I have always been fascinated by a book called “the Shepherd of Hermas” (Greek: Ποιμὴν τοῦ Ἑρμᾶ; sometimes just called The Shepherd) since first reading a copy back when I was a kid in 1976.
The book was originally written in Rome, in the Greek language, but a Latin translation was made very shortly afterwards.
Unfortunately today only the Latin version has been preserved in full; of the Greek, the last fifth or so is missing.
It reports to contain the “commandment” (or literal instructions) given by a “angel” who appeared before Hermas under the guise of a shepherd sometime around the 2nd century.
An angel (from the Greek ἄγγελος – ángelos- is a supernatural being or spirit, often depicted in humanoid form, according to Wikipedia.
The being called itself the “Angel of Repentance” and instructs Hermas on a spiritual doctrine emphasizing the importance of repentance as a key concept for the remission and forgiveness of sin.
Through a series of lengthy discourses and visions the angel lectures Hermas on the necessity and virtue of living a godly life here on earth – especially as it relates to living in community with others.
All this culminates in a series of very specific commandments given by the angel to Hermas – who is instructed at that point to write it down and communicate the message to other human beings.
The commandments read as follows:
1. First of all believe that God is One and that He created all things and organised them, and out of what did not exist made all things to be, and He contains all things but Alone is Himself un-contained.
Trust Him therefore and fear Him, and, fearing Him, be self-controlled.
Keep this command and you will cast away from yourself all wickedness, put on every virtue of uprightness, and you will live to God if you keep this commandment.
2. Be sincere and simple minded. Speak evil of no- body and do not enjoy hearing anyone do so. Do right, and give generously.
3. Love truth.
4. Observe purity. Be pure not only in action but in thinking.
5. Be patient and understanding. The Lord dwells in patience, but the devil in ill temper.
6. Trust what is right, and do not trust what is wrong. Uprightness has a straight and level way, but
wrong doing a crooked one. There are two of angels with men, one of uprightness and one of wickedness.
7. Fear the Lord and keep God’s commands.
8. Be self-controlled about what is wrong and do no wrong. But do not be self-controlled about what is right, but do what is right. Restrain yourself from all evil and follow the right path.
9. Cast off doubt from yourself. Ask the Lord without doubting, and you will receive everything. God is not like men who hold grudges, but He is forgiving and feels pity for what He has made. So cleanse your heart
of all the vanities of this world.
10. Put sadness away from you, for it is the sister of doubt and bad temper.
11. A man who consults a false prophet is an idolater and void of the truth.
12. Cast off from yourself every evil desire and clothe yourself in good and holy desires, God created the world for man’s sake and made his whole creation subject to man, and gave him complete authority to have dominion over all things under heaven. A man who has the Lord in his heart is able to master all things. Behave as a slave of God. The devil cannot get control of the slaves of God. The devil can wrestle with them, but he cannot throw them.