Sermon Tone Analysis

! Introduction

Shepherd of Hermas

 

Occasionally it is argued that Hermas is not an apocalyptic work (G.F.

Snyder, The Shepherd of Hermas (Camden, NJ. 1968), p. 10- list also other reference which makes this statement.

Even Oseik, who argues that Hermas belongs to the apocalyptic literature states that “much of the content is devoted to paraenetic instruction, often the form of commandments, to the extent that the eschatological perspective seems frequently to get lost.”

(Oseik, p. 115).

Joly’s comment may be extreme and doesn’t find a great deal of acceptance, “toute la doctrine d’Hermas est commandee par l’imminence de la Parousie.”

(R.

Joly Hermas Le Pasteur (Paris: 1958), p. 236.

Humphrey (red book) p. 120- “the Shepherd exhibits far less interest in eschatology, especially imminent eschatology.”)

The great tribulation is mentioned in Vis.

2.2.7; 2.3.4;

4.1.1,5-10;

4.2.4-5;

4.3.6.

Vis.

3.6.5;

3.1.9;

3.2.1;

3.5.2;

Sim 8.3.6-7, and is seen as imminent (23.5).

The beast is a type of the great tribulation to come (Vis.

4.2.5-8).

There is no mention of the resurrection in Hermas but he does speak of the resurrection body of the angelic beings (102.2).

This concept seems to be consistent with Mart Poly 2.3; 2 Baruch 51.5-12; Enoch 104.7, and was probably based on the words of Jesus in Matt 22:30 and Luke 20:36.

(cf.

Justin Martyr, /Dial/ 81).

The coming tribulation can possibly cause some to deny the faith (7.4; 22.1; 23.4f.; 24.6).

There exists optimism in that there is still time or repentance and all those who repent with “their whole hearts” will be forgiven (Vis.

2.2.4).

By doing so they can bear “fruit in the world to come” (Sim 4.8).

There is still time for repentance since “the tower is still being built” (Sim 9.3 2.1).

The tower plays an important role in Hermas, especially in the Third Vision- 11.3 specifically identifies this as the Church, (III.2- it is almost finished thus the end is near)- the tower is set in the plain (9.2-4; 22.2; 90.1).

His eschatology, is not given for the purpose of spelling out a detailed chronology of the last days, but is primarily used to instill a sense of urgency, the need for repentance and holy conduct.

A good example of this mixture is seen in 23.4-6.

The believers can rest it one of two ways; they can waiver and become double minded (23.4) and go thorough the tribulation and plagues of God (23.6).

Or, they may prepare themselves to face it through repentance (with the whole heart) ( 23.5), put their entire trust in the Lord (23.4f.), face this period with courage (22.8) and be to escape it (23.4).

His eschatology is on the focus of the completion of the building of the Church (16.9; 82.2)

Five Lines of Proof

Vocabulary

A. P. O’Hagan, “The Great Tribulation to Come in the Pastor of Hermas,” Studia Patristica 3(1959);309-310.

Argues that Hermas understood the Great Tribulation in eschatological terms: 

The term qliyis is used in an eschatological sense as Dan 12:1,10; Matt 24:21; Mk 13:24; Rev 2:22, 7:14; Sib.

3.187; 2 Bar xlviii.31.

“That the tribulation is qualified by the term ‘great’ in Dan., Mt., Apoc., and Sib., as in Hermas tends to class the expression as stereotyped.

And the use of erxomenos and, two word so strongly leaning to the eschatological, leaves little doubt that the Great Trial to come of Hermas is no intermediate persecution.”

(p, 309-310- O’Hagan)    The LXX of Dan 12:1 uses the term  qliyis megela

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The results:

Bauckmann points out that if this period was merely a time of persecution, the very opposite results would be expected, in that the faithful would experience the persecution while those who turn from the Lord would enjoy acceptance (Bauckman, p. 31).

Thus we must seek an understanding beyond that of a persecution from a government.

The escape of the faithful is not taken literally by many scholars (see O’Hagan, p. 307-309 article listed on page 27 of Bauckman) “Comparison with 6.7f (where the idea of the great tribulation is first introduced, in the context of the revealed call to repentance) shows that ekfeugein is equivalent to upomenein: the faithful ‘escape’ the tribulation by enduring and not denying the Lord.”

(Bauckman, p. 31).

The term upomonh is often used in the New Testament as a godly characteristic in the midst of suffering (Rom 5:3, 1 Peter 2:20), and most significantly in Rev 1:9.

This word is also used in a section of the John’s Apocalypse in a section where a group of people are suffering under the hands of another beast and are called to endure (Rev 13:10; 14:12).

The escaping in 6.7 is referred to as patiently enduring (upomenete) and in 24.6 it is referred to as those who are “willing” (pqelhshte).

p

 

“Hermas has given it the ‘purgatorial’ quality which his own theology of repentance requires.”

(Bauck, p. 36).

He applies the metaphor of fire both the destruction of the world as well as to the purification of the Church.

(Note at bottom- Sib.

2.252 refers to a river of fire which only the righteous will be able to pass through while the ungodly will suffer death.

cf.

