topHermas: Mandates-8 prev next
Mandate 8
1 Εἶπόν σοι, φησίν, ὅτι τὰ κτίσματα τοῦ θεοῦ διπλᾶ ἐστι· καὶ γὰρ ἡ ἐγκράτεια διπλῆ ἐστιν.

ἐπί τινων γὰρ δεῖ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι, ἐπί τινων δὲ οὐ δεῖ· 		"'I told you,' he says, 'that the creations of God are twofold; for self-control also is twofold.

For in some matters it is necessary to exercise self-control, but in some matters it is not necessary.'
2 γνώρισόν μοι, φημί, κύριε, ἐπὶ τίνων δεῖ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι, ἐπὶ τίνων δὲ οὐ δεῖ.

Ἄκουε, φησί, τὸ πονηρὸν ἐγκρατεύου καὶ μὴ ποίει αὐτό· τὸ δὲ ἀγαθὸν μὴ ἐγκρατεύου, ἀλλὰ ποίει αὐτό.

ἐὰν γὰρ ἐγκρατεύσῃ τὸ ἀγαθὸν μὴ ποιεῖν, ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην ἐργάζῃ· ἐὰν δὲ ἐγκρατεύσῃ τὸ πονηρὸν μὴ ποιεῖν, δικαιοσύνην μεγάλην ἐργάζῃ.

ἐγκράτευσαι οὖν ἀπὸ πονηρίας πάσης ἐργαζόμενος τὸ ἀγαθόν. 		'Make known to me, Sir,' I say, 'in what matters it is necessary to exercise self-control, and in what matters it is not necessary.'

'Listen,' says he. 'Restrain yourself from what is evil and do not do it; but do not restrain yourself from what is good, but do it.

For if you exercise self-control so as not to do what is good, you commit a great sin; but if you exercise self-control so as not to do what is evil, you work great righteousness.

Restrain yourself, therefore, from all wickedness while working what is good.'
3 Ποταπαί, φημί, κύριε, εἰσὶν αἱ πονηρίαι, ἀφ' ὧν ἡμᾶς δεῖ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι;

Ἄκουε, φησίν· ἀπὸ μοιχείας καὶ πορνείας, ἀπὸ μεθύσματος ἀνομίας, ἀπὸ τρυφῆς πονηρᾶς, ἀπό ἐδεσμάτων πολλῶν καὶ πολυτελείας πλούτου καὶ καυχήσεως καὶ ὑψηλοφροσύνης καὶ ὑπερηφανίας καὶ ἀπὸ ψεύσματος καὶ καταλαλιᾶς καὶ ὑποκρίσεως, μνησικακίας καὶ πάσης βλασφημίας. 		'Of what sort, Sir,' I say, 'are the wickedness from which we must restrain ourselves?'

'Listen,' says he: 'From adultery and sexual immorality, from the drunkenness of lawlessness, from evil luxury, from many foods and extravagance of wealth, and boastfulness and high-mindedness and arrogance, and from lying and slander and hypocrisy, malice and all blasphemy.
4 ταῦτα τὰ ἔργα πάντων πονηρότατά εἰσιν ἐν τῇ ζωῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

ἀπὸ τούτων οὖν τῶν ἔργων δεῖ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ θεοῦ· ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἐγκρατευόμενος ἀπὸ τούτων οὐ δύναται ζῆσαι τῷ θεῷ.

ἄκουε οὖν καὶ τὰ ἀκόλουθα τούτων, 		These deeds are the most evil of all in the life of human beings.

From these deeds, therefore, the servant of God must restrain himself; for the one who does not exercise self-control from these cannot live to God.

Listen, then, to the things that follow these.'
5  Ἔτι γάρ, φημί, κύριε, πονηρὰ ἔργα ἐστί;

καί γε πολλά, φησίν, ἔστιν, ἀφ' ὧν δεῖ τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι· κλέμμα, ψεῦδος, ἀποστέρησις, ψευδομαρτυρία, πλεονεξία, ἐπιθυμία πονηρά, ἀπάτη, κενοδοξία, ἀλαζονεία καὶ ὅσα τούτοις ὅμοιά εἰσιν. 		'Are there still, Sir,' I say, 'other evil deeds?'

