The Shepherd of Hermas
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Non-canonical Books: Note: Passive Infidelity and Negligence of Chastity Promotion Mandate 4 contradicts Dt. 24:4 by erroneously promoting tolerance of defilement. See this site and my John Piper reproof on abomination. Early Century Egalitarianism Failure Exposed The way treachery of a marital situation is resolved may not be implemented according to post-early church heresy nor gainsaying and man-made, egalitarian, philosophy of the modern, heretical congregations. It is not an equal matter for a female helpmate as it is with a man to be restored to a family relationship. The Biblical perspective upon divorce and re-uniting upon defiled circumstances is gender-biased. For instance, in the Old Testament, males were allowed to be polygamous. The men could have many wives. However, the women were not allowed to be polygamous; in fact, the woman would have been considered an adulteress if she married another man at the same time her first husband was living, and both the male and the married female would have been condemned to death for even having sex with one another (Dt. 22:22). The Shepherd of Hermas, Translated by J. B. Lightfoot, Mandate 4 1[29]:4 I say to him, "Sir, permit me to ask thee a few more questions" "Say on," saith he. "Sir," say I, "if a man who has a wife that is faithful in the Lord detect her in adultery, doth the husband sin in living with her?" 1[29]:5 "So long as he is ignorant," saith he, "he sinneth not; but if the husband know of her sin, and the wife repent not, but continue in her fornication, and her husband live with her, he makes himself responsible for her sin and an accomplice in her adultery." 1[29]:6 "What then, Sir," say I, "shall the husband do, if the wife continue in this case?" "Let him divorce her," saith he, "and let the husband abide alone: but if after divorcing his wife he shall marry another, he likewise committeth adultery." 1[29]:7 "If then, Sir," say I, "after the wife is divorced, she repent and desire to return to her own husband, shall she not be received?" 1[29]:8 "Certainly," saith he, "if the husband receiveth her not, he sinneth and bringeth great sin upon himself; nay, one who hath sinned and repented must be received, yet not often; for there is but one repentance for the servants of God. For the sake of her repentance therefore the husband ought not to marry. This is the manner of acting enjoined on husband and wife. Taken from the webpage http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/shepherd-lightfoot.html on Sept. 24, 2013 Links: |
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