Zech 13:9; Mal 3:1-3; 4 Esd 16.68-73 “...Then it will be seen that my chosen people have stood the test like gold in the assayer’s fire.”)

The emphasis in Hermas is definitely on a time of testing the faith of the individual which prepares them for membership in the Church (24.4 “useful for the building of the tower”).

Since the time period is for both the unbelievers (24.3 “this world must be destroyed”) and believers (23.4 “will be purified”) it indicates that it does not represent a time of persecution upon the Church.

Dan 12:10 mentions those who go through the tribulation as coming out white and refined, where Hermas refers to the age to come as being represented by the color white (24.5) and being refined through the fire (24.4).

“The concept of the great tribulation is further explained by the devices of the four colors of the monster’s head.

The first and last colors represent the two aeons: ‘this world in which you live’ and ‘the age to come, in which the elect of God will live’ (xxiv.

2,5).

Black is the appropriate for this color because (xcii.

1-4) it characterizes the vices which are attributes of the evil spirit.....the use of the color white represents the eschatological purity of the church.

The great tribulation is therefore the means of transition from this age to the next.

The function of the two intermediate colors is o explain how this transition is effected.

Red symbolizes the effect of the great tribulation upon ‘this world’: ‘The color of fire and blood means it is necessary for this world to be destroyed by blood and fire’ (xxiv.

3).

Gold represents its effect upon the Church, a purifying effect by which Christians are made ‘useful in the construction of the tower’, i.e., fit to be part of the eschatological Church of the next world (xxiv.

4).” (Bauck, p. 32-33).

and “The significant words are ‘sorrow and tribulation.’

Parallel to the dross which gold casts off are not our sins and evil tendencies, as we might have expected, but sorrow and troubles!

With these words Hermas introduces the eschatological; his purifying fire stands at the doorway to anther world, and through it, as the text says, we are to gain entrance to the tower, the eschatological world to come, the transfigured Church.”

(O’Hagan- The GT in...p, 310.)     

 

3.

There is no opportunity or repentance during the Tribulation:

Vis 2.2.7-8 appears to make this point which would suggest a finality of God’s dealing with the Church and the world.

To strengthen this point, Hermas offers no indication of the possibility of repentance after the tribulation period.

Boyd offers three lines of reasoning to reject the idea that the tribulation is eschatological (mention note below).

He suggestions are: 1) The warning of a tribulation was given to forestall wealthy Christians from apostatizing due to their business interests (Vis.

1.1.8;

3.6.5-6).

2) The apostasy is not a warning about a future time period but a description of one which had already taken place.

(Vis 5 and Similitude 10 are taken as a persecution in the past where apostasy did deny the Lord- 8.6.4;

9.19.1.)

3) Maximus had already apostatized (2.3.4) and was capable of doing so again (palin)  (Bauckman offers a solid suggestion in that “Hermas’ eschatology leads him to proclaim a final, but not a first opportunity of repentance.”

(B, p. 29).

It is also apparent that Hermas’ message is that every possibility of repentance will soon vanish.

(Note- Snyder, p. 37 mentions that 23.5-6 offers the possibility that life continues after the tribulation-Grant vol 6- He suggests that the coming persecution threatened by Trajan which never materialized in Rome (Pliny Ep, X, 96, 97) (Snyder, p. 37).

(Boyd- p. 110-111.

The first two he himself agrees are not very convincing and are based on “presuppositions which are unverifiable” and admits that the arguments for it being eschatological are “more valid.”

R.

J. Bauckham, The Great Tribulation in the Shepherd of Hermas,” Journal of Theological Studies 25 (1974):35-40.

Passing through- 1) the meaning of upomenei above, 2) the purpose of purification see above 3) The typology of Hermas as a type of the Church and of the Beast being a type of the tribulation and the fact he passed through it (4.4.8-9).

4) 4.3.4

The church is present during the time the world is being judged by fire.

Difference- The Beast in Hermas represents the great tribulation and not a political power as in the book of Revelation.

!

Barnabas

 

15.1-9

crucial text

-Israel lost the covenant at its inception due to their sinfulness (4.6-8), thus the Church is the new people of God (2.6; 3.6; 5.7; 6.19; 13.1).

The Apoc & Pseud of the OT, p. 427- “The writer of the epistle does not develop logically the thought of the seventh day.”

Point 1

the days of creation adumbrate world history

(list at bottom the acceptance of this view)

 

Point 2 World history will last 6,000 years- 15.4

(Three factors led the author to this conclusion: 1) the allegorical method of interpretation, which is nothing new to the epistle, 2) the transposing of the Aorist to the future tense, which is based on the Hebrew text rather than on the LXX  (suntelesei, katapausetai), and 3) a faulty exegesis of Ps 90:4.

Cf.

William Shea, 169-170)

 

Point 3 Rest will take place at the Parousia when Jesus with judge the wicked, destroy the Devil and cause changes in the heavens 15.5

 

-4 Ezra 7.39 “For thus shall the Day of Judgment be, whereon is neither sun, nor moon, nor stars.”