Marriage and Sexuality in Early Christianity

David G. Hunter

• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781506445939
• eBook ISBN: 9781506446004
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

Marriage and Sexuality in Early Christianity is part of Ad Fontes: Early Christian Sources, a series designed to present ancient Christian texts essential to an understanding of Christian theology, ecclesiology, and practice. The books in the series make the wealth of early Christian thought available to new generations of students of theology and provide a valuable resource for the church. Developed in light of recent patristic scholarship, the volumes provide a representative sampling of theological contributions from both East and West.

The series provides volumes that are relevant for a variety of courses: from introduction to theology to classes on doctrine and the development of Christian thought. The goal of each volume is not to be exhaustive but rather to be representative enough to denote for a nonspecialist audience the multivalent character of early Christian thought, allowing readers to see how and why early Christian doctrine and practice developed the way it did.

II

Texts and Translations

5

Hermas

Little is known about Hermas, the author of the intriguing prophetic text known as the Shepherd. Numbered among the Apostolic Fathers—the generation of Christian writers who succeeded the original apostles—the work of Hermas is usually dated to the early decades of the second century. Internal evidence of the text indicates that he belonged to one of the Christian congregations at Rome and was once a slave. One source claims that his brother, Pius, was bishop in Rome, but that claim cannot be verified. The Shepherd circulated widely in the ancient world and was occasionally cited as Scripture.^[1]

The Shepherd consists of a series of revelations, first delivered by a woman who represents the church, then by an angel of repentance. The book is arranged into five Visions, twelve Mandates, and ten Parables. Hermas was deeply concerned with the problem of inequalities of wealth in the church of Rome, as well as with the issue of sins committed after baptism and the possibility of penance. He presents the view that it is possible to receive ecclesiastical penance only once after baptism. He accepts the possibility of remarriage after the death of a spouse, but suggests that if a person remains single, “he gains for himself more extraordinary honor and great glory with the Lord.”

The Shepherd, Mandate 4

(29.1) “I command you,” he said, “to guard your chastity (hagneia). Do not allow the desire for another woman to enter your heart, nor any thought of fornication, or any similar vice. For to do this is to commit a great sin. If you always remember your own wife, you will never sin. (2) But if this desire enters your heart, you will sin, and if any similar wicked desire should enter, you will commit sin. For this desire is a great sin for the servant of God. If anyone commits this wicked deed, he brings about his own death. (3) See to it, then, that you avoid this desire. For where holiness dwells, in the heart of the righteous man, there lawlessness should not enter.”

(4) I said to him: “Lord, permit me to ask you a few questions.”

“Speak,” he said.

“Lord,” I said, “if a man has a wife who believes in the Lord and he catches her in adultery, does the man sin if he continues to live with her?”

(5) “As long as the man is unaware,” he said, “he does not sin. But if he discovers her sin and the woman does not repent, but rather persists in her adultery, the man shares the guilt of her sin and participates in her adultery, if he continues to live with her.”

(6) “What, then,” I said, “will the man do, Lord, if the woman persists in this passion?”

“He must divorce her,” he said, “and the man must live by himself. But if, after divorcing her, he should marry another woman, he himself commits adultery.”^[2]

(7) “And if, Lord,” I said, “the woman repents after she has been dismissed and wishes to return to her husband, shall he not take her back?”

(8) “Yes,” he said, “if the man does not take her back, he sins and brings great sin upon himself, for it is necessary to welcome back the sinner who has repented. But this must not occur more than once, because the servants of God have permission for only one repentance. Therefore, for the sake of repentance the man must not marry. This course of action applies to the woman as well as to the man.

(9) “Adultery occurs,” he said, “not only when a person defiles his flesh but also when he acts as the pagans do.^[3] So then, if a person persists in such practices and does not repent, you shall separate from him and not live with him, or else you participate in his sin. (10) That is why you were instructed to live alone, whether you are male or female, so that repentance might be possible in these cases.

(11) “I do not intend,” he said, “to provide an excuse for this kind of behavior to happen, but only that the one who has sinned might sin no more. For the first sin, there is one who is able to provide healing, since he is the one who has the power to do all things.”