'Indeed there are many,' says he, 'from which the servant of God must restrain himself: theft, lying, deprivation [fraud], false witness, greed, evil desire, deceit, vainglory, boastfulness, and as many things as are like these.
6 οὐ δοκεῖ σοί ταῦτα πονηρὰ εἶναι;

καὶ λίαν πονηρά, φημί, τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ θεοῦ.

τούτων πάντων δεῖ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι τὸν δουλεύοντα τῷ θεῷ.

ἐγκράτευσαι οὖν ἀπὸ πάντων τούτων, ἵνα ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐγγραφήσῃ μετὰ τῶν ἐγκρατευομένων αὐτά.

ὧν μὲν οὖν δεῖ σὲ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι, ταῦτά ἐστιν. 		Do not these things seem to you to be evil?'

'Exceedingly evil,' I say, 'to the servants of God.'

'From all these the one serving God must restrain himself. Restrain yourself, therefore, from all these, so that you may live to God and be enrolled with those who exercise self-control regarding them. These, then, are the things from which you must restrain yourself.
7 ἃ δὲ δεῖ σὲ μὴ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι, φησίν, ἀλλὰ ποιεῖν, ἄκουε.

τὸ ἀγαθὸν μὴ ἐγκρατεύου, ἀλλὰ ποίει αὐτό. 		Now what things you must not restrain yourself from,' says he, 'but do, listen:

Do not restrain yourself from good, but do it.'
8 Καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν μοι, φημί, κύριε, δήλωσον τὴν δύναμιν, ἵνα πορευθῶ ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ δουλεύσω αὐτοῖς, ἵνα ἐργασάμενος αὐτὰ δυνηθῶ σωθῆναι.

Ἄκουε, φησί, καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν τὰ ἔργα, ἅ σὲ δεῖ ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ μὴ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι. 		'And declare to me, Sir,' I say, 'the power of the good things, so that I may walk in them and serve them, so that by working them I may be able to be saved.'

'Listen,' says he, 'to the works of the good things as well, which you must work and not refrain from:
9 πρῶτον πάντων πίστις, φόβος κυρίου, ἀγάπη, ὁμόνοια, ῥήματα δικαιοσύνης, ἀλήθεια, ὑπομονή· τούτων ἀγαθώτερον οὐδέν ἐστιν ἐν τῇ ζωῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

ταῦτα ἐὰν τις φυλάσσῃ καὶ μὴ ἐγκρατεύηται ἀπ' αὐτῶν, μακάριος γίνεται ἐν τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ. 		First of all, faith, fear of the Lord, love, harmony, words of righteousness, truth, endurance; than these nothing is better in the life of human beings. If anyone keeps these and does not refrain from them, he becomes blessed in his life.
10 εἶτα τούτων τὰ ἀκόλουθα ἄκουσον· χήραις ὑπηρετεῖν, ὀρφανοὺς καὶ ὑστερουμένους ἐπισκέπτεσθαι, ἐξ ἀναγκῶν λυτροῦσθαι τοὺς δούλους τοῦ θεοῦ, φιλόξενον εἶναι (ἐν γὰρ τῇ φιλοξενίᾳ εὑρίσκεται ἀγαθοποίησίς ποτε), μηδενὶ ἀντιτάσσεσθαι, ἡσύχιον εἶναι, ἐνδεέστερον γίνεσθαι πάντων ἀνθρώπων, πρεσβύτας σέβεσθαι, δικαιοσύνην ἀσκεῖν, ἀδελφότητα συντηρεῖν, ὕβριν ὑποφέρειν, μακρόθυμον εἶναι, μνησικακίαν μὴ ἔχειν, κάμνοντας τῇ ψυχῇ παρακαλεῖν, ἐσκανδαλισμένους ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως μὴ ἀποβάλλεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐπιστρέφειν καὶ εὐθύμους ποιεῖν, ἁμαρτάνοντας νουθετεῖν, χρεώστας μὴ θλίβειν καὶ ἐνδεεῖς, καὶ εἴ τινα τούτοις ὅμοιά ἐστι. Next, listen to the things that follow these: to minister to widows, to look after orphans and the needy, to redeem the servants of God from distresses, to be hospitable—for in hospitality good-doing is found at times—to oppose no one, to be quiet, to become more needy than all human beings, to reverence the aged, to practice righteousness, to preserve brotherhood, to bear insult, to be patient, to harbor no malice, to comfort those suffering in soul, not to cast off those who have stumbled from the faith, but to turn them back and make them cheerful, to admonish sinners, not to oppress debtors and the needy, and if there are any things similar to these.
11 δοκεῖ σοι, φησί, ταῦτα ἀγαθὰ εἶναι;

Τί γάρ, φημί, κύριε, τούτων ἀγαθώτερον;

Πορεύου οὖν, φησίν, ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ μὴ ἐγκρατεύου ἀπ' αὐτῶν, καὶ ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ· 		Does it seem to you,' says he, 'that these things are good?'

