Hermas, The Shepherd of Hermas, 26.12

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[1] First of all, Sir, said I, tell me this: What is the rock and the door? This rock and the¹ door, said he, is the Son of God. How is it, said I, Sir, that the rock is old, but the gate is new? Listen, said he, and understand, foolish man.

[2] The Son of God is older than all his creation, so that he was the counsellor of his Creation to the Father, therefore the rock is also old. But why is the gate new, Sir? said I.

[3] Because, said he, He was manifested in the last days of the end² of the world, for this reason the gate is new, that those who are to be saved may enter, through it into the kingdom of God.

[4] Do you see, said he, the stones which entered through the gate, were put into the building of the tower, but those which did not enter through it were put back again into their own place? I see, Sir, said I. So, said he, no man shall enter into the Kingdom of God, except he take his holy name.

[5] For if you wish to enter into a city, and that city has been walled round, and has one gate, can you enter into that city except through the gate which it has? No, Sir, said I, for how is it possible otherwise? If then you are not able to enter into the city except through the gate which it has, so, said he, a man cannot, otherwise enter into the kingdom of God, except through the name of his Son, who was beloved by him.

[6] Do you see, said he, the crowd which is building the tower? Yes, Sir, said I, I see it. They, said he, are all glorious angels; by these then the Lord³ has been walled round. But the gate is the Son of God, this is the only entrance to the Lord. No man can enter in to him otherwise, than through his Son.

[7] So⁴ you see, said he, the six men, and the glorious and great man in their midst, who is walking round the tower and rejected the stones from the building? Yes, Sir, said I, I see him.

[8] The glorious man, said he, is the Son of God, and⁵ those six are glorious angels supporting him on the right hand and on the left. None of these glorious angels, said he, can enter into God’s presence without him. Whoever receives not his name shall not enter into the kingdom of God.

The Shepherd of Hermas. Hermas. . 1913.

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Current edition Perseus

Hermas (English) (Hermas. The Apostolic Fathers with an English translation by Kirsopp Lake. In Two Volumes. Vol. II. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd. 1913)

Editions (1)

Ποιμὴν First1KGreek (Hermas. The Apostolic Fathers, Vol 2. Lake, Kirsopp, editor. London: William Heinemann; New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1917.) — 26.12 focus

[1] Πρῶτον, φημί, πάντων, κύριε, τοῦτό μοι δήλωσον: ἡ πέτρα καὶ ἡ πύλη τίς ἐστιν; Ἡ πέτρα, φησίν, αὕτη καὶ ἡ πύλη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστί. Πῶς, φημί, κύριε, ἡ πέτρα παλαιά ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ πύλη καινή; Ἄκουε, φησί, καὶ σύνιε, ἀσύνετε.

[2] ὁ μὲν υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως αὐτοῦ ¹ προγενέστερός ἐστιν, ὥστε σύμβουλον αὐτὸν γενέσθαι τῷ πατρὶ τῆς κτίσεως αὐτοῦ: διὰ τοῦτο καὶ παλαιὰ ἡ πέτρα. ² Ἡ δὲ πύλη διατί καινή, φημί, κύριε;

[3] Ὅτι, φησίν, ἐπ̓ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν τῆς συντελείας φανερὸς ἐγένετο, διὰ τοῦτο καινὴ ἐγένετο ἡ πύλη, ἵνα οἱ μέλλοντες σώζεσθαι δἰ αὐτῆς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν εἰσέλθωσι τοῦ θεοῦ. ³

[4] εἶδες, φησίν, τοὺς λίθους τοὺς διὰ τῆς πύλης εἰσεληλυθότας εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ πύργου βεβλημένους, ⁴ τοὺς δὲ μὴ εἰσεληλυθότας πάλιν ἀποβεβλημένους εἰς τὸν ἴδιον τόπον; Εἶδον, φημί, κύριε. Οὕτω, φησίν, εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ οὐδεὶς εἰσελεύσεται, εἰ μὴ λάβοι τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἅγιον ⁵ αὐτοῦ.

[5] ἐὰν γὰρ εἰς πόλιν θελήσῃς εἰσελθεῖν τινα κἀκείνη ἡ πόλις περιτετειχισμένη κύκλῳ καὶ μίαν ἔχει πύλην, μήτι δύνῃ εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν πόλιν εἰσελθεῖν, εἰ μὴ διὰ τῆς πύλης ἧς ἔχει; Πῶς γάρ, φημί, κύριε, δύναται γενέσθαι ἄλλως; Εἰ οὖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν οὐ δύνῃ εἰσελθεῖν εἰ μὴ διὰ τῆς πύλης ἧς ἔχει, οὕτω, φησί, καὶ ⁶ εἰς τῆν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἄλλως εἰσελθεῖν οὐ δύναται ἄνθρωπος εἰ μὴ διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἠγαπημένου ὑπ̓ αὐτοῦ.

[6] Εἶδες, φησί, τὸν ὄχλον τὸν οἰκοδομοῦντα τὸν πύργον; Εἶδον, φημί, κύριε. Ἐκεῖνοι, φησί, πάντες ἄγγελοι ἔνδοξοί εἰσι: τούτοις οὖν περιτετείχισται ὁ κύριος. ἡ δὲ πύλη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ⁷ ἐστιν: αὕτη μία εἴσοδός ἐστι πρὸς τὸν κύριον. ἄλλως οὖν οὐδεὶς εἰσελεύσεται πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰ μὴ διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ.

[7] Εἶδες, φησί, τοὺς ἓξ ἄνδρας καὶ τὸν μέσον αὐτῶν ἔνδοξον καὶ μέγαν ἄνδρα τὸν περιπατοῦντα περὶ τὸν πύργον καὶ τοὺς λίθους ἀποδοκιμάσαντα ἐκ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς; Εἶδον, φημί, κύριε.

[8] Ὁ ἔνδοξος, φησίν, ἀνὴρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστι, κἀκεῖνοι οἱ ἓξ οἱ ἔνδοξοι ἄγγελοί εἰσι δεξιὰ καὶ εὐώνυμα συγκρατοῦντες αὐτόν. τούτων, φησί, τῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν ἐνδόξων οὐδεὶς εἰσελεύσεται πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἄτερ αὐτοῦ: ὃς ἂν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μὴ λάβῃ, οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ.

Notes on the current edition

The Shepherd of Hermas

1. The explanation of the parable

2. The Greek means the consummation, the time when this age or world-period is finished, and a new age will begin. (Cf. Mt. 13,40.)

3. It is noteworthy that here the Lord is for the moment identified with the tower.

4. The six men

5. The glorious man

Hermas The Shepherd of Hermas 26.12

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