An Early Christian Classic
Written in the 2nd century AD, The Shepherd of Hermas was one of the most widely read Christian texts in the early Church. You’ll find it at the end of Codex Sinaiticus (one of our oldest complete Bibles), right alongside the New Testament books. Many early Church Fathers cited it with admiration, and some even considered it Scripture.
Visions, Commandments, and Parables
The book is structured in three parts:
- Visions — The shepherd (an angelic guide) appears to Hermas and shows him startling visions of the Church as a tower being built, of a terrifying beast, and of a woman representing the Church growing old and then becoming young again.
- Commandments — Twelve moral instructions covering faith, simplicity, truthfulness, chastity, patience, and more. They read like a practical guide to Christian living, emphasizing repentance and the possibility of forgiveness after baptism.
- Parables (Similitudes) — Extended allegories about the Christian life, including the famous parable of the elm tree and the vine (the rich supporting the poor through prayer).
Why It Still Matters
The Shepherd of Hermas wrestles with a question every Christian faces: Can I be forgiven after I’ve messed up? Hermas believed the answer was yes — but not cheaply. Repentance must be real, and it must change how we live. It’s a message that speaks across the centuries to anyone who has ever wondered if they’ve gone too far for God to reach them.