometh into thy heart, know him from his works." (Shepherd of Hermas 6th Mand. 2.4)

 "6 Do thou therefore take knowledge of his works and withdraw from him and put no trust in him ..." (Shepherd of Hermas 6th Mand. 2.6)

"Thou hast then the operations of both the angels; understand them, and have faith in the angel of righteousness. 7 And withdraw from the angel of wickedness ..." (Shepherd of Hermas 6th Mand. 2.6-7)

 "This commandment sheweth the things concerning faith, to the end that thou mayest believe the works of the angel of righteoussness, and doing them mayest live unto God." (Shepherd of Hermas 6th Mand. 2.10)

"But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." John 10:38

The seventh mandate

The seventh mandate is a more explained version of the second commandment in mandat one:
Fear the Lord.

The eighth mandate

In the eight mandate Hermas gives us more details about the temperance.
 "We should refrain oursevers ... from adultery and fornication, (from lawless drunknness, from evil luxury), from many meats, from the extravagance of wealth, from vanity, from pride (arrogance), from vain-glory (haughtiness), from lies (falsehood), from evil speaking (slander) and hypocrisy, from malice (remembrance of wrong) and all other blasphemy."
(Shepher of Hermas 8th Mand. 1.3, Hoode, 1870, page 97 with additions in paranthesis from the translation of Taylor 1903.)
and the list continues further on the text.

"... the servant of God must abstain: theaf, lying, fraud, false witness, covetousness, evil concupiscence, deceit, vainglory, boastfulness, and all such things as are like unto these." (Shepher of Hermas 8th Mand. 1.5)
"Abstain therefore from all these, that thou mayest live unto God and be inscribed with them that abstain therefrom." (Shepher of Hermas 8th Mand. 1.6)

Hermas asks the angel to tell him about the good thing to do to be saved.
"Hear, quoth he, the works of goodness also, which thou must do and not abstain from.
First of all faith, fear of the Lord, love, concord, words of righteousness, truth, patience:
There is nothing better than these in the life of men." (Shepher of Hermas 8th Mand. 1.7-9)

The promisse about these commandments:

"If a man keep these and abstain not from them, he shall be happy in his life." (Shepher of Hermas 8th Mand. 1.9)