The Apostolic Fathers in English

by Michael W Holmes

  8.5

  71 Then those whose sticks were green and cracked returned them. These all returned them green, and stood in their own group. And the shepherd rejoiced over these, because they were all changed and had gotten rid of their cracks. 2 And those whose sticks were half green and half withered also returned them. The sticks of some were found to be completely green, of some half withered, of some withered and eaten, and of some green and with buds. These were all sent away to their own groups. 3 Then those whose sticks were two-thirds green and one-third withered returned them; many of them returned them green, but many half withered, and others withered and eaten. These all stood in their own group. 4 Then others returned their sticks, which had been two-thirds dry and one-third green. Many of them returned them half withered, and some withered and eaten, and some half withered and cracked; but a few returned them green. These all stood in their own group. 5 And those whose sticks were green, but with a small part withered and cracked, returned them. Of these some returned them green, and some green and with buds. They too went off to their own group. 6 Then those whose sticks were just a little bit green and the rest withered returned them. The sticks of these were, for the most part, found to be green and budded, with fruit on the buds, and others completely green. The shepherd rejoiced greatly over these sticks, because they were found in this condition. These also went off to their own groups.

  8.6

  72 After the shepherd had examined the sticks of them all, he said to me, “I told you that this tree is very hardy. Do you see,” he said, “how many repented and were saved?” “I see, sir,” I said. “In order that you may see,” he said, “that the abundant compassion of the Lord is great and glorious, he has also given the spirit to those who are worthy of repentance.” 2 “Then why, sir,” I said, “do they not all repent?” “To those,” he said, “whose hearts the Lord saw were about to become pure, and who were about to serve him with all their heart, he gave repentance; but to those whose deceit and wickedness he saw, who were about to repent hypocritically, he did not give repentance, lest they should somehow again profane his name.” 3 I said to him, “Sir, now explain to me about those who have returned their sticks, that is, what kind of person each of them is, and where they live, in order that when those who have believed and have received the seal and have broken it and have not kept it sound hear this, they may recognize what they are doing, and repent and thereby receive a seal from you, and glorify the Lord because he has had mercy on them and sent you to renew their spirits.” 4 “Listen,” he said. “Those whose sticks were found withered and eaten by grubs are the apostates and traitors to the church, who by their sins have blasphemed the Lord, and in addition were ashamed of the Lord’s name by which they were called. These, therefore, utterly perished to God. And you see that not one of them repented, even though they heard the words that you spoke to them, which I commanded you. From people of this sort life has departed. 5 But those who returned the withered and uneaten sticks are very close to them, for they were hypocrites and brought in strange doctrines, and perverted God’s servants, especially the ones who had sinned, by not allowing them to repent, but dissuading them instead with their moronic doctrines. These, then, have the hope of repentance. 6 And you see that many of them have indeed repented, ever since you spoke my commandments to them, and still more will repent. But those who will not repent have lost their life; those of them who have repented, on the other hand, became good, and have found their home within the first walls, and some have even ascended into the tower. So you see,” he said, “that repentance from sin brings life, but failure to repent means death.”

  72.2 the Lord One ancient authority reads God; another omits. • name Some ancient authorities read law.

  8.7

  73 “As for those who returned their sticks half withered and with cracks in them, hear about them as well. Those whose sticks were half withered are the double-minded, for they are neither alive nor dead. 2 But those whose sticks were half withered and had cracks in them are both double-minded and slanderers, and are never at peace among themselves, but are always causing dissensions. Yet even for these,” he said, “repentance is possible. You see,” he said, “that some of them have already repented, and there is still hope of repentance in them. 3 So those of them,” he said, “who have repented have their home within the tower, but those of them who have repented more slowly will live within the walls; and those who do not repent but persist in what they are doing will surely die. 4 But those who returned their sticks green and cracked were faithful and good at all times, but they had a certain jealousy of one another over questions of preeminence and about some kind of distinction. But they are all fools to be jealous of one another regarding preeminence. 5 But these also, because they are good, cleansed themselves and quickly repented when they heard my commandments. Their home, therefore, is in the tower. But if any of them again turns to dissension, they will be thrown out of the tower and will lose their life. 6 Life is for all those who keep the Lord’s commandments, but in the commandments there is nothing about preeminence or any kind of distinction, but a man’s patient endurance and humility. In such people, therefore, is the life of the Lord, but in dissentious and lawless people there is death.”

