"Put the Lord in your hearts, then, you who are empty and fickle in the faith. You will then know that nothing is easier, sweeter, or more gentle than these mandates. Be converted, you who walk in the commandments of the Devil, commandments that are hard, bitter, cruel, and foul. And do not fear the Devil either, because he has no power against you. I, the Angel of Repentance, who have overcome the Devil, am on your side."

The Shepherd of Hermas is an apocryphal text written in Rome in the 2nd century. It belongs to the category of "apocalyptic" literature, as it relates a series of revelations given to its titular character, Hermas, who may or may not also have been the work's author.

The Shepherd of Hermas was widely read and respected in the early Church, with some Church Fathers (such as Irenaeus and Origen) even considering it part of canonical scripture.

The text is divided into three main sections: Visions, Mandates, and Parables. Taken together, they serve as an exhortation to repentance.

Part 2: Mandates

00:00 Intro

00:39 First Mandate

01:27 Second Mandate

03:38 Third Mandate

06:01 Fourth Mandate

14:26 Fifth Mandate

20:12 Sixth Mandate

24:51 Seventh Mandate

26:50 Eighth Mandate

31:39 Ninth Mandate

34:56 Tenth Mandate

40:06 Eleventh Mandate

47:13 Twelfth Mandate

This work to be released in its entirety in episodic format.

Links

The Shepherd of Hermas full text: https://www.hfsbooks.com/books/the-apostolic-fathers-walsh-grimm-grimm/

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Theme music: "2 Part Invention", composed by Mark Christopher Brandt, performed by Thomas Mirus. ©️2019 Heart of the Lion Publishing Co./BMI. All rights reserved.