Apocrypha Part 6: Shepherd of Hermas, Clement & Barnabas

All these books are closely adjacent to the New Testament:

• Shepherd of Hermas

• 1 Clement

• Epistle of Barnabas

They were read by the early Church and commented on by the contemporary writers. Though over time, they were eventually excluded from the different Biblical canons.

Shepherd of Hermas

This book was written around 140 AD. The ‘shepherd’ in question gives Hermas, a former Roman slave, a series of visions to pass on to the local Christian community. A shepherd would have been understood as a spiritual being, like in this case, a guardian angel. Spiritual shepherds were also seen as ‘taking care’ of nations as well. This adds a slightly different perspective to Christ being the ‘Good Shepherd’.

An early Church commentary suggests Hermas was the brother of Pope Pious I. The book was seen as prophetic work in the early Christian period.

It describes how the Torah was still used in the Church community and that salvation was dependent, in part, on whether someone led a Christian life.

The book is divided into three sections. Firstly, Hermas receives five visions, then the shepherd (the angel) gives him twelve commandments and in the third section, the angel tells him ten parables.

The key themes of the book is that Christians must live out a life of repentance and obedience to Christ.

It also suggests that each Christian is given a guardian angel, but also a demon who tries to tempt him to indulge the passions. The text implies that the demons can only work through tempting human to sin, thereby bringing about the works of the devil.

We should read the Shepherd of Hermas because it gives us a picture of what the early Church was like. It encourages us to continue to shun sins in our lives and focus on choosing goodness.

The First Book of Clement

Clement served as the Bishop of Rome between AD 88 and AD 99. He was a disciple of both St Peter and St Paul and is mentioned in Philippians.

Philippians 4 v 3

Yes, and I ask you, my true yokefellow, to help these women who have labored with me for the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

He allegedly wrote over two-dozen texts, but the only one which academics are certain of is 1 Clement.

This letter doesn’t actually include his name, but was attributed to him by the early Church and hence it was given the title, the First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians.

The book encourages the Corinthians to deal with factions in their church community. The same issues, which St Paul highlights in his epistles, seem to be continuing. The key theme is choosing humility over envy and jealously. He draws on stories from the Old Testament to explain his point.

1 Clement 4 v 7-10

You see, brothers, jealousy and envy wrought a brother's murder. By reason of jealousy our father Jacob ran away from the face of Esau his brother.

Jealousy caused Joseph to be persecuted even unto death, and to come
even unto bondage. Jealousy compelled Moses to flee from the face of Pharaoh

One of my favourite parts of the letter is where Clement mentions the phoenix and uses it as an image of resurrection.

1 Clement 25 v 2-5

There is a bird, which is named the phoenix. This, being the only one of its kind, liveth for five hundred years; and when it hath now reached the time of its dissolution that it should die, it maketh for
itself a coffin of frankincense and myrrh and the other spices, into the which in the fullness of time it entereth, and so it dieth.

But, as the flesh rotteth, a certain worm is engendered, which is nurtured from the moisture of the dead creature and putteth forth wings. Then, when it is grown lusty, it taketh up that coffin where are the bones of its parent, and carrying them journeyeth from the country of Arabia even unto Egypt, to the place called the City of the Sun; and in the daytime in the sight of all, flying to the altar of the
Sun, it layeth them thereupon; and this done, it setteth forth to return. So the priests examine the registers of the times, and they find that it hath come when the five hundredth year is completed.

Clement argues that if God created the phoenix, which ‘resurrects’, why could He not also raise up the faithful too?

The book is important to read as it not only shows the early church community in action, but provides sage advice about how we must live in a church community.

Epistle of Barnabas

Barnabas was first mentioned in the Book of Acts.

Acts 4 v 36

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement).

Tradition states he became the Bishop of Cyprus after leaving Paul in Acts 15-16.

The Epistle of Barnabas, discusses the symbolism of the law, delves into gematria (using the numerical value of words to hid deeper meaning, e.g. 666) and paraphrases and misquotes the Old Testament scriptures. It is suspected the author was quoting from memory, rather than having the scrolls in front of him.

The internal evidence within the book suggests it was written in Alexandria, possibly by someone else called Barnabas and not the esteemed companion of St Paul.

Because of these issues, it didn’t meet the high bar set for a book to be considered Scripture.

Having said this, I still think we shouldn’t disregard the book.

Barnabas 1 v 6

There are then three doctrines of the Lord: "the hope of life" is the beginning and end of our faith; and righteousness is the beginning and end of judgment, love of joy and of gladness is the testimony of the works of righteousness.

I like this verse as it frames Christianity in a slightly different way to what is usually expected. For me, it reflects what the Christian life ‘feels’ like. We have a ‘hope of life’ which fills our everyday experience and it gives a deep joy. And this joy is our testimony of God’s love in us to all those around us.

Later in Barnabas, we see the writer engage with germatria. Germatria is a technique where letters are exchanged for numbers and vice versa. So A = 1, B = 2 and so forth.

For it says, "And Abraham circumcised from his household eighteen men and three hundred." What then was the knowledge that was given to him? Notice that he first mentions the eighteen, and after a pause the three hundred.

The eighteen is I (=ten) and H (=8) you have Jesus and because the cross was destined to have grace in the T he says "and three hundred." So he indicates Jesus in the two letters and the cross in the other.

Clearly, this is a rather fanciful explanation, but it is fun to entertain the idea.

Overall, Barnabas is a book which gives the Christian food for thought, especially when it unpacks the typology in the Old Testament.

Another text I’d encourage to read is the Didache. I want to write a separate series on this, so I won’t mention it right now. It gives details on Church administration in the early centuries and is quite illuminating. I love the discussion on how churches should be baptised. Primarily, in cold running water (chilly).

In conclusion, these books are not only important in understanding the theology and concerns of the early Church, but can be personally encouraging for us today.