Tuesday, May 9, 2023

It is the 9th of May, 2023. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org. I’m Dan van Voorhis.

A happy St. Hermas Day to you! And you ask- who is St. Hermas? And I reply… well, we aren’t sure. But it’s a fascinating story that leads us into one of the stranger books written by or amongst the Apostolic fathers in the early church at the turn of the 1st century (or thereabouts).

The first place we see Hermas is in Romans 16, verse 14. Here we get one of those lists of people Paul wants to give a shout-out to, and because humans are inherently curious many of them get fan fiction about them. Paul sends his greetings: “to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them.”

We have various lists and partial scraps of lists in the early church that name church leaders- but with neither surnames nor social security numbers, we can’t be sure which are which- BUT, we do have 2 Hermas’ listed in recordings of the first 70 Disciples. So, perhaps Paul is writing to one of them. Nonetheless, if you get a positive shout-out from Paul, you will have Christians seeing what they can find from them (or, maybe, even write things under those names to try and legitimize their thought).

And let me pause for a second and say that the question of “which books belong in the New Testament” is a heavy one. Not everyone agrees. I point this out because answers from history aren’t always as cut and dry as we want them. For my part, I am confident that God has delivered to us what he needs us to know- and I am comfortable following the easter letter of Athanasius circa 367 when he lists the books of the canon in a way pretty close to what the church has historically used. And for our purposes today, it’s interesting the book he left OUT- one that we see as accepted as part of the Canon back in the 2nd century. It is the curious, apocalyptic Shepherd of Hermas. Athanasius says that it, along with other books, can be helpful to read but doesn’t deserve the title of sacred Scripture. So, on this St. Hermas day, let’s discuss the book.

It was written by a man who purports to be Hermas and begins the book with his own autobiography. He is Greek (the book was written in Koine Greek- the same as the New Testament), but he was “left exposed” by his family- this was the practice for unwanted children when they would be left outside to perish or be picked up by someone showing mercy to the child. Hermas was taken in by a Roman woman named Rhoda- a well-to-do woman for whom he worked until he most likely purchased his own freedom. He would become a successful businessman, marry and have sons. He would eventually meet a group of Christians who told him about the second coming, a great Lord whom he thinks of as God, or the Christ, or both. He is catechized and baptized but has strayed.

The book is a series of 5 visions- the first of the woman Rhoda who he sees bathing in his vision and is then reprimanded for impure thoughts by her. The next three are of another woman symbolizing the church and people building a tower- the stones of which are Christians. The concern seems to be for the impending second coming and the place of lapsed Christians (a common theme of the day- sometime between 100 and 150). The final vision makes up the largest part of the work and comes to him through a vision of a shepherd that gives him commandments and parables to record. The work certainly tells us something of the nature of anxiety amongst some Christians for the end times and what constitutes “true” repentance and is thus historically interesting.

But it lacks coherence, and a reading of it shows maybe a slight resemblance to elements of John’s Revelation and the Epistle of James but was largely rejected- almost completely in the Eastern church and then in the Western church by the 6th or 7th century. Nonetheless- it’s historical, a look into the thought of a Christian and Christians who found the story compelling in the early church. And maybe the origin of St. Hermas Day- today, the 9th of May.

The last word for today from the daily lectionary- from Acts- this time of year, many churches are working through the long sermon of Stephen and then his martyrdom. This is from that in Acts 7:

44 “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. 45 After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, 46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.

48 “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me?
says the Lord.
    Or where will my resting place be?

50 Has not my hand made all these things?

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 9th of May 2023, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man whose favorite Shepherds include of Hermas, the town in Indiana, the poem by Blake, Moonlighting’s Cybil, and the Principal from Degrassi High- he is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who would give his kingdom for a good shepherd's pie without peas… just a thought. I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.