'Why, Sir,' I say, 'what is better than these?'

'Walk, therefore,' says he, 'in them and do not refrain from them, and you will live to God.
12 φύλασσε οὖν τὴν ἐντολὴν ταύτην· ἐὰν τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποιῇς καὶ μὴ ἐγκρατεύσῃ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ πάντες ζήσονται τῷ θεῷ οἱ οὕτω ποιοῦντες.

καὶ πάλιν ἐὰν τὸ πονηρὸν μὴ ποιῇς καὶ ἐγκρατεύσῃ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ πάντες ζήσονται τῷ θεῷ, ὅσοι ἐὰν ταύτας τὰς ἐντολὰς φυλάξωσι καὶ πορευθῶσιν ἐν αὐταῖς. 		Keep this commandment, therefore; if you do what is good and do not refrain from it, you will live to God, and all will live to God who do so.

And again, if you do not do what is evil and restrain yourself from it, you will live to God, and all will live to God, as many as shall keep these commandments and walk in them.'"
Summary
This section contains the Eighth Commandment (Mandatum 8), establishing a bipartite definition of Christian self-control (ἐγκράτεια).

The Shepherd resolves the paradox of ascetic restraint by dividing ἐγκράτεια into two distinct directional movements:

 Negative Restraint (ἐγκρατεύεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ): Absolute abstention from vices, categorized into primary sins (adultery, drunkenness, arrogance, slander, blasphemy) and secondary vices (theft, fraud, greed, deceit, vainglory).

 Positive Expression (μὴ ἐγκρατεύεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ): Unrestrained, active practice of essential virtues (faith, love, truth, endurance) and concrete social action.

Crucially, the Shepherd warns against misdirected asceticism: withholding good works under the guise of restraint is a major sin. The passage concludes with an expansive catalogue of social, pastoral, and community duties—ranging from caring for orphans and widows to redeeming captives, welcoming strangers, enduring insults, and restoring fallen believers without casting them out.
Key Themes & Social Ethics
 Dual Nature of Encrateia: Reframes ἐγκράτεια from a purely negative or repressive discipline (abstaining from bodily pleasures) into an active, constructive force that unleashes righteous action.

 Early Christian Social Welfare Network: Outlines the concrete charitable obligations of early Christian communities in the Greco-Roman metropolis (Rome): redeeming bankrupt or enslaved believers (ἐξ ἀναγκῶν λυτροῦσθαι), hospitable shelter (φιλοξενία), and debt relief (χρεώστας μὴ θλίβειν).

 Pastoral Care for the Stumbled: Reaffirms Hermas's overarching penitential vision: believers who have stumbled in faith (ἐσκανδαλισμένοι) must not be discarded (μὴ ἀποβάλλεσθαι), but brought back (ἐπιστρέφειν) and encouraged (εὐθύμους ποιεῖν).
Significant Greek Expressions
 ἡ ἐγκράτεια διπλῆ ἐστιν: "Self-control is twofold." The foundational structural thesis of Mandatum 8.

 ἐγγράφεσθαι μετὰ τῶν ἐγκρατευομένων: "To be enrolled/registered with those exercising self-control." Drawing on heavenly citizenship imagery (e.g., the Book of Life), holding fast to ethical discipline secures one's entry into the divine registry.

 ἐξ ἀναγκῶν λυτροῦσθαι: "To redeem from distresses/necessities." Refers to buying out impoverished believers from debt-slavery or ransoming Christians imprisoned during times of hardship/persecution.

 ἐνδεέστερον γίνεσθαι πάντων ἀνθρώπων: "To become more needy/humble than all human beings." A call to voluntary humility and lowliness, voluntarily choosing simplicity rather than asserting status over others.

 τοὺς ἐσκανδαλισμένους ... μὴ ἀποβάλλεσθαι: "Not to cast off those who have stumbled." Highlights the restorative, anti-rigorist heart of the Shepherd's mission toward backslidden members of the church.

Hermas: The Shepherd
Book Two
Mandates or Commandments