  8.8

  74 “The ones who returned their sticks half green and half withered are those who are absorbed in business and do not associate with the saints; this is why one half of them lives, but the other half is dead. 2 Many, therefore, repented when they heard my commandments. Those who have repented have their home within the tower. But some of them fell away completely. These, therefore, have no repentance, for on account of their business affairs they blasphemed the Lord and denied him. So they lost their life because of the evil they did. 3 But many of them were double-minded. These still have an opportunity to repent, if they repent quickly, and their home will be within the tower; but if they repent more slowly, they will live within the walls. But if they do not repent at all, they too have lost their lives. 4 And the ones who returned the sticks two-thirds green and one-third withered are those who have denied the Lord repeatedly. 5 Many have repented and gone off to live inside the tower, but many fell away from God completely; these ultimately lost their lives. And some of them were double-minded and caused dissensions. For these, then, there is repentance, if they repent quickly and do not persist in their pleasures. But if they persist in their actions, they too produce death for themselves.”

  8.9

  75 “The ones who returned their sticks two-thirds withered and one-third green are those who had been faithful, but became rich and acquired a reputation among the outsiders. They clothed themselves with great pride and became arrogant and abandoned the truth and did not associate with the righteous, but lived with and according to the standards of outsiders, and this way of life was more pleasant to them. Yet they did not fall away from God, but continued in the faith, though they did not do the works of faith. 2 Many of them, therefore, repented, and their home was within the tower. 3 But others, living entirely among the outsiders and being corrupted by the worthless opinions of the outsiders, fell away from God and behaved like the outsiders. These, therefore, were counted with the outsiders. 4 But others of them were double-minded, no longer hoping to be saved because of the deeds that they had done; and others were double-minded and caused divisions among themselves. For these, then, who became double-minded because of their deeds, there is still repentance; but their repentance ought to be swift, in order that their home may be within the tower. But for those who do not repent but persist in their pleasures, death is near.”

  8.10

  76 “Those who returned their sticks green, but with the tips withered and cracked, were always good and faithful and glorious in God’s sight, but they sinned just a little because of small desires and petty matters that they held against one another. But when they heard my words, the majority quickly repented, and their home was in the tower. 2 But some of them were double-minded, and s
ome, being double-minded, caused a greater dissension. In these, then, there is still hope of repentance, because they were always good, and scarcely one of them will die. 3 But the ones who returned their sticks withered, yet with a very small part green, are those who believed but practiced the works of lawlessness. Still, they never fell away from God, but bore the name gladly, and gladly welcomed God’s servants into their houses. So when they heard of this repentance, they repented unhesitatingly and are practicing every virtue and righteousness. 4 And some of them are even suffering, and are bearing their distress gladly, knowing the deeds that they did. The home of all of these, therefore, will be in the tower.”

  8.11

  77 And after he had finished the explanations of all the sticks, he said to me, “Go and speak to all people, in order that they may repent and live to God, for the Lord in his compassion sent me to give repentance to all, though some, because of their deeds, do not deserve to be saved. But being patient, the Lord wants those who were called through his Son to be saved.” 2 I said to him, “Sir, I hope that all who hear them will repent. For I am convinced that they all, when they realize what they have done and fear God, will repent.” 3 He answered and spoke to me: “Those who repent,” he said, “with all their heart and cleanse themselves from all their evil deeds just described and no longer add anything more to their sins will receive healing from the Lord for their previous sins, unless they are double-minded about these commandments, and they will live to God. But those,” he said, “who add to their sins and walk in the desires of this world will condemn themselves to death. 4 But as for you, walk in my commandments, and you will live to God; indeed, whoever walks in them and acts rightly will live to God.” 5 Having shown me all these things and told me everything, he said to me, “The rest I will show you in a few days.”

  76.4 even suffering . . . gladly One ancient authority reads also afraid; an editor emends to even suffering persecution willingly. 77.1 to be saved (1st) One ancient authority omits.

  Parable 9

  The Twelve Mountains

  9.1

  78 After I had written down the commandments and parables of the shepherd, the angel of repentance, he came to me and said to me, “I want to explain to you what the holy spirit that spoke with you in the form of the church revealed to you; for that spirit is the Son of God. 2 For since you were too weak in the flesh, it was not explained to you by an angel; but when you were given power by the spirit, and grew strong in your strength, so that you could even see an angel, then the building of the tower was revealed to you through the church. You saw all things well and reverently, as from a young girl; but now you see it from an angel, though by the same spirit. 3 Yet you must learn everything more accurately from me. For it was for this purpose that I was assigned by the glorious angel to live in your house, in order that you might see everything as clearly as possible, with none of the fear you formerly had.” 4 And he led me away to Arcadia, to a certain rounded mountain, and seated me on top of the mountain, and showed me a great plain, and around the plain twelve mountains, and each mountain had a different appearance. 5 The first was black as soot, and the second was bare, without any vegetation, and the third was full of thorns and briars. 6 The fourth had half-withered vegetation; the tops of the plants were green, but the part by the roots was dry. And some of the plants were withering when the sun scorched them. 7 The fifth mountain had green grass and was very rugged, and the sixth mountain was all full of ravines, some small and some large, and the ravines had vegetation, but the vegetation was not very flourishing, but looked rather withered. 8 The seventh mountain had blooming vegetation, and the whole mountain was thriving, and cattle and birds of every kind were feeding on the mountain; and the more the cattle and the birds ate, the more and more the vegetation of that mountain flourished. The eighth mountain was full of springs, and every species of the Lord’s creation drank from the springs on that mountain. 9 The ninth mountain had no water at all, and was completely desolate; it had wild beasts and deadly reptiles that destroyed people. The tenth mountain had very large trees and was completely shaded, and beneath the shade sheep lay resting and chewing their cud. 10 The eleventh mountain was thickly wooded all over, and these trees were very productive, each adorned with various kinds of fruit, so that anyone who saw them wanted to eat of their fruit. And the twelfth mountain was completely white, and its appearance was very bright, and the mountain in and of itself was extraordinarily beautiful.