(30.1) I continued to question him: “Since the Lord has judged me worthy for you to dwell with me always, bear with me as I speak a little more, for I have no understanding and my heart has been hardened by my former deeds.^[4] Grant me understanding, for I am very foolish and completely devoid of knowledge.”

(2) Answering me he said: “I have authority over repentance (metanoia), and to all who repent I give understanding. Or do you not think that repentance itself is understanding? To repent is great understanding. For the sinner understands that he has done evil in the sight of the Lord, and the deed that he has done enters into his heart. When he repents, he no longer does evil, but rather puts all his effort into doing good, humbling and tormenting his soul because he has sinned. You see, then, that repentance is great understanding.”

(3) “It is for this reason, Lord,” I said, “that I am asking you all these detailed questions. First, because I am a sinner, I wish to know what I must do in order to live, for my sins are many and varied.”

(4) “You shall live,” he said, “if you keep my commandments and walk in them, and whoever hears and keeps these commandments shall live for God.”

(31.1). “Lord,” I said, “I will ask another question.”

“Speak,” he said.

“I have heard,” I said, “from certain teachers that there is no repentance other than the one given when we went down into the water and received forgiveness of our past sins.”

(2) He said to me: “You have heard correctly, for that is the way it is. For the person who has received forgiveness of sins ought to sin no longer, but rather he should remain in purity. (3) But since you are making a precise inquiry, I will also explain this to you, without giving an excuse to those who will believe in the Lord in the future or to those who now believe in the Lord. For those who now believe or those who will believe do not have repentance from sins, but they have the forgiveness of their former sins. (4) It is for those who were called before these days, therefore, that the Lord established repentance. For the Lord knows hearts and, knowing all things in advance, he knew the weakness of human beings and the cunning of the devil, who was to cause evil for the servants of God and to act against them with malice. (5) Being merciful, therefore, the Lord showed mercy to his creation and established this repentance, and the authority over this repentance has been given to me. (6) But I say to you, if, after this great and solemn calling, anyone should be seduced by the devil and commit a sin, he has one repentance. But if he sins and repents repeatedly, [repentance] will be useless for such a person, for only with great difficulty will he live.”

(7) I said to him: “Lord, I have been restored to life after hearing these precise answers of yours. For I know that if I no longer add to my sins, I will be saved.”

“You will be saved,” he said, “and so will all who do these things.”

(32.1) Again I asked him: “Lord, since you bore with me once, please explain something else.”

“Speak,” he said.

“If a wife,” I said, “or a husband should die, and the surviving spouse should marry, does the one who marries sin?”

(2) “He does not sin,” he said, “but if he remains single, he gains for himself more extraordinary honor and great glory with the Lord. But if he marries, he does not sin. (3) Therefore, preserve your chastity and holiness and you will live for God. From now on, from the day on which you were entrusted to me, observe all that I have said and will say, and I will dwell in your house. (4) For your former transgressions there will be forgiveness, if you keep my commandments. There will be forgiveness for all, if they keep my commandments and walk in this purity.”

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1. A full-scale commentary on the Shepherd can be found in Carolyn Osiek, Shepherd of Hermas: A Commentary, Hermeneia (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1999). ↵
   
2. Cf. Mark 10:11. ↵
   
3. It is unclear what sort of practices of the “pagans” or “Gentiles” (ethnē) Hermas has in mind. He may be thinking of those biblical texts that identify idolatry as a type of fornication. See, e.g., Jer 3:8–11. ↵
   
4. In Visions 5.25.2 the shepherd appeared to Hermas and said: “I was sent by the most holy angel to live with you the rest of the days of your life.” ↵
   

6

Tertullian

The first great Christian writer of the North African church, Tertullian of Carthage, flourished during the final years of the second century and early decades of the third. His writings span a large number of genres: from anti-heretical treatises, to apologies, to moral and ascetical writings. Tertullian was a strict moralist, and his rigor was reinforced by his gradual adherence to the prophetic, apocalyptic mo...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Additional Praise for Marriage and Sexuality in Early Christianity
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Table Of Contents
• Series Foreword
• Preface
• Introduction
• Texts and Translations
• Select Bibliography
• Index of Subjects
• Index of Scripture
• Index of Ancient Authors
• Index of Modern Authors