  78 Title Parable 9 One ancient authority omits this title. 78.8 blooming Lit. cheerful.

  Building the Tower

  9.2

  79 And in the middle of the plain he pointed out to me a great white rock rising up from the plain. And the rock was higher than the mountains and square, so that it could hold the whole world. 2 And that rock was old, and a door had been chiseled out of it; but the door seemed to me to have been chiseled out quite recently. And the door was so much more radiant than the sun that I marveled at the brightness of the door. 3 Around the door stood twelve virgins. The four who stood at the corners seemed to me to be more glorious (though the others were also glorious), and they stood at the four sides of the door, with a pair of virgins between each of them. 4 And they were dressed in linen tunics that were becomingly belted around them, their right shoulders bare, as though they were about to carry some load. Thus were they ready, for they were very cheerful and eager. 5 After seeing these things I wondered to myself, because I was seeing great and glorious things. And again I was perplexed by the virgins, because though they were delicate, they stood bravely, as if they intended to carry the whole heaven. 6 And the shepherd said to me, “Why are you debating with yourself and becoming perplexed, and troubling yourself? Do not attempt, as though you were intelligent, to understand things you cannot comprehend, but ask the Lord that you may receive the intelligence to understand them. 7 You are not able to see what lies behind you, but you do see what is in front of you. Let go of what you cannot see, and do not trouble yourself about it; but master those things that you do see, and do not concern yourself about the rest. But I will explain to you everything that I show to you. So, carefully watch the rest.”

  9.3

  80 I saw that six men had come, tall and glorious and similar in appearance, and they called a multitude of men. And those who came were also tall men, handsome and powerful. And the six men ordered them to build a tower upon the rock. And there arose a great noise from those men who had come to build the tower as they ran here and there around the door. 2 And the virgins standing around the door were telling the men to hurry to build the tower, and the virgins spread out their hands as though they were about to receive something from the men. 3 And the six men ordered stones to come up from some deep place and to go into the structure of the tower. And ten square stones, polished and unhewn, came up. 4 And the six men called the virgins and ordered them to pick up all the stones that were to go into the structure of the tower and to pass through the door and hand them to the men who were about to build the tower. 5 And the virgins put the first ten stones that arose from the deep on one another, and they carried them together, stone by stone.

  80.1 upon the rock One ancient authority reads upon the rock and above the door; an editor emends to above the door.

  9.4

  81 In the same order in which they stood together around the door, those who seemed to be the strongest picked up the stone and got under its corners, while the others got under the sides of the stone, and thus they carried all the stones. They carried them through the door, just as they were ordered, and handed them to the men for the tower, and they took them and built. 2 The tower was built upon the great rock and above the door. So those ten stones were fitted together, and they covered the whole rock. And these formed the foundation for the construction of the tower; the rock and the door were supporting the whole tower. 3 And after the ten stones, twenty-five other stones came up from the deep, and these were fitted into the structure of the tower, having b
een carried in by the virgins like the previous ones. And after these thirty-five came up, and these were likewise fitted into the tower. After these, forty other stones came up, and these were all put into the structure of the tower. So four tiers were laid in the foundations of the tower. 4 And the stones stopped coming up from the deep, and the builders also stopped for a little while. And next the six men ordered the multitude of the people to bring in stones from the mountains for the construction of the tower. 5 So stones of various colors were brought in from all the mountains, having been quarried by the men, and handed to the virgins, and the virgins carried them through the door and handed them over for the construction of the tower. And when the various stones were set into the building, they all alike became white and lost their various colors. 6 But some of the stones that were delivered by the men for the building did not become bright, but were found to be the same color as when they were put in; for they were not handed along by the virgins, nor had they been carried through the gate. These stones, therefore, were unsuitable for the building of the tower. 7 When the six men saw the unsuitable stones in the building, they ordered them to be removed and taken down to their own place, from where they had been brought. 8 And they said to the men who were bringing in the stones, “You must not bring any stones at all into the building, but only place them by the tower, so that the virgins can carry them through the door and hand them over for the building. For if,” they said, “they are not carried through the gate by the hands of these virgins, they cannot change their colors. So do not labor in vain,